Revolutionizing Consumer Technology: a Robot that Doubles as a Self Moving Suitcase

Technology is rapidly evolving and changing the way that we go about living our daily lives. We’re living in an era were phones are able to do thousands of different things and cars can drive by themselves. Yet for all of this innovation, traveling and carrying things with you has remained relatively the same over the last couple of decades. Luggage hasn’t benefited from the rapid technological advances of the 21st century.

That is until now. Travelmate is a new type of robot that doubles as an affordable self moving suitcase. It moves by itself and thinks for itself thanks to a variety of sensors and integrated artificial intelligence. It’s fully autonomous, meaning that it moves on its own through all types of terrain. Travelmate easily navigates through crowds, uneven environments and other obstacles.

This robot doesn’t need any extra accessories and uses your smartphone’s location to follow you around. It adjusts to your speed and can go up to 6.75 mph, so it’ll never be far behind. It also has LED indicators which will show you where it’s planning to go.

David Near, Travelmate’s CEO, says that, “one of our top priorities is to make sure that Travelmate is as secure as possible”. That’s why you can see exactly where it is at all times through the Travelmate app on your smartphone. If someone else wants to take your Travelmate, it will sense that it isn’t following you anymore and will lock its wheels, which will prevent it from being moved. You can also activate audible alarms through the Travelmate app. These security features mean that it’s virtually impossible to lose it.

Travelmate has plenty of features. It has managed to re-invent the wheel – literally. Travelmate uses unique omni wheels that allow for precise adjustments in movement. It has such an incredible range of movement that it can turn 360 degrees without moving from its place.

You can tell your Travelmate to follow you from the side, from the front or from the back through the Travelmate application.

Travelmate is an autonomous suitcase, but it’s also the first affordable all purpose robot. It has the potential for hundreds of features and real world applications. It can be a camera operator, security robot, or a robot companion. There’s no limit to the potential that Travelmate has.

That’s in large part due to the team behind this one of a kind suitcase. Travelmate Robotics was formed as a separate company to launch consumer robots at an affordable price point. They’ve been developing Travelmate for over a year before officially announcing it. Their team consists of developers who have been manufacturing autonomous commercial robots for 8 years. They include robotics specialists, designers and even people who’ve worked on prototypes for space exploration rovers.

So it’s no wonder why Travelmate is so innovative and unique. You can pre-order a Travelmate right now through indiegogo at a starting price point of 399$. However, this price might not last long, because distributors are already in contact with Travelmate Robotics.

Distributors in more than 30 countries are already in negotiations to carry their suitcase in their stores. What that means is that pre ordering now may be your only chance to get one at such a low price. David Near says that, “we’re very happy that investors and distributors have expressed interest in our company. We are always open towards new partnerships and proposals”.

In any case, traveling is about to get a whole lot easier. Technology is constantly moving us forward and Travelmate is at the forefront of that.

https://igg.me/at/travelmate/x/4781251

LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 – Project „Mak3rBot“

The Mak3rBot is a LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot that consists of 3D printed Parts. The design is based on Damien Kees RileyRover / Joe Menos Retailrover as this design only needs a few parts. All parts were printed on a Vellemann k8200 3D printer. Most of the parts could be found on Thingiverse, some needed to be exported from Ldraw/LeoCAD. The LEGO ActionCam Camera mount has been designed by Andy Milluzzi. The mission of this robot is to travel to Maker Faires and share the #MINDSTORMSMAGIC with the makers around the world and show them that it is possible to combine LEGO with your maker hobby and create your own parts and robots.

The pictures were taken at Legoworld Utrecht 2016. The Mak3rbot robot and pictures were made by me, Sebastian Trella. Feel free to share pictures or contact me if you need more information or help with creating your own robot.

RoboCup German Open im kommenden Jahr wieder in Magdeburg

RoboCup Saison 2017 beginnt – Anmeldungen ab sofort möglich

Die RoboCupper kommen wieder: Die RoboCup German Open werden im nächsten Jahr erneut in Magdeburg stattfinden. Vom 5. bis 7. Mai 2017 ist die Landeshauptstadt bereits zum siebten Mal Gastgeber für dieses internationale Robotikturnier. Die zentrale Online-Anmeldung ist ab sofort unter www.robocupgermanopen.de möglich.

„Wir wollen Magdeburg weiter als Wissenschaftsstadt positionieren und dabei helfen uns auch die RoboCup German Open, für die wir gern wieder Gastgeber sind“, sagt Oberbürgