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

There’s a new robot in town. Actually, there are two of them.They’re small but mighty. In fact, numerous universities and robotics labs already use their predecessor for high-level research. That original robot, the AgileX LIMO, was a game-changer when it came to an affordable and flexible platform. Boston University currently has a fleet of LIMOs running custom algorithms and simulations related to how real-world autonomous vehicles will interact in the Smart Cities of the future. (It’s really cool research, and you can read all about it <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/boston-university-uses-agilex-limo-for-research/" target="_blank">here</a>.)That first LIMO was truly a ground-breaker – and remains an excellent R&amp;D research platform. But now, AgileX has taken things further. Two new versions of LIMO offer advanced hardware, software, runtime – and capabilities.Below: The original LIMO that started it all…<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzAzMjcwNzgyLUxJTU8gb24gcm9jay5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">Main Features</h3>Before we get into the significant changes incorporated into the new models, it's worth looking at some of the strong features common to all members of the LIMO family. For starters, each LIMO has four steering modes: Omnidirectional steering, tracked steering, Ackerman and four-wheel differential.All LIMOs are equipped with obstacle detection. Multiple onboard sensors can pick up on the size, distance and location of obstacles, allowing the robot to navigate its environment without conflict. The newer LIMO models have significant enhancements here, which we'll explore in a moment.Despite their relatively small size – so small an untrained eye might potentially mistake them for a toy – the LIMOs feature a robust, all-metal build and powerful motor. They also feature powerful onboard EDGE computing suitable to pretty much any R&amp;D requirements.&nbsp;<h3>Who Uses the LIMO robot?</h3>There are really two main categories of users, with the first being those in the educational field."This is a great tool for anyone looking to learn ROS, because they can do all of the advanced concepts – obstacle detection, SLAM, teleoperation, to name a few," explains Luke Corbeth, Head of InDro's R&amp;D Sales Division."And we make that really simple through our improved documentation. We’ve basically built a course around it, so it can be used for teaching students."The other main group of users, of course, are on the research side of things."It’s almost always used in labs for multi-agent systems or multiple robot projects. Because it’s multi-modal, when you're doing a multi-agent system it can be homogenous or heterogeneous, meaning you use different steering in different robots simultaneously."Dimensions of all versions of LIMO are identical, as seen below.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzA0NjE2MTM4LUxJTU8gVGVjaCBTcGVjcyBmb3IgV2V2b2x2ZXIgUG9zdC5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">Meet the New LIMOs</h3>The original LIMO is still a great robot – and is currently in use by many universities. But AgileX didn't rest on its laurels. In response to the availability of new technologies – along with a wish-list from existing clients – the company has taken things further with its new LIMO PRO and the LIMO ROS2."Obviously as research in autonomy advances, so do the computational requirements," explains Corbeth. "So it’s very important as a robotics manufacturer to stay ahead of the curve so that the hardware meets up with the current research requirements of the day."To that end, the new versions feature upgrades on computational power, sensors and run-time."The big difference is in compute – we're moving from the Jetson Xavier to the Jetson Orin Nano on the LIMO PRO and the INTEL NUC on the LIMO ROS2. Both of these are actually massive upgrades."The Orin Nano is a very powerful EDGE computer. That power translates into more stable multi-sensor data fusion and speed with SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) processing.Speaking of SLAM, the LIMO PRO and LIMO ROS2 come with a new LiDAR unit. While the original LIMO used the very capable EAI X2L unit, the new versions come with the EAI T-mini Pro."Plus, the battery in the new unit goes from an hour of run-time to 2-1/2 hours – with a standby of four hours," adds Corbeth.&nbsp;<h3>SOFTWARE</h3>Not surprisingly, the two new versions also feature some software upgrades. The LIMO PRO and ROS2 versions come with Ubuntu 20.04 (the original LIMO runs version 18.04). In terms of ROS (Robot Operating System) libraries, the first generation LIMO is outfitted with ROS1 Melodic. The LIMO PRO features both ROS1 Noetic and ROS2 Foxy. The LIMO ROS2 has ROS2 Humble onboard.Already have some of the first-generation LIMOs in your lab? No problem."The new models can co-exist with the original LIMO," says Corbeth. "And if the computing demands are higher than previous applications, it makes sense of have a blend of models."The graphic below outlines the feature sets of the three models:<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk5MzA2MzQ4ODk4LUxJTU8gQ29tcGFyaXNvbiBDaGFydC5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">INDRO'S TAKE</h3>InDro Robotics has a lot of clients who have put the original LIMO to use in labs and educational institutes across North America. Boston University has a very large fleet of LIMOs deployed – hard at work on multiple research projects related to Smart Cities and autonomous vehicles. They've proven to be a robust, cost-effective tool for high-level research.And now, with the fresh release of LIMO PRO and LIMO ROS2, there are two more affordable options."This is a significant development for anyone looking to expand their current fleet of LIMOS, as well as those who have been waiting in the wings for an upgrade," says Corbeth. "These are incredibly powerful and versatile robots/research tools, with the added bonus that the entire line is very affordable."If you're interested in learning more, InDro Robotics is the exclusive distributor of AgileX in Canada, as well as a distributor for all of North America. We have built excellent documentation and manuals to assist users ranging from beginning to expert – and all of that added value and support comes with every purchase made through InDro.For more information from a robot expert, contact Luke Corbeth <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/connectwithanexpert/" target="_blank">here.</a>

Bringing Advanced Abilities to Research and Development

LIMO Pro Robot and LIMO ROS2

Exploring Cutting-Edge Research with the LIMO Robot

Boston University Uses LIMO Robot For Research

Building robots is hard.Even if you start with a manufactured platform for locomotion, the work ahead can be challenging and time-consuming. How many sensors will require a power supply and data routing? What EDGE processing is needed? How will a remote operator interface with the machine? What coding will allow everything to work in unison and ensure the best data and performance possible? How will data be transmitted or stored?That’s the hard stuff, which inevitably requires a fair bit of time and effort. &nbsp;Typical robotics development is lengthy, it can take anywhere from 3 to 12 months from idea to a functional robot rolling around. The more complex the robotic solution, the more time it takes. <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/commander/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">InDro Commander</a> can reduce this to 1 to 3 months, depending on the complexity, plus InDro Robotics provides clients with software tutorials and one-on-one support.It’s that hurdle – one faced by pretty much everyone in the robotics R&amp;D world – that led to the creation of InDro Commander.<h2><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk1Njc2MjEwMDg5LUNvbW1hbmRlciBvbiBCdW5rZXIuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></h2><h2>What Does InDro Commander Do?</h2><a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/commander/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">InDro Commander</a> is a platform-agnostic module that can bolt on to pretty much any means of locomotion. In the photo above, it’s the box mounted on top of the AgileX bunker (just above the InDro logo). &nbsp;Commander is a single box with critical software and hardware designed to simplify payload integration and enable turn-key tele-operations. &nbsp;Whether you’re adding LiDAR, thermal sensors, RTK, Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras – or pretty much any other kind of sensor – Commander takes the pain out of integration. &nbsp;With its modular system, reduced development time, software tutorials and one-on-one support, clients can get their robot solution to market faster and with less hassle.The module offers multiple USB inputs for sensors, allowing developers to decide on a mounting location and then simply plug them in. A powerful Jetson EDGE computer handles onboard compute functions. The complete Robot Operating System software libraries (ROS1 and ROS2) are bundled in, allowing developers to quickly access the code needed for various sensors and functions.“Our engineering team came up with the concept of the InDro Commander after integrating and customizing our own robots,” says Philip Reece, CEO of InDro Robotics. “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 robot.”Account Executive, Luke Corbeth takes it further:“The Commander serves as a “brain-box” for any UGV,” he says. “It safely houses the compute, connectivity, cameras, sensors and other hardware in an IP54 enclosure.”It also comes in several options, depending on the client’s requirements.“There are three ‘standard versions’ which are bundles to either be Compute Ready, Teleoperations Ready or Autonomy Ready,” adds Corbeth.“I’ve realized over time that the value of Commander is our ability to customize it to include, or more importantly, not include specific components depending on the needs of the project and what the client already has available. In reality, most Commanders I sell include some, but not usually all, of what’s in the Commander Navigate. We’re also able to customize to specific needs or payloads.”Below: Commander comes in multiple configurations<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk1Njc0MDk1MDA2LVNjcmVlbnNob3QtMjAyMy0wOS0xOS1hdC0yLjMzLjQ2LVBNLnBuZy53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>Commander Does The Work</h2>With InDro Commander, developers can spend more time on their actual project or research – and far less time on the build.“For end-users wanting a fully customized robot, Commander saves a huge amount of time and hassle,” says InDro Engineering Lead, Arron Griffiths. “Customers using this module see immediate benefits for sensor integration, and the web-based console for remote operations provides streaming, real-time data. Commander also supports wireless charging, which is a huge bonus for remote operations.”Commander serves as the brains for several InDro ground robots, including Sentinel. This machine was recently put through its paces over 5G in a <a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/putting-sentinel-through-its-paces-at-epri/" target="_blank">test for EPRI</a>, the Electric Power Research Institute.Below: Commander is mounted on Sentinel, a site based autonomous robot, capable of complete continuous monitoring of infrastructure, with the ability to carry out autonomous inspection rounds with thermal, RGB and zoom sensors, for recognition of change detection.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk1NjczODM5MTAwLVNlbnRpbmVsIEVQUkkuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><h2>5G Operations</h2>Depending on the model, Commander can also serve as a plug &amp; play device for operations over 4G or 5G networks. In fact, InDro was invited by US carrier T-Mobile to a 2022 event in Washington State to demonstrate&nbsp;the live, remote tele-operation of a Sentinel inspection robot.Using a simple Xbox controller plugged into a laptop at T-Mobile HQ in Bellevue WA, we operated a Sentinel in Ottawa – more than 4,000 kilometres away. There was no perceptible lag, and even untrained operators were able to easily control remote operations and cycle between the Pan Tilt Zoom camera, a thermal sensor, and a wide-angle camera used for situational awareness by the operator. Data from all sensors was displayed on the dashboard, with the ability for the operator to easily cycle between them.Below: T-Mobile’s John Saw, Executive Vice President, Advanced &amp; Emerging Technologies, talks about InDro Commander-enabled robots teleoperating over 5G networks&nbsp;<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-C88iEnsh7E?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0&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;lt;span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;"&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;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;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&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;lt;span class="fr-mk" style="display: none;"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&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;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;&amp;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;amp;gt;&amp;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;amp;lt;/span&amp;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;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;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;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;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/span&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;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;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;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;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;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;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;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;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;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;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;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;amp;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;amp;amp;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;amp;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;amp;amp;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;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;</iframe><h2 id="isPasted">Future-Proof</h2>Platforms change. Needs evolve. New sensors hit the market.With Commander on board, developers don’t need to start from scratch. The modular design enables end-users to seamlessly upgrade platforms down the road by simply unbolting Commander and affixing it to the new set of wheels (or treads).Any sensor, including LiDAR, can be quickly integrated with InDro Commander.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjk1Njc1MDA4NjA2LVNjcmVlbnNob3QgMjAyMy0wOS0yNSBhdCA0LjQ5LjIzIFBNLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 766px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> You likely know the saying: “Necessity is the mother of invention.”InDro developed this product because we could see its utility – both for our own R&amp;D, and for clients. We’ve put Commander to use on multiple custom InDro robots, with many more to come. (We have even created a version of this for Enterprise drones.)“On the commercial side, our clients have really benefited from the inherent modularity that the Commander provides,” says Luke Corbeth.“Since the ‘brains’ are separate from the ‘body,’ this simplifies their ability to make the inevitable repairs or upgrades they’ll require. These clients generally care about having a high functioning robot reliably completing a repetitive task, and Commander allows us to operate and program our robots to do this.”It can also save developers money.“On the R&amp;D side, the customizable nature of the Commander means they only purchase what they don’t already have,” adds Corbeth.“For instance, many clients are fortunate enough to have some hardware already available to them whether it’s a special camera, LiDAR or a Jetson so we can support the integration of their existing systems remotely or they can send this hardware directly to us. This cuts down lead times and helps us work within our clients’ budgets as we build towards the dream robot for their project.”Still have questions or want to learn more about Commander?&nbsp;<a href="https://indrorobotics.ca/commander/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Click HERE.</a>

A platform-agnostic module that can bolt on to pretty much any means of locomotion

InDro Commander Streamlines Robotics Research and Development

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

<a href="https://www.curiousfutureinsight.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Curious &ndash; Future Insight&trade; Conference</a> brings together some of the world&rsquo;s brightest scientists and most accomplished innovators to present their work and explore the future of science and technology, solving the challenges of today and discussing the vision of a better tomorrow.July 10&ndash;11, 2024. Mainz, Germany, with both online and onsite participation.&nbsp;Topics covered at the event include: synthetic biology, materials, energy, digitalization, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, mobility, health, nutrition, and space flight, and many more.&nbsp;The Curious &ndash; Future Insight&trade; Conference brings together Nobel Laureates and other leading scientists and innovators from across the globe. It is a hybrid event with both in-person and online participation and is relevant for engineers, designers, and thinkers at all stages of their careers.&nbsp;<style type="text/css" id="isPasted">p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.5px Arial; color: #333333}</style>This bi-annual event, which attracted 1800 attendees in 2022, is organized by the Future Insight e.V. and was initiated at the occasion of the 350th anniversary of Merck, the worlds oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company in 2018.<hr><div data-element_type="widget" data-id="b5e43fb" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h3>Speakers and Events</h3></div>The conference presents sessions in a variety of formats to provide participants the opportunity to meet and connect with peers in as many ways as possible.&nbsp;Besides the keynotes, there are multiple interesting sessions that participants can engage in. Highlights include an &ldquo;Ask Me Anything&rdquo; circle where the prominent speakers will sit down in an informal setting and answer questions posed by the audience.&nbsp;Additionally, there is a networking evening, workshops, a poster session, and an exhibition space. For researchers and thought leaders, the conference invites you to submit an abstract and apply to present your ideas at the &ldquo;Ignite Sessions&rdquo;. Abstract submissions will launch on the conference website soon, and entries should be submitted by March 31st, 2024. &nbsp;The list of speakers is being announced <a href="https://www.curiousfutureinsight.org/speakers-curious2024/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.</a>&nbsp; Below are a few of the presenters we are excited about from the list announced so far.&nbsp;<h3 id="isPasted">Tobias Erb - Director at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Marburg, Germany</h3>The fundamental long-term research approach of the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology has begun to yield results. The research team led by Erb is currently focused on deploying their technology in various setups to harness the full potential of synthetic CO2 fixation. The work in their lab bridges the gap between biology and chemistry, concentrating on the discovery, function, and engineering of new carbon-dioxide-converting enzymes. This is further applied in engineered and artificial photosynthesis. Through these efforts, they seek to offer innovative solutions for enhanced carbon capture in biotechnology, agriculture, and synthetic chemistry.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjg5ODY0MDcwNjAwLW1heCAyLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><div data-element_type="widget" data-id="6959ee9" data-widget_type="heading.default" id="isPasted"><h3>Michael Graetzel - &Eacute;cole Polytechnique F&eacute;d&eacute;rale de Lausanne (EPFL)</h3>Michael Gr&auml;tzel is a professor at the &Eacute;cole Polytechnique F&eacute;d&eacute;rale de Lausanne where he directs the Laboratory of Photonics and Interfaces. He pioneered research on energy and electron transfer reactions in mesoscopic-materials and their optoelectronic applications.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjkxNTk5NTQzMTcyLW1pY2hhZWwgY3VyaW91cy5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></div><div data-element_type="widget" data-id="6de0f9a" data-widget_type="heading.default"><h3 id="isPasted">Marc Raibert - Boston Dynamics/The AI Institute</h3>Marc Raibert is the founder, former CEO, and now Chairman of Boston Dynamics, a robotics company known for creating BigDog, Atlas, Spot, and Handle.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjkxNTk5ODc1MTY3LW1hcmMgYnBzdG9uLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">Uğur Şahin - CEO of BioNTech</h3><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px; font: 14.5px Arial; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff}</style>Uğur Şahin is a German oncologist and immunologist. He is the founder and CEO of BioNTech, which developed one of the major vaccines against COVID-19. The main focus of his research work is the discovery of mRNA-based drugs for use as individualized cancer immunotherapies, as vaccines against infectious diseases, and as protein replacement therapies for rare diseases. <img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjkyMTA3OTYzMTkzLTNhLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">Benjamin List - Max Plank Institute for Coal Research&nbsp;</h3>Benjamin List is a German chemist who was awarded the 2021&nbsp;<a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nobel-Prize" data-show-preview="true" target="_blank" id="isPasted">Nobel Prize</a> for Chemistry for his work on asymmetric organocatalysis. The director of the Max-Plank Institut for Coal Research since 2005 and honorary professor at the University of Cologne, his research interests are new catalysis concepts, bioorganic chemistry and natural product synthesis. <img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjkyMTA4MDY3NzQzLTNiLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h3 id="isPasted">Thomas C. S&uuml;dhof - Stanford University&nbsp;</h3>Thomas Christian S&uuml;dhof, ForMemRS, is a German-American biochemist known for his study of synaptic transmission. He is a professor at the School of Medicine in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, and by courtesy in Neurology, and in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. Together with James Rothman and Randy Schekman, he won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology for his work on vesicle trafficking.&nbsp; <img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjkyMTA4MDc4MDk4LTNjLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> Read about the past speakers <a href="https://www.curiousfutureinsight.org/_speakers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.</a></div><h2 data-element_type="widget" data-id="e2949f1" data-widget_type="heading.default">Future Insight Prize</h2>The Future Insight&trade; prize is awarded to honour outstanding achievements in science and technology that help to realize visionary dream products important for humanity. The 2024 Future Insight Prize will be given out at the conference for work to help use AI to fight the next pandemic. <a href="https://www.curiousfutureinsight.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read more here.</a><h2 data-element_type="widget" data-id="e2949f1" data-widget_type="heading.default">The Venue</h2>The Curious2024 &ndash; Future Insight&trade; Conference will take place at the Rheingoldhalle Mainz with a view of the river Rhine. Mainz is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.<h3 data-element_type="widget" data-id="e2949f1" data-widget_type="heading.default">Tickets - Take Part in Curious2024</h3>On-site and online tickets for Curious2024 are now available. Find all information and ticket categories on <a href="https://www.curiousfutureinsight.org/tickets/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this page.</a><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjkxNjA2NDU0MzkxLW1lcmNrLTguanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">

