Algorithm that harnesses data from a new sensor could make autonomous robots more nimble.
MIT paper from Andrea Censi and Davide Scaramuzza:
The agility of a robotic system is ultimately limited by the speed of its processing pipeline. The use of a Dynamic Vision Sensors (DVS), a sensor producing asynchronous events as luminance changes are perceived by its pixels, makes it possible to have a sensing pipeline of a theoretical latency of a few microseconds. However, several challenges must be overcome: a DVS does not provide the grayscale value but only changes in the luminance; and because the output is composed by a sequence of events, traditional frame-based visual odometry methods are not applicable. This paper presents the first visual odometry system based on a DVS plus a normal CMOS camera to provide the absolute brightness values. The two sources of data are automatically spatiotemporally calibrated from logs taken during normal operation. We design a visual odometry method that uses the DVS events to estimate the relative displacement since the previous CMOS frame by processing each event individually. Experiments show that the rotation can be estimated with surprising accuracy, while the translation can be estimated only very noisily, because it produces few events due to very small apparent motion... (full paper)
The Rubik and the Robot
A multi-talented control and automation team applies its mechanical, electrical, and software engineering chops to celebrate-and solve-a timeless puzzle.
National Robotics Week Was A Hit!
The fifth annual National Robotics Week was held April 5-13. Established by Congress in 2010 to raise awareness about robots and their important role in shaping the future of education, industry and the U.S. economy,
Industrial Robotics Market is Expected to Reach $41.17 Billion, Globally, by 2020
Rapid growth in automation demands, coupled with reduction of duties on refurbished goods in Asia Pacific region has fueled the growth of this market.
Leap Motion V2 Tracking
From Leap Motion's developer blog:
V2 retains the speed and positional accuracy found in V1, but the software also now tracks the actual joints and bones inside each of the user’s fingers. This leads to some immediate benefits over V1:
Finger and hand labels – every finger, hand, and joint now has anatomical labels like ‘pinky’, ‘left hand’, and ‘proximal phalanges’
Occlusion robustness – fingers are tracked even when they’re not seen by the controller, as might happen if you turned your hands completely vertically or intertwined the fingers of your left and right hands
Massively improved resistance to ambient infrared light – sunlight, powerful halogens, etc.
Much more granular data for developers about the user’s hands and fingers – 27 dimensions per hand, in addition to special parameters like grab/pinch APIs
VoCore: A Coin-sized Linux Computer With Wifi
VoCore Indiegogo Campaign:
VoCore is a coin-sized Linux computer with wifi. It is also able to work as a full functional router. It runs OpenWrt on top of Linux. It contains 32MB SDRAM, 8MB SPI Flash and using RT5350(360MHz MIPS) as its heart. It provides many interfaces such as 10/100M Ethernet, USB, UART, I2C, I2S, PCM, JTAG and over 20 GPIOs but its size is less than one square inch... ($20 USD for single unit)
Printed Hand With An Opposable Thumb
From Chiprobot on Let's Make Robots:
DARwIn-mini
Available now at Maker Shed for $499:
If you haven't checked out the amazing capabilities of the DARwIn-OP Deluxe Edition, you should! DARwIn-Mini is the younger, but no less amazing, sibling of this award winning robot. DARwIn-Mini is Dynamic Anthropomorphic Robot with Intelligence from Korea-based ROBOTIS kits, famed for their transformability and stunning humanoid designs.
Custom controller based on the 32-bit ARM Cortex M3
3D files of the robot’s parts at Thingverse
Next Generation Smart Miniature Wi-Fi Modules Accelerate IoT and M2M
Low-power, low-cost Wi-Fi modules enable nearly any device to connect with smart phones, tablets and cloud-based applications across The Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-to-Machine (M2M).
Added Value From An Ejector With Integrated Controls?
Air-driven ejectors are gaining pace as the vacuum source for suction cup handling equipment on robots and special purpose machines (ex: case/carton erectors, de-stackers, unloading equipment, etc.)
Make It Smart; Make It Here!
Make it smart and make it here! These are the rallying words heard around the world regarding keeping jobs in-country and manufacturing smarter, more efficiently, and less costly.
Inductive Linear Sensors
Todays applications require their sensors feedback in much quicker intervals. The faster the response, the faster the production or through put of work, which results in a low cost per unit or operation.
3D Video Capture With Three Kinects
From Doc-Ok.org:
Video from a capture space consisting of one Oculus Rift head-mounted display and three Kinect 3D cameras set up in an equilateral triangle, with each Kinect approximately 2m from the center point. The resulting 3D video data is merged with a virtual 3D model of an office environment... (cont'd)
Parrot Bebop
From Parrot's official announcement today:
Today, after 5 years of development, we are excited to introduce you Parrot Bebop Drone, a ultra-light drone with a full HD camera digitally stabilized on its 3-axis.
Chris Anderson's and DIYDrones first look
IEEE Spectrum coverage
Press release pdf
Open Source Firmware for RC Radio Transmitters
From OpenTX:
OpenTX is open source firmware for RC radio transmitters. The firmware is highly configurable and brings much more features than found in traditional radios... (cont'd)
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Featured Product
Oriental Motor USA - Ideal for AGV/AMR Applications
The BLV Series R Type brushless DC motor (BLDC motor) speed control system offers the design of motor and driver significantly reduced in size and weight, yet high-power, and contributes to the battery driven automation. The BLV Series R Type is compatible with the two interfaces of Modbus (RTU) and CANopen communication.
Robotics and Automation - Featured Company
Boston Dynamics
Boston Dynamics is the global leader in developing and deploying highly mobile robots capable of tackling industry's toughest challenges.
