Archiv des Autors: Sebastian Trella

Robothon® – The Grand Challenge 2022 // Call for Teams

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Dear Robothon® Community!

We, the Munich Institute of Robotics and Machine Intelligence (MIRMI) of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), in collaboration with Messe München

and automatica have launched successfully a new high-tech platform calledmunich_i in 2021, an event bringing together the world’s leading thought leaders and personalities from AI and robotics.

munich_i will take place again at the next automatica from June 21-24, 2022 in Munich, therefore

Robothon®, the international competition to develop skills in robot manipulations, will also go into the second round!! 

Robothon® – The Grand Challenge Series focuses on pressing and unsolved challenges of our time and was 2021 held digitally in the run-up to the automatica sprint

with 9 international teams and a renowned Grand Challenge Jury. As a highlight, it ended with the Award Ceremony on June 22, 2021

with 4 winning teams, a total prize money of € 22,500, great recognition and an expansion of our community.

Are you a motivated robotics enthusiast looking for new challenges?

CALL FOR TEAMS is open until March 31, 2022!!

Apply HERE!

KEY FACTS:

  • Robothon® will once again will be held digitally from April 29 to June 1, 2022
  • Special highlight: the Award Ceremony will take place on-site on June 21, 2022, during automatica at the Messe München!

HOW IT WORKS: 

  • Robothon® againwill focus on single-arm robot manipulation
  • The Grand Challenge 2022: disassembly and sorting of e-waste
  • The competition is free of charge 
  • Up to 20 selected teams can participate (2-4 members) 
  • All roboticists (academic and young professionals) are encouraged to apply
  • Teams will need to provide their own robot to complete the challenge remotely
  • Each team will receive an internet connected competition task board by mail
  • The processing period of 1 month starts from receipt of the competition scorecard 
  • Team performances will be evaluated by the Grand Challenge Jury 
  • Prize money awaits the finalists!

HAVEN’T SIGNED UP YET? Apply as a team until March 31, 2022, and visit our website www.robothon-grand-challenge.com to learn more. 

Know someone who should participate? Please help spread the word!

Feel free to email us with any questions at [email protected].

With kind regards,

The Robothon® Team

Barbara Schilling & Peter So (Technical Leader)

obode Announces Launch of the P8: Next-Generation Robot Vacuum for Multi-Surface Floor Cleaning

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Robotics experts obode, just announced the launch of a next-generation smart robot vacuum/mop for automated floor cleaning for the entire home. Featuring voice control, customizable app, and LDS intelligent navigation, this innovative new cleaning robot adds powerful cleaning and modern convenience to any home. The obode P8 is available now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obodep8/obode-p8-2-in-1-smart-self-cleaning-cleaner

obode P8 is the ultimate all in one floor cleaning solution with 3 modes for sweeping, vacuuming, mopping, and combination cleaning. Equipped with double-spin mops and a heavy duty vacuum motor with 2000pa of suction power, the system easily picks up debris and hair from both hard floors and carpets. P8 uses an advanced ultrasonic sensor to determine surface types and apply the proper cleaning, sweeping or mopping as needed. It moves seamlessly across the room, and intelligently switches between sweeping and mopping for safe, effective cleaning of any floor types.   

 “Many people have made the move to robotic vacuum cleaners for home convenience. However, over the past few years, technologies such as robotic navigation and surface sensors have greatly advanced. For P8, we applied these next-gen technologies to create the ultimate robot vacuum cleaner with mopping functions. The result is the most advanced multi-surface floor cleaning device with superior mapping, intelligent surface identification and multi-mode cleaning for all household floors. P8 intelligently cleans and features programmable functions that takes the hassle out of household chores. It efficiently and thoroughly keeps your floors clean so that you don’t have to. It’s the perfect addition to the modern home.” Founder, obode

P8 uses the latest in advanced LDS navigation and multi-layer mapping with an intelligent algorithm to avoid obstacles and barriers as it determines the most efficient and effective cleaning route through the home. With a 6200mAh battery built-in, P8 is capable of up to 2.5 hours of continuous cleaning, enough to do the entire house, before it automatically returns to base for recharging. For superior cleaning, P8 has a backwashing mopping cloth to prevent secondary smudging and automatically returns to the base to clean and hot dry the mop to disinfect it after each cleaning session. 