One of the world's leading gatherings on the future of science & technology. Learn and be inspired by world leaders, thinkers and researchers.                                                                                                     Tickets are on sale now. 

July 10–11, 2024.

The Curious – Future Insight™ Conference

<html><head></head><body>Our very first customer at Mergeflow was very good at beating "not invented here" syndrome.He is a very successful innovator with a distinguished career. A physics PhD by training, he started his professional career doing semiconductor research in the R&amp;D department of a large, global technology corporation. He then moved on to running a new business unit (outside the R&amp;D department). After that, he led the spinoff unit of his company. There, he helped commercialize a whole range of technologies into successful spinoff companies.You get the idea. This is a true <a href="https://mergeflow.com/how-to/galilei-style-innovation" rel="noopener" target="_blank">science entrepreneur</a> who is at home in both R&amp;D and business. Also–and this is important–who said that you can’t be an entrepreneur in a large corporation?<h2 id="isPasted">"Not invented here" syndrome happens frequently, and understandably so</h2>At Mergeflow we often hear from innovators how they struggle with "not invented here" (NIH) syndrome in their organization. NIH syndrome refers to the tendency to avoid using products, knowledge, etc. that come from outside one’s own organization (cf. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_invented_here" rel="noopener" target="_blank">this Wikipedia article</a>).<blockquote>Many people view other people’s ideas and solutions as a threat, not as an opportunity.</blockquote>It is understandable that many people show NIH syndrome. When you develop a new technology, product or solution, it’s easy to think that you look less brilliant if you incorporate other people’s ideas. And unfortunately most educational systems enforce this way of thinking, from a very early age onward. As a result, many people view other people’s ideas and solutions as a threat, not as an opportunity.<h2 id="isPasted">So…how did he beat "not invented here" syndrome?</h2>Let’s start by looking at what our customer didn’t do.<h2 id="isPasted">Don’t try to change people’s minds</h2>It’s very tempting to address NIH syndrome heads-on. To somehow try to change people’s minds. Very often, people and organizations try doing this by organizing some kind of event or campaign. For example, this could be an (off-site) event where people talk about culture change and whatnot, and listen to some keynote speaker ("I’ve been to the Valley. And I’ve seen the light…" Narrator’s voice: "He only went there for a week, on an organized tour.").Our customer never did that. No mindset change, culture change, or other <a href="https://mergeflow.com/how-to/5-ways-to-escape-innovation-theater" rel="noopener" target="_blank">innovation theater</a>.Here’s what he did instead when he wanted to bring outside ideas into his organization:<h2 id="isPasted">Find individual people who are open to new ideas</h2>If you want to beat NIH syndrome, it’s good to start with "low-hanging grapes".For example, when our customer wanted to introduce a new idea to a team in his organization, he first approached the most open-minded person from this team. Once he had this person as an "ally", he engaged with the other team members (together with his ally).This didn’t always work. Sometimes he couldn’t find anyone who was open-minded enough. And in situations like that, he wouldn’t try to force anything but moved on instead.<blockquote>Can’t find anyone who is open to new ideas? If this happens, don’t try to force anything. Instead, move on.</blockquote><h2 id="isPasted">Use concrete information, not abstract "trends"</h2>"[TOPIC XYZ] is really trending hot. We need to act now!"You often see this in the context of so-called technology radars, for example. They look like dartboards, where the arrows represent topics (usually described at a very high-level, such as "machine learning" or "blockchain"). And the arrows in the middle of the dartboard represent those topics that need to be acted upon.This can be an interesting exercise, but it is not enough. First, what exactly do you mean by "act"? Who exactly should do what exactly, for how long, etc.? And what exactly do you mean when you say "machine learning" or "blockchain" in the context of your organization?So instead of abstract trends, our customer always used concrete information. Details depend on context, of course. But good examples might be companies with a relevant product or solution; a paper that describes a potentially interesting new technology; or sometimes just a blog post with an interesting idea such as a <a href="https://mergeflow.com/how-to/good-innovation-analyst" rel="noopener" target="_blank">plausible future scenario</a>.But don’t overwhelm people. Nobody has the time to go through a list of 50 companies or 100 papers. Instead, use a handful of findings, or even just a single finding.Note that "single finding" doesn’t necessarily mean "single document". For example, if a finding is a specific company, then this finding might include the founder’s bios, their patents, scientific publications, and news about the company.<h2 id="isPasted">Don’t tell people what to do. Instead, ask them for feedback, or to explain something to you</h2>"Hey, I just found this great paper, and you should really read it."Not a great conversation starter. First, you don’t want to corner people and make them feel like they missed something. Second, you might be wrong. What if your great finding isn’t that great after all? Or what if for some reason the finding is interesting but not relevant, i.e. won’t work in the context of your company?So instead, our customer took his finding and either asked people for feedback, or to explain the finding. He would ask them, "I’m no expert on this, but I saw this…what do you think?". And these feedback conversations were not just high-level generalities, but very specific and detail-oriented. Also, the "recipient" did most of the talking, not our customer.<blockquote id="isPasted">When you share an idea with someone, the other person should do most of the talking, not you. Otherwise you won’t learn anything.</blockquote><h2 id="isPasted">Use information that’s targeted to your audience</h2>It’s no secret that when you share new information with people, you make it easier for them if you reach them where they are.For example, when our customer introduced an idea to a researcher, he would try to find a research paper or other technical contents. This allowed the researcher to evaluate an idea in depth. And this resulted in substantially more valuable feedback or explanations–which led to clearer decisions and faster progress.By contrast, when he talked with someone from finance or marketing, he tried to find information that emphasized the business aspect. For instance, this could be a company’s business model, competitive landscape, a good narrative, or market information.Related readings:<a href="https://mergeflow.com/how-to/how-to-talk-like-a-scientist" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> How to talk like a scientist -&gt;</a><a href="https://mergeflow.com/how-to/talk-like-a-business-person" rel="noopener" target="_blank">How to talk like a business person -&gt;</a></body></html>

Featured image by Huseyin Bostanci from Getty Images.

Our very first customer at Mergeflow was very good at beating "not invented here" syndrome.

He was a very accomplished science entrepreneur. A physics PhD by training, his career spanned semiconductor research, leading a new business unit, and commercializing a whole range of technologies into successful spinoff companies.

In this article I describe the hands-on methods he used to beat "not invented here" syndrome in his organization.

