Archiv der Kategorie: Development

Topics related to development in general

MOREbot, 3D Printed Robotics Platform That Teaches STEAM Skills to Next-Gen Innovators, Launches on Kickstarter

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MOREbot is easy enough for beginner tinkerers ages eight and up and grows to appeal to expert-level users

Fayetteville, Arkansas – Today on Kickstarter.com, MORE Technologies launches its expandable, modular STEM learning robotic ecosystem, MOREbot, that teaches people of all ages invention skills related to coding, 3D printing, electronics and more. As users learn and grow, the MOREbot ecosystem grows with them, accommodating different add-ons that help transform the robot into anything they can imagine.

“Robotics is a great way to introduce kids to and teach tech skills, but current robotics platforms are expensive and don’t scale with kids as they learn. Simply put, there’s no single robot platform that can take someone from beginner to expert,” said CEO Canon Reeves. “Our platform makes quality robot kits affordable, based on designs that teach real engineering skills. MOREbot is tangible enough for a beginner, yet it still maintains the ability to teach them at expert levels. We will inspire kids to explore tech skills and then provide them with the tools to take their learning wherever they desire. Regardless of whether they become an engineer, they still benefit from being able to adapt to tech quickly—an invaluable skill in any career.”

MOREbot starts with a Base Robot that users can build and then control via mobile application. Next, creators can expand the Base Robot by incorporating add-on kits to transform MOREbot into creations like a catapult or a robotic arm. By integrating such components as Motion Kits, Structure Kits and Sensor Kits, MOREbot users can reconfigure parts to invent anything imaginable, stretching the bounds of such capabilities as remote-driving MOREbot with a Bluetooth-controlled app.

MOREbot teaches valuable technology skills related to coding, 3D printing and electronics using the Arduino software platform. It also prepares makers of any age to adapt to a fast-changing world by teaching critical skills like problem solving and design thinking. MOREbot is available at a fraction of the cost of those produced by leading competitors, all while offering unprecedented customizations and deeper learning outcomes because almost all of the parts are 3D-printed and snap together with readily available wooden dowels.

The Base Robot contains one Bluetooth module, two motors, one Arduino Uno, one Arduino motor controller shield, eight (8) batteries and one (1) battery pack, over thirty (30) 3D-printed parts, CAD files, twenty-two (22) wooden dowels, four (4) jumper wires, one (1) screwdriver, two (2) rubber bands and free tutorials.

MOREbot is currently available on Kickstarter ,starting at $69 for the Base Robot. For more information or to pre-order, visit pr.go2.fund/morebot.

About MORE Technologies, LLC

MORE Technologies believes kids have the power to change the world with technology, so they are making robots that put exploration, creativity and innovative thinking at the heart of the learning process. The company’s 3D printed, customizable robotics kits are designed for the classroom, home or anywhere a maker’s mind can imagine. MORE Technologies is preparing next-generation innovators for a fast-changing world and empowering them to solve the world’s most pressing problems. For more information, visit https://moretech.co.

Electrocuting Robot by Ethan David

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Ethan David just messaged me and sent me a video:

“ I made the robot using an arduino, a servo motor, and cardboard boxes. Most of the heavy lifting is taken care of in python doing the fast fourier transform on the sound detected by the microphone to find the frequency being played. This allows me to compare the frequency to the known frequency of the musical scale. It then becomes trivial to just program in the correct sequence of notes for the song and see if what I play matches it. „

iRobot and Google Collaborate to Advance the Next-Generation Smart Home

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BEDFORD, Mass., Oct. 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), the
leader in consumer robots, has announced a collaboration with Google to
integrate robotic and smart home technologies that will advance the
next-generation smart home.

Consumer robots like the iRobot Roomba® i7+ robot vacuum are ideally suited
to enable intuitive and personalized smart home experiences based on an
ability to learn a home’s floor plan. With Imprint™ Smart Mapping, the
Roomba i7+ remembers multiple floor plans and room names so users can
customize cleaning jobs. Using the Google Assistant, users can also direct the
robot to clean a specific room with a simple voice command, like ‚Hey Google,
clean the kitchen‘.

Working together, iRobot and Google will seek additional ways to integrate
their platforms, providing customers with the choice to opt in to new
innovative smart home experiences that leverage a broader understanding of the
home’s space. For example, the spatial awareness of the home that Roomba
maintains may help to simplify smart home setup and enable powerful new
automations.

„iRobot is delivering products that help people keep a cleaner and smarter
home,“ said Colin Angle, chairman and CEO of iRobot. „Robots with mapping and
spatial awareness capabilities will play an important role in allowing other
smart devices in the home to more seamlessly work together. We’re looking
forward to working with Google to explore new ways to enable a more thoughtful
home.“

„Over the past year, we’ve been working hard to make it easier to control all
the devices and appliances in your home with the Google Assistant with just
your voice,“ said Michele Turner, director, Smart Home Ecosystem, Google.
„We’re excited to be exploring with iRobot how its unique spatial awareness
technology can work with the Assistant to offer customers a more intuitive and
personalized experience in their homes.“

About iRobot Corp.
iRobot, the leading global consumer robot company, designs and builds robots
that empower people to do more both inside and outside of the home. iRobot
created the home robot cleaning category with the introduction of its Roomba®
Vacuuming Robot in 2002. Today, iRobot is a global enterprise that has sold
more than 20 million robots worldwide. iRobot’s product line, including the
Roomba and the Braava® family of mopping robots, feature proprietary
technologies and advanced concepts in cleaning, mapping and navigation.
iRobot’s engineers are building an ecosystem of robots and technologies to
enable the smart home. For more information about iRobot, please visit
www.irobot.com.

For iRobot Investors
Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical
information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements
relating to iRobot Corporation’s expectations concerning research and
development activities, collaboration with third parties and management’s
plans, objectives and strategies. These statements are neither promises nor
guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of
which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ
materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements.
Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance
on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.
iRobot undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained
in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events
or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and
other risks faced by iRobot, see the disclosure contained in our public
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including, without
limitation, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

SOURCE iRobot Corp.

Maker Faire Eindhoven 2018

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World’s first smart dancing robot speaker, dancebot, gets funded just 2 hours from launch

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Expressive robot speaker connects with any Bluetooth-capable device and converts any type of audio played in real time into motion using intelligent algorithm to drive the feet of the robot using bionics technology.

HOUSTON – Aplus Drones is pleased to announce the launch of Dancebot, a smart dancing robot speaker designed with intelligent algorithm technology, today on Kickstarter. Dancebot reached its funding goal of $10,000 in just 2 hours.

Dancebot is the world’s first smart dancing robot speaker. Connect your device to Dancebot via Bluetooth and use it as a speaker. Dancebot will move to the audio it plays.

Aplus Drones has developed an algorithm to analyse audio input on the fly to string together movements that best express the sound played through Dancebot. It moves to the rhythm and tempo of music in its adorable expression of the songs. It taps its feet and jives to upbeat tunes. It slides in silky sleek movements to bring out the sexy in slow pieces.

Dancebot is designed with two joints in each leg. A motor drives each joint through 360 degrees of motion. Aplus Drones engineers have been creating a database of movements Dancebot is capable of. The variation of speed and degree of motion at each joint creates multiple permutations of possible moves that can be achieved with the four joints. The large library of movements and on-the-fly analysis means Dancebot has a different dance routine each time it jives to the same song.

The movement expressed by Dancebot depends on the audio it plays. Besides playing music, Dancebot can be used to play audiobooks, videos, podcasts or even voice messages.

This makes Dancebot the perfect companion for children. Play a children’s audiobook or nursery rhymes with Dancebot and it will move to the narration of the story and dance along to the nursery rhymes. Dancebot’s animated movements makes learning more engaging and a whole a lot more fun.

The startup sound for Dancebot can be customized into a personalised message, making it ideal as a gift.

For more information or to purchase Dancebot at a special discount during crowdfunding, visit the Dancebot Kickstarter campaign page.

About Aplus Drones

Aplus Drones is an entrepreneurial technology company focusing on artificial intelligence and robotic technology development. The company provides award-winning product design, product development, manufacturing, marketing, logistics and shipping services. Full control over the whole supply chain makes Aplus a one-stop solution for clients.

About Dancebot

Dancebot is a smart dancing robot speaker that is a fun audio companion. It moves to the rhythm and tempo of the audio played through it. Play music, audiobooks, podcasts, videos or even voice messages

The Duckietown Foundation announces the AI Driving Olympics (AI-DO), a self-driving car competition to debut at NIPS 2018

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The Duckietown Foundation is excited to announce the The AI Driving Olympics, a new competition focused around AI for self-driving cars. The first edition of the AI Driving Olympics 2018 will take place December 7, 2018, at Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS), the premiere machine learning conference, in Montréal. This is the first competition with real robots that will take place at a machine learning conference.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/163162211/duckietown-a-playful-road-to-learning-robotics-and?ref=dwrnb2

The competition will use the Duckietown platform, a miniature self-driving car platform used for autonomy education and research. The Duckietown project originated at MIT in 2016 and is now used by many institutions worldwide.

The AI Driving Olympics is presented in collaboration with 6 academic institutions: ETH Zürich (Switzerland), Université de Montréal (Canada), National Chiao Tung University (Taiwan), Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago (USA), Tsinghua University (China) and Georgia Tech (USA), as well as two industry co-organizers: nuTonomy (a self-driving car company) and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

About the competition: The competition comprises 4 challenges of increasing complexity: 1) Road following on an empty road; 2) Road following with obstacles; 3) Point to point navigation in a city network with other vehicles; and 4) Fleet planning for a full autonomous mobility on demand system.

Competitors will have access to a suite of professional development tools (simulators, logs, baseline implementations). Real environments called “Robotariums” will be remotely accessible for evaluation. The highest scoring entries in the robotariums will be run during the live event at NIPS 2018 to determine the overall winners.

Scientific goals: The competition aims at directing academic research towards the hard problems of embodied AI, such as modularity of learning processes, and learning in simulation while deploying in reality.  

Social goals: The competition also promotes the democratization of AI and robotics research by using an inexpensive platform, and offering a common infrastructure available through the use of remote testing facilities. Competitors can also build or acquire their own testing facility (Duckiebots and a Duckietowns), through either open-source DIY instructions, or as rewards obtained in our kickstarter campaign (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/163162211/duckietown-a-playful-road-to-learning-robotics-and?ref=dwrnb2)

 

Transform your classroom with VEX EDR

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Careers in STEM are on the rise!
Give your students the tools they need to succeed:
With more schools adopting robotics as a platform to enhance STEM and Computer Science courses, teachers need a solution to seamlessly integrate curriculum, programming software, and hardware into the classroom.

STEM Labs
Our scaffolded, standards-matched STEM Labs
can be adapted to fit any classroom
STEM Labs are hands-on activities, which include diverse builds, games, and competitions, that align with education standards while also showing real-world applications of concepts.

These activities give students the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with their classmates. Every STEM Lab has multiple approaches to solving a problem, allowing students to experiment with creative design solutions.

For many teachers, figuring out how to implement concepts into maths, design & technology, engineering and computer science subjects can be difficult. Our STEM Labs allow for easy implementation with minimal preparation time. Each STEM Lab can be used on multiple platforms and includes easy-to-follow build instructions.