Convenient control of the P8 is achieved with voice commands via Alexa or Google Home and the system has an intelligent app for scheduling, customized cleaning, setting no-go zones, and ‘Do-not-disturb’ modes. The app updates automatically OTA and provides total control at the touch of a button. 

The obode P8 combines the latest intelligent cleaning features with next-generation robotic tech for the modern home. P8 is available now for pre-sale with special deals and pricing for early adopters: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/obodep8/obode-p8-2-in-1-smart-self-cleaning-cleaner

Creality’s new budget 3D scanner, the CR-Scan Lizard, is about to hit Kickstarter

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Creality has lifted the veil over its latest 3D scanner. In an effort to further diversify its 3D cosmos, Creality, the well-known manufacturer of 3D printing-community-favorites such as the Ender 3, has announced its new and improved 3D scanner: the CR-Scan Lizard.

This entry-level 3D scanner for consumers follows the company’s CR-Scan 01 — which was released a fairly short time ago as an affordable option for users to digitalize objects. The new Lizard is smaller in size for better portability and feel but promises improved features such as accuracy up to 0.05 mm, and better handling of bright environments and dark objects. All that for less money than its predecessor, even.

With the Lizard, you can scan small or large objects with ease. The CR Studio software does the heavy lifting of optimizing models and even sends those files via the Creality Cloud directly to your 3D printer. The applications seem almost endless.

With some early bird specials, the CR-Scan Lizard has made a debut on Kickstarter on February 2022, and, unsurprisingly, smashed its campaign goal in next to no time.

We have gathered all the information revealed so far about this new consumer-grade 3D scanner to give you an overview of what the Lizard has in store. Creality has also already sent us a scanner to try for ourselves, so keep an eye out for our upcoming hands-on experience.

Image of Creality CR-Scan Lizard: Specs, Price, Release & Reviews: Features

Features

HIGH ACCURACY

With the CR-Scan Lizard, Creality wants to bring professional-grade accuracy to the budget market. According to its spec sheet, the scanner has an accuracy of up to 0.05 mm allowing it to capture small parts and intricate details with high precision. Thanks to the scanner’s binoculars and improved precision calibration, Creality says it can pick up rich detail from objects as small as 15 x 15 x 15 mm, or as large as objects like car doors, engines, rear bumpers, and so on.

SCAN MODES

The CR-Scan Lizard comes with three different scanning modes. You can either use it in turntable mode, handheld mode, or a mixture of the two to scan an object.

Turntable mode is suitable for 15 – 300 mm objects and will scan automatically. You can use the combination mode for larger objects up to 500 mm, where you put the object on the rotary table but hold the scanner in hand to scan. Lastly, its handheld mode is suitable for scanning large objects up to 2 meters in size, such as the car parts mentioned above.

Plus, thanks to its visual tracking, the Lizard doesn’t need markers to work. You can scan objects without having to pin a bunch of stickers to them first — its software’s tracking algorithm will take care of that for you.

LIGHT OR DARK

Besides its scan modes, the Lizard also offers some improved scanning functions that should make it easier for users to achieve good results with minimal effort.

For one, Creality states the Lizard can scan accurately in sunlight. 3D scanners typically struggle with too much direct light, forcing users to scan in a darkened room for best results. However, Creality claims the Lizard, thanks to its multi-spectral optical technology, maintains excellent performance even in bright sunlight — which would vastly improve its field of application. The scanner can also be powered by a portable charger, so, in theory, you could go out there and scan the woods to your heart desire.