How successful innovators beat "not invented here" syndrome: A real-life example

Another fascinating month for robotics. Researchers are the highlight of the month. Through their work, we are pushing the boundaries of self-awareness, complex structure and even the limits of life and death.&nbsp;Spoooky indeed.&nbsp;Take a seat and join us in this quick review of robotics news.And don&#39;t forget that you can also share your story. We would love to feature it in our next blog. Just email us at <a href="mailto:robotics.community@canonical.com" target="_blank">robotics.community@canonical.com</a><ul><li>This blog has also been <a href="http://ubuntu.com/blog/the-state-of-robotics-august-2022?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">posted in Ubuntu blogs</a>.&nbsp;</li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Security for robotics</h2><h3 dir="ltr">Vulnerability in cute, smart Enabot Ebo Air robot found and fixed</h3>The <a href="https://na.enabot.com/ebo/AIR" target="_blank">Enabot Ebo Air</a> is a friendly smart home robot, designed to keep the family company. It allows you to interact with your family at home while you&rsquo;re away. It can take photos and videos as well as recognise faces, and you can steer it around the house via Wi-Fi. Recently, the security assessment firm Modux was asked to evaluate the security of the robot, and <a href="https://www.modux.co.uk/post/serious-security-issues-uncovered-with-the-enabot-smart-robot" target="_blank">found two important vulnerabilities</a>. Modux disclosed the issues to the manufacturer, who has since addressed the risks and released a fix.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYwNTU1ODQzODQ3LXRlc3QgMS53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The first issue found was the use of a shared password for the system administrator (root) account. The Enabot Ebo Air robot came pre-configured with a default system administrator password, which was weak and shared across all devices. An attacker could have used this to connect via SSH (secure shell), and gain full administrative permissions. The recommendation was to disable SSH functionality, which the manufacturer did.&nbsp;The second bug was a missing secure-delete functionality, which could potentially disclose information from the previous owner if the robot was resold. The robot did not effectively perform a secure deletion of data when a factory reset was initiated, leaving behind artefacts from previous uses of the device, including cleartext Wi-Fi passwords and session tokens from the previous owner. For this, the recommendation was to use a secure deletion functionality instead, overwriting all sensitive data multiple times.An attacker could have used these vulnerabilities to move the robot, access the camera, record video, speak through the microphone, among other tasks, effectively using it as a surveillance device. This event highlights the importance of security awareness and thorough testing, as robots continue to serve and accompany us more and more in our daily lives. <h2 dir="ltr">Amazon acquisition of iRobot - implications beyond data</h2>Every time Amazon launches or acquires a new company (especially one developing a device) the whole internet starts talking about the data and privacy implications. Yes, certainly data is important for Amazon. But that is not the whole story. Today I want to talk about the impact this acquisition has on investors and how this could boost the market.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYwNTU1ODg4NDM2LXRlc3QyLndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Funding a robotics venture is not easy. Between March 2020 and March 2021, robotics companies raised only 8% in capital compared to AI companies. AI-focused startups raised a total of $73.4 billion while robotics startups raised $6.3 billion. This is a paltry sum in comparison, especially when we saw an increasing need for robotics in several industries (due to COVID). &nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYwNTU1OTA4ODQxLXRlc3QzLndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">There are many reasons behind this. One of those, and the most important one, is the increased risk perception from investors. Robotics development is expensive and takes time.&nbsp;But moves like Amazon&rsquo;s show something to investors: a profitable exit. Amazon will acquire iRobot for $61 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.7 billion. A success story is always needed to push investment, and this certainly makes one.&nbsp;This is not an isolated event. It comes after 2 years of really interesting acquisitions. Take <a href="https://www.zebra.com/gb/en/about-zebra/newsroom/press-releases/2021/zebra-technologies-to-acquire-fetch-robotics.html" target="_blank">Zebra&#39;s acquisition of Fetch</a>, or <a href="https://www.deere.com/en/news/all-news/2021aug5-bear-flag-robotics/" target="_blank">John Deere&#39;s acquisitions of ROS-based startups</a>. Investors are aware, now more than ever, that while the risk is high, the profit/ROI could be as well. Moves like <a href="https://ubuntu.com/blog/the-state-of-robotics-september-2021" target="_blank">Amazon launching Astro</a> create more incentives.&nbsp;Amazon&rsquo;s acquisition has various implications. Only time will tell whether this boosts the market, and how much.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Robotics awareness&nbsp;</h2>Robots are now able to learn a model of their entire body from scratch, without any human assistance. <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abn1944" target="_blank">Researchers from Columbia University</a> developed a visual self-model using deep neural networks that allowed a robot to learn the relationship between its motor actions and the volume it occupied in its environment.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYwNTU1OTM2ODEyLXRlc3QgNC53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The team found a way to visualise how the robot saw itself, finding a surprisingly accurate self-image. (<a href="https://www.hackster.io/news/columbia-university-researchers-gave-this-robot-arm-a-true-sense-of-self-cadeac6481a9" target="_blank">source</a>) The researchers placed a robotic arm inside a circle of five streaming video cameras. The video footage was fed to the network as the robot wiggled and contorted. This allowed it to learn exactly how its body moved in response to various motor commands.&nbsp;After about three hours, the robot learned the relationship between its motor actions and the volume it occupied in its environment. Much like an infant exploring itself for the first time in a hall of mirrors.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYwNTU1OTU2Njk5LXRlc3Q1LndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Robot inside a circle of five streaming video cameras This awareness allows the robot to plan motion, reach goals, and avoid obstacles in a variety of situations&mdash;another small but incredible step towards robots&rsquo; self-awareness. <h2 dir="ltr">Robotics and Smart textiles</h2><a href="https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/new-shape-shifting-material-can-move-robot" target="_blank">Researchers at the University of New South Wales</a> are also working on a special project. They developed a new class of smart textiles that can shape-shift and turn two-dimensional material into 3D structures. The material is constructed from tiny soft artificial muscles. These muscles are long silicone tubes that can change shape thanks to hydraulics.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYwNTU1OTc3MTkxLXRlc3Q2LndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The UNSW team&#39;s smart textile enables fabric reconfiguration which produces shape-morphing structures such as this butterfly and flower that can move using hydraulics. (<a href="https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/new-shape-shifting-material-can-move-robot" target="_blank">source</a>) The artificial muscles can be programmed to contract or expand into a variety of shapes depending on their initial structure. The smart textile can either be attached to existing passive material or yarn to create an active fabric.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYwNTU2MDAwMzM2LXRlc3QgNy53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Structure of smart textile (<a href="https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/science-tech/new-shape-shifting-material-can-move-robot" target="_blank">source</a>)&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Spider gripper&nbsp;</h2>What&rsquo;s next is not fabric, but something from a sci-fi movie. <a href="https://news.rice.edu/news/2022/rice-engineers-get-grip-necrobotic-spiders" target="_blank">Rice University researchers</a> found a way to use dead spiders as robotic grippers. What started with a dead spider in a lab became a gripper; Necrobotics.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYwNTU2MDI3MDc0LXRlc3QgOC53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Functioning of the spider gripper (<a href="https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2022/07/necrobotic-spiders/" target="_blank">source</a>) If you haven&#39;t noticed yet, spiders&rsquo; legs curl up when they die. This is because spiders extend their legs with hydraulic pressure and when spiders die they lose this ability. Researchers tapped into the hydraulic infrastructure of dead spiders using a needle, and by pumping air, they extended the spider&rsquo;s legs. Releasing the pressure retracted the legs, allowing them to grab objects. <h2 dir="ltr">Congratulations to ROS Industrial&nbsp;for its 10-year anniversary</h2>Happy birthday <a href="https://rosindustrial.org/" target="_blank">ROS Industrial</a>! If you don&#39;t know it yet, ROS Industrial is an open source project that seeks to extend ROS and now ROS 2 to industrial hardware and applications.&nbsp;ROS Industrial identifies and prioritises capabilities for industrial robotics and automation to address current and future application problems. They also provide a wide range of user services, including technical support and training, to facilitate the continued adoption of ROS by the industry.<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-6yAk05et1Q?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-gtm-yt-inspected-12="true" id="26562603" title="ROS-Industrial 10 Year Anniversary Mash Up"></iframe> They help us all carry the flag of open source in the industrial and automation domain. For that, we are truly thankful and we&rsquo;re proud to be part of this community. &nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Robot Makers - Chapter 3 - Register now!&nbsp;</h2>Did you miss the interview with Akara Robotics CEO Conor McGinn? Don&rsquo;t worry,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O3X7MM1mx8" target="_blank">&nbsp;the video is now available on youtube</a>.&nbsp;And don&#39;t miss our <a href="https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/6793/555737?utm_source=Canonical&utm_medium=brighttalk&utm_campaign=555737?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=engage" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">upcoming interview with Russell Nickerson</a>, Engagement Liaison at MassRobotics. MassRobotics is a non-profit coworking space for robotics startups in Boston&#39;s Seaport, where Russell supports more than 60 residence startups.&nbsp;Based on his experience scaling robotics companies, Russell will share the dos and don&#39;ts of go-to-market strategy.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYxMTYwMTQ5MDQyLVtXZWJpbmFyXSBNYXNzUm9ib3RpY3MgUm9ib3QgTWFrZXJzIDIgKDIpLnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><ul><li dir="ltr">Register now for <a href="https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/6793/555737?utm_source=Canonical&utm_medium=brighttalk&utm_campaign=555737?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=engage" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chapter 3 of the Robot Maker series</a></li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Open source robotics &ndash; white papers</h2>We recently published a whitepaper about the importance of<a href="https://ubuntu.com/engage/robot-operating-system-choice?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=engage" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&nbsp;choosing the right OS for your robot</a>. Picking the right OS could make a big difference in factors like security, maintenance and infrastructure for deployment.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYwNTU2MDcxNzI2LXRlc3QgOS53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><ul><li>Review the implications and explore <a href="https://ubuntu.com/engage/robot-operating-system-choice?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=engage" id="isPasted" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">why so many developers chose Ubuntu</a>.&nbsp;</li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Open source robotics &ndash; video news</h2>Another month, another video. More news, more applications, more robots! &nbsp;<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O29XoRFNc0k?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> If you want us to feature your robotics application, just send us an email at <a data-fr-linked="true" href="mailto:robotics.community@canonical.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">robotics.community@canonical.com</a>.<ul><li dir="ltr">And don&#39;t forget to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/UbuntuOS/?sub_confirmation=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">follow us for more robotics news, demos and tutorials!</a>&nbsp;</li></ul><h2 dir="ltr">Open-source robotics &ndash; ROS 2 shared memory tutorial</h2>After receiving questions regarding an error message issued by ROS 2 applications in snaps, we decided to put together a blog post on this matter <a href="https://ubuntu.com/blog/how-to-use-ros-2-shared-memory-in-snaps?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&ldquo;How to use ROS 2 shared memory in snaps&rdquo;</a><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjYwNTU2MDkzNDI3LXRlc3QgMTAud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><a href="https://ubuntu.com/blog/how-to-use-ros-2-shared-memory-in-snaps?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=blog" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">In this post</a>, we review the shared memory mechanism in ROS 2, explain why the shared memory feature causes error messages in snaps and propose different solutions to tackle it.As usual, we&rsquo;d love to get your feedback. Feel free to reach out on the <a href="https://forum.snapcraft.io/" target="_blank">snapcraft forum</a>.<h2 dir="ltr">Stay tuned for more robotics news</h2>As always, we would love to hear from you. Send a summary of your robotics innovation and project to <a href="mailto:robotics.community@canonical.com" target="_blank">robotics.community@canonical.com</a>, and we will share it in our next robotics newsletter or monthly video. Thanks for reading!

Monthly robotics news blog. Discover the latest innovations, products, research, tutorials, and security news for robotics.

The State of Robotics, August 2022

<h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">The State of Robotics &ndash; May &amp; June 2022</h2>In May, robotics felt the waves of the Hawksbill and Jellyfish. Last month brought us the first LTS for ROS 2, Humble Hawksbill. As part of the ROS community, we welcome this new release and congratulate everyone who made it possible.In this round-up, we will talk about ROS, drones, football and robots that eat scrambled eggs.&nbsp;Yep, enjoy ;) &nbsp;&nbsp;And don&#39;t forget that you can also share your story. We would love to feature it in our next blog. Just email us at <a href="mailto:robotics.community@canonical.com" target="_blank">robotics.community@canonical.com</a>&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Security for robotics</h2><h3 dir="ltr">Critical vulnerabilities found in hospital robots</h3>Five critical bugs were <a href="https://technewsmax.com/2022/04/12/critical_vuln_hospital_robots/" target="_blank">recently found</a> in TUG autonomous mobile robots. These internet-connected robots are being used at hundreds of hospitals around the world to deliver medicine and maintenance supplies.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU2OTI4OTAxODY0LXR1Z2d5LWlubGluZS53ZWJwIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The zero-day vulnerabilities (CVSS scores ranging from 7.6 to 9.8), collectively called <a href="https://www.cynerio.com/jekyllbot-5-command-center" target="_blank">JekyllBot:5</a>, required a low skill set and could be exploited without any special privileges or user interaction. When exploited, they enabled remote attacker control of the robots and access to real-time camera feeds and device data. The vulnerabilities originated in TUG Homebase Server&#39;s JavaScript and API implementation, and a WebSocket that relied on absolute trust between the server and the robots to relay commands to them. Some HTML vulnerabilities on the web portal page also allowed an attacker to insert malicious Javascript code on any computer that requested data about the robots. Cynerio, the threat research firm that discovered the bugs, immediately notified hospitals using the robot.&nbsp;&nbsp;Attacks on hospital robots could have critical consequences that impact patient care, such as disrupting or blocking drug delivery or even causing damage by crashing them into people or objects. Thankfully, none of these vulnerabilities were exploited in the wild. All five bugs have now been fixed for all TUG base server versions before version 24.<h2 dir="ltr">ROS 2 Humble, Ubuntu 22.04 and Ubuntu Core 22</h2>With the release of Ubuntu 22.04, we have a new release of ROS 2 Humble Hawksbill. This long-term support (LTS) release is the first LTS for a ROS 2 distribution. These 5 years of support show the maturity that ROS 2 has achieved. As such, it brings <a href="https://discourse.ros.org/t/ros-2-humble-hawksbill-released/25729" target="_blank">several features</a>:<ul><li dir="ltr">Type adaptation: In rclcpp, you can work with custom data structures and have them implicitly converted to be sent over the ROS network, or passed directly if you&rsquo;re using interprocess communication. This is convenient for working with complex data structures like images.</li><li dir="ltr">launch_pytest: A pytest plugin for writing tests in Python.</li><li dir="ltr">Frontend support for composable nodes: Composable nodes can now be specified in launch files.</li><li dir="ltr">Content filtered topics: Subscribers can filter which types of messages they want to see.</li></ul><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU2OTI4OTk1NTkyLXJvcy1odW1ibGUtaGF3a3NiaWxsLWZlYXR1cmVkLndlYnAiLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">And what better match for Humble Hawksbill than Jammy Jellyfish. Ubuntu 22.04 is now generally available, featuring significant leaps forward in cloud confidential computing, real-time kernel for industrial applications, and enterprise Active Directory, PCI-DSS, HIPAA, FIPS and FedRAMP compliance. This release raises the bar for open source from cloud to edge, IoT and workstations.&nbsp;For robotics development these are the most attractive features in this new distribution:<ul><li dir="ltr">Real-time kernel for Ubuntu, with the PREEMPT_RT patchset integration. This enables extreme latency-dependent use cases, providing deterministic response times to service events. Available for x86_64 and AArch64.</li><li dir="ltr">FIPS-certified Ubuntu images that make it easy for companies to fulfil different industrial compliance requirements (e.g. PCI-DSS, HIPAA and FedRAMP).</li><li dir="ltr">OVAL integration for vulnerability and patch definitions to enable auditing for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs)s.</li><li dir="ltr">Active Directory is now fully supported in the Ubuntu installer with Advanced Group Policy Object and allows more refined user permissions and script execution control from within Active Directory.&nbsp;</li></ul><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU2OTI5MDQwMzc5LXVidW50dSBqZWxseWZpc2gud2VicCIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Together with 22.04, we also released Ubuntu Core 22. Canonical announced that <a href="http://ubuntu.com/core" target="_blank">Ubuntu Core 22</a>, the fully containerised Ubuntu 22.04 LTS variant optimised for IoT and edge devices, is now generally available for download from <a href="https://ubuntu.com/download/iot" target="_blank">ubuntu.com/download/iot</a>. Combined with Canonical&rsquo;s technology offer, this release brings Ubuntu&rsquo;s comprehensive and industry-leading operating system (OS) and services to a complete range of embedded and IoT devices.For those deploying robotics devices to market, Ubuntu Core 22 brings these new features:&nbsp;<ul><li dir="ltr">It provides a path to upgrade UC20 systems to UC22 and backward compatibility of the new features to UC20.</li><li dir="ltr">Validation set that specified what applications are either required to be installed together or are permitted to be installed together on a device or system.&nbsp;</li><li dir="ltr">Quota group sets to limit services inside applications like maximum memory and CPU usage.</li></ul>To learn more about the new features on Core 22 <a href="https://ubuntu.com/blog/what-youre-missing-out-if-you-dont-try-ubuntu-core-22" target="_blank">check the next blog</a>.&nbsp;<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6NDWqH1SrGs?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> <h2 dir="ltr">Skybrush going Open Source&nbsp;</h2>We stand behind open source projects since they make way for innovation. Just take a look at <a href="https://skybrush.io/" target="_blank">Skybrush</a>, a drone-show management platform. In early May, Skybrush announced the release of their ultimate multi-UAV mission and drone show management platform as an open-source project.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU2OTI5MDY2Mjg4LXNreWJydXNoX2xpdmVfb25fZGVza3RvcC5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Skybrush has also advanced on the drone swarm research front, with 30, 50, and up to 100 autonomous drones flying together in different cooperative scenarios. Besides putting on an impressive show, the drone orchestration platform can be used in other industries. It has practical applications for agriculture, surveillance and delivery - among other use cases.<h2 dir="ltr">Making drone nests with Wings</h2>Looking for another drone use case? Check <a href="https://wing.com/" target="_blank">Wing</a> and their drone delivery system. Wing &nbsp;is growing in Australia. The company allows small businesses to access a delivery infrastructure. Companies can ship their products through a system of different bases in the city, called wing nests. Once on the wing nest, drones can travel up to 6 miles in 6 minutes. This covers a wide range of houses. The delivery zones can expand as more wing nests get added to the network.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU2OTI5NTQxMjQ3LUZJX2hlYWRlcl8yMDQ4eDExNTEgY29weS1taW4uanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2 dir="ltr">Drones and strong winds &nbsp;</h2>To autonomously perform delivery tasks, drones need to be able to adapt to wind conditions in real-time. This is a field that is not well understood yet. <a href="https://www.caltech.edu/about/news/rapid-adaptation-of-deep-learning-teaches-drones-to-survive-any-weather" target="_blank">A team of engineers from Caltec</a>h is expanding our knowledge in this area. They developed Neural-Fly, a deep-learning method that can help drones cope with new and unknown wind conditions in real-time by incorporating pre-trained representations through deep learning. Take note, drone fans.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU2OTI5MTUzNTA5LUNhbHRlY2hfTmV1cmFsX0ZseV8wNi4yZTE2ZDBiYS5maWxsLTE2MDB4ODEwLWMxMDAuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Neural-Fly uses an algorithm to learn the shared representation, using only 12 minutes of flight data. With the learned representation, Neural-Fly achieves precise flight control with substantially smaller tracking errors. It&rsquo;s been used to improve drone performance at wind speeds ranging up to 43.6 kilometres/hour.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU2OTI5MTcyODkyLUNhbHRlY2hfTmV1cmFsX0ZseV8wOC5tYXgtMTQwMHg4MDAuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2 dir="ltr">Eating robot</h2>This news entered a new category. A food-tasting robot? Yes, a food-tasting robot. Researchers from the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-61313767" target="_blank">University of Cambridge&nbsp;</a>trained Beko to assess the saltiness of a dish at different stages of the chewing process, imitating a process that is similar in humans. Beko, who has already been trained to make omelettes, tasted nine variations of scrambled eggs and tomatoes at three different stages of the chewing process. The researchers attached a conductance probe to the robot&rsquo;s arm, which acts as a salinity sensor.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU2OTI5MjAzNzIwLXJvYm90IGVhdGluZyBvbWVsZXR0ZXMuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Their results showed a significant improvement in robots&rsquo; ability to assess saltiness over other electronic tasting methods. In case you were wondering, the food was blended to imitate the change in texture caused by chewing.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU2OTI5NTYyNTcwLVJvYm90LWNoZWYtdHJhaW5lZC10by10YXN0ZS1mb29kLWluLWRpZmZlcmVudC1jaGV3aW5nLXBoYXNlcy5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2 dir="ltr">Open source robotics &ndash; white papers</h2>We recently published a <a href="https://ubuntu.com/engage/robot-operating-system-choice" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">whitepaper about the importance of choosing the right OS</a> for your robot. Picking the right OS could make a big difference in factors like security, maintenance and infrastructure for deployment. Review the implications and explore why so many developers chose Ubuntu.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU2OTI5NTc3MDcwLXdoaXRlcGFwZXIucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2 dir="ltr">Open source robotics &ndash; video news</h2>Another month, another video. More news, more applications, more robots! &nbsp;<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hvmwE6ft45A?&wmode=opaque&rel=0&enablejsapi=1&origin=https://www.wevolver.com" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe> If you want us to feature your robotics application, just send us an email at <a href="mailto:robotics.community@canonical.com" target="_blank">robotics.community@canonical.com</a>.<h2 dir="ltr">Open-source robotics &ndash; ROS 2 in Ubuntu with LXD tutorial</h2>Do you want to test ROS 2 Humble? If you want to test compatibility and keep your current Ubuntu (20.04, 18.04,&hellip;) environment stable until you know you are ready to upgrade, you can do that with LXD containers. <a href="https://ubuntu.com/blog/install-ros-2-humble-in-ubuntu-20-04-or-18-04-using-lxd-containers" target="_blank">Read our tutorial</a> to find out how.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Robot Makers - Chapter 2</h2>Did you miss the interview with Akara Robotics CEO Conor McGinn? Don&rsquo;t worry, the video is now available on-demand. If you want to learn about the funding landscape for robotics startups, the best sources of funding and good guidelines, this webinar is for you.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjU2OTI5NjIxMzUzLVtXZWJpbmFyXSBBa2FyYSBSb2JvdCBNYWtlcnMgMiAoOCkucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2 dir="ltr">Stay tuned for more robotics news</h2>As always, we would love to hear from you. Send a summary of your robotics innovation and project to <a href="mailto:robotics.community@canonical.com" target="_blank">robotics.community@canonical.com</a>, and we will share it in our next robotics newsletter or monthly video. Thanks for reading!

Monthly robotics news blog. Discover the latest products, research, tutorials, and security news for robotics.

The State of Robotics, May & June 2022

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-unlocks-new-possibilities-for-sustainable-development-technologies" 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.