Go to the STEM Labs Portal: https://education.vex.com/

MIMIC educational robots introduces robots you can code

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Cincinnati-based Entrepreneur launches Kickstarter campaign to launch ‘mimicArm’, your own programmable A.I. robot arm

Cincinnati, OH (April 14, 2018) – mimicEducationalRobots (a division of Robomotive Laboratories LLC) is changing the way coding is taught with mimicArm. The Cincinnati-based small family business launched a new Kickstarter campaign (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/713401305/662798422?ref=455790&token=e4d4249c) on April 24th to help advance the development and production of the new technology.

mimicArm is a desktop sized robot arm that represents a new approach to teaching programming. mimicArm is a collaborative robot, or “cobot”, designed to interact with human users.  Unlike other educational robots mimicArm teaches children to program robots to work in tandem with humans. Using the mimicArm controller children as young as 5 are immediately able to interact with mimicArm.  When they’re ready, users can begin coding using mimicBlock, a graphical coding interface.  mimicArm is also programmable using actual C code and includes simple pre-written functions to allow the quick creation of complicated programs. The provided programming experiments start simple, but build to complex interactive artificial intelligence programs. Paired with the inputBox and other sensors the user can create a truly interactive artificial intelligence robot arm.

Brett Pipitone, the Founder of mimicEducationalRobots is no stranger to Kickstarter.  “After a successfully-funded Doorbell Phone campaign on Kickstarter, I began to indulge in my love of robotics and introduced the Cortex:Robot Arm controller,” said Pipitone. “We continued to develop the technology by adding joints, cameras and motion and soon realized that we had developed something truly unique: The mimic immersion robot was born.  While mimic’s Kickstarter campaign didn’t reach it’s goal, the technology developed allowed us to build mimicArm, which we think could really make a difference in the world.”

The key to bringing mimicArm to life is the mimic arm controller with patent-pending Posi-Feeltm grip controllers. The user grips a simple scissor control and moves his or her arm and hand in natural ways.  mimicArm will “mimic” these motions. A series of joints, pivots and sensors are built into the mimicArm Controller to make this possible.  When the user is ready, easy to use programming software and robust examples walk them through the process of learning to program their own robot.

This assemblage of new technologies allows the user to see immediate frustration-free results without the risk of outgrowing the robot in a short time.  The infinite expandability and endless programming possibilities will keep even expert programmers captivated.

mimicEducationalRobots realized early that a single package would not fit all users needs, so backers have a choice of three packages, each with a unique user in mind.

  • The mimicArm kit version includes the robot and manual controller. This version is great for those who want to ease into robotics coding, or those that already have sensors that they’re ready to integrate with the robot.  Perfect for beginners and experts, this package is the most affordable option.
  • The mimicArm Super Fun Kit is centered around manual mode, with a set of accessories to maximize the fun factor. Users can stack the stacking blocks (included), or program the robot to do it for them.  The Great Big Button is also included, and offers additional capabilities for those honing their coding skills (or for those with younger siblings that really want to touch something). “mimicArm Super Fun Kit is targeted towards younger users, but is also a great way for beginners to make coding interesting as well,” says Pipitone.
  • The mimicArm Deluxe Kit is the most complete kit offered. Including everything from the mimicArm Super Fun Kit, the mimicArm Deluxe Kit adds the input box and IR Distance Sensor for maximum interactive possibilities.  The inputBox incorporates buttons, a microphone and other sensors, and a microSD card.  “Programmable with both mimicBlock and Arduino, the Deluxe kit really expands the possibilities. With this kit the user can truly program their own interactive robot,” says Pipitone.

MimicArm is a great educational tool, and users can be a part of it now by backing mimic on Kickstarter. According to Pipitone, „We’re teaching those who will deliver the personal robot of the future. We’re still working on flying cars and jet packs.“

For more information, please visit: http://www.mimicrobots.com/.

OmniJoy is a multipurpose Raspberry Pi-powered robot controller and gamepad

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Durham, North Carolina – January 3, 2017 – For Immediate Release
Cerulean Submergence today launched a Kickstarter campaign for
OmniJoy, an open source, handheld, battery-operated, multi-function
controller powered by a Raspberry Pi Zero.

“I was looking for an all-in-one device that could control a variety of
devices while remaining portable and hackable,” said creator of OmniJoy,
Chris Lathan. “I couldn’t find anything I liked, so I designed my own.” As a geek, an engineer, and a maker, Lathan has worked in a variety of engineering roles for the past 15+ years. He fused his extensive mechanical and electrical engineering knowledge to create OmniJoy to fill the void he found in the market for configurable controllers.

OmniJoy features a custom printed circuit board that integrates all of the components Lathan felt a controller needed. OmniJoy consists of two analog joysticks, two shoulder scrolling wheels, a face-mounted navigation switch and six buttons that are all software configurable. The integrated 3.5” touchscreen display can be used to create any additional controls, and a full-size USB-A connector simplifies expandability. An on- board Arduino-compatible processor provides real-time IO to give low latency when precise timing is critical. Other features like the high frame rate display, integrated audio, and room for two large batteries make it excellent for gaming as well. The components are well supported by the maker/Raspberry Pi community.

While the circuit board is usable alone, OmniJoy is offering its Kickstarter backers several other options, from a case with 3D-printed handle grips to a fully-loaded robot-ready version featuring handcrafted Bolivian Rosewood grips. The case is a laser cut stack-up that makes modifications simple.  OmniJoy’s grips are available in bespoke Bolivian Rosewood.

“We wanted it functional, hackable, and good looking,” said Lathan. OmniJoy is fully programmable and comes with all the configuration files, drivers, and source-code you need to get started. It can be used as-is, as a portable, handheld, Raspberry Pi-based Linux computer. By adding additional software or programming it, OmniJoy can control widgets, robots, and even your home. It can also be used as a portable RetroPie device.

The ways you can use OmniJoy are endless! We can’t wait to see what our users come up with!

OmniJoy is available now for pre-order on Kickstarter.

TyroBot, the DIY Humanoid Robot Kit Launches on Kickstarter

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Buffalo, MN: Tyro Electronics, an educational robotics an electronics company founded by Tyler Spadgenske, just launched TyroBot on Kickstarter. TyroBot is a 3D printable do it yourself humanoid robot kit aimed at getting people of all ages and experience levels started in robotics and programming.

TyroBot can be assembled in an afternoon with only a screwdriver and a computer. TyroBot is available in two different models:

  • The Maker’s kit includes all the electronics and components you need to build a TyroBot, but you must 3D print the plastic parts yourself. That can be done on any 3D printer with a bed size of at least 100mm^3.
  • The complete kit includes everything you need to build a TyroBot except a screwdriver. 

TyroBot’s brain is Tyro Board, a custom electronics controller board with a 32 bit ATSAMD21 microcontroller, WiFi, accelerometer for detecting orientation, rechargeable lithium ion battery and two expansion ports for further customization. Tyro Board supports 7 servos, 4 for walking, 2 for arms, and a head servo. On the reverse side of Tyro Board is a 2.8in TFT touchscreen display for programming and playing with TyroBot without the use of a computer.

Once TyroBot is built, flip the switch and TyroBot is operational. Using the built in software, you can make TyroBot walk forward, backward, left and right without ever having to plug him into a computer.

When you are ready for something more advanced, connect TyroBot to a computer and follow easy programming tutorials to make him do more advanced maneuvers by programming him in Arduino with our open source libraries.

With TyroBot’s built in WiFi, the user can also make TyroBot send tweets to Twitter, email, or do anything supported on the IFTT network.

About Tyro Electronics LLC

Tyro Electronics is an educational robotics company founded in 2016 by 17-year-old Tyler Spadgenske.

Tyro Electronics started out by selling parts to make retro game emulators but has moved into selling DIY Kits with the release of TyroBot. Tyler Spadgenke is a student who has built countless electronics and robotics projects, including a Smartphone, Home Monitoring System, and a Smart Drawer.

Links

Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tyroelectronics/tyrobot-diy-humanoid-robot-kit/

Project Development: https://hackaday.io/project/12275

Project Source Code and Design Files: https://github.com/TyroElectronics/TyroBot