High Speed Bipedal Robot Running Using High Speed Visual Feedback
From University of Tokyo:
ACHIRES is composed of high-speed vision and high-speed actuators to achieve instantaneous recognition and behavior. The similar technologies are used in our Janken (Rock Paper Scissors) Robot. High-speed vision detects the state of the biped robot including the timing of landing at 600 fps. The biped mechanism with the leg length of 14 cm is set to run in the sagittal plane. At present, the running velocity reaches 4.2 km/h. Simple control based on high-speed performance of sensory-motor system enables the biped robot to stably run without falling, unlike computationally expensive ZMP-based control which is commonly used for balance. The aerial posture is recovered to compensate for the deviation from the stable trajectory using high-speed visual feedback.
We also address a task of somersaulting. While running, the robot takes a big swing with one foot and jumps. After takeoff, both legs are controlled to curl up for high-speed rotation in the air. ACHIRES is going to be improved to push the envelope while demonstrating various biped locomotion tasks... (cont'd)
Beginners Tutorial: Autonomous Robot Control Theory
From Nick McCrea at Toptal:
In this article, I’m going to describe the control scheme of my simulated robot, illustrate how it interacts with its environment and achieves its goals, and discuss some of the fundamental challenges of robotics that I encountered along the way... (full article)
Robotic Biopsy System Drives the Point Home
Compact, high-torque motors precisely control biopsy needle to improve speed, efficiency, and radiation exposure.
Unbounded Robotics to Shut Down Due to Issues With Willow Garage Spin-Off Agreement
From Evan Ackerman at IEEE Spectrum:
IEEE Spectrum has learned that Unbounded Robotics, a spin-off of Willow Garage that developed the UBR-1 mobile manipulator, is currently "in the process of shutting down." The UBR-1 is no longer for sale.
Recently, a source (who asked not to be named) forwarded us an email from Unbounded Robotics CEO Melonee Wise. Our source received the message after requesting a quote for a UBR-1 robot:
"Unfortunately Unbounded Robotics is in the process of shutting down due to issues with our Willow Garage spin off agreement that prevents us from raising series A investment. Unbounded Robotics is no longer selling the UBR-1.... (cont'd)
Upcoming Tradeshow, Conference & Exhibition Summary - September, October, November
Back to school and back to work with the tradeshow schedule for the Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing industry heating up.
This year RoboticsTomorrow has setup a special newspage devoted to news and announcements from International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS 2014) taking place beginning of September.
Vacuum-based Bag Handling
Traditionally, vacuum-based bag handling systems have been marred by problems to the extent that it has been almost impossible to use them.
Large Scale Visual Recognition Challenge 2014
Introduction:
This challenge evaluates algorithms for object detection and image classification at large scale. This year there will be two competitions:
A PASCAL-style detection challenge on fully labeled data for 200 categories of objects, and
An image classification plus object localization challenge with 1000 categories.
NEW: This year all participants are encouraged to submit object localization results; in past challenges, submissions to classification and classification with localization tasks were accepted separately.One high level motivation is to allow researchers to compare progress in detection across a wider variety of objects -- taking advantage of the quite expensive labeling effort. Another motivation is to measure the progress of computer vision for large scale image indexing for retrieval and annotation... (rules and results)
New York Times article:
Started in 2010 by Stanford, Princeton and Columbia University scientists, the Large Scale Visual Recognition Challenge this year drew 38 entrants from 13 countries. The groups use advanced software, in most cases modeled loosely on the biological vision systems, to detect, locate and classify a huge set of images taken from Internet sources like Twitter. The contest was sponsored this year by Google, Stanford, Facebook and the University of North Carolina.
Contestants run their recognition programs on high-performance computers based in many cases on specialized processors called G.P.U.s, for graphic processing units.
This year there were six categories based on object detection, locating objects and classifying them... (cont'd)
Digital Design using CAD/CAM for Innovative Robotic Design
With 3D CAD software, designers can actually simulate a robot's capabilities by reviewing how the robot's construction will be effected by the selected materials.
Why I Automate - This Robot is Changing How We Cure Diseases
The benefits of automating a medical research lab include sifting through massive amounts of data in a short period of time.
T100 Underwater Thruster Designed for Marine Robotics
From BlueRobotics' Kickstarter:
An efficient, rugged, affordable underwater thruster to propel the future of marine robotics and ocean exploration. ($100 dollars a thruster, est delivery Nov 2014)
The T100 is made of high-strength, UV resistant polycarbonate injection molded plastic. The core of the motor is sealed and protected with an epoxy coating and it uses high-performance plastic bearings in place of steel bearings that rust in saltwater. Everything that isn’t plastic is either aluminum or high-quality stainless steel that doesn’t corrode.
A specially designed propeller and nozzle provides efficient, powerful thrust while active water-cooling keeps the motor cool. Unlike other thrusters, our design doesn’t have any air- or oil-filled cavities - water flows freely through all parts of the motor while it's running. That means it can go deep in the ocean and handle extreme pressures.
The thruster is easy to use: just connect the three motor wires to any brushless electronic speed controller (ESC) and you can control it with an RC radio or a microcontroller. It's usable with Arduino, ArduPilot, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, and many other embedded platforms... (kickstarter)
Coding & Marking Challenges: Common Industrial Print Techniques and Their Challenges
If a barcode or marking is unreadable, it can result in recalls, unhappy customers, and even fines. It is important to identify these issues early by implementing regular checks and verification to ensure quality.
Self-Folding Origami Robot Goes From Flat to Walking in Four Minutes
From IEEE Spectrum:
Printable, self-folding robot created by Harvard and MIT researchers... (IEEE Spectrum story) (full paper)
Hitchbot is Halfway Across its Canadian Journey
From hitchBOT's page:
I am hitchBOT — a robot from Port Credit, Ontario.
I am traveling from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Victoria, British Columbia this summer. As you may have guessed, robots cannot get driver’s licences yet, so I’ll be hitchhiking my entire way... (cont'd)
Nvidia Jetson TK1 Development Kit
Features ($192 ):
Tegra K1 SOC
Kepler GPU with 192 CUDA cores
4-Plus-1 quad-core ARM Cortex A15 CPU
2 GB x16 memory with 64 bit width
16 GB 4.51 eMMC memory
1 Half mini-PCIE slot
1 Full size SD/MMC connector
1 Full-size HDMI port
1 USB 2.0 port, micro AB
1 USB 3.0 port, A
1 RS232 serial port
1 ALC5639 Realtek Audio codec with Mic in and Line out
1 RTL8111GS Realtek GigE LAN
1 SATA data port
SPI 4MByte boot flash
Dr. Dobbs has an in depth look here.
Ino: Command Line Toolkit for Arduino Hardware
Ino tools webpage:
Ino is a command line toolkit for working with Arduino hardware
It allows you to:
Quickly create new projects
Build a firmware from multiple source files and libraries
Upload the firmware to a device
Perform serial communication with a device (aka serial monitor)
Ino may replace Arduino IDE UI if you prefer to work with command line and an editor of your choice or if you want to integrate Arduino build process to 3-rd party IDE.
Ino is based on make to perform builds. However Makefiles are generated automatically and you’ll never see them if you don’t want to.
Features
Simple. No build scripts are necessary.
Out-of-source builds. Directories with source files are not cluttered with intermediate object files.
Support for *.ino and *.pde sketches as well as raw *.c and *.cpp.
Support for Arduino Software versions 1.x as well as 0.x.
Automatic dependency tracking. Referred libraries are automatically included in the build process. Changes in *.h files lead to recompilation of sources which include them.
Pretty colorful output.
Support for all boards that are supported by Arduino IDE.
Fast. Discovered tool paths and other stuff is cached across runs. If nothing has changed, nothing is build.
Flexible. Support for simple ini-style config files to setup machine-specific info like used Arduino model, Arduino distribution path, etc just once.
(Homepage)
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Industrial Robotics - Featured Product
Midwest Motion Products is a leading provider of robust and reliable Motion Control Products.
MMP specializes in supplying high-quality Brushed & Brushless DC Motors & Gearmotors for Robotics and Automation Equipment with a wide range of motor windings and gear ratios. With an impressive track record of more than 8,000 released DC Gearmotors designs and over 2,000,000 individual part numbers, we are renowned for our ability to handle large-scale orders. Due to our huge on-hand inventory, we are also well known for lightning-fast delivery of our standard products. We take pride in our dedicated customer service and our team of knowledgeable sales and engineering experts who are ready to assist you with custom design solutions tailored to your specific application. Additionally, we also offer a wide range of complimentary products, such as DC Motor Controls, DC Linear Actuators, AC-DC power Supplies, and DC Servo Amplifiers and others.
Robotics and Automation - Featured Company
PDS / Precision Drive Systems
Over 40,000 Spindles Repaired or Rebuilt Since 1996. PDS is a global leader in spindle repairs and retrofits for precision metal and robotics applications. With over 40,000 spindles repaired to better than-new-condition. PDS also offers new spindles, CNC accessories, and Industry 4.0 spindle monitoring. With offices in Bessemer City, NC (near Charlotte) and Herford, Germany PDS backs superb craftsmanship with a standard 12 month warranty on repaired spindles and an optional, industry-leading 24 month PrecisionCare warranty.