Applications of TinyML making specialised education more accessible

<html><head></head><body>In 2014, two planes had gone missing with no luck at finding the wreckage. Lives were lost and families are left wondering “what happened?”. In the world of truly autonomous vehicles, UAVs should react on their own through some sort of external stimuli. It is through these external stimuli that the UAVs react and adjust their goal accordingly. These stimuli can be taken from various sensors on the craft but also can be given commands by a human.Drones are unmanned, aerial devices used for a variety of purposes. When first developed, these devices were manually, remotely controlled. Now, however, drones often incorporate artificial intelligence, automating some or all operations. The incorporation of AI enables drone vendors to use data from sensors attached to the drone to collect and implement visual and environmental data. &nbsp;This data enables autonomous or assisted flight, making operation easier, and increasing accessibility. As a result, drones have become part of the smart mobility offerings that are now commercially available to businesses and consumers. AI-based drones rely largely on computer vision. This technology enables drones to detect objects while flying and allows the analysis and recording of information on the ground.Computer vision works through high-performance, onboard image processing performed with a neural network. A neural network is a layered architecture that is used to implement algorithms in machine learning. Neural networks enable drones to perform object detection, classification, and tracking. This information is combined in real-time to enable drones to avoid collisions and locate and track targets.To implement neural networks in drones, researchers must first train the machine learning algorithms to recognize and correctly classify objects in a wide variety of contexts. This is done by feeding specially marked images into the algorithm.These images teach the neural network which traits classes of objects have and how to differentiate one type of object from another. More advanced neural networks continue learning without supervision during operation, improving detection and analysis with use.Drones have three main applications.<h3>SURVEILLANCE</h3>Drones can be equipped with various types of surveillance equipment that can collect HD video and still images day and night. Drones can be equipped with technology allowing them to intercept cell phone calls, determine GPS locations, and gather license plate information. The high payload compatibility allows the use of different surveying systems such as lidar scanners, multi- and hyperspectral devices and much more – around the clock, with low staffing requirements and low costs.Drone surveillance is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to capture of still images and video to gather information about specific targets, which might be individuals, groups or environments. Drone surveillance enables surreptitiously gathering information about a target as captured from a distance or altitude. Drone surveillance enables the surreptitious gathering of information about a target as captured from a distance or altitude.Of course, drone use in this wide-ranging industry (or area) extends well beyond these fundamental and simplistic boundaries. The government officials, police and other security personnel use this drone technology. Automated surveillance is going to become increasingly common as companies and researchers find new ways to use machine learning to analyze live video footage.A new project from scientists in the UK and India shows one possible use for this technology: identifying violent behavior in crowds with the help of camera-equipped drones. It uses a simple Parrot AR quadcopter to transmit video footage over a mobile internet connection for real-time analysis. An algorithm trained using deep learning estimates the poses of humans in the video and matches them to postures the researchers have designated as “violent.” For the purposes of the project, just five poses are included: strangling, punching, kicking, shooting, and stabbing.However, the research needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, particularly with regard to its claims of accuracy. Some report that their system was 94 percent accurate at identifying “violent” poses, but they note that the more people that appear in frame, the lower this figure. (It fell to 79 percent accuracy when looking at 10 individuals.)More importantly, though, these figures don’t represent real-world usage. In order to train and test their AI, the researchers recorded their own video clips of volunteers pretending to attack one another. The volunteers are generously spaced apart and attack one another with exaggerated movements. They acknowledged that this isn’t a perfect reflection of how the surveillance system might perform in the wild, but he said he has plans to test the drones during two upcoming festivals in India: Technozion and Spring Spree, both of which take place at NIT Warangal.But even if this particular system has not yet proved itself in the wild, it’s a clear illustration of the direction contemporary research is going. Using AI to identify body poses is a common problem, with big tech companies like Facebook publishing significant research on the topic. And with the rise of cheap drones and fast mobile internet, it’s easier than ever to capture and transmit live video footage. Putting these pieces together to create sophisticated surveillance isn’t hard.<h3>WEATHER FORECAST</h3>The climate is changing. So is the face of natural catastrophes. Admittedly, drones fall short in matching the efficacy of satellite imagery in forecasting adverse weather events. However, when disaster does strike, they are capable of providing valuable assistance. Government authorities as well as insurers are waking up to the potential of using them to assess post-disaster damages, especially at sites not marked safe for humans to enter.Using drones to collect atmospheric samples is a huge advance on traditional methods of data collection, and has the potential to vastly improve the accuracy of weather forecasting models. Why does it matter? Having more accurate models affects both the day-to-day and the big picture. It allows meteorologists to give us better 10 day weather forecasts, but more than that, it means the ability to give more advanced warning for storms such as tornadoes, or whether and where hurricanes will land.The lowest layer of the atmosphere, called the boundary layer, is where most of our weather is happening. The weather conditions that impact each and every one of us are dependent on a dizzying number of variables and factors. Trying to make accurate predictions about what the weather will do next relies on very complicated weather forecasting models, but the output of these models is only as good as the data fed into them. And getting good data is harder than you might think. That’s where weather drones come in. Weather drones can be flown through the entire vertical layer of the boundary layer of the atmosphere, and collect crucial data on temperature, moisture, air pressure and wind speed and direction.Weather drones can collect this data in several ways.&nbsp;One way is through temperature, humidity and air pressure sensors affixed directly onto the drone. Another way they collect data is by dropping sensors called dropsondes, fitted with a parachute, from a high altitude. The dropsondes descend through the vertical profile of the boundary layer, collecting data all the way down. One final important way weather drones collect data is through visual imaging, including photographs and video.There are several important projects ongoing that are working to make use of and improve drones for weather data collection. One of these is directly connected to scientists working with the NOAA. They are working on short term field studies focused on s pecific regions of the US to study how terrain and land surface features affect weather patterns. The goal is to determine whether and how the land surface impacts weather, and how to incorporate that variable into weather and climate models.More data from all over the nation (and the world), from more levels of the boundary layer, means more accurate weather forecasting models. Measurements from storm drones can help scientists evaluate current weather models, and identify and correct forecast models. Collaboration between scientists working on these data collection projects and local weather service forecast models is resulting in more accurate weather forecasts for local weather reporting. It’s a standing joke that meteorologists get to be wrong all the time with no one holding them accountable, but that could change with more accurate models.<h3>DELIVERY</h3>There are several applications in which delivery drones are used.Health care&nbsp;: Drones can be used to transport medicinal products such as blood products, vaccines, and other supplies such as pharmaceuticals and medical samples. During the COVID-19 pandemic, drones began making medical deliveries of personal protective equipment and COVID- 19 tests in the United States and in Israel. Zipline has made more than 70,000 medical deliveries by drone as of October 2020.&nbsp;By using drones to deliver blood donations, vaccinations, medications, anti-venom solutions, organ transplants, and other medical supplies, the medical segment of drone delivery is gaining quite a bit of traction. Between drone service providers and business-internal services, there are more than 30 companies using drones to deliver medical supplies. Integrated with Matternet’s autonomous M2 Drone and Cloud Platform, the new Matternet station supports the company’s vision of distributed, &nbsp;peer-to-peer drone logistics networks for urban environments, allowing hospitals and their supply partners to integrate automated drone delivery laboratories and pharmacy operations.Food: Drones have been proposed as a solution for rapidly deliveringprepared foods, such as pizzas, tacos, and frozen beverages. Early prototypes of food delivery drones include the Tacocopter demonstration by Star Simpson, which was a taco delivery concept utilizing a smartphone app to order drone-delivered tacos in San Francisco area.Initially drones have seen early adoption in Surveillance and Security, Mapping and Inspection and Detection industries because of the remote locations they have been easier to deploy there. Now drones do not only enhance the above industrial and commercial processes, delivery drones can also add a lot of value to logistical supply chains. Of late there has been a growing interest in the benefits that delivery drones can bring to commerce in general and the daily routines of people in particular, where the promise of having food delivered to you wherever you are, via a drone, is gaining traction.&nbsp;Online Food Delivery (FD) platforms have taken off and represent a $350bn market today as these platforms are enticing consumers away from cooking or eating out to eating in the comfort of their own homes, or where ever they happen to be at a given moment. In the major markets of China, US, India, UK and Brazil, annual growth rates range from 5% to about 10% per annum. Worldwide online FD has become well accepted are clearly here to stay with many platforms having become household names.Postal: Different postal companies from Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Ukraine have undertaken various drone trials as they test the feasibility and profitability of unmanned delivery drone services. The USPS has been testing delivery systems with Horse-Fly Drones. When delivering parcels, drones often have a poorer energy balance than traditional delivery vans, as shown by a new study conducted at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.&nbsp;In densely populated areas, drones consume comparatively high amounts of energy and their range is strongly influenced by wind conditions. In rural areas, however, they may be able to compete with diesel-powered delivery vans. The study has been published in the journal Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment. Wind conditions play a crucial role in how they perform. If there is a crosswind, for example, more energy must be expended to keep the drone on course.On the other hand, headwinds or tailwinds can even have a slightly positive effect on energy consumption. "Drones consume a relatively large amount of energy when they have to hover in one place in the air, for example when they want to deliver a parcel and have to wait outside the door of the recipient's home," explains the economist.Ship Resupply: The shipping line Maersk and the Port of Rotterdam have experimented with using drones to resupply offshore ships instead of sending smaller boats. Delivery drones are delivering supplies to marines in combat, allowing emergency food and ammunition deliveries in a short amount of time. The autonomous drones can carry 60 pounds of cargo and fly up to six miles away. The delivery drones are a part of the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System’s (TRUAS) $225,000 competition.<h3>PROGRAMMING ASPECT</h3>&nbsp;Programming to build a drone is different from programming to make a drone perform some tasks. Building a drone involves interfacing sensors and actuators with some kind of processor to make the drone fly stably. But, to make an application all needed is a readily available drone and a computer where algorithms can be implemented.If the question is about building a drone, I would say it depends on the hardware used to build it. For example, arduino if arduino based controllers are used. It is more of embedded systems. Communication between microcontoller and all other sensors is established so that the controller can process the sensor readings and sends control signals to actuators to achieve a stable flight.Drones, in the nearest future, will be used to obtain privileged data which can be applied to weather forecasting, storm tracking, and precision agriculture. They can even be used for surveillance purposes, especially in search and rescue. We are right on track to a final destination where drones will eventually be self-sufficient.REFERENCES -&nbsp;1) Towards Automated Drone Surveillance in Railways: State-of-the- Art and Future Direction Conference Paper · October 2016 from &nbsp;book Content-Based Mammogram Retrieval Using Mixed Kernel PCA and Curvelet Transform (pp.336-348).2)International Journal of Engineering Sciences and Research Technology Implementation of Voice Activated Autonomous QuadcopterPritesh A. Metha, M.E. (E&amp;TC) &amp; Prof. M. U. Inamdar Siddhant, College of Engineering, Pune3)Surveillance and Security Management System Using Drone Ganeshwar.R, Ramprabhu.J, Manochitra.P, Kaliappan.S, Department of EEE, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore &nbsp;</body></html>

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs, are becoming more and
more available as technology becomes cheaper. This is an article about Drones which work on the principle of Artificial Intelligence.  

Artificial Intelligence in Drone Technology

YOLO is a non-anthropomorphic social robot designed to stimulate creativity in children. This robot was envisioned to be used by children during free-play where they use the robot as a character for the stories they create. During play, YOLO makes use of creativity techniques that promote the creation of new storylines.&nbsp;Therefore, the robot serves as a tool that has the potential to stimulate creativity in children during the interaction. Particularly, YOLO can stimulate divergent and convergent thinking for story creations. Additionally, YOLO can have different personalities, providing it with socially intelligent and engaging behaviors.&nbsp;This work provides open-source and open access to YOLO’s hardware. The design of the robot was guided by psychological theories and models on creativity, design research including user-centered design practices with children, and informed by experts working in the field of creativity.&nbsp;Specifically, it relies on established theories of personality to inform the social behavior of the robot, and on theories of creativity to design creativity stimulating behaviors. The design decisions were then based on design fieldwork with children.&nbsp;The end product is a robot that communicates using non-verbal expressive modalities (lights and movements) equipped with sensors that detect the playful behaviors of children. YOLO has the potential to be used as a research tool for academic studies, and as a toy for the community to engage in personal fabrication.&nbsp;The overall benefit of this proposed hardware is that it is open-source, less expensive than existing ones, and one that children can build by themselves under expert supervision.<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e-K3J5UZ9M4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 789px; height: 450px;"></iframe> Design&nbsp;YOLO was designed using formative research and feasibility studies. Formative research consists of an exploratory research methodology whose goal is to guide a design process, allowing ongoing intermediate assessments. By identifying and solving concrete usability problems throughout the entire process design, current systems can be improved or new ones are developed.&nbsp;Feasibility studies consist of are pieces of research performed before the main study, used to estimate crucial parameters that are needed to design the main study. These intermediary studies will help to prepare for full-scale and large research intervention, allowing for low-cost improvements before experimentally testing the effectiveness of interventions or products. Additionally, the Double-Diamond Design Process Model was used to design YOLO, an established theory in the field of design research.&nbsp;The contextual design was used by involving children at different design stages of the robot. The importance of contextual design lies in the fact that it validates the already embodied system where the robot will exist, capturing the child’s world as the floor for design decisions. Data gathered during fieldwork was the base criterion for deciding what needs to be addressed, what the robot should do, and how it should be structured within the reality of children. Additionally, the Big Five Model of Personality informs the design of the social behaviors for the robot.&nbsp;Finally, the robot was aimed to stimulate creativity during play. Therefore, the creativity-stimulating behavior of YOLO was based on two established creativity techniques for idea generation, an important stage in story creation. These techniques are called ‘‘contrast” and ‘‘mirror”. While the Contrast technique stimulates divergent thinking, the Mirror technique is responsible for the development of convergent thinking. Both modes of thinking are required to establish the emergence of creativity.&nbsp;Therefore, YOLO’s behavior is not only loaded with social behaviors (derived from personality theories) but also with behaviors that can lead to creativity stimulation in children. <img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE5NjQzODg5NDE1LTQuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 736px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">YOLO’s exploded view (on the left) and section analysis with component coloring (on the right)The design files are in STL format and ready to be 3D printed. Some of these files can be converted to a DXF format, adding a laser cutting option for faster and cheaper opportunities to fabricate YOLO. If opting to laser cut some of the components, note that the thickness of the laser cutting material should correspond to the CAD model dimensions. <ul><li>Shell– File with the cover of the robot. This is the largest 3D printing file and requires a 3D printer capable of operating at large dimensions – at least 120x200x200 mm of printing capability. Consider a vertical bottom-up position for printing the shell. Support material should be added to the faces of the three tabs. This design file does not present a laser cutting option as it is made of 3D organic shapes not ideal for laser cutting work.</li><li>Batteries, boards, and wheel layers– These design files are composed of three circular platforms that should be placed on the interior of the shell to hold all the electronic components in place. Consider printing the layers horizontally. Support material is needed only on the face of the counter-bore holes of the larger platform. The laser cutting options valid for this design file.</li><li>Jewel layer– This file contains the design that serves to nest the LED jewel that will be attached from the top of the shell. Consider printing the LED nest horizontally with support material. This file does not support a laser cutting option due to its 3D design requirement.</li><li>Glowing fibers layer– This design file contains the plate where the optical fibers should be glued. Consider printing the LED nest horizontally with support material. The laser cutting option is valid for this design file.</li><li>Washer– Washers should be placed between the ‘‘Jewel layer” and the ‘‘glowing fibers layer” to secure this connection. YOLO uses three washers to support this connection, so consider printing 3 parts. The laser cutting option is valid for this design file.</li><li>Motor docking (1) and (2)– Composed of two files that together provide docking for the motors. Support material is not needed for 3D printing. The laser cutting option is valid for ‘‘Motor docking (2)</li></ul><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE5NjQzOTc2MTgyLTUuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 758px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">YOLO Parts Lineup</div>AssemblyThe assembly requires the following tools: hacksaw, utility knife, screwdriver set, calipers, scissors, soldering kit(including solder spool, soldering station, wire stripper, diagonal cutters, solder wick for solder removal, soldering vise with a magnifying glass, and a panavise), and glue. 3D print and laser cut the required materials before assembly, configure the voltage transformer with an input of 5.0 V, and stepdown the buck converter output for 1.5 V. Additionally, follow the steps described below<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE5NjQ0MzY4MTI2LTYuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 723px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><div> </div>An exploded view of YOLO that supports the understanding of the final robot configuration is present, with close-up views. When the robot is fully assembled, attach a batch of copper tape to the shell of the robot to connect the wire that comes from the capacitive touch sensor. This will enable the robot to respond to touch<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE5NjQ0NTI2ODg4LTcuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><div> </div>The field of HRI is characterized by multidisciplinarity, for which open access to research tools, such as robots’ hardware and software, is crucial. YOLO presents as a low-purchase and low-maintenance cost robot, that can be used as a tool for research studies with children.&nbsp;The open-source hardware of YOLO thus provides opportunities for researchers with and without engineering background to build this robot and further use it to target their own research goals, without depending upon complex robotic platforms.&nbsp;To demonstrate how this robot can be applied to academia, researchers can use it as a platform to explore the design of behaviors for a robot aimed at interacting with children. Another example is the usage of this robot by the social and cognitive sciences field as a controllable and programmable tool, to study the developmental aspects of children when interacting with robots.&nbsp;Predominantly, the scientific community relies on the usage of off-the-shelf robots as their research platforms when performing studies. Nonetheless, off-the-shelf robotics platforms are generally expensive (with purchase prices ranging from $5:000 to $20:000, or more) and associated with high maintenance costs. In addition, the majority of these robots require special transportation services to be used during field studies, due to their robust size and heavyweight, placing additional costs for academic laboratories. YOLO offers a less expensive yet interesting solution for research.<hr><h3>Resources</h3>YOLO hardware:&nbsp;Alves-Oliveira, P., Arriaga, P., Paiva, A., &amp; Hoffman, G. (2019). Guide to build YOLO, a creativity-stimulating robot for children. HardwareX, 6, e00074. Link: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067218300890&source=gmail&ust=1620392946091000&usg=AFQjCNFJ1CSA2ore98RXkgL20qiBk6G6gw" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067218300890" target="_blank">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468067218300890</a>YOLO Software:&nbsp;Alves-Oliveira, P., Gomes, S., Chandak, A., Arriaga, P., Hoffman, G., &amp; Paiva, A. (2020). Software architecture for YOLO, a creativity-stimulating robot. SoftwareX, 11, 100461. Link: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711019302468&source=gmail&ust=1620392946091000&usg=AFQjCNEjWO-hCwkOhQw5LtcD72GDY9iFKw" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711019302468" target="_blank">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711019302468</a>

YOLO is a robot that boosts children’s creativity. It stand for “Your Own Living Robot"

YOLO Robot

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