Research Robots

You’ve probably heard of the “Three Ds” by now: Robots are perfect for tasks that are Dirty, Dull and Dangerous. In fact, we recently took a pretty comprehensive look at why inspection robots can tick all of these boxes – while <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/how-remote-inspection-robots-reduce-downtime/" target="_blank">saving companies from unplanned downtime</a>.Generally, that maxim holds true. But a recent conversation with two researchers from the <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/en/index.html" target="_blank">University of Alberta</a> got us thinking that some innovative robotics applications don’t truly fit this description. Specifically, certain medical or healthcare use-cases.The people we spoke to carry out their research under the umbrella of a body that intersects the robotics and healthcare sectors. It’s called the <a href="https://www.ece.ualberta.ca/~tbs/pmwiki/" target="_blank">Telerobotic and Biorobotic Systems Group</a> in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the U of A. It’s under the direction of <a href="http://www.ece.ualberta.ca/~mtavakol/pmwiki/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Prof. Mahdi Tavakoli</a>, who is kind of a big name in this sector. Within that group, there are three separate labs:<ul><li>CREATE Lab (Collaborative, Rehabilitation, Assistive robotics research</li><li>HANDS Lab (Haptics and Surgery research</li><li>SIMULAT-OR Lab (A simulated operating room featuring a da Vinci Surgical System)</li></ul>Broadly, the research can be thought of as belonging to one of two realms: Rehabilitation/assistive and surgical. But what does that actually mean? And how has a robot from InDro been modified to become a smart device that can assist people with certain disabilities?Let’s dive in.Below: Could a robotic platform like the Ranger Mini be put to use helping someone with mobility issues? We’ll find out…<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1745354127605-Ranger-Mini-3.0.jpg.webp" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Ranger" /> <h3 id="isPasted">Helping People (and Even Surgeons)</h3>We spoke with researchers <a href="https://sadrazar.github.io/" target="_blank">Sadra Zargarzadeh</a> and <a href="https://mahdichalaki.github.io/" target="_blank">Mahdi Chalaki</a>. Sadra is a Master’s student in Electrical and Computer Engineering and previously studied Mechanical Engineering at Iran’s Sharif University of Technology. Mahdi is also a Master’s student in the same department, and studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tehran.Sadra’s research has focused on healthcare robotics with an emphasis on autonomous systems leveraging Large Language Model AI.“I’ve always had a passion for helping people that have disabilities,” he explains. “And in the rehab sector we often deal with patients that have some sort of fine motor skill issue or challenge in executing tasks the way they’d like to. Robotics has the potential to mitigate some of these issues and essentially be a means to remove some of the barriers patients are dealing with – so I think there’s a very big potential for engineering and robotics to increase the quality of life for these people.”That’s not dirty, dull or dangerous. But it is a very worthwhile use-case. <h3>Smart Walker</h3>People with mobility and/or balance issues often require the help of walkers. Some of these devices are completely manual, and some have their own form of locomotion that keeps pace with the user’s desired speed. The direction of these is generally controlled with two hands on some form of steering device. Usually, equal pressure from each hand and arm are required in order to go in a straight line and by pushing harder on one side or another steering is achieved.But what about someone who has had a stroke that has left them with partial paralysis on one side? They might well not be able to compensate, meaning despite their intent to carry out a straight path forward the device would turn. That’s where Mahdi’s research comes in.“Robotic walkers or Smart Walkers have been studied for more than 20 years,” he says. “But in almost all of them, their controllers assume you have the same amount of force in both of your hands. And people with strokes often don’t have the same strength in one side of their body as they have on the other side.”So how can robotics compensate for that? Well, using an <a href="https://store.indrorobotics.com/products/ranger-mini-3-0" target="_blank">AgileX Ranger Mini</a> with <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/indro-commander-module-streamlines-robotics-rd/" target="_blank">InDro Commander</a> from InDro Robotics as the base, Mahdi and others got to work. They built a steering structure and integrated a force sensor, depth perception camera, and some clever algorithms. That camera zones in on the user’s shoulders and translates movement into user intent.“We know, for example, if you are just trying to use your right hand to turn left, the shoulder angle increases. If you’re trying to turn right, the shoulder angle on the right arm decreases.”By interpreting those shoulder movements in conjunction with the force being applied by each hand, this Smart Walker translates that data into desired steering action. As a result, the user doesn’t have to push so hard with that compromised side and it also reduces cognitive load. The wrist torque required by the user drops by up to 80 per cent.Of course, there’s much more to this device than we’ve outlined here. Enough, in fact, that a scientific paper on it <a href="https://tbs-ualberta.github.io/fuzzy-sw/" target="_blank">can be found here</a>. You can also check out the video below:<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VVpVfB4s7hE??si=9OJHejmGCXHBfl4i&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" class="fr-draggable">   </iframe><h3 id="isPasted">Robots in the O-R</h3>While the Smart Walker is a great example of robotics being put to use on the assistive and rehabilitation side of things, let’s not forget that the Telerobotic and Biosystems Research Group also carries out work on the surgical side. Sadra explains that robotic devices – particularly in conjunction with AI – could prove of great benefit assisting a surgeon.“My research centres around the use of Generative AI. With the growth of Large Language Models (LLM) such as ChatGPT, we want to see how these AI tools can translate into the physical world in robots. A big section of my projects have focused on Generative AI for surgical autonomy.”For example, a robotic device with plenty of AI onboard might be able to handle tasks such as suctioning blood. Machine Vision and Machine Learning could help that device determine where and how much suction needs to be applied. And, if you push this far enough, a surgeon might be able to initiate that process with a simple voice command like: “Suction.”“How can we have task planners and motion planners through generative AI such that the surgeon would communicate with the robot with natural language – so they could ask the robot to complete a task and it would execute?” asks Sadra. “This would allow robots to become more friendly to the average individual who doesn’t have robotics knowledge.”On the flip side of the coin, there’s also the potential for robotic devices to inform the surgeon of something that might require attention. In breast cancer surgery, for example, an AI-enhanced robot with realtime data from an imaging device might notice remaining tumour tissue and give the all-clear to close the incision only after all cancerous material has been excised.In other words, some of the algorithms Sadra works on involve working on that human-robotic interface while leveraging powerful Large Language Model systems.“Exactly. And we look at this process in three stages: We think about high-level reasoning and task planning, then mid-level motion planning, then lower-level motion control. This is not only for surgery; it’s a similar workflow for assistive robotics.”The head of the lab, Professor &amp; Senior University of Alberta Engineering Research Chair in Healthcare Robotics Dr. Mahdi Tavakoli, describes AI in this field as “a game-changer,” enabling the next level of human-robotics interface.“Our focus is clear: We’re building robots that collaborate with humans — robots that can understand our language, interpret context, and assist with the kinds of repetitive or physically demanding tasks that free people up to focus on what they do best: The creative, the social, the human. We see the future in ‘collaborative intelligence,’ where people stay in control and robots amplify human capabilities.”Fun fact: The most powerful LLMs are known as Generative Pretrained Transformers – which is where ChatGPT gets its name. <h3>What's Next?</h3>We asked the researchers if the plan is to ultimately explore commercialisation. Apparently it’s a little more complex when it comes to surgery due to regulatory issues, but this is definitely on the roadmap. Sadra has been doing research through a program called Lab2Market and says there’s been very positive feedback from clinicians, physical and occupational therapists and manufacturers.Program head Dr. Tavakoli says the lab is “thinking big” about how such innovations can help diversify the Canadian economy. In Alberta specifically, which has traditionally been a resource-dominated economy, he says robotics presents a huge opportunity for growth.“That’s part of why we’ve launched <a href="https://www.albertarobotics.ca/" target="_blank">Alberta Robotics</a>: To build a regional ecosystem for robotics research, education, and innovation. So, the University of Alberta is open for business when it comes to robotics; people should be watching for what will come out of Alberta in robotics!”Below: A promotional video for the da Vinci Surgical System. Will research at the U of A someday enable machines like this to take verbal commands from a surgeon?<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MxIuOdny2cs??si=-10o-sgDjNOyT2e3&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" class="fr-draggable"> </iframe><h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take</h3>The research being carried out at the University of Alberta is both fascinating and carries with it huge potential in both the surgery and rehabilitation/assistive spheres. We’re pleased to know that three Ranger Mini platforms with InDro Commander are being put to work for this purpose – which is unlike any other use-case we’ve seen for our robots.“I’m incredibly impressed with what they’re doing,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “It’s researchers like these, quietly carrying out advanced and focussed work, who make breakthroughs that ultimately become real-world devices and applications. We’re pleased to put a well-deserved spotlight on their work.”You can check out a list of researchers and alumni – and see a photo of Sadra and Mahdi – right <a href="https://www.ece.ualberta.ca/~tbs/pmwiki/index.php?n=Research.People" target="_blank">here</a>.

Could a robotic platform like the Ranger Mini be put to use helping someone with mobility issues?

Robotics for Medical Applications

At InDro Robotics, we sell a lot of robots and drones for the purpose of research and development.Those devices range all the way from small and highly affordable out-of-the-box solutions like the <a href="https://store.indrorobotics.com/products/limo-pro-robot" target="_blank">LIMO PRO</a> right through to highly complex builds for some of the largest technology companies in the world. And that image above? A recent build with a manipulator arm (and many other capabilities) for a client.But what makes for an effective R&amp;D robot? We put that question to Luke Corbeth, Head of R&amp;D sales. Broadly speaking, he identifies four pillars of research when it comes to R&amp;D. They are:<ul><li>Control</li><li>Planning</li><li>Perception</li><li>Interaction</li></ul>In fact, Corbeth recently pulled together a graphic explaining these pillars:<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1743190032007-Research-Pillars-LI-1.png.webp" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Mobile Robot Research Pillars" /><h3 id="isPasted">Crossover and Customization</h3>While the four pillars are all distinct, they’re not mutually exclusive. R&amp;D might include both planning and perception, or any other combination of the above. And the focus of the R&amp;D will obviously inform what sensors – even what locomotion – are ultimately required. Does the robot need autonomy, or will the client be coding their own autonomy stack? Is Simultaneous Localisation And Mapping (SLAM) required? Does the robot need to be able to navigate stairs? For our clients, these questions are all discussed in great detail during an initial discovery call with Corbeth.Sometimes, particularly in lab-based work, an out-of-the-box solution may be all that’s necessary. At <a href="https://www.bu.edu/" target="_blank">Boston University</a>, for example, they have a fleet of LIMOs deployed in the lab for <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/boston-university-uses-agilex-limo-for-research/" target="_blank">research on multi-agent systems</a> (and other areas). R&amp;D in the field, by contrast, generally calls for a larger and more robust type of robot.“A project in the lab often means you can get away with a smaller platform,” says Corbeth. “And when people are trying to tackle problems in the real world they’re often using larger platforms.”While this is generally true, there’s no question some indoor R&amp;D can require incredibly sophisticated robots. One of our more complex builds, which we affectionately named Rosie, is a dual-manipulator robot designed for the Industry 4.0 setting. In fact, the entire lab itself is built for <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/industry-4-0-and-indro-the-evolution-continues/" target="_blank">4IR</a> – with a suite of interconnected devices that share data not only within that location itself, but also with other R&amp;D labs. (It’s actually a super interesting project, <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/dual-manipulator-rosie-the-robot-used-for-industry-4-0-research/" target="_blank">which we explored in detail here</a>.)Regardless, the planned R&amp;D will inform what’s needed – including platform, sensors, etc. That’s where InDro has extensive expertise, not only in integration but in having tested and proven the components themselves. And that saves clients a lot of time and energy.“If every client or research lab had to build a robot from scratch, it would take them a lot longer to get to the point where they need to be,” explains Corbeth. “And that’s largely why we come into the picture. We help jumpstart these projects and get them to their end goal much faster.”Because InDro has years of experience building both custom robots for clients and our own products, we’ve learned – sometimes painfully – which components and platforms offer the best value and reliability. And, in conjunction with <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/from-napkin-sketch-to-prototype-reality-indro-forge-does-it-all/" target="_blank">InDro Forge</a>, we have the expertise for seamless integration,“We’ve tested a wide range of different hardware and configurations,” he says. “We’ve basically swallowed that pill already so that our clients don’t have to.”Plus, of course, if a customer already has some components they want to use, such as a pricey LiDAR, we can customise a package to exclude that and save the end-user money.Below: Rosie, a dual-manipulator mobile robot we built for pick-and-place in a lab doing Industry 4.0 research<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1743190087854-image-7.png.webp" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Rosie Dual Manipulator Robot" /> <h3 id="isPasted">Plus, Of Course, Open Source</h3>Everything we sell, when it comes to robots, is Open Source and nearly always with ROS 2 (Robot Operating System 2). This is a significant upgrade from ROS 1, which relied on a Master-Slave architecture. By making that architecture more distributed (eliminating that central ROS Master), ROS 2 reduces single points of failure and is more scalable. It’s also what those in the R&amp;D space generally want, as Open Source allows them to easily pull in pre-existing code suitable to their research.“The main thing with Open Source is not having to start at zero. If everything was Closed Source, you’d have to do everything from scratch,” says Corbeth. “That’s the value of Open Source; you’re building off of the discoveries of your peers, and that dramatically expedites progress for everyone who is Open-Sourcing their projects.”And a final thing worth mentioning? Support. InDro has built a solid reputation for its after-sale support. From warranties and remote troubleshooting through to site visits (on the rare occasions that becomes necessary), we back what we build. We believe in minimising downtime for our clients so they can get on with R&amp;D.And remember those four R&amp;D pillars? It’s a great top-level view. But Corbeth also took the time to drill down within those themes to take a far more detailed look at research areas and use-cases. It’s amazing the number of areas where research is taking place (and there are likely even more that could be added):<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1743190141006-Robotics-Research-Themes-LI-1.png.webp" style="width:100%px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Robotics research themes" /><h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take</h3>We’re in kind of a unique position when it comes to helping clients requiring robots or drones for Research and Development – because we’re an R&amp;D company ourselves. In addition to finding the best solution for customers (whether it’s out-of-the-box or a complex custom build), we are continuously developing our own products. Some of those products, like <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/indro-commander-module-streamlines-robotics-rd/" target="_blank">InDro Commander</a> and the forthcoming <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/the-new-indro-command-module-amazing-power-in-a-tiny-package/" target="_blank">InDro Cortex</a> have been designed for those clients who want to build or modify their own robots with ease. We truly understand the R&amp;D journey – and have something of a special affinity for clients in that space.“From the very outset, InDro Robotics was formed as a Research and Development company, so we truly get it,” says Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “It’s in the interests of the entire robotics industry to see advances in the R&amp;D space – so we’re always happy to assist with solutions from the simple to the complex. It really is what we do.”Want to continue the conversation? Feel free to contact us <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/connectwithanexpert/" target="_blank">here</a>. He’s always happy to talk robotics with zero pressure.

Robots and drones for the purpose of research and development.

What Makes an Effective Research and Development Robot?

<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Introduction</h2>Hardware development is evolving at an unprecedented pace, driven by rapid advancements in technology, new design methodologies, and the growing need for cross-disciplinary collaboration. However, with innovation comes complexity—teams now face challenges in managing intricate supply chains, integrating diverse technologies, and maintaining seamless communication across global teams. The rise of agile and data-driven practices is transforming how hardware projects are developed and managed, pushing engineers to adopt tools that streamline workflows and enhance productivity.This article explores the latest trends in hardware engineering featuring insights from <a href="https://allspice.io/ebooks/state-of-hardware" target="_blank">The State of Hardware 2025</a>, an ebook by <a href="http://allspice.io" target="_blank">AllSpice.io</a> that draws on data from over 1,000 hardware and electrical engineers across various industries and LinkedIn professional groups. It highlights key challenges and explores how platforms like AllSpice empower teams to overcome them and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive world.<hr>This article is part of <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-future-of-hardware-development-collaborative-tools-and-techniques" target="_blank">The Future of Hardware Development</a>, a series featuring insights into how cutting-edge collaborative platforms transform traditional hardware development workflows, integrating advanced version control systems and paving the way for more efficient, error-free project management.&nbsp;&nbsp;Explore other articles from this series:<ul><li dir="ltr" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-future-of-hardware-development-collaborative-tools-and-techniques" target="_blank">The Future of Hardware Development: Collaborative tools and techniques</a></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/learning-from-git-the-role-of-software-practices-in-hardware-development" target="_blank">Learning from Git: The Role of Software Practices in Hardware Development</a></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/implementing-git-for-hardware-in-30-days-insights-from-the-e-book-by-allspice" target="_blank">Implementing Git for Hardware in 30 Days: Insights from the E-Book by AllSpice</a></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/scaling-hardware-design-with-git-strategies-for-large-team-management" target="_blank">Scaling Hardware Projects with Git: Strategies for Large Team Management</a></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/silos-to-synergy-encouraging-cross-disciplinary-teamwork-in-hardware-development-teams" target="_blank">Silos to Synergy: Encouraging Cross-Disciplinary Teamwork in Hardware Development Teams</a></li><li dir="ltr" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/ebook-the-state-of-hardware-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ebook: The State of Hardware 2025</a></li></ul><hr><h2>Emerging Trends in Hardware Engineering</h2>Emerging trends in hardware engineering are not just enhancing existing processes—they are fundamentally reshaping how engineers approach design, collaboration, and production. Some notable trends include:<h3 dir="ltr">The Rise of AI in Design Simulations</h3>Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven tools enable predictive modeling, optimizing design parameters, and identifying potential failures before physical prototypes are built. AI's ability to process vast datasets and uncover patterns that might be missed by traditional methods is revolutionizing how hardware engineers approach problem-solving.<h3 dir="ltr">Emergence of Advanced Materials and Semiconductors</h3>Breakthroughs in materials science are pushing the boundaries of hardware performance. The development of new semiconductors, like silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), offers higher efficiency and better thermal management, making them ideal for power electronics and high-frequency applications. Additionally, materials like graphene are enabling lighter, more durable, and energy-efficient components, opening new possibilities in fields ranging from consumer electronics to aerospace.<h3 dir="ltr">Green Engineering and Sustainable Design</h3>Sustainability is becoming integral to hardware engineering. Green design principles focus on reducing energy consumption, utilizing recyclable materials, and minimizing waste throughout the product life cycle. Companies are increasingly adopting eco-friendly practices, not only to comply with regulations but also to meet consumer demand for sustainable products. Lifecycle assessments are now a critical part of the design process, ensuring environmental impacts are minimized from production to disposal.<h3 dir="ltr">Expansion of 3D Printing</h3>3D printing continues to revolutionize prototyping and small-batch production. The ability to rapidly produce complex geometries and iterate designs quickly is accelerating innovation and reducing time-to-market.<h3 dir="ltr">Increased Automation in Testing and Integration</h3>Automation is rapidly becoming a necessity in hardware development. Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) practices, long a staple in software engineering, are now being adapted for hardware workflows. Automated testing frameworks accelerate the identification of design flaws, reduce manual intervention, and streamline the integration of new components.<h2 dir="ltr"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8jQFRhKLdaI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></h2><h2 dir="ltr">The Need for More Sophisticated Hardware Development Processes</h2>Trends highlight an urgent need for more sophisticated hardware development processes. Traditional, linear workflows are no longer sufficient to manage the complexity introduced by automation, AI, and advanced materials. Instead, there is a shift toward more agile, iterative, and data-driven methodologies, mirroring the evolution seen in software development.Agile practices allow hardware teams to adapt quickly to changes, fostering continuous improvement and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Data-driven decision-making, powered by AI and real-time analytics, enables teams to identify issues early, optimize designs, and predict outcomes with greater accuracy.To support these evolving processes, innovative tools like AllSpice are becoming essential. Git provides robust version control, enabling teams to manage design iterations and collaborate seamlessly. AllSpice, with its focus on hardware-specific workflows, enhances this by offering real-time design reviews, automated checks, and streamlined communication across firmware, software, and hardware teams.<h2 dir="ltr">Challenges in Hardware Project Management</h2>As hardware development grows more sophisticated, project management faces a new set of challenges that extend beyond traditional design hurdles. Teams must navigate not only technical complexities but also logistical, security, and communication barriers that can significantly impact project timelines and outcomes.<h3 dir="ltr">Managing Complex Supply Chains</h3>The global nature of modern hardware development has made supply chain management more intricate than ever. Component shortages, fluctuating material costs, and geopolitical factors can cause significant disruptions. The recent chip shortages highlighted how fragile supply chains can stall entire industries, from consumer electronics to automotive manufacturing. Ensuring a steady flow of components requires strategic planning, robust supplier relationships, and contingency strategies to mitigate risks.<h3 dir="ltr">Cross-Team Communication and Vendor Coordination</h3>Hardware projects often involve diverse teams spanning hardware, firmware, and software disciplines, along with external vendors and contractors. Miscommunication between these groups can lead to delays, redundant work, and integration issues. For instance, if hardware teams finalize a design without input from software or firmware teams, it can result in late-stage revisions that derail timelines. Efficient communication tools and clear processes are essential to keep everyone aligned and prevent critical errors from slipping through the cracks.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1740553903694-image4.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="which-of-the-following-skill-has-helped-you-to-be-the-most-successful-in-engineering">Interestingly, a recent survey from <a href="https://allspice.io/ebooks/state-of-hardware" target="_blank">The State of Hardware 2025 Ebook</a> revealed that collaboration and communication are seen as the most critical skills for success in engineering, surpassing even technical proficiencies like time management or leveraging technology stacks. 47% of engineers highlighted communication as their top skill, while 26% cited process improvement, and 21% emphasized time management.<h3 dir="ltr">Integrating Security Measures</h3>With the increasing interconnectivity of devices, security has become a major concern in hardware design. However, integrating robust security measures early in the development process is often overlooked, leading to vulnerabilities that are costly and time-consuming to fix later. Ensuring hardware-level security requires proactive strategies, from secure component sourcing to embedding encryption and authentication protocols in the design phase.<h2 dir="ltr">Leveraging Modern Tools for Enhanced Productivity</h2>To address the growing complexity and challenges in hardware development, teams are increasingly turning to modern tools that enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and foster better collaboration. Central to this transformation are version control systems like Git and specialized platforms such as AllSpice, which are redefining how hardware projects are managed from concept to completion.<h3 dir="ltr">Git for Version Control in Hardware Development</h3>Originally designed for software development, Git has quickly become a necessity in the hardware space due to its robust version control capabilities. By enabling precise tracking of design changes, Git allows hardware teams to manage multiple iterations of schematics, PCB layouts, and firmware without confusion or data loss.With Git, engineers can create branches to experiment with new designs or features without affecting the main project. This allows parallel development across different teams. When a design is ready, it can be merged back into the main project, with Git’s built-in tools resolving potential conflicts. This process ensures that all changes are documented, reversible, and traceable—critical for maintaining project integrity and meeting regulatory requirements.Despite Git's growing dominance in hardware workflows, a significant number of engineers still rely on older systems like SVN (Subversion) for version control. According to a survey, 45% of engineers continue to use SVN for hardware projects, while 26% have moved away from it, and 28% have never used it at all.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1740554025227-image3.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="do-you-use-SVN-for-version-control-in-hardware">This highlights a transitional phase within the hardware industry, where traditional tools like SVN are being phased out in favor of more modern, flexible systems like Git. While SVN has served its purpose in earlier workflows, its centralized model lacks the flexibility and collaborative capabilities that Git offers—especially when paired with hardware-specific platforms like AllSpice.As hardware projects become increasingly complex and cross-disciplinary, adopting Git enhances version control and supports real-time collaboration and parallel development, crucial for modern engineering teams.<h3 dir="ltr">CI/CD Pipelines for Hardware</h3>The integration of CI/CD pipelines into hardware workflows is revolutionizing how teams develop and deliver products. While traditionally associated with software, CI/CD practices are now being adapted to the hardware industry, automating routine tasks like design rule checks, simulations, and documentation updates.For example, every time a change is committed to a repository, automated tests can verify that the design complies with specified standards, ensuring that errors are caught early in the process. In environments where rapid prototyping and iteration are essential, CI/CD pipelines help maintain momentum while safeguarding quality.<h3 dir="ltr">Best Time to Try New Tools</h3>Adopting new tools at the right time is crucial for maximizing their benefits. According to data, 53% of engineers believe the best time to introduce new tools is at the beginning of a design cycle. This early adoption allows for smoother integration, reducing disruptions and enabling teams to align their workflows from the outset.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1740554052022-image6.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="the-best-time-to-try-a-new-tool-in-design-cycle">Conversely, only 4% prefer adopting tools in the middle or at the end of a project, where established workflows are harder to alter and the risk of complications increases.By adopting these tools early in the design cycle, as suggested by the survey data, hardware teams can minimize disruptions, and set a strong foundation for successful project outcomes.<h2 dir="ltr">Preparing Teams for Technological Changes</h2>Proactivity in technology adoption is essential for teams looking to stay competitive in the face of rapid technological change. This means keeping up with the latest advancements and also investing in continuous learning and skill development. Teams should regularly assess their workflows and tools, identifying opportunities for improvement and integration of new technologies.Training programs focused on emerging technologies like generative AI will be crucial for ensuring that team members have the skills needed to innovate in this rapidly evolving sector. Moreover, fostering a culture of experimentation will encourage teams to explore new ideas and take calculated risks, driving progress and uncovering new opportunities for growth.Despite Git’s growing popularity, teams’ familiarity with the tool varies significantly. 50% of engineers identify as beginners or are interested in learning Git, while 33% consider themselves intermediate users. Only 8% are experts, indicating that there is still a significant learning curve in the industry.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1740554073855-image5.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="whats-your-comfort-level-using-git-in-hardware">In summary, the hardware development landscape of 2025 and beyond will be shaped by powerful technological shifts that demand flexibility, innovation, and a proactive approach to tool adoption. By adopting these changes and preparing their teams accordingly, hardware engineers can position themselves in such a way that they are ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities of the future.<h2 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h2>As we look ahead, hardware engineering is set to evolve dramatically, driven by advancements in automation, AI, and other emerging technologies. These innovations are reshaping how teams approach design, collaboration, and project management, demanding more agile, data-driven methodologies and sophisticated tools.While these changes bring exciting opportunities, they also introduce new challenges—from managing complex supply chains to ensuring seamless cross-team communication and integrating robust security measures. Platforms like AllSpice are proving essential in navigating this complexity, offering the tools needed to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and drive innovation.<hr>Stay ahead of the curve in hardware engineering. Download The <a href="https://allspice.io/ebooks/state-of-hardware" target="_blank">State of Hardware 2025</a> for exclusive insights, industry trends, and expert strategies shaping the future of hardware development. Get your copy now and equip your team for success.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1740554092390-image1.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="the-state-of-hardware-2025-allspice">

The future of hardware engineering is being redefined by automation, Git-powered version control, and CI/CD integration. With tools like AllSpice enabling real-time collaboration, development cycles are becoming faster, smarter, and more seamless—pushing the limits of innovation like never before.

Ebook: The State of Hardware Develpment 2025

In the market for a robot? A LiDAR sensor? Perhaps a Six Degree of Freedom manipulator?You’ve come to the right place. InDro Robotics is pleased to announce its <a href="https://store.indrorobotics.com/" target="_blank">new online store</a> – your one-stop portal for high quality robotic components. Whether it’s a $2500 US <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/theres-a-new-robot-in-town-meet-limo/" target="_blank">LIMO</a> (an amazing tiny R&amp;D powerhouse) or a $80,000 <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/robosense-sets-new-bar-for-affordable-powerful-lidar-sensors/" target="_blank">Robosense LiDAR</a>, we’ve got you covered.“We’re incredibly excited about this addition to our offerings,” says Head of R&amp;D Sales Luke Corbeth. “For clients who need a specific component and know what they want, this will streamline the process and get products into their hands more quickly.”We’re not talking here about custom builds – something InDro has built a stellar reputation on. But precisely because we’ve done so many custom builds, we’ve been able to identify best-in-class components. And while the majority of our clients come to InDro so that we can do the integration for them, there are some who want to either perform that integration themselves, or simply add a sensor or compute upgrade to an existing robot.“Through building all of these robots, we’ve had a front row seat into what works, what doesn’t work, what’s best – and what is most cost-effective,” adds Corbeth. “Over time, we’ve settled on a select few components we use in the vast majority of our builds. So the purpose of the store is that if you want a component that goes into an InDro Robotics build – up to a fully functional quadruped – you can simply order it online from us.”Below: Manipulator? LiDAR? InDro’s new online store offers a broad but highly curated selection of quality robotics components<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1737391378240-store-manipulators-LiDAR-Cameras.png.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> <h3 id="isPasted">Simplifying The Client Journey</h3>Through scores of custom builds, including robots for some of the largest tech companies in the world, we’ve identified the most robust and cost-effective components. We’ve also learned that some clients with existing robots want to simply add a sensor or upgrade their compute.For those clients who know specifically what they’re after, the online store streamlines the purchasing process. And if you’re unsure precisely which component would be optimal for your application? There are plenty of choices with LiDAR and compute, for example. No worries. Corbeth is still happy to walk you through the options and help you decide on the best choice for your application.“In a lot of cases, people will have done their research and know precisely what they want. But, absolutely, I’m always available to have a discussion and ensure they’re choosing exactly what they need,” he says.&nbsp;<h3>This is not TEMU</h3>InDro has zero interest in selling clients something they don’t need, or a component that won’t get the job done. That’s why the offerings in our store have been carefully curated. These are the components our engineers work with every single day – and which go into the custom robots we integrate for clients. Each and every item available online is a product we have confidence in, and which has been proven in the field. Our online store includes multiple options in the following categories:<ul><li>Components:&nbsp;Cameras, compute, LiDAR, mobile manipulators, wireless charging</li><li>Robots:&nbsp;GO2 quadruped, LIMO Pro, LIMO</li><li>Drones:&nbsp;Multiple offerings and add-ons from DJI</li></ul>But why not simply shop around and buy these somewhere else online? Sure, you could do that. However, you’d be missing out on the InDro after-sales support we are known for. If you have an issue with integrating a component purchased from InDro, Luke is just a phone call away. And, in the rare event he doesn’t have the answer, you have access to our brain trust of engineers at Area X.O to solve your problem. That’s not something you’ll get purchasing online from some faceless, distant distributor.Plus, clients get access to InDro’s extensive documentation on these products and their integration.“We’re going to share every resource that we use ourselves when building robots to help enable their development,” says Corbeth.And, because InDro is an authorised distributor for every component we sell, you don’t run the very real risk of purchasing a grey market product – where manufacturers tend to not honour warranties.Plus, there are some smaller items – like that tiny but powerful LIMO R&amp;D robot – where the client knows that’s exactly what they want. (We have one client who has purchased dozens of these robots.) In scenarios like that, there’s no question the online store will speed the process.“These smaller ticket items don’t need to go through the same administrative process as our larger custom robots. They can be purchased on a procurement credit card, which completely bypasses the traditional procurement process,” says Corbeth.“So, absolutely, this will be an easier way for people to do rapid transactions and get the hardware quickly.”Below: Can we give you (or sell you) a hand?<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1737391445264-Store-compute-grippers.png.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> <h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take&nbsp;</h3>We’re pretty excited about the new online store. The components we offer, whether it’s a Robosense LiDAR or a DJI drone, all come with the manufacturer’s warranty – along with InDro’s exhaustive documentation and legendary post-sales support.“We’re confident the store will help clients get the quality components they need as quickly as possible,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “I wouldn’t call it the Amazon of robotics – at least not yet – but it will definitely simplify the purchasing process for those clients who know specifically what they want, and get those products in their hands more quickly.”The look and feel of the store was conceived by Head of Marketing Carli Parkinson – who worked closely with Luke Corbeth and our engineering staff to select the absolute best range of robotic components (and even robots) for its inventory.There’s already a robust selection online. But, of course, as newer specialised products become available and we integrate and test them in our own robots, they’ll be added to the lineup.We encourage you to take a <a href="https://store.indrorobotics.com/" target="_blank">spin through the store now</a>. And, if you’re ready to purchase but have any questions, <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/connectwithanexpert/" target="_blank">contact us here.</a> Happy shopping!

InDro Launches New Online Store

Robotics Components in a Click

<hr>Welcome to the fifth and final article in our multi-part series on "<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/women-in-engineering-leadership-unlocking-the-secrets-of-influential-leadership/" target="_blank">Women in Engineering Leadership</a>," brought to you by Mouser Electronics. This series explores various facets of leadership through the lens of prominent women leaders in engineering who are paving the way toward a more inclusive industry. Each installment of this series dives into different aspects of leadership and professional development, underlining strategies, challenges, and key insights. Join us as we discuss the stories, challenges, and triumphs of women leaders redefining the engineering sector.<hr>The engineering sector presents unique challenges for women aiming for technical and managerial roles, where strategic support is crucial but often lacking. While the value of mentorship is widely touted, many potential mentors and mentees remain unconnected due to various obstacles, including cultural norms and organizational barriers. This gap highlights the need for more proactive, structured mentorship initiatives that can empower women in this industry.This final article from the series examines how effective mentorship can dramatically transform organizational growth and the career trajectories for women in engineering. Through analysis and stories from women in engineering leadership who have both provided and received mentorship, we highlight practical steps for establishing and benefiting from these influential relationships, offering insights that promise not only professional advancement but also a richer, more supportive work culture.<h2 dir="ltr">The Impact of Mentorship</h2>For women striving to climb the corporate ladder in male-dominated fields like engineering, having an experienced guide can make all the difference. A recent survey revealed a sobering truth: while 76 percent of professionals acknowledge the importance of mentors, only 37 percent have one.[1] The reasons range from not knowing how to initiate the relationship to a lack of confidence in approaching potential mentors.&nbsp;However, those who find mentors gain a decisive competitive edge, with businesses reporting a 20 percent higher retention rate and 72 percent productivity increase among mentored employees.[2]<h2 dir="ltr">Take an Organic Approach to Finding a Mentor</h2><blockquote>Only 14% of mentorships start by asking someone specifically to be your mentor, while 61% develop naturally.[3]&nbsp;</blockquote>Shari Begun, VP of worldwide IoT sales at Renesas Electronics, finds inspiration for her mentoring approach from how she found mentors. "I've only been in one formal mentoring program in my career. Most of my mentors have come organically—meeting other women in sales," Begun expresses. "The mentors who have helped me in my career have been colleagues who are five to ten years older than me. And each mentorship started with something small—grabbing coffee or lunch."Taking the first step to contact a potential mentor may be intimidating. However, a more organic approach, like asking someone out to lunch or to grab a coffee, creates an opportunity to ask questions naturally.&nbsp;Mentors are also discovered in surprising locations. Punya Prakash, vice president and general manager at Infineon Technologies, found a mentor while interviewing for a new role. "The interview connected us, and we immediately hit it off. Now, this person is my mentor, and I can go to them for advice. It was a great organic way to find a new mentor," says Prakash.&nbsp;Alice Martins, a vice president and general manager who oversees 20 percent of Sensata Technologies' total revenue, also supports organic mentorship.&nbsp;"Often, you don't go ask for a mentor. It starts naturally, and then you do your part,"&nbsp;says Martins. As the relationship grows, she advises keeping in touch and taking responsibility. “When your mentor gives you advice, follow up to give an update: 90 percent of the relationship is on you,” says Martins.<h2 dir="ltr">Look for Mentors at Work</h2><blockquote>97% of people with a mentor at work say mentoring programs are valuable.[4]</blockquote>For many women, finding a mentor may come through a formal organization inside or outside their current company. Prakash recommends partnering with other people at your current company. "If you have chemistry with the people you work with, having a confidant in your surroundings who understands the complexity of your business can be valuable to you. Real-time feedback has the highest impact," says Prakash. "Just because someone has a good title or profile on LinkedIn doesn't mean they'll know exactly how to help you. The depth comes from working with someone who is able to be absolutely transparent with you—to speak the core truth without reservations.” Prakash even suggests that while personal connections may help you with mentorship, the work connection is deeper and more practical.Martins agrees: “Start by looking for a mentor in your organization—especially someone related to your projects. This makes it easier to find someone who can help you.” Someone familiar with your situation can give more relevant advice and provide answers to your questions. Mentors within your company may offer valuable insights on communicating with specific individuals or navigating the business culture, drawing from their own experiences and successes.<h2 dir="ltr">Find People Whom You Trust and Ask for Advice&nbsp;</h2><blockquote>90% of employees with a mentor are happy at work.[5]</blockquote>Building relationships with people you trust is beneficial regardless of where you look for a mentor or how you find one. It's always possible to start. Begun advises, "No matter where you are in your career, you can find a mentor. Look for people in roles you admire, within or outside your industry. Identify those you trust, and don't hesitate to ask for their guidance."For some, that may mean looking to more formal organizations or asking human resources what programs the business sponsors. This has worked for Begun: "I've joined several women-in-leadership groups over the years. My company sponsored some, and I paid for some myself."&nbsp;For others, an executive coach is a good option. For Begun, the mix has worked well in her journey with mentorship. "I meet with an executive coach every other week," says Begun. "We meet in a group that includes women from all industries. Our meetings include spot coaching, which helps everyone see how they can resolve similar challenges, even if these challenges are rooted in other industries or faced by professionals at different career stages.”<h2 dir="ltr">Don’t Overlook the Need for a Mentor&nbsp;</h2><blockquote>89% of people with mentors say they believe their colleagues value their work, compared to only 75% of people without a mentor who say their colleagues value their work.[6]</blockquote>All the interviewees agreed that it is vital to recognize that you need a mentor. "It doesn't matter if you want to grow in your current role or career; everyone should have a mentor. A mentor can help you think about where you want to be in the long term," says Martins.The consensus is that mentorship early in your career can help tremendously. With the guidance of mentors who have experienced both successes and failures in their journeys, and who impart the lessons learned to their mentees, more women can recognize the possibilities and opportunities within their reach—especially in male-dominated fields like engineering.&nbsp;“I wish I had known about mentoring earlier in my engineering career,” says Begun. “I needed it. With a mentor, I could have navigated stress better and figured out how to put my energy in the right place.” Experienced mentors can highlight better ways to communicate or steer a career.&nbsp;Mentoring is especially critical for early professionals who might need to learn what possibilities lie ahead. Martins found her passion through trying different roles and industries—often at the direction of her mentors. "Mentoring is important because it opens up a variety of opportunities. I wouldn’t see my full potential on my own," says Martins. “By having mentors with a lot of life experience—both failure and success—I can recognize that the world is bigger than what I currently see. It’s helped me understand what it takes to walk on a path I haven’t yet walked on.”<h2 dir="ltr">Realize That Mentoring Benefits Everyone&nbsp;</h2><blockquote>87% of mentors and mentees say they feel empowered by mentoring and have developed greater confidence because they have mentored someone else or are receiving mentorship.[7]</blockquote>On the topic of mentorship, Martins and Prakash share additional insights. "I try to replicate a lot of what my mentors have done for me—looking for the potential that people don’t see in themselves," says Martins. She actively mentors ten people inside and outside her company through formal and informal mentoring programs.&nbsp;For Prakash, blocking time on her calendar to walk around and interact with her team helps her see opportunities for mentoring. "Leadership can become lonely very quickly. In my first role as a manager, I received some great advice: By being ultra-focused on the ‘what,’ you can quickly lose connection with your team members, who are the ‘how’ of how you get results,” says Prakash. "Maintaining this connection with your team also preserves the joy and humanity that enables an influential relationship. With this simple change, I have made mentor/mentee connections that I know will last a lifetime.”&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h2>Mentorship is a fundamental tool for professional development in engineering, particularly for women. As we close this discussion on mentoring for guidance and growth, here are the essential strategies to consider:<ul><li dir="ltr">Approach Naturally:&nbsp;Initiate mentorship naturally by inviting potential mentors who are five to ten years your senior for informal meetings like a lunch or coffee date.</li><li dir="ltr">Utilize Available Resources:&nbsp;Seize mentoring opportunities available at your workplace and through professional groups to gain diverse insights and support.</li><li dir="ltr">Start Early:&nbsp;Engage with mentors early in your career to better navigate and leverage the challenges and opportunities that arise.</li></ul>As we conclude this series, we celebrate the strides made by women in engineering leadership and anticipate a future where these insights motivate the next generation of leaders to forge new paths. This series has been dedicated to empowering and uplifting, and as we conclude, we remain hopeful and committed to promoting an inclusive and innovative future in the continually advancing field of engineering.<h2 dir="ltr">References</h2>[1, 3] Mentorloop. “Mentoring Statistics You Need to Know – 2024.” Mentorloop,<a href="https://mentorloop.com/blog/mentoring-statistics/" target="_blank">&nbsp;https://mentorloop.com/blog/mentoring-statistics/</a>.[2] Think Learning. “Employee Engagement &amp; Mentoring Statistics.” Think Learning,<a href="https://www.think-learning.com/employee-engagement/mentoring-statistics/" target="_blank">&nbsp;https://www.think-learning.com/employee-engagement/mentoring-statistics/</a>.[4] MentorCam. “Is a Mentor Worth It?” MentorCam,<a href="https://mentor.cam/articles/is-a-mentor-worth-it" target="_blank">&nbsp;https://mentor.cam/articles/is-a-mentor-worth-it</a>.[5] Murphy, Wendy. “A Better Approach to Mentorship.” Harvard Business Review, June 2023,<a href="https://hbr.org/2023/06/a-better-approach-to-mentorship" target="_blank">&nbsp;https://hbr.org/2023/06/a-better-approach-to-mentorship</a>.[6, 7] Pursell, Hattie. “Mentoring Statistics: The Research You Need to Know in 2024.” Guider, December 18, 2023,<a href="https://guider-ai.com/blog/mentoring-statistics-the-research-you-need-to-know/" target="_blank">&nbsp;https://guider-ai.com/blog/mentoring-statistics-the-research-you-need-to-know/</a>.<hr><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1730739447091-1730739447091.png" width="740" height="148" class="fr-fic fr-dii">This article was initially published in "<a href="https://resources.mouser.com/explore-all/women-in-engineering-leadership-ebook" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Women in Engineering Leadership: Advices and Best Practices for New Leaders</a>," an e-magazine by Mouser Electronics and IEEE Women in Engineering Society. It has been substantially edited by the Wevolver team and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/ravi.rao" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ravi Y Rao</a>&nbsp;for publication on Wevolver. Upcoming articles will explore various aspects of leadership and best practices for new women leaders in the engineering field.

Article #5 of Women in Engineering Leadership Series: Mentorship greatly enhances career growth for women in engineering, providing strategic support and guidance to improve their professional success in a male-dominated field.

Mentoring for Guidance and Growth: Tips for Finding and Leveraging Mentorship by Women in Engineering Leadership

At least some of you will remember The Jetsons.The television series, created by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons Inc., was a space-age version of The Flintstones (another Hanna-Barbera production). It originally aired in 1962-1963 with later episodes created in a reboot from 1985 to 1987.But while Fred Flintstone drove a stone-age car (complete with stone wheels) that he powered by pushing his feet along the ground, George Jetson and his family lived in Orbit City, where Jetson commuted to his two-hour per week job via a flying car with a bubble top. And instead of having dinosaurs (including pterodactyls) help carry out tasks, The Jetsons live in a future where they’re surrounded by automated devices. You could think of their surroundings as the 1960s vision of the Smart Home.And an integral part of that home? Well, that would be Rosey (later changed to ‘Rosie’) the robot.Rosey was the family’s robotic maid. She carried out tasks that weren’t performed by the many other automatic conveniences that filled the Jetson’s home. She had two manipulator arms and an internally stored vacuum that be deployed on demand.She was very useful around the house, carrying out tasks to save the family time.And this story? Well, it’s about our own Rosie – which is also very space-age.Below: A Rosie the robot publicity cel, signed by show creators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. The cel was auctioned in 2018; <a href="https://comics.ha.com/itm/animation-art/presentation-cel/the-jetsons-rosie-the-robot-publicity-cel-hanna-barbera-1985-/a/7193-97570.s#" target="_blank">image by Heritage Auctions</a><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI4NDAzNDIwMTI1LVNjcmVlbnNob3QtMjAyNC0xMC0wMi1hdC0xLjUxLjIwLVBNLnBuZy53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Rosie the Robot"> <h3 id="isPasted">The Rosie Story</h3>So. What is Rosie? We asked Head of R&amp;D Sales Luke Corbeth for a snapshot.“Rosie is a dual arm mobile manipulation robot designed for pick and place in an industry 4.0 setting,” he says. In other words, it has two arms and manoeuvres on a wheeled platform, and is capable of moving objects from one location to another or even manipulating a single object with both end effectors.And Rosie has a few tricks up her sleeve. Or, more accurately, sleeves.“The actual robot is very unique because it has six mounting points for the arms. So you can mount the arms on top, high on the side or low on the side to access shelving of different heights. In fact,&nbsp;you could actually mount one arm directly on the top right, for example, and then mount the second one on the bottom left. So you could grab something from the top of the shelf and from the floor at the same time, which is kind of cool, right?”Yes, indeed.Rosie’s home is not with the Jetsons (she has no vacuum cleaner) but in a new lab that hasn’t yet been officially launched at <a href="https://www.polymtl.ca/futur/en" target="_blank">Polytechnique Montréal</a>. It’s called the Intelligent-Cyber Physical System Lab, or I-CPS. So we contacted <a href="https://www.polymtl.ca/expertises/en/birglen-lionel" target="_blank">Lionel Birglen</a>, a professor with the Department of Mechanical Engineering. We wanted to learn more about what the lab does, what he does – and what plans he has for Rosie (which InDro built and shipped in 2023).Dr. Birglen is a PhD Mechanical Engineer, with a specialisation in robotics. He’s particularly interested in – and an expert on – manipulators and end effectors and has designed and built them. He’s written two books, holds three patents, and is the author or contributing author of at least <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Lionel-Birglen-69852833" target="_blank">94 research papers</a>. He’s also – get this – been listed among the <a href="https://www.polymtl.ca/carrefour-actualite/en/news/50-polytechnique-montreal-researchers-among-top-2-most-cited-their-respective-fields" target="_blank">top two per cent&nbsp;most-cited scientists in the world</a> in his area of specialisation.So it kinda goes without saying, but he’s a pretty big deal in this field.Dr. Birglen has a deep interest in the role robotics will play in the future of industry. And, within that realm, he’s intensely interested in ensuring that robots, particularly those that will be sharing space with human beings on a factory or warehouse floor, will be safe.And – he emphasises – he doesn’t trust simulations for important work like this.“Because simulations lie. They lie all the time,” he says. “You have to understand that reality is infinitely more complex than anything you can have in simulation – so actual experiments are absolutely essential to me. They are essential to my work,&nbsp;to my understanding of what robotic manipulation is.”“I believe in math, but I know that reality is different.&nbsp;It’s more complex, more complicated, and includes so many un-modelled phenomena.”&nbsp;<h3>Rosie's Journey</h3>Dr. Birglen knew he wanted a new robot for use in the new lab (which we’ll get to shortly). And he knew he wanted a robot with two manipulator arms.“Dual-arm robots are, in my opinion, the future for industry applications,” he says.And while humanoid bipeds grab a lot of attention, they’re far more complex (and expensive) than wheeled robots. Plus, he says, most factory applications take place on a single level and don’t require climbing stairs.“From a factory perspective, a wheeled platform makes a lot of sense because typically in factories you don’t have, say, five levels connected by stairs.”So he knew he wanted an autonomous, wheeled, dual-arm robot. And he started, initially, to think of a company other than InDro for the build.“I came across InDro almost by accident,” he explains. “<a href="https://www.polymtl.ca/expertises/en/beltrame-giovanni" target="_blank">Giovanni Beltrame</a> told me about you because he has purchased many, many robots from you. He said: ‘Those guys can build and assemble the robot for you. They’re close and they do a great job.’ So that’s how I came in contact with you.” (We’ve written previously about the amazing work Dr. Beltrame is working on involving robots and space. You can find that <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/robots-on-earth-help-prepare-for-research-on-the-moon/" target="_blank">here.</a>)And so, after a number of calls with Luke Corbeth and the engineering team to settle on design and performance parameters, work on Rosie began.Below: Technologist Tirth Gajera (‘T’) puts the finishing touches on Rosie in 2023<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI4NDAzNDY1MDg1LURTQzAxNTE4LXNjYWxlZC5qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="InDro's Roșie the Robot"> <h3 id="isPasted">The Lab</h3>Polytechnique Montréal’s&nbsp;Intelligent-Cyber Physical System Lab (I-CPS) is set up as a highly connected Industry 4.0 factory. Faculty from four different departments – computer engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering and mechanical engineering (Dr. Birglen) – are involved with the lab. Interns and students, under supervision, also work in the facility.“So we have four&nbsp;departments involved in this lab and the idea is to build a small scale factory of the future, meaning that everything is connected. We are building a mini-factory inside this lab,” he says.So think of cameras that can track objects on shelves – and people and robots within the environment. Think of smart tools like a CNC machine, which will eventually be operated by Rosie. And, perhaps just as important as the connectivity within the lab, is connectivity to other research institutes in Quebec, including <a href="https://www.ulaval.ca/en" target="_blank">Université Laval</a>, <a href="https://www.usherbrooke.ca/about/" target="_blank">Université de Sherbrooke</a> and <a href="https://www.etsmtl.ca/en" target="_blank">École de Technologié Supérieure</a> (ÉTS). All of those institutes are working with similar mini-factories, and they’re all connected. There’s even a relationship (and connectivity) with manipulator manufacturer <a href="https://www.kinovarobotics.com/" target="_blank">Kinova</a>. Funding came via a significant grant from the <a href="https://www.innovation.ca/" target="_blank">Canada Foundation for Innovation</a>, or CFI.“So think of our lab as like one node of this network of mini-factories around Quebec,” explains Dr. Birglen. That connectivity of all components is still a work-in-progress, but “ultimately the goal is that there is a cyber-connection between these different mini-factories, these different laboratories around Quebec, so that one part of one node can work in collaboration with another node in realtime.”Plus, of course, a lot of learnings will take place within the individual labs themselves.“We want to bring collaborative robots to work in tandem with humans,” he says. “We want our robots to safely move around people, we want robots to help people. And we also want robots to learn how to work from people.”&nbsp;<h3>Safety, Safety, Safety</h3>As mentioned earlier, there’s a huge emphasis on safety. And while there are international safety standards for collaborative robots, even a ‘safe’ cobot can pose a threat.“All the collaborative robots that you have currently on the market more or less follow this technical standard and they are more or less safe, but they’re still dangerous,” explains Dr. Birglen. “And the classical example that we’ve all heard, and which is true, is that if a safe cobot has a knife in its hand and is moving around – it is very dangerous.”So safety in the lab(s) is paramount – and that means safety at multiple levels. There must be safety:<ul><li>At the task level; you must not have tasks that could endanger people</li><li>Safety at the control level</li><li>Safety in terms of collision detection, mitigation, obstacle avoidance</li><li>Safety at the data security level</li></ul>Plus – and this really interests Dr. Birglen – you must ensure safety with any additional mechanical innovations that are introduced.“What you develop, any mechanical system you develop, must be as much as possible intrinsically safe. And actually that’s one of the topics I’m currently working on is to develop end effectors and tooling that is intrinsically safe.”<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:ugcPost:7186438904722472960" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A LinkedIn post from Luke Corbeth shows Rosie, using both arms, inside the I-CPS lab</a><h3> </h3><h3 id="isPasted">The Future&nbsp;</h3>And why is research like this so important? What difference will it make to have robots and humans working safely together, with safe manipulators and end effectors that might even be able to, for example, lift an object in concert with a human being? And why the focus on interconnectedness between all of these facilities?Well, there’s obviously the value of the research itself – which will lead to greater efficiencies, improved manipulators, gripping technologies, new algorithms and AI enhancements – as well as enhanced safety down the road. But there’s a much bigger picture, says Dr. Birglen, especially if you can get your head around thinking about the future from a global perspective.China, he says, is no longer a developing nation. The days when the words “Made in China” meant poor quality are – with rare exceptions – gone. The country is, in fact, highly developed – and working at breakneck speed when it comes to innovation and adoption of robotics at scale. A revolution is underway that has massive implications for competitive advantage that simply cannot be ignored. So the research at &nbsp;I-CPS is not merely important from an academic perspective, it’s strategic when viewed through a global economic lens.“We as a country – meaning Canada – are in competition with other countries for manufacturing, for producing goods and services.&nbsp;China is a developed country and it is very, very, very good in robotics,” he states. “You know how in the past&nbsp;we saw China as producing low quality goods, low quality robots? That’s over, man. That’s finished.”And?“If they are investing in robotics like mad and we are not, we’re going to be a leftover –&nbsp;Canada is going to sink as a rich country. If you want to produce wealth in the 21st Century, you need robots, you need automation, you need integration. In short, you need to be the leader of the pack or you’re going to be eaten.”It’s a stark warning – and it’s true.I step outside as author and state this having lived in China back when it was still a developing country in the late 1980s – and having returned several times since then. The transformation has been nothing short of astonishing. How, you might ask, did it achieve all this?The answer has its genesis with former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. who led the country from 1978 to 1989. He didn’t merely open the door to reform; he created policies that began sending waves of students from what had been a xenophobic country abroad to study. There was an emphasis on careers that could help modernise the nation, including all aspects of engineering, aerospace, construction, transportation, architecture, etc. That’s where all this began.Thankfully (and with credit to federal funding agencies like CFI), there are projects like I-CPS underway – and academics like Dr. Lionel Birglen with the vision to push the needle safely forward.Below: “Baxter” – the original dual-arm robot. Baxter is still at Polytechnique Montréal, but Rosie is the mobile future. Photo by Luke Corbeth<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1728403885667-Image-22.jpeg.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Baxter"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1728403913708-Rosie.png.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Rosie Details"><h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take&nbsp;</h3>We’re obviously pleased Polytechnique Montréal selected InDro to build Rosie. And we’re particularly pleased to see that she’s being deployed at I-CPS, as part of an integrated and networked research project that has such potentially profound implications for the future.“I believe Dr. Birglen is correct in his assessment of the importance of robotics and automation in the future,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “And when you throw innovations with drones and even autonomous Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles capable of carrying large cargo loads and passengers into the mix, we are actually heading into a Jetsons-like future,” he adds.“I think there’s a growing understanding of the implications of this kind of future from not only the private sector, but also federal regulators and funding agencies. At InDro our mission will always focus on continued innovation. Sometimes those innovations are our own inventions, but a key piece of the puzzle is R&amp;D work carried out by academics like Lionel Birglen. We’re confident that Rosie’s arms are in the right hands.”Interested in learning more about a custom robotics solution? Feel free to <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/connectwithanexpert/" target="_blank">contact us here</a>.

Rosie is a dual arm mobile manipulation robot designed for pick and place in an industry 4.0 setting.

Dual Manipulator Rosie The Robot Used for Industry 4.0 Research

The third annual showcase of Canada’s Smart Mobility sector – formerly known as TCXpo – is a wrap.Bringing together more than 80 companies from across Canada and abroad, more than 1500 attendees registered to see the latest and greatest innovations – some of them being shown publicly for the first time. Ground robots, drones, even agricultural equipment and demonstrations of new technologies – it was all on display at Ottawa’s Area X.O, a private facility where technology companies (including InDro Robotics) build and test innovative products on a daily basis.This was the largest event so far – and that’s reflected in the title. It’s now called “GCXpo” – with the first two letters standing for Government of Canada (the previous “TC” stood for Transport Canada). It’s a reflection of the importance Canada puts on supporting this growing sector as companies develop new products and push toward commercialisation. And there are a *lot* of agencies and departments behind this event.GCXpo is hosted by <a href="https://areaxo.com/" target="_blank">Area X.O</a> and operated by <a href="https://areaxo.com/" target="_blank">Invest Ottawa</a> in partnership with the Government of Canada and event sponsors, including:<ul><li><a href="https://tc.canada.ca/en" target="_blank">Transport Canada</a> (TC)</li><li><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence.html" target="_blank">Department of National Defence</a> (DND)</li><li><a href="https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en" target="_blank">Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada</a> (ISED)</li><li><a href="https://agriculture.canada.ca/en" target="_blank">Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada</a> (AAFC)</li></ul>“GCXpo Is truly about celebrating Canadian innovation, companies driving the smart revolution that are changing our country for the better,” said Invest Ottawa President and CEO Sonya Shorey during opening remarks. She also pointed out why Area X.O in the nation’s capital is such a fitting location: Ottawa per capita, has “the top tech talent concentration in all of North America.”And GCXpo 2024 did not disappoint.Below: A crowd watches as Matt Johnston, Assistant Test Integration Engineer with Lockheed Martin Skunkworks Calgary, demonstrates a drone that can fly (and land) in GPS-denied environments, followed by the drone in flight. All photos by Scott Simmie<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI3NDYwNTU5MTUxLURTQ0YxMjI3LXNjYWxlZC5qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Matt Johnston"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzI3NDYwNTkwNzY0LURTQ0YxMjE5LXNjYWxlZC5qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Drone in the Sky"><h3 id="isPasted">A Lot to See</h3>With some 80 companies, government agencies, academic institutions and others at the show, there was a lot of ground to cover. And while the exhibits were underway, the CAVCanada Stage provided top-flight panels and keynotes on a wide range of topics.InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece took part in a panel entitled: “Creating the Cities of Tomorrow,” which looked at how municipalities and regulators can best work together to safely encourage the transition toward newer technologies.‘I would say failing fast is a super important thing,” he said. “We started flying drones 10-12 years ago, when it was really new. And the answer to everything at the start was: ‘No, you can’t do that.’ So instead of accepting that, we basically brought them (Transport Canada) with us, and we’d say ‘What would it take to do this? How can we do this next step?'”There were some failures, but with the regulator on site there was a joint understanding of why things had failed – and the willingness to work together to identify those points of failure and take another run at things. This helped both the company – and the regulator itself. And it ultimately led toward a new way of thinking – with both parties viewing themselves as partners with a common goal.“It’s much better to invite them in – let’s (jointly) spur innovation forward,” said Reece.Interestingly, as the move toward Smart Cities continues, there’s obviously a lot of adoption of AI technologies and research in that realm. Because those AI processors can use a lot of energy – and because AI-enabled devices are starting to become ubiquitous in our lives – Ottawa Hydro has noticed a surge in energy demands and has had to adjust its own resources to ensure it’s keeping up with the transition. This surge has also, presumably, been influenced by the increasing adoption of electric vehicles (which, in addition to charging, rely heavily on AI).“Bringing on AI has a very different energy footprint, and it’s not just one section of the city we’re seeing that in – we’re seeing it throughout,” said Julie Lupinacci, Chief Customer Officer with Ottawa Hydro.“We’re moving from a utility that was planning and building one substation every five years – to one every year. So these are very interesting and exciting times, but it’s very crucial to get this right for the future.”Below: InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727461772560-DSCF1205-scaled.jpg.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Philip Reece"> <h3 id="isPasted">Frost, Fog, and Electric Vehicles</h3>If you’re a Canadian who drives in the winter, you’ll know all about the challenges of frost and fog on your windshield. But you likely haven’t given much thought to the energy requirements it takes to de-ice or de-fog that windshield, particularly in electric vehicles (EVs).But one Ontario company based in Oakville, <a href="https://www.betterfrost.com/" target="_blank">Betterfrost Technologies</a>, has given this problem a lot of thought over many years. And it has developed a solution for the problem that uses 10x to 20x less energy than traditional methods.And how does it do that? Well, there’s an invisible layer in the windshields of most cars today that is used for passive cooling, by deflecting infrared rays. That same layer can be energised using rapid pulses of power to concentrate on melting the frost or ice right where at counts: At the point where it adheres to the windshield. The company has produced an algorithm that’s embedded on a small chip that can be added to pretty much any modern vehicle with a couple of wires. When that algorithm gets the energy pulsing at the right frequency and intensity, that boundary layer is quickly and efficiently melted, allowing for the easy physical removal of frost or ice.“This was researched at New Hampshire’s Dartmouth College’s <a href="https://icelab.engineering.dartmouth.edu/" target="_blank">Ice Research Laboratory</a>,” explains company co-founder and CTO Sameh Saad. “They looked at how ice attaches to surfaces and the best way to break that bond, between ice and any surface. Most of the stickiness of ice happens at the interface. So if you can melt the ice at the interface it will fall off with external force.”And so the company developed an algorithm that ensures the heat only goes to that boundary layer – and isn’t wasted beyond.“The pulsing gives us better control, so the heat doesn’t move as far. So even though the pulsing is high power, the way this works leads to low energy consumption,” says CEO Derrick Redding.And it’s not just about EVs.“The other application besides automotive is aerospace, where airplane wings or critical surfaces need to be clear of ice and frost before takeoff and during flight,” says Saad. “So this could be done using the same technology, using a polymer coating. And if we do automotive vehicles, we can do defence vehicles, bridge windows on ships – it doesn’t matter how thick the glass is. What’s important is that we can defrost it and defog it very quickly.”The company has been around since 2015, and Better Frost Technologies is hoping its product may soon come standard on vehicles straight off the production line.“We’re working closely with two car OEMs and one truck OEM, and that’s going very well,” says CEO Redding.Below: CTO Sameh Saad, a mechanical engineer, with the company’s proprietary algorithm-embedded chip.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727461818547-DSCF1257-scaled.jpg.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Algorithm-Embedded Chip"> <h3 id="isPasted">A Little Bit of Everything</h3>Though the overarching theme of the show is Smart Mobility, one of the joys of this event is the variety of companies showing off innovations you might not immediately associate with the sector but which are nonetheless both interesting and related. One such surprise was <a href="https://ktvworkingdrone.com/ca/yow/" target="_blank">KTV Working Drone Ottawa</a>, a company that uses a drone for high-rise window and facade cleaning. The company’s president. Gesummino Sala, explained he’d come across the idea of using drones for cleaning, and was thinking of starting his own drone company.He then discovered Norwegian company <a href="https://ktvworkingdrone.com/" target="_blank">KTV Working Drone</a> already had such a product and was franchising it. In fact, it had operations in Halifax and Vancouver. Sala managed to secure the franchise for Ottawa (along with rights for about half of the rest of the province). He launched earlier this month.“It’s been about a year in the making, but lots of preparation was needed for this,” he says.The platform is a DJI M350 RTK, where that realtime kinematic sensor allows for very precise positioning. A hose attached to a spraying unit on that drone sucks up water heated to 80° C and applies it directly to the windows of facade. Because of that hot, pure water – Sala says the building dries quickly and cleanly. He says the drone can loft that hose up to the Transport Canada ceiling of 400′ AGL, meaning it could clean a 40-storey building.“The finish is spotless,” says Sala. “It’s safer, the building doesn’t get damaged from swing stages (which are used in traditional window washing operations), it’s more efficient, and it’s faster. Everybody’s interested; people who have heard about it want to see it.”Below: KTV Working Drone Ottawa’s President, Gesummino Sala<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727461858698-DSCF1118-scaled.jpg.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="KTV Working Drone's President"> <h3 id="isPasted">RideShark</h3>When it comes to commuting, Smart Mobility doesn’t just mean autonomous vehicles (though there were plenty of those at GCXpo). It can also mean a smarter way of commuting that will eventually include self-driving cars. And that’s why an Ottawa-based company called RideShark was at the show. We asked President and Co-Founder Sharon Lewinson to give us the elevator pitch.“RideShark is a multi-modal platform that helps people choose sustainable transportation options to reduce congestion, emissions, and improve quality of life,” she says.And how does it do that? Well, with a very sophisticated mobile app.“In one click, a person can enter their destination and it automatically gives them all their multi-modal transportation options: Carpool partners, transit options, bike buddies, shuttles…And then it has carpooling. People can book, pay and communicate all in-app.”RideShark sells its SaaS platform to clients, and it’s then “white labelled” – meaning the app might bear the name and branding of a university, large corporation, or one of the many other institutions and sectors where it’s in use. The company secured Nortel as its first customer back in 2006. It’s grown a lot since then, and has multiple high-profile clients across North America.Now, says, Lewinson, it’s time for the next step.“We’ve been around a lot and now we’re looking to globally scale. We’re a partner with Invest Ottawa – they provide a lot of support. GCXpo is where the future is of what we call ‘unified mobility.’ With all the autonomous vehicles, ultimately they have to get people into those vehicles – and our technology will help with that.”Below: A video explaining how RideShark works, followed by a photo of company president Sharon Lewinson.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XNuvmo9ayfQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727461933674-DSCF1230-scaled.jpg.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="RideShark Company President"><h3 id="isPasted">The Next Generation</h3>Innovation is on a stellar trajectory. With the accelerated use of AI and related technologies, the breakthroughs just keep on coming. So it’s worth noting that many educational institutes were at GCXpo, along with government agencies and accelerators that help fund startups to encourage continued innovation.We stopped briefly at the Algonquin College booth, partly to let them know we’d recently profiled two InDro employees – both of whom came to Canada from India – to study engineering there. (Their story documents a pretty remarkable voyage and can be <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/from-india-to-area-x-o-the-long-journey-of-two-indro-technologists/" target="_blank">found here</a>.)“Why GCXpo?” we asked Algonquin representatives.“We’re here to kind of market the value of not only the <a href="https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop-career-centre/" target="_blank">Co-op &amp; Career Centre</a>, but everything our <a href="https://www.algonquincollege.com/applied-research/experiential-learning-innovation/" target="_blank">Experiential and Innovation</a> centre can offer – ranging from applied research, co-op positions, through to entrepreneurship co-ops,” explained Ashoka Patel, the College’s Industry Engagement Specialist Team Lead.“When we’re at these events, we want to meet with anyone interested in attending the college, so (we talk about) work-integrated learning opportunities, which could be a placement, a short-term internship. And then we speak to our current students to encourage them to look for jobs and ask how we can help them, help out with research projects. And then we want to meet with employers and see what we kind of different programs we can provide to students and graduates.”And, says Patel, that commitment doesn’t end with commencement.“Once a student leaves Algonquin College, we still offer them post-graduation support to find their career of choice.”And those are the people, from Algonquin College and elsewhere, who will forge the next wave of innovations.Below: Ashoka Patel, along with Industry Engagement Specialist Alexandra Trudel.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1727461962835-DSCF1266-scaled.jpg.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Ashoka Patel and Alexandra Trudel"> <h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take</h3>This event is now in its third year – and GCXpo has truly become the&nbsp;showcase of Canadian and international companies in the Smart Mobility and related sectors. It’s an opportunity for everyone from big industry players through to small entrepreneurs and interested students and members of the public to learn about the products, services and agencies that are committed to helping shape the future in a positive way.“As always, <a href="https://areaxo.com/" target="_blank">Area X.O</a> and <a href="https://www.investottawa.ca/" target="_blank">Invest Ottawa</a> have done a tremendous job of hosting and planning this event,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece. “The shift from TCXpo to GCXpo really highlights the commitment of the Government of Canada to this future, and also illustrates how truly engaged regulators and funding agencies are to this growing sector. Of course, it’s always nice to show what InDro has been up to – but the real value here is the diversity of thought and innovation on display, all in one place and in one day. We look forward to 2025.”See you next year!

Recap of the Third Annual Showcase of Smart Mobility

GCXPO 2024: A Stunning Showcase of Smart Mobility

Article #2 of Engineering the Quantum Future Series: Recent breakthroughs in quantum computing made substantial strides, driving closer to practical applications that could revolutionize industries by solving complex computational problems more efficiently.

Breakthroughs in Quantum Computing

You’ve likely seen swarm behaviour in nature – or at least video of it.Flocks of starlings produce incredible patterns known as murmurations, undulating with split-second speed. Certain species of termites build massive and complex mounds, complete with sophisticated ventilation shafts to ensure air exchange and temperature regulation. Some types of fish, when attacked by predators, form tightly whirling balls as a defense mechanism. Bees build complex hives and have specific roles that all contribute to the collective. And ants, as you’re aware, can do a lot more than spoil picnics.All of these, though very different, are examples of swarm behaviour. No single individual is in charge, yet these creatures work together to great synergic effect.Below: A starling murmuration at Rigg by Walter Baxter, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzIxMjI5MjY1MDU0LUFfc3RhcmxpbmdfbXVybXVyYXRpb25fYXRfUmlnZ18tX2dlb2dyYXBoLm9yZ18udWtfLV80MzAyOTMxLmpwZy53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">Swarm Robotics</h3>It was actually through these observations in nature, particularly of insects, that the concept of swarm robotics first emerged.“In a robot swarm, the collective behavior of the robots results from local interactions between the robots and between the robots and the environment in which they act… The research of swarm robotics is to study the physical body and the controlling behaviours of robots. It is inspired but not limited by the emergent behaviour observed in social insects, called swarm intelligence. Relatively simple individual rules can produce a large set of complex <a title="Swarm behaviour" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarm_behaviour" target="_blank">swarm behaviours</a>. A key component is the communication between the members of the group that build a system of constant feedback. The swarm behaviour involves constant change of individuals in cooperation with others, as well as the behaviour of the whole group,” states <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swarm_robotics" target="_blank">this Wikipedia entry</a>.Much of the early research (and some of the more complex, current research) involves high numbers of very simple robotic devices. But as the field has developed, so too has the size and capabilities of the robots being used in swarm applications and research.“The idea behind swarm robotics is the robots are able to communicate with each other and thus improve their decision-making and data acquisition in a given environment from a real world application standpoint,” explains Head of R&amp;D Sales Luke Corbeth.&nbsp;<h3>The Boston Example</h3>One InDro client, Boston University, is using a very large fleet of small but smart robots called <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/limorobot/" target="_blank">LIMO</a>in swarm scenarios. One aspect of their research involves how autonomous vehicles interact with each other. Can the robots detect others merging and take appropriate action? How can autonomous vehicles detect and interact with robots that have been programmed to behave as if they’re human-driven vehicles?Research like this is obviously more practical (and far less costly) to carry out in a lab rather than on city streets. It’s important work as we head toward the Smart Cities of the future, where eventually all vehicles will be autonomous – and much of the current infrastructure (traffic lights, stop signs) will no longer be necessary because all Connected Automated Vehicles will be part of a network.“These vehicles become nodes in an Internet in which the vehicles talk to each other,” said Christos Cassandras,&nbsp;Distinguished Professor of Engineering, Head of the Division of Systems Engineering, and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in an earlier interview with InDro.“They exchange information and so, ideally cooperatively, they can improve metrics of congestion, of energy, of pollution, of comfort, of safety – perhaps safety being predominant.”It’s fascinating work, and you can check out our story about it <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/boston-university-uses-agilex-limo-for-research/" target="_blank">here</a>.But the ability of swarms to move and collect and share data collaboratively also opens up other use-case scenarios.“If you are able to team your robots together, obviously you can cover a lot more area in a shorter period of time because the robots are essentially building a map together rather than being dependent on a single robot to build that map. One of the most obvious applications is search and rescue,” says Corbeth.To illustrate, we borrow this example from research being carried out at Carnegie Mellon University:<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bAC8KGawZ7g??si=27CU6UboBVxOJi-P&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&amp;lt;span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;"&amp;gt;&amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;"&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;</iframe><h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Custom Swarm</h3>We recently built and shipped four identical custom robots for North Carolina State University’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Corbeth was the conduit, putting together a package that suited their very specific needs. It began with selecting one of our 18 available platforms.“They chose the Scout Mini, which is far and away our most cost-effective platform. And it’s unique&nbsp;in that it’s capable both indoors, like in their lab, but also for outdoor use,” says Corbeth.That, of course, was just the start. Each robot was outfitted with the <a href="https://indrorobotics.cahttps//indrorobotics.ca/commander/" target="_blank">InDro Commander</a>, which tucks a lot of power and flexibility within its IP54-rated enclosure. Commander houses the brains or the robot – which in this case is a very powerful piece of compute. Commander is completely customisable based on client requirements and contains ROS1 and ROS2 folders. (It also enables rapid integration and recognition of multiple sensors, and has the option of shipping with either or both of InDro’s autonomy stacks for outdoor or indoor use – think GPS-denied and SLAM. In this case, the client will be building their own autonomy stack, as that’s part of their research.)And this client wanted Commander equipped with a powerhouse.“They upgraded from a Jetson Xavier NX to the AGX Orin Developer Kit. That’s the best-in-class onboard compute you can add to a robot these days,” he adds.That’s not hyperbole. The AGX contains a&nbsp;2048-core NVIDIA Ampere architecture GPU with 64 Tensor Cores. Unfamiliar with Tensor Cores? They mean ultra fast AI processing.“Tensor Cores enable mixed-precision computing, dynamically adapting calculations to accelerate throughput while preserving accuracy and providing enhanced security,” states the <a href="https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/data-center/tensor-cores/" target="_blank">NVIDIA website</a>. “The latest generation of Tensor Cores are faster than ever on a broad array of AI and high-performance computing (HPC) tasks. From 4X speedups in training trillion-parameter generative AI models to a 30X increase in inference performance, NVIDIA Tensor Cores accelerate all workloads…”That AI computer is capable of – wait for it – 275 TOPS, or trillions of operations per second. (Yes, it’s kind of hard to get your head around that.)&nbsp;<h3>Sensors, Sensors, Sensors</h3>Corbeth worked with the client to outfit each swarm robot with the sensors needed for the job. Starting with the basics, each robot contains two pinhole cameras (one front, one rear) so the operator can remotely see the robot’s eye view using our proprietary dashboard, <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/new-indro-controller-a-simple-solution-to-complex-robotics-missions/" target="_blank">InDro Controller</a>. For depth perception, we added ZED X stereo cameras which – like human eyes – see the world in three dimensions. These are used for obstacle avoidance (in conjunction with LiDAR, which we’ll get to).Connectivity is key with any robot. But when it comes to swarm robotics, it’s particularly important to have high-speed, low-latency communication not just with the controller, but between the robots themselves.“Obviously doing swarm requires 5G connectivity,” says Corbeth. “So there’s a 5G modem in each robot as well as our Wi-Fi development module. In addition to communication between the robots and with InDro Controller, this also means they can program these robots without having to hard-wire into them. In fact, students or researchers could upload algorithms from pretty much any location – they don’t need to be on-site or on the same WiFi network, which has been the traditional route.”Each robot features GPS and IMU modules, plus a Robosense Helios RS-5515 32-beam LiDAR module. These sense the environment in three dimensions by rapidly scattering and receiving the reflections from eye-safe laser beams. It allows the robot to safely navigate and map in completely unfamiliar and GPS-denied locations, and even carry out precision scans. We recently featured Robosense in <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/robosense-sets-new-bar-for-affordable-powerful-lidar-sensors/" target="_blank">this post</a>, detailing how the quality is absolutely on par with the biggest names in the industry. (Selecting Robosense for this project saved the client close to $80,000 without losing any capabilities.)Outstanding in their field: A look at the InDro-built swarm fleet just prior to shipping to the client<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1721229465024-Image-7-2-scaled.jpeg.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take</h3>It was a fascinating project to build a small swarm from the ground up for the specific needs of this client. We look forward to checking in with North Carolina State University once the research is fully underway – and will report back to you.“There’s no doubt that swarm robotics is an important tool, not only in R&amp;D but increasingly in real-world applications,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “Whether it’s search and rescue, mapping difficult environments at scale, or developing algorithms that will enable Connected Automated Vehicles in the Smart Cities of the future, swarms are synergic tools that produce outcomes far greater than the sum of their parts – and that do so with greater speed and efficiency.”Interested in exploring options for swarm robotics? Contact Luke Corbeth <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/connectwithanexpert/" target="_blank">here.</a>

InDro completes design, build and delivery of robots for swarm research.

Robots for Swarm Research

The InDro Robotics engineering team, as always, has been hard at work. And we’re particularly pleased with our latest R&amp;D breakthrough: The InDro Command Module, or ICM.It’s a small but exceedingly powerful box that will immediately enable robotic platforms to reach the next level. It’s robot-agnostic, meaning you can integrate the Module with any ROS-based robot (which is pretty much all of them).And what can it do?A better question might be: What can’t it do? And the answer there is “not much.”Below: An InDro Robotics ICM mounted on a Unitree B2 quadruped. The ICM enables remote teleoperations, autonomous missions – and much more…<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzE5MzIxMDU5MzE0LUlDTS1CMi1SZW5kZXJzLVYxLjIucG5nLndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> <h3 id="isPasted">Background</h3>There’s some important history here – which also tells you something about the InDro Robotics ethos.In November of 2021, we released a very popular product. <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/the-indro-robotics-ros-in-a-box-for-ground-robots/" target="_blank">InDro Commander</a> was developed in response to the needs of clients who wanted to be able to quickly turn a platform into a smart, easily customisable robot capable of teleoperation over 4G or 5G. From developers and academics through to large technology companies, our clients had been requesting such a solution. In fact, even in the development of our own products we identified the need for an all-in-one solution to speed robot integration and enable teleoperation.“Our engineering team came up with the concept of the InDro Commander after integrating and customizing our own robots,” said Philip Reece, CEO of InDro Robotics, when the product was launched. “We realized there were hurdles common to all of them – so we designed and produced a solution. Commander vastly simplifies turning a platform into a fully functioning, teleoperated robot.”Commander, <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/commander/" target="_blank">as this webpage explains</a>, “is designed to allow developers to quickly customize their own robotic solution. The following are common additions that can be easily added to any Commander-controlled robotic system: LiDAR (2D/3D), PTZ camera, thermal cameras, wireless charging, IMU, RTK.”Commander, quite simply, takes the pain out of integration.And how does it do that? Well, it ships with a powerful EDGE computer pre-loaded with ROS1 and ROS2 folders. It also contains multiple USB ports, allowing for the instant addition (and recognition of) pretty much any sensor you can throw at it. It allowed clients who were previously spending a ton of time on integration to simply attach Commander to the robot’s power supply, start plugging in sensors, and then remotely operate via a secure dashboard.&nbsp;When it was first released, Engineering Lead Arron Griffiths dubbed it “ROS-in-a-Box.” We later changed that to Commander, but here’s the splashy video released at the time in advance of the big IROS show, where Commander made its debut…<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zWliBAIJvjc??si=-A9tkiZXym_kDBKa&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;</iframe><h3 id="isPasted">Smarter, Faster, Smaller</h3>At InDro, we have a motto of “Invent, Enhance, Deploy.” But deployment doesn’t mean we rest on our laurels. InDro’s engineers continuously look at ways to enhance existing products. And that’s exactly what we’ve done with Commander. We asked ourselves: How could we make this even better?“The InDro Command Module grew out of the idea of making a general purpose backpack/module that any OEM could put on their motorized product – everything from a ground robot to even a golf cart, drone, car, truck or RC platform,” says Engineering Lead Arron Griffiths. “That single module makes any platform ROS-enabled, AI-ready and 5G connected.”A lot of work went into this. One of the biggest tasks was designing and developing four new boards that pack a lot of AI compute power (and other features) into a tiny space. There are separate boards for EDGE computing, teleoperation data transfer, and sensor integration. There’s also a separate WiFi system.“And of course, it can run on either a public or private 5G network,” says InDro Vice President Peter King.&nbsp;And did we say size matters? The small size of the InDro module means it can be placed on virtually any robot – from the smallest quadruped to the largest AMR. It can even be fitted to a drone.“It’s tiny so it fits on everything. So basically we can turn any platform into a very powerful robot without all the time and hassle,” adds King.Below: Much of the magic of the InDro Control Module lies in the design, development and testing of four new circuit boards:<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzE5MzIxNTI3NzI2LUlDTS1CMi1SZW5kZXJzLVYxLjQucG5nLndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Expanded View ICM"><h3 id="isPasted">Autonomy and InDro Controller&nbsp;</h3>The InDro Command Module is a powerful solution on its own. But pairing it with our new InDro Controller provides incredible synergy.We just wrote a fairly comprehensive post about InDro Controller, so if you’d like more details you can <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/new-indro-controller-a-simple-solution-to-complex-robotics-missions/" target="_blank">check this out</a>. But in a nutshell, InDro Controller is a powerful desktop UI for operating any robot. With a highly secure data connection, InDro Controller automatically senses all key parameters of any robotic device. It will automatically detect any sensors, providing a data feed from all of them with minimal latency.“It can handle all sorts of data,” says Front-End Developer RJ Bundy. “It doesn’t matter if the robot has standard or custom sensors, InDro Controller can automatically detect and visualize them. For example, if you added a radar unit to an existing robot, the system will pick up on that immediately.”InDro Controller provides the operator with a highly customisable dashboard for carrying out complex missions. It will also keep track of any missions manually carried out, and make them repeatable as autonomous missions.And that autonomy? InDro has created two different autonomy software stacks. One is for outdoor missions that rely on GPS; the second is for indoor missions like SLAM in GPS-denied environments. That software comes with InDro Controller – and is also loaded onto the module. So the two key elements of this system – InDro Controller and the InDro Command Module – have been made to operate seamlessly together.“Anyone should be able to configure and control the new ICM for their product, and indeed, their solution,” says Griffiths.Below: A look at the powerful InDro Controller UI dashboard. The Controller software has been created to be an ideal match for the InDro Command Module and is easy to operate.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzE5MzIxNjI0ODEzLURhc2hib2FyZC5wbmctY29weS5qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="InDro Controller Dashboard"> <h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take&nbsp;</h3>We’re extraordinarily proud of the work our engineering team has put into the InDro Command Module – as well as InDro Controller. We believe these two, in combination, set a new bar for both robot integration and complex remote teleoperations.“The design and creation of the boards used in the InDro Command Module was a significant technical challenge – and a significant achievement. The same can be said of our two new autonomy stacks,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece.“Whether it’s a ground robot, a drone, or some other device that requires high processing power and minimal latency with all the features enabled by ROS, the ICM allows developers to quickly transform virtually any platform into a powerful autonomous robot with minimal effort.”Interested in learning more? Of course you are. Contact our Head of R&amp;D Sales, Luke Corbeth, right <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/connectwithanexpert/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.

The New InDro Command Module: Amazing Power in a Tiny Package

Simplify Integration with this Robot Agnostic Brain Box

InDro Robotics is pleased to unveil details of its highly capable new R&amp;D drone.Running the Robot Operating System (ROS) and with powerful onboard compute capabilities, the drone is perfect for advanced Research and Development.“It’s a drone geared toward R&amp;D first and foremost,” explains Luke Corbeth, Head of R&amp;D Sales. “It truly is a flying robot – and you can program and use it in a very similar fashion to all our other robots.”There’s a real demand in the research world for open-source drones that can be programmed and run highly complex algorithms. These kinds of drones can be used to study swarm behaviour, object detection and identification, mapping in GPS-denied locations and much more.For some researchers, the budget go-to has been the <a href="https://www.bitcraze.io/products/crazyflie-2-1/" target="_blank">Crazyflie</a>, a micro-drone that uses a Raspberry Pi for compute. Its advantage is that it’s quite affordable. But its low cost, 27 gram weight and relatively low computing power means it has limitations – including the ability add sensors of any weight.“This drone can do so much more,” says Corbeth. “With the <a href="https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/autonomous-machines/embedded-systems/jetson-xavier-series/" target="_blank">NVIDIA Xavier NX</a> onboard for compute, it can effectively map entire environments. And when it comes to landing and object recognition, it’s truly phenomenal. It can even land on a moving vehicle.”Below: A look at InDro’s new drone, which comes complete with LiDAR, a depth-perception camera, 5G connectivity – and much more.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1715267903013-20240403_192314.jpg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">The Back Story</h3>If you’ve been following the latest news from InDro, you’ll be aware we have an incubation agreement with <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/cypher-robotics-announces-captis-a-new-solution-for-industrial-scanning/" target="_blank">Cypher Robotics</a>. That company builds solutions for cycle counting and precision scanning in the industrial/supply chain space. InDro assisted with the development of its signature product, Captis.Captis integrates an autonomous ground robot with a tethered drone. As the Captis robot autonomously navigates even narrow stock aisles, the drone ascends from a tether attached to that ground robot. The drone then scans the barcodes (it’s code-agnostic) of the products on the shelves. All of that data is transferred seamlessly, in real-time, to the client’s Warehouse Management System (WMS), WCS (Warehouse Control System) and WES (Warehouse Execution System) software.The capabilities of Captis led to a partnership with global AI fulfilment experts <a href="https://www.greyorange.com/" target="_blank">GreyOrange</a> and leading global telco innovator <a href="https://www.ericsson.com/en" target="_blank">Ericsson</a>. The product debuted at the recent MODEX2024 conference (one of the biggies in the automated supply chain world), where it <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/cypher-robotics-captis-system-generates-buzz-at-modex2024/" target="_blank">gained a *lot* of attention</a>.While working on the project, it was always clear the drone – thanks to multiple modifications – would be highly suitable as a research and development tool. It’s capable of machine vision/object recognition, machine learning, and can find its way around in completely unfamiliar, GPS-denied environments.“In fact, I have one client that’s using it for research in mines,” says Corbeth.&nbsp;<h3>The Jetson Difference</h3>NVIDIA has made quite a name for itself – and quite a profit for its shareholders – with its powerful AI-capable processors. The Jetson Xavier NX features a 6-core NVIDIA Carmel Arm®v8.2 64-bit processor running at speeds of up to 1.9 GHz. Its graphics processor unit features a 384-core NVIDIA Volta™ architecture with 48 Tensor Cores. Put it all together, and the computing power is astonishing: The Xavier NX is rated with a maximum achievable output of 21 TOPS – trillionoperations per second. (We were going to try to count, but thought it more efficient to rely on <a href="https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/autonomous-machines/embedded-systems/jetson-xavier-series/" target="_blank">NVIDIA’s specs</a> for this.)The LiDAR unit currently shipping with the drone also has some flex. It’s the Ouster 32-channel OS1 (Rev6.2). With a maximum range of 200 metres (90 metres on a dark, 10 per cent target), its powerful L3 chip is capable of processing scans of up to 5.2 million points per second with 128 channels of vertical resolution (again, we didn’t count). Hostile environment? No problem. The LiDAR can operate from -40°C to 60°C and has an IP68 Ingress Protection rating.“The OS1 is designed for all-weather environments and use in industrial automation, autonomous vehicles, mapping, smart infrastructure, and robotics,” <a href="https://ouster.com/products/hardware/os1-lidar-sensor" target="_blank">states its manufacturer</a>.&nbsp;“The OS1 offers clean, dense data across its entire field of view for accurate perception and crisp detail in industrial, automotive, robotics, and mapping applications.”The unit uses open source ROS and C++ drivers, and comes with Ouster’s Software Development Kit. Its ability to accurately sense its environment (down to distances of 0.5 metres away), combined with the NVIDIA processor and the depth camera also allows this machine to do something pretty extraordinary: It can recognise and land on a moving platform.“That’s a very challenging problem to solve and requires not only specific sensing but also really powerful onboard compute. This drone can do it,” explains Corbeth.Already, word about the product has been spreading. A number of units have already been sold to academic institutions for research purposes – and the team has been hard at work building and testing for the next set of orders (as seen below).<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1715268006509-shared-image.jpeg.webp" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">The Forge Connection</h3>Like all new products, the new drone required custom parts. We looked no further than <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/indro-forge-prepped-for-next-phase-expansion/" target="_blank">InDro Forge</a>, our rapid prototyping and limited production run facility in Ottawa.Using state of the art additive and subtractive tools, the Forge team created custom mounts using carbon fibre and other strong but lightweight materials, while also ensuring the frame was robust enough to take on even the most challenging environments where these drones will be deployed.“InDro Forge has been critical to the finished product,” says Corbeth. “We wanted a look, feel and quality that matches this drone’s capabilities – and InDro Forge delivered.”<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1715268106286-R%26D+Drone+Custom+Parts.jpeg" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take</h3>We’re obviously excited about the capabilities of this new drone, and we’re not alone. Interest in this product from researchers has already been significant. In fact, we’re not aware of any other drone on the market offering this combination of specific capabilities.It was that void – in concert with our partnership with Cypher Robotics – that led to its creation.“InDro has always placed a great emphasis on the development of innovative new products,” says CEO Philip Reece. “We build new products at the request of clients and also develop our own when we see a market opportunity. In this case, the requirements for Cypher Robotics dovetailed nicely with demand for such a drone from researchers.”Production of the new drone is moving at a swift pace. If you’re interested in a briefing or demo, you can contact us <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/connectwithanexpert/" target="_blank">here.</a>

An R&D Powerhouse

Unveiling the ROS-Based Drone

This article was discussed in our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Next Byte podcast</a>.&nbsp;<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/2b4595aa-c087-4a18-9ed9-6c05655462a7?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> The full article will continue below.<hr>Picture this: You’re out for a drive and in a hurry to reach your destination.At first, the road is clear and dry. You’ve got great traction and things are going smoothly.&nbsp;But then the road turns to gravel, with twists and turns along the way. You know your vehicle well, and have navigated such terrain before.And so, instinctually, you slow the vehicle to navigate the more challenging conditions. By doing so, you avoid slipping on the gravel. Your experience with driving, and in detecting the conditions, has saved you from a potential mishap. Yes, you slowed down a bit. But you’ll speed up again when the conditions improve. The same scenario could apply to driving on grass, ice – or even just a hairpin corner on a dry paved road.For human beings, especially those with years of driving experience, such adjustments are second-nature. We have learned from experience, and we know the limitations of our vehicles. We see and instantly recognize potentially hazardous conditions – and we react.But what about if you’re a robot? Particularly, a robot that wants to reach a destination at the maximum safe speed?That’s the crux of fascinating research taking place at <a href="https://www.gmu.edu/" target="_blank">George Mason University</a>: Building robots that are taught – and can subsequently teach themselves – how to adapt to changing terrain to ensure stable travel at the maximum safe speed.It’s very cool research, with really positive implications.Below: You don’t want this happening on a critical mission…<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzEyNTk4MjUwMzM0LVBpY3R1cmUyLnBuZy53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 328px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="research platforms"> <h3 id="isPasted">“XX”</h3>Those are the initials of Dr. Xuesu Xiao, an Assistant Professor at George Mason University. He holds a PhD in Computer Science, and runs a lab that plays off his initials, called the <a href="https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/RobotiXX/lab.html" target="_blank">RobotiXX Lab</a>. Here’s a snippet of the description from his website:“At RobotiXX lab, researchers (XX-Men) and robots (XX-Bots) perform robotics research at the intersection of motion planning and machine learning with a specific focus on robustly deployable field robotics. Our research goal is to develop highly capable and intelligent mobile robots that are robustly deployable in the real world with minimal human supervision.”We spoke with Dr. Xiao about this work.It turns out he’s particularly interested in making robots that are particularly useful to First Responders, and carrying out those dull, dirty and dangerous tasks. Speed in such situations can be critical, but comes with its own set of challenges. A robot that makes too sharp a turn at speed on a high friction surface can easily roll over – effectively becoming useless in its task. Plus, there are the difficulties previously flagged with other terrains.This area of “motion planning” fascinates Dr. Xiao. Specifically, how to take robots beyond traditional motion planning and enable them to identify and adapt to changing conditions. And that involves machine vision and machine learning.“Most motion planners used in existing robots are classical methods,” he says. “What we want to do is embed machine learning techniques to make those classical motion planners more intelligent. That means I want the robots to not only plan their own motion, but also learn from their own past experiences.”In other words, he and his students have been focussing on pushing robots to develop capabilities that surpass the instructions and algorithms a roboticist might traditionally program.“So they’re not just executing what has been programmed by their designers, right? I want them to &nbsp;improve on their own, utilising all the different sources of information they can get while working in the field.”&nbsp;<h3>The Platform</h3>The RobotiXX Lab has chosen the <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/hunter-se/" target="_blank">Hunter SE</a> as its core platform for this work. That platform was supplied by InDro Robotics, and modified with the <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/commander/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a><a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/commander/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">InDro Commander module</a>. That module enables communication over 5G (and 4G) networks, enabling high speed data throughput. It comes complete with multiple USB slots and the Robot Operating System (ROS) library onboard, enabling the easy addition (or removal) of multiple sensors and other modifications. It also has a remote dashboard for controlling missions, plotting waypoints, etc.Dr. Xiao was interested in this platform for a specific reason.“The main reason is because it’s high speed, with a top speed of 4.8m per second. For a one-fifth/one-sixth scale vehicle that is a very, very high speed. And we want to study what will happen when you are executing a turn, for example, while driving very quickly.”As noted previously, people with driving experience instinctively get it. They know how to react.“Humans have a pretty good grasp on what terrain means,” he says. “Rocky terrain means things will get bumpy, grass can impede a motion, and if you’re driving on a high-friction surface you can’t turn sharply at speed. We understand these phenomenon. The problem is, robots don’t.”So how can we teach robots to be more human in their ability to navigate and adjust to such terrains – and to learn from their mistakes?As you’ll see in the diagram below, it gets *very* technical. But we’ll do our best to explain.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzEyNTk4NDM4NTk4LUdlb3JnZS1NYXNvbi1qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">The Approach</h3>The basics here are pretty clear, says Dr. Xiao.“We want to teach the robots to know the consequences of taking some aggressive maneuvers at different speeds on different terrains.&nbsp;If you drive very quickly while the friction between your tires and the ground is high, taking a very sharp turn will actually cause the vehicle to roll over – and there’s no way the robot by itself will be able to recover from it, right?&nbsp;So the whole idea of the paper is trying to enable robots to understand all these consequences; to make them ‘competence aware.'”<a href="https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/cahsor.pdf" target="_blank" data-lf-fd-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">The paper</a> Dr. Xiao is referring to has been submitted for scientific publication. It’s pretty meaty, and is intended for engineers/roboticists. It’s authored by Dr. Xiao and researchers Anuj Pokhrel, Mohammad Nazeri, and Aniket Datar. It’s entitled: CAHSOR: Competence-Aware High-Speed Off-Road Ground Navigation in SE(3).That SE(3) term is used to describe&nbsp;how objects can move and rotate in 3D space. Technically, it stands for Special Euclidean group in three dimensions. It refers to keeping track of an object in 3D space – including position and orientation.We’ll get to more of the paper in a minute, but we asked Dr. Xiao to give us some help understanding what the team did to achieve these results. Was it just coding? Or were there some hardware adjustments as well?Turns out, there were both. Yes, there was plenty of complex coding. There was also the addition of an RTK GPS unit so that the robot’s position in space could be measured as accurately as possible. Because the team soon discovered that intense vibration over rough surfaces could loosen components, threadlock was used to keep things tightly in place.But, as you might have guessed, machine vision and machine learning are a big part of this whole process. The robot needs to identify the terrain in order to know how to react.We asked Dr. Xiao if an external data library was used and imported for the project. The answer? “No.”“There’s no dataset out there that includes&nbsp;all these different basic catastrophic consequences when you’re doing aggressive maneuvers.&nbsp;So all the data we used to train the robot and to train our machine learning algorithms were all collected by ourselves.”&nbsp;<h3>Slips, Slides and Rollovers</h3>As part of the training process, the Hunter SE was driven over all manner of demanding terrain.“We actually bumped it through very large rocks many times and also slid it all over the place,” he says. “We actually rolled the vehicle over entirely many times. This was all very important for us to collect some data so that it learns to not do that in the future, right?”And while the cameras and machine vision were instrumental in determining what terrain was coming up, the role of the robot’s Inertial Measurement Unit was also key.“It’s actually multi-modal perception, and vision is just part of it. So we are looking at the terrain using camera images and we are also using our IMU. Those inertial measurement unit readings sense the acceleration and the angular velocities of the robot so that it can better respond,” he says.“Because ultimately it’s not only about the visual appearance of the terrain, it is also about how you drive on it, how you feel it.”&nbsp;<h3>The Results</h3>Well, they’re impressive.The full details are outlined in <a href="https://cs.gmu.edu/~xiao/papers/cahsor.pdf" target="_blank" data-lf-fd-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true">this paper</a>, but here’s the headline: Regardless of whether the robot was operating autonomously heading to defined waypoints, or whether a human was controlling it, there was a significant reduction in incidents (slips, slides, rollovers etc.) with only a small reduction in overall speed.Specifically, “CAHSOR (Competence-Aware High-Speed Off-Road Ground Navigation)&nbsp;can efficiently reduce vehicle instability by 62% while only compromising 8.6% average speed with the help of TRON (visual and inertial Terrain Representation for Off-road Navigation).”That’s a tremendous reduction in instability – meaning the likelihood that these robots will reach their destination without incident is greatly improved. Think of the implications for a First Responder application, where without this system a critical vehicle rushing to a scene carrying medical supplies – or even simply for situational awareness – might roll over and be rendered useless. The slight reduction in speed is a small price to pay for greatly enhancing the odds of an incident-free mission.“Without using our method, a robot will just blindly go very aggressively over every single terrain – while risking rolling over, bumps and vibrations on rocks, maybe even sliding and rolling off a cliff.”What’s more, these robots continue to learn with each and every mission. They can also share data with each other, so that the experience of one machine can be shared with many. Dr. Xiao also says the learnings from this project, which began in January of 2023, can also be applied to marine and even aerial robots.For the moment, though, the emphasis has been fully on the ground. And there can be no question this research has profound and positive implications for First Responders (and others) using robots in mission-critical situations.Below: The Hunter SE gets put through its paces. (All images courtesy of Dr. Xiao.)<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzEyNTk4NTAwNzQ4LWh1bnRlcjItanBnLndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 100%px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take</h3>We’re tremendously impressed with the work being carried out by Dr. Xiao and his team at George Mason University. We’re also honoured to have played a small role in supplying the Hunter SE, InDro Commander, as well as occasional support as the project progressed.“The use of robotics by First Responders is growing rapidly,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece. “Improving their ability to reach destinations safely on mission-critical deployments is extremely important work – and the data results are truly impressive.“We are hopeful the work of Dr. Xiao and his team are adopted in future beyond research and into real-world applications. There’s clearly a need for this solution.”If your institution or R&amp;D facility is interested in learning more about InDro’s stable of robots (and there are many), please reach out to us <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/connectwithanexpert/" target="_blank">here</a>.

Empowering Robots with Adaptive Terrain Navigation

George Mason University Researchers Enable Robots to Intelligently Navigate Challenging Terrain

The realm of robotics is on the brink of a transformative era, with researchers delving into captivating trends that promise to reshape the landscape of technology. Join us as we explore the forefront of emerging robotics research, where innovation and curiosity converge to unlock new possibilities. The robotics community is abuzz with excitement, and here are some thought-provoking areas of study that have been gaining traction among our community.<hr><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1704820522413-DSC01510.JPG" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Mobile Manipulation: Adapting to Dynamic EnvironmentsIn a world where adaptability is key, researchers are focusing on enhancing the adaptability and versatility of robotic systems through mobile manipulation. Dive into the intricacies of how robots can seamlessly move and manipulate objects in dynamic environments, paving the way for applications in logistics, healthcare, and disaster response. The ability to navigate the unpredictable is pushing the boundaries of what robotic systems can achieve.<hr><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1704820557685-Screenshot+2024-01-09+at+10.46.50+AM.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Exploration Strategies and Trade-offs: Navigating the UnknownUnlock the secrets behind intrinsic motivation, curiosity-driven learning, and the delicate balance of exploration and exploitation. Researchers are addressing the challenges of autonomous navigation and learning in ever-changing environments. This exploration into strategies and trade-offs is crucial for developing robots that can boldly navigate the unknown, making breakthroughs in real-world applications.<hr><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1704820590758-DSC01592.JPG" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Hierarchical RL and Skill Discovery: Elevating Robotic LearningDelve into the development of hierarchical representations and abstractions in the context of mobile robotic systems. Discover how this approach is revolutionizing robotic learning, making robots more adaptable and proficient in solving complex tasks efficiently. The hierarchical reinforcement learning (RL) and skill discovery are opening new frontiers in the capabilities of robotic systems.<hr><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1704820610855-Screenshot+2024-01-09+at+11.30.35+AM.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Social and Economic Implications of AI Technologies: Ethical ConsiderationsAs robotics technology advances, ethical considerations take center stage. Explore the social and economic implications of AI technologies, addressing safety, fairness, interpretability, privacy, trustworthiness, human-AI interaction, and philosophical considerations. Understanding these ethical considerations is pivotal to ensuring the responsible and beneficial deployment of AI technologies in society.<hr><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1704820625973-Screenshot+2024-01-09+at+11.30.40+AM.png" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Multi-Agent Systems for Collaborative Mobile Robotics: Shaping the Future TogetherThe future of robotics lies in collaboration. Uncover how cooperative behaviors, communication strategies, and self-organization are shaping the landscape of multi-agent systems for collaborative mobile robotics. Witness the potential applications in swarm robotics, where groups of robots work together efficiently to achieve common objectives in dynamic and challenging environments.<hr>As we conclude this exploration into the fascinating world of emerging robotics research trends, we invite you to stay ahead of the curve. The robotics community is teeming with curiosity and exploration, and there's never been a more exciting time to be part of the journey. Embrace these thought-provoking areas of study and join us in shaping the future of technology through the lens of robotics.

Navigating Emerging Trends in Robotics Research

Unveiling the Future of Robotics Research

As flexible networks of polymer chains suffused by water, hydrogels possess excellent properties including softness, elasticity and biocompatibility. Accordingly, the squishy materials have already found widespread use as contact lenses and wound dressings. Hydrogels also hold great promise for drug delivery systems, agriculture and food packaging, among other applications.Unfortunately, conventional hydrogels pose environmental pollution problems because they cannot be effectively recycled or reprocessed. Hydrogels also degrade from long-term use. The researchers said these limitations derive from the materials’ structure. Conventional hydrogels rely on chemical bonds for their firmness and ability to soak up water and other solvents. On a chemical level, these bonds are cross-linked, meaning that bonds form among different polymer molecules within the hydrogel. This cross-linking, characteristic of resins undergoing curing or rubber vulcanization, gives hydrogels flexibility and strength. But it also makes them extremely difficult to separate into components for recycling.The study’s lead author, <a href="https://cbe.princeton.edu/people/xiaohui-xu" target="_blank">Xiaohui Xu</a>, a postdoctoral researcher, previously worked with hydrogels for use in water purification and wondered if she could create a more environmentally sustainable hydrogel. Xu and her colleagues took a new approach to building hydrogels. Rather than relying on chemical bonds to connect different polymers, the researchers decided to harness phase separation, a familiar phenomenon in which mixed liquids, such as oil and water, separate into components.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1703815390706-16X9-for-web-121323-Lab-Shoot-105-2048x1152.jpg" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Researchers Néhémie Guillomaitre and Xiaohui Xu with samples of the material they developed as part of a team led by Professor Rodney Priestley.“Hydrogels offer tremendous societal benefit, but their lack of sustainability has loomed as a significant issue,” said Xu, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of&nbsp;<a href="https://engineering.princeton.edu/faculty/rodney-priestley" target="_blank">Rodney Priestley</a>, the Pomeroy and Betty Perry Smith Professor of&nbsp;<a href="https://cbe.princeton.edu/" target="_blank">Chemical and Biological Engineering</a> at Princeton. “In this study, we have shown how taking advantage of phase separation can lead to new kinds of hydrogels that are durable and recyclable and still have good mechanical properties.”The researchers described the process in a&nbsp;<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacsau.3c00326" target="_blank">study</a> published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society Au in September.To make the new hydrogel, the researchers formulated polymers with a complex and varying relation to water. Polymer molecules are long chains of smaller molecules (called monomers). The researchers created polymers that are water-loving in some sections of the chain and water-repelling in other sections. When they added water to the polymer mix, parts of the polymers absorbed the water, while other parts repelled it. This tension gave the hydrogel its structural strength. Unlike conventional hydrogels, the strength is based on physical characteristics rather chemical bonds among the polymers. So, recycling the hydrogel into its component polymers is relatively easy, as is repeatedly dehydrating and rehydrating the material.What is more, Xu said, the process allows engineers to tailor the characteristics of a hydrogel by adjusting the components of the polymers. The research team took advantage of this to create a hydrogel that could be cut and molded into any desired shape. For the research, Xu made an octopus.“Xiaohui used phase separation as a way to control the morphology, and ultimately, the properties of these hydrogel materials,” said Priestley, the paper’s senior author and Dean of the Graduate School at Princeton. “This work demonstrates an environmentally friendly approach for making tough and reusable hydrogels.”The Princeton researchers put the new hydrogel through its paces, testing its stability in extreme acidic and alkaline conditions and in air and water. Across the board, the hydrogel held up and performed as expected.With additional testing and development, the novel material could make existing and emerging applications for hydrogels — such as artificial muscles and soft robots for safe operation around humans — more sustainable and environmentally friendly.“Our general approach for recyclable hydrogels could help expand their applications in all kinds of areas,” said Xu. “The benefits of hydrogels can now be better realized without the environmental costs.”Xu said in the long term, the research team is exploring whether hydrogels could eventually serve as a substitute for plastics in many applications. If that is the case, advanced hydrogels could become a recyclable solution to plastic pollution that threatens the oceans.<hr>The paper, “<a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacsau.3c00326" target="_blank">Tough and Recyclable Phase-Separated Supramolecular Gels via a Dehydration–Hydration Cycle</a>,“ was published Sept. 21 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society Au. In addition to Xu and Priestley, other Princeton authors on the study were former graduate student Yannick Eatmon; former postdoctoral researcher Kofi Christie, now an assistant professor at Louisiana State University; postdoctoral fellow Allyson McGaughey; graduate student Néhémie Guillomaitre; Sujit Datta, an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering; Zhiyong Jason Ren, professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; and Craig Arnold, the Susan Dod Brown Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The work was supported by the National Science Foundation and a National GEM Consortium Fellowship.

Princeton researchers have developed a new type of recyclable hydrogel that can be cut and molded into different forms. Photos by Dan Komoda

Princeton researchers have created a new type of hydrogel that is recyclable, yet still tough and stable enough for practical use (and reuse).

Reusable and recyclable, this new hydrogel squishes the old version's environmental impact

So: You’ve got a great idea for a new technology product or process.That’s the first step: A concept that you’ve put some thought into. Of course, there’s a long road ahead before that brilliant idea becomes an actual commercial product. But how do you gauge that progress as you move along the development path? How would you describe where you’re at in a way that others might quickly grasp?Luckily, there’s a tool for that. It’s called the Technology Readiness Levels scale, or TRL.“It’s a&nbsp;standard measuring stick for everyone to communicate where they are with development,” explains InDro Robotics Engineering Lead Arron Griffiths.The TRL tool was first developed by NASA researcher Stan Sadin back in 1974 with seven basic levels. It would take another 15 years before the levels were formally defined, during which time two additional levels were added. There are now nine steps up the ladder, where TRL 9 is the equivalent of a working product that could be mass-produced or commercialized.Which means, of course, that Level 1 is at the very beginning of the technology development process.“Level 1 is universally seen as a napkin idea – where you’ve jotted down a concept,” says Griffiths.That’s a perfect analogy for TRL 1.For greater clarity, each level on the scale offers a short definition, a description, and examples of activities. The short definition for Level 1 is “Basic Principles Observed and Reported.” The description is “Lowest level of technology readiness. Scientific research begins to be translated into applied research and development (R&amp;D).”In terms of examples, Level 1 “Activities might include theoretical studies of a technology’s basic properties.” And yes, that could include a napkin sketch.Below: Aerospace is one of many industries to use TRLs. The noise-reducing chevron nozzles seen on the cowling below would have gone through each of the nine levels. Photo via Wikimedia Commons by John Crowley.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNzg5OTkyNjc5LUdlbmVyYWxfRWxlY3RyaWNfR0VueC0xQl8xNDIzMzQ5Nzc3Nl9jcm9wcGVkLWpwZWcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> <h3 id="isPasted">Moving Up The TRL Scale</h3>Great! You’ve got that napkin sketch done.Obviously there’s a lot to do between that initial idea and a finished product suitable for commercialization. To get to TRL 2, you simply need to put more thought into it. You’re not actually building or programming yet, just putting greater clarity and focus on what you hope to accomplish.TRL 2 is defined as “Technology concept and/or application formulated.” Here’s its <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/defence-ideas/technology-readiness-level.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">description</a>:“Invention begins. Once basic principles are observed, practical applications can be invented. Applications are speculative, and there may be no proof or detailed analysis to support the assumptions.”You could think of this stage as refining the idea, with activities limited to research and/or analytical studies.TRL 3 means you’re actually beginning the R&amp;D process. This might include some lab or analytical studies. At this stage you’re trying to validate predictions you’ve made about separate elements or components of the technology. The components you’re working with aren’t yet integrated – nor is it expected that the components you’re working with are at their final version. <h3>Two TRL Scales</h3>Before we move along, it’s worth noting there are actually two different TRL scales in use. The first (and the one we’re using here) is the NASA scale. But the European Union has its own TRL scale.&nbsp;“So there is some cloudiness,” explains Griffiths. “Typically the top and bottom of the scales are the same, but the middle moves around a bit. You have to be sure people are reading from the same scale. Typically when I talk to a client, I will show them the scale I am using.”Griffiths also emphasizes that during R&amp;D, the phase of development doesn’t always slot neatly into one of the TRL stages.&nbsp;“It’s typical to say: ‘We’re roughly about TRL 6’ – it’s not an exact science.”Below: The&nbsp;<a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/commander/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">InDro Commander</a>&nbsp;module, with LiDAR sensor. This popular commercial product, which allows for rapid integration of ROS-based robots and sensors (and more), is TRL 9.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNzAxNzkwMTI5MzIxLUluRHJvLUNvbW1hbmRlci0xLjYtY29weS5qcGcud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="InDro Commander Platform Agnostic Brain Box"> <h3 id="isPasted">Climbing The Ladder&nbsp;</h3>American inventor Thomas Edison once said: “Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.” The same could be said of the process of inventing a product for commercialization. Once that napkin sketch is done (the one per cent), there’s still a lot of methodical slogging ahead. (Trust us, we know.)TRL 4 is the stage where you’re putting things together. Basic components are integrated and readied for testing in a simulated environment. The short definition, via Canada’s <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/defence-ideas/technology-readiness-level.html" target="_blank">Department of National Defence</a>, is “Component(s)/subsystem(s) and/or process validation in a laboratory environment.”The logical progression continues with the next step.“TRL 5 means it’s ready for testing in a lab environment,” explains InDro Lead Engineer Griffiths. He also adds that this middle stage – TRL 4 through 7 – “is always the difficult part.”Once TRL 5 is passed, it’s time to start seeing if the integrated components will work together in a simulated or lab environment. At this stage, TRL 6, the product is considered to be getting pretty close to its desired configuration. Yes, there will be further tweaking to come, but you’re getting there.Below: InDro’s Street Smart Robot (the large white unit). The product has been built but not yet deployed in winter conditions. This would be at TRL 7. Every other robot in this image would have made it to TRL 9.<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1701791421275-DSCF4031-jpg.webp" style="width: 731px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> <h3 id="isPasted">Nearly There!</h3>All that hard work has been paying off. Your product is assembled and has been tested in simulation or other lab environment. Now it’s time to get it out into the real world to see how it performs. Congratulations, you’ve reached TRL 7, where “Prototype system [is] ready (form, fit, and function) for demonstration in an appropriate operational environment.”“TRL 7 is more like a long-term&nbsp;deployment. Once you can show it to be working in a real-world environment – outside of the lab – then you get to Levels 8 and 9,” says Griffiths.These final two levels are usually pretty exciting. Once the product/solution has been proven to work in its final form – and in the environment where it’s expected to be deployed as a product – you’ve reached TRL 8. Just one more to go.&nbsp;<h3>The Final Level</h3>Remember that Street Smart Robot you just saw a picture of? Well, it’s ready to go. And once the wintry conditions take hold in Ottawa, we’ll be operating that machine in ice and snow on Ottawa streets. Specifically, on bike lanes in Ottawa, where it will detect hazardous conditions (including potholes) that might pose challenges for safe cycling. City of Ottawa maintenance crews will then be notified of the problem (and its location) so they can address the issue. (You can read more about the SSR <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/streetsmart-inspectionrobot/" target="_blank">here</a>.)And once the SSR is operating smoothly in those intended conditions? We will have achieved TRL 9, meaning “Actual solution proven through successful deployment in an operational setting.” <h3>Not Always A Smooth Path</h3>It’s easy enough to describe these levels. And in doing so, it can appear to be a straightforward, linear path where engineers move seamlessly from one level to the next. Reality is not quite so simple. Depending on the project, progress in the early stages can be made very rapidly.“Most people get up to Level 5 fairly quickly,” says Griffiths. “You can even get to Level 5 in a day if you’re doing software development – you can literally go from an idea all the way up to a basic rudimentary prototype.”But – as flagged earlier – things get a little trickier once you hit those middle levels.“You can think of it as walking up a hill to Level 5,” he says. “Then there’s this valley. A lot of stuff dies in Level 6 and 7. There’s not a lot of success there because once you push the technology into actual environments the success rate is very low. So a lot of time is spent in Levels 5 and 6 trying to make a system that can make it to Level 7 successfully, and then on to Level 8 – where you’re essentially across the valley.”Below: A graphic outlines the short definitions of Technology Readiness Levels<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1701791491699-TRL+Scale.png" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> <h3 id="isPasted">InDro's Take</h3>The TRL scale is extremely useful in the R&amp;D world, in that it concisely conveys where a product is along the path to commercial development. And while it’s great for engineers, it’s also useful to help clients understand where one of our products is along that journey.We’ve scaled this ladder many times over the years. Sometimes it’s a relatively easy climb. But, like all Research and Development companies, we’ve also had a few products that never made it beyond the valley Arron Griffiths described. That’s R&amp;D.“The Technology Readiness Level scale is a really useful tool, and part of our daily language at InDro Robotics,” says CEO Philip Reece. “Each level represents unique challenges – and that valley Arron described can sometimes be a disappointing bit of landscape. But we learn something even with the occasional failure.“Thankfully, we have a creative and tenacious engineering team that seems to thrive on difficult challenges – and InDro now has a growing stable of products that have achieved TRL 9 and gone on to commercial success.”If you’re working on your own project and would like to know where it is on the TRL scale, you can use this <a href="https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/clean-growth-hub/en/technology-readiness-level-trl-assessment-tool" target="_blank">assessment tool</a> from Industry, Science and Economic Development Canada.

A Guide to Understanding Technology Readiness Levels

Technology Readiness Levels Explained

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Machine in Laboratory

This article delves into the fundamental principles of SEM, various imaging modes and techniques, sample preparation methods, and the applications of SEM in different fields.

Scanning Electron Microscopy: A Comprehensive Guide

This is the 3rd and final article in a 3 part series featuring the applications of tinyML. The series introduces the concept of tinyML and explains some selected applications of the technology in various fields like sustainability, healthcare, and education.Education is the first step towards innovation. It is an integral part of personal development and equips the learners with the tools necessary to go ahead and solve the challenges faced by humanity. While tinyML is a great tool to develop pedagogical interventions for improving the quality of education in different streams, it is in itself a vast subject that every science and technology student must be familiar with.In our <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/applications-of-tinyml-in-healthcare-for-a-safer-future" target="_blank">previous article</a> about the applications of tinyML, we explained how it aids medical research and improves healthcare. This article continues the series by showcasing two more applications of tinyML for education.<h2 dir="ltr">Using tinyML for Neuroscience in K12 education: tinyML4STEM</h2>Anything and everything concerned with the central nervous system is a part of neuroscience. It is a multidisciplinary field that involves a scientific study of how the brain coordinates with the body and makes various body functions possible. The study is not just limited to humans but can also be extended to animals and even plants.Roughly 20% of the world’s population has suffered from a neurological disorder at some point in their lives, and none of the disorders have a cure yet. The only way to make new discoveries in the domain is by promoting research and education.It is also interesting to note that the most fundamental unit of Machine Learning (ML) is called a neuron and the whole concept and modelling of Artificial Intelligence (AI) based systems came from neuroscience. This makes it essential to talk about the specialised subject with the students of computer science to make them understand the underlying principles of the technology.But the problem with neuroscience education has always been the affordability and availability of experiment kits. Unlike many other Science Technology Engineering Management (STEM) fields, the apparatus for performing neuroscience experiments can not be acquired easily by schools and colleges. Graduate students opting for a specialisation in the area are the only ones to get their hands on these experiment kits.Greg Gage and Tim Marzullo realised this problem back in 2008 when they were pursuing PhD at the University of Michigan. The duo tried explaining neuroscience concepts to school children but couldn’t do so without showcasing practicals. There was no way to bring expensive graduate college equipment to schools. To solve this issue and make neuro-science kits affordable and readily available, Greg and Tim founded Backyard Brains.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQzMjkwNDUyMjI0LWltYWdlNy5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="EMG-signals-backyard-brains">Illustrations like these can help kids grasp even complex concepts easily. Source: Backyard BrainsThe organisation today makes low-cost neuroscience trainers, DIY kits, tools, software, conducts workshops and a lot more to democratise neuroscience education.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQzMjkwNTI1MDYyLWltYWdlMS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="neuroscience-experiment-kits-backyard-brains">Neuroscience trainer kits by Backyard Brains are great alternatives for schools to introduce the students to the field. Source: Backyard BrainsNeuroscience signals like Electromyogram (EMG), Electrooculogram (EOG), Electrocardiogram (EKG), etc., can be used to get various cues about what is going on inside the body.When neurons fire electrical impulses from the motor cortex, the signals flow through the spinal cord to the parts of the body involved in the action. By putting small electrodes on the skin near the areas where the signals can be picked up, it is possible to observe them via an EMG. The impulses being electrical in nature can be amplified as a single-dimensional signal and visualised easily. These single-dimensional signals are beautiful for ML and are also quite easy to be analysed.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQzMjkwNjI0MDcwLWltYWdlNC5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="visualising-neuroscience">A snapshot from tinyML talks where Greg demonstrates how EMG signals can be visualised with a low-cost training kit. Source: tinyML YouTubeThe patterns in these signals might not be as apparent to humans as they are to the tinyML algorithms, which can classify and map them with different human behaviours. An implementation of such a technique can be used to develop a brain-machine interface that can help make neuroprosthetics.&nbsp;EOG is another example of a neuro signal that measures the corneo-retinal standing potential of the eye. In other words, it helps understand eye movements. A trained TinyML system can be used to accurately detect eye blinking and movements by feeding the signal to the input.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQzMjkwNjYzNTM5LWltYWdlOC5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="EOG-signals-detect-eye-blinking">The spikes that appear on the EOG are due to eye blinking. Source: tinyML YouTubeThen there’s EKG generated by the electrical impulses from the heart. For different people, the patterns of EKG are observed to be similar when looking at the same object. This can be used to predict if the person is telling the truth. In medical applications, signals can be used to check the functioning of the brain. A sample tone is played to the patient, and electric potential signals are observed. When the tone being played changes, the subconscious mind should ideally change the way it reacts, which should be evident in the electric potential signals.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQzMjkxNTU2NjQ2LWltYWdlMy5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="hackerhand-copies-gestures-EKG-signals">‘Hackerhand’, a robotic arm mimicking hand movements based on EKG signals. Source: tinyML YouTubeIt is also interesting to note that the signals are generated slightly before someone is about to take action, making it possible for tinyML systems to be able to predict the behaviour in advance. A similar fun project has been developed at Backyard Brains.Readers can participate in many more such projects or share ideas by visiting <a href="https://backyardbrains.com/" target="_blank">Backyard Brains</a>.<h2 dir="ltr">TinyML Open Education Initiative: tinyMLedu</h2>Over the past two decades, ML has been through a journey from a purely academic and theoretical discipline to a widely spread technology in use. It won’t be an understatement to say that technology has touched almost every industry and is now ubiquitous technology. It is expected that the interest in the field will only grow from here, at least in the near foreseeable future. Given its amazing potential in solving some of the greatest challenges faced by humanity, it is important that more people are introduced to technology in a systematic way.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQzMjkxNTk4OTQ2LWltYWdlNS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="instructors-tinyML-harvard-google-edx">Instructors of the tinyML specialisationUnlike traditional ML, it is possible to run tinyML algorithms on low-cost and low-power embedded systems, which solves a major problem related to the unavailability of powerful hardware for learners. But the shortage of ML educators is still something that needs to be addressed.A joint initiative by Harvard and Google, developed as an academic and industry collaboration, aims to address the challenges by introducing tinyML to the masses with a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on edX.&nbsp;The courses that are a part of the tinyML specialisation go beyond teaching the students about the subject by diving deeper into the practical applications and industrial product development lifecycle. The next generation of students needs to understand the end-to-end full-stack development of tinyML projects to be able to gain a complete understanding of the subject.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQzMjkxNjIwMzE4LWltYWdlOS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="tinyML-specialisation-course-structure">A diagram providing an overview of topics explored in tinyML specialisation. Source: [3]The tinyML specialisation, jointly developed by Harvard and Google, is a set of self-paced learning modules that can be taken from anywhere. The specialisation includes four courses:<ol><li dir="ltr">Introduction to tinyML:&nbsp;The first course covers the basics of ML and embedded systems. Everything from the concept to gathering data and training the algorithms is explained.</li><li dir="ltr">Applications of tinyML: The second course builds on the foundation by explaining some parts of the code behind the most widely used tinyML applications. It also introduces the learners to the principles of keyword spotting, visual wake words, anomaly detection, and dataset engineering.</li><li dir="ltr">Deploying tinyML: The third course teaches how code is written, optimised, and deployed for embedded systems. This is where microcontrollers are introduced, and students can purchase a kit for a nominal price (US$49.99) to get hands-on experience.</li><li dir="ltr">Scaling tinyML [Optional]: Once the learners are familiar with the design, development and deployment of tinyML, the final course covers the more advanced aspects related to producing tinyML solutions for the masses.</li></ol>Each course includes several activities such as collabs, hands-on labs, quizzes, readings, assignments, tests, and discussion-forum participation.The key challenges for students taking up the tinyML specialisation can be limited hardware accessibility and the requirement of being familiar with programming. To address the challenges associated with hardware accessibility, open-source emulation platforms like <a href="https://renode.io/" target="_blank">renode.io</a> from Antmicro are being tested to allow learners to try out their code without the hardware. The other challenge can be solved by platforms like <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/edge.impulse" target="_blank">Edge Impulse</a>, which are lowering the barriers to enable people with little to no programming knowledge to implement tinyML solutions.Anyone with interest in tinyML can visit <a href="https://www.edx.org/professional-certificate/harvardx-tiny-machine-learning" target="_blank">tinyML Professional Certificate | edX</a> and enrol for the course for free. The course material is available on <a href="https://github.com/tinyMLx/courseware" target="_blank">GitHub</a>.<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Conclusion</h2>Though the project kits or MOOCs are not a complete solution to train professional neuroscience researchers or tinyML solution architects, they offer a great place for beginners to start. The kits and courses are designed in such a way that the students can engage in fun activities while they experiment and learn new stuff. This makes the experience memorable and develops an interest in the subject, which could lead more people to choose the specialised fields and make new discoveries.&nbsp;This article concludes our tinyML applications series.About tinyML FoundationWith its workshops, webinars, expert talks, research conferences, competitions, and a plethora of other events, tinyML Foundation enables students, researchers, and industry personnel to come together and share their experiences about the technology. It is the incredibly collaborative nature of the community that allows it to advance rapidly.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjQzMjkxNjYyNjY4LWltYWdlMi5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/tinyml-for-good-where-machine-learning-meets-edge-computing" target="_blank">introductory article</a> familiarised the readers with the concept of tinyML.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/tinyml" target="_blank">first article</a> explained some possibilities of tinyML applications in sustainable technologies.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/applications-of-tinyml-in-healthcare-for-a-safer-future/" target="_blank">second article</a> is about tinyML applications aiding healthcare and medical research.The <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/applications-of-tinyml-making-specialised-education-more-accessible" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">third and final article</a> shall cover the tinyML applications in pedagogy and education.<h2 dir="ltr">References</h2>[1] Marzullo TC, Gage GJ (2012) The SpikerBox: A Low Cost, Open-Source BioAmplifier for Increasing Public Participation in Neuroscience Inquiry. PLOS ONE 7(3): e30837. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0030837" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0030837</a>.[2] Gregory J. Gage, The Case for Neuroscience Research in the Classroom, Neuron, Volume 102, Issue 5, 2019, Pages 914-917, ISSN 0896-6273, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2019.04.007" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2019.04.007</a>.[3] Vijay J. Reddi et. al., Widening Access to Applied Machine Learning with TinyML, arXiv:2106.04008v2 [cs.LG], Jun 2021, [Online], Available from: <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.04008" target="_blank">https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.04008</a>.

In this article, we look at two tinyML projects for education. We show how Backyard Brains uses low-cost experiment kits to make neuroscience education more accessible. We also introduce our readers to a specialisation offered by Harvard & Google to help students learn tinyML like never before.