What’s more, the CR-Scan Lizard promises better material adaptability when scanning black and dark objects. Sounds like it’s got it all.

COLOR MAPPING

Creality has stated that it is planning to release a fully automated color mapping texture suite in March 2022 that promises true color fidelity for your scanned objects, but its currently still in development. Once released, you can make use of the mapping process, where high-definition color pictures of the model taken with a phone or DSLR camera can automatically be mapped onto the 3D model, allowing you to create high-quality, vivid color scans.

CR STUDIO

The Lizard’s accompanying software, CR Studio, promises many features that should help to achieve clean scans. For example, the software features on-click model optimization and multi-positional auto alignment, auto noise removal, topology simplified, texture mapping, and much more.

You can also upload and share models via the Creality Cloud, allowing you to slice your scanned objects and even send them to a 3D printer — all with the click of a button.

Release Date & Availability

Creality has set up a limited pre-order via Kickstarter. The scanner is available for backing since February 10, 2022, alongside some early bird batch sales. According to the Kickstarter campaign, shipping will take place in April.

Over the past days and weeks, Creality has already released a couple of videos on its YouTube channel showing off the scanner’s features in greater detail. Be sure to check those out if the Lizard tickles your fancy.

Creality has also already sent All3DP a CR-Scan Lizard to try out, so we are looking forward to giving it a spin in the next few days. Stay tuned for a full review of our hands-on experience.

At the time of writing, the CR-Scan Lizard is available via Kickstarter with super early bird pledges, priced from $300 for the most basic Lizard package and reaching $400 for the luxury version that already comes with a color kit.

According to the campaign, the off-the-shelf price for the Lizard will be $599 for its base version. So, there are potentially some bucks to be saved if you get in early. However, it wouldn’t be the first time that prices given changed eventually.

Here are the technical specifications for the Creality CR-Scan Lizard 3D scanner:

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

  • Precision: 0.05 mm
  • Resolution ratio: 0.1 – 0.2 mm
  • Single capture range: 200 x 100 mm
  • Operating Distance: 150 – 400 mm
  • Scanning Speed: 10 fps
  • Tracking mode: Visual tracking
  • Light: LED+NIR (Near-infrared mode)
  • Splicing Mode: Fully automatic geometry and visual tracking (without marker)

OUTPUT

  • Output Format: STL, OBJ, PLY
  • Compatible System: Win 10 64bit (MacOS to be released in March 2022)

COMMON SPECIFICATIONS

  • Machine Size: 155 x 84 x 46 mm
  • Machine Weight: 370 g

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/3dprintmill/creality-cr-scan-lizard-capturing-fine-details-of-view

Starship Launches Grocery Delivery Service in Bay Area

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On-demand robot delivery now available in Pleasanton, CA at Lucky California flagship store

SAN FRANCISCO (February, 2022) – Starship Technologies, the world’s leading provider of autonomous delivery services, is now delivering groceries in the San Francisco Bay Area. Starship is expanding its partnership with The Save Mart Companies for the exclusive launch of an on-demand grocery delivery service at its Lucky California flagship store in Pleasanton, CA. Lucky is the first grocery store in the San Francisco Bay Area to partner with Starship. 

Starship and The Save Mart Companies first partnered in September 2020, when the Save Mart flagship store in Modesto became the first grocery store in the U.S. to offer Starship robot delivery service. Since its launch, that store has expanded its delivery area to serve over 55,000 households. In Pleasanton, the service is launching to thousands of residents, with the delivery area expected to grow rapidly in the coming months, similar to Modesto. 

“We are very pleased to bring the benefits of autonomous delivery to Pleasanton, in partnership with Lucky California,” said Ryan Tuohy, SVP of Sales and Business Development at Starship Technologies. “Since launching our service in Modesto in 2020, we’ve been excited to see the extremely positive reaction to the robots and how they were embraced as part of the local community. We think the residents of Pleasanton will appreciate the convenience and positive environmental impact of autonomous delivery and we fully expect the service area to quickly expand to more households.”

The robots, each of which can carry up to 20 pounds of groceries – the equivalent of about three shopping bags – provide a convenient, energy-efficient, and low-cost delivery alternative to driving to the Lucky California store, allowing shoppers to browse thousands of items via the secure Starship app for on-demand delivery straight to their home.

The robots travel autonomously – crossing streets, climbing curbs and traversing sidewalks – to provide on-demand delivery to shoppers. They often become local celebrities as community members share their robot selfies and “love notes” on social media. 

“Since the debut of our contactless delivery service at the Save Mart flagship store, feedback from the Modesto community has been incredibly positive,” said Barbara Walker, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for The Save Mart Companies. “We are thrilled to expand this service to Lucky California in Pleasanton and offer a safe and efficient grocery delivery solution, along with some joyful entertainment, especially as the service area progressively expands over time..”

The Starship Food Delivery app is available for download on iOS and Android. To get started, customers choose from a range of their favorite groceries and drop a pin where they want their delivery to be sent. When an order is submitted, Lucky California team members gather the delivery items and carefully place them in a clean robot. Every robot’s interior and exterior is sanitized before each order. The customer can then watch as the robot makes its journey to them, via an interactive map. Once the robot arrives, the customer receives an alert, and can then meet the robot and unlock it through the app.

Starship already offers its services in many parts of the EU, UK and the US in cities, university campuses and industrial campuses, with further expansion planned in the near future. Starship is able to do L4 deliveries everywhere it operates – entire cities and campuses. The robots have been operating at L4 since 2018. On a daily basis Starship robots will complete numerous deliveries in a row 100% autonomously, including road crossings. This is why the cost of a Starship delivery is now lower than the human equivalent, which is believed to be a world first for any robot delivery company, whereas most others are still majority human controlled and in pilot mode.

Starship Technologies operates commercially on a daily basis around the world. Its zero-emission robots make more than 100,000 road crossings every day and have completed more than 2.5 million commercial deliveries and travelled more than 3 million miles (5 million+ kms) globally, more than any other autonomous delivery provider.

Further development of IDS NXT ocean: focus on user-friendliness and AI transparency

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All-in-one embedded vision platform with new tools and functions

(PresseBox) (Obersulm) At IDS, image processing with artificial intelligence does not just mean that AI runs directly on cameras and users also have enormous design options through vision apps. Rather, with the IDS NXT ocean embedded vision platform, customers receive all the necessary, coordinated tools and workflows to realise their own AI vision applications without prior knowledge and to run them directly on the IDS NXT industrial cameras. Now follows the next free software update for the AI package. In addition to the topic of user-friendliness, the focus is also on making artificial intelligence clear and comprehensible for the user.

An all-in-one system such as IDS NXT ocean, which has integrated computing power and artificial intelligence thanks to the „deep ocean core“ developed by IDS, is ideally suited for entry into AI Vision. It requires no prior knowledge of deep learning or camera programming. The current software update makes setting up, deploying and controlling the intelligent cameras in the IDS NXT cockpit even easier. For this purpose, among other things, an ROI editor is integrated with which users can freely draw the image areas to be evaluated and configure, save and reuse them as custom grids with many parameters. In addition, the new tools Attention Maps and Confusion Matrix illustrate how the AI works in the cameras and what decisions it makes. This helps to clarify the process and enables the user to evaluate the quality of a trained neural network and to improve it through targeted retraining. Data security also plays an important role in the industrial use of artificial intelligence. As of the current update, communication between IDS NXT cameras and system components can therefore be encrypted via HTTPS.

Just get started with the IDS NXT ocean Creative Kit

Anyone who wants to test the industrial-grade embedded vision platform IDS NXT ocean and evaluate its potential for their own applications should take a look at the IDS NXT ocean Creative Kit. It provides customers with all the components they need to create, train and run a neural network. In addition to an IDS NXT industrial camera with 1.6 MP Sony sensor, lens, cable and tripod adapter, the package includes six months‘ access to the AI training software IDS NXT lighthouse. Currently, IDS is offering the set in a special promotion at particularly favourable conditions. Promotion page: https://en.ids-imaging.com/ids-nxt-ocean-creative-kit.html.

Learn more: www.ids-nxt.com

Weiterentwicklung von IDS NXT ocean: Fokus auf Benutzerfreundlichkeit und KI-Transparenz

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All-in-One Embedded Vision Plattform mit neuen Werkzeugen und Funktionen

(PresseBox) (Obersulm) Bei IDS bedeutet Bildverarbeitung mit künstlicher Intelligenz nicht nur, dass die KI direkt auf Kameras läuft und Anwender zusätzlich enorme Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten durch Vision Apps haben. Kunden erhalten mit der Embedded-Vision-Plattform IDS NXT ocean vielmehr alle erforderlichen, aufeinander abgestimmten Tools und Workflows, um eigene KI-Vision-Anwendungen ohne Vorwissen zu realisieren und direkt auf den IDS NXT Industriekameras auszuführen. Jetzt folgt das nächste kostenlose Softwareupdate für das KI-Paket. Im Fokus steht neben dem Thema Benutzerfreundlichkeit auch der Anspruch, die künstliche Intelligenz für den Anwender anschaulich und nachvollziehbar zu machen.

Ein All-in-One System wie IDS NXT ocean, das durch den von IDS entwickelten „deep ocean core“ über integrierte Rechenleistung und künstliche Intelligenz verfügt, eignet sich bestens für den Einstieg in AI Vision. Es erfordert weder Vorkenntnisse in Deep Learning noch in der Kameraprogrammierung. Das aktuelle Softwareupdate macht die Einrichtung, Inbetriebnahme und Steuerung der intelligenten Kameras im IDS NXT cockpit noch einfacher. Hierzu wird unter anderem ein ROI-Editor integriert, mit dem Anwender die auszuwertenden Bildbereiche frei zeichnen und als beliebige Raster mit vielen Parametern konfigurieren, speichern und wiederverwenden können. Darüber hinaus veranschaulichen die neuen Werkzeuge Attention Maps und Confusion Matrix, wie die KI in den Kameras arbeitet und welche Entscheidungen sie trifft. Das macht sie transparenter und hilft dem Anwender, die Qualität eines trainierten neuronalen Netzes zu bewerten und durch gezieltes Nachtraining zu verbessern. Beim industriellen Einsatz von künstlicher Intelligenz spielt auch Datensicherheit eine wichtige Rolle. Ab dem aktuellen Update lässt sich die Kommunikation zwischen IDS NXT Kameras und Anlagenkomponenten deshalb per HTTPS verschlüsseln. 

Einfach loslegen mit dem IDS NXT ocean Creative Kit

Wer die industrietaugliche Embedded-Vision-Plattform IDS NXT ocean testen und das Potenzial für die eigenen Anwendungen evaluieren möchte, sollte einen Blick auf das IDS NXT ocean Creative Kit werfen. Kunden erhalten damit alle Komponenten, die sie für die Erstellung, das Trainieren und das Ausführen eines neuronalen Netzes benötigen. Neben einer IDS NXT Industriekamera mit 1,6 MP Sony Sensor, Objektiv, Kabel und Stativadapter enthält das Paket u.a. einen sechsmonatigen Zugang zur KI-Trainingssoftware IDS NXT lighthouse. Aktuell bietet IDS das Set in einer Sonderaktion zu besonders günstigen Konditionen an. Aktionsseite: https://de.ids-imaging.com/ids-nxt-ocean-creative-kit.html.

Weitere Informationen: www.ids-nxt.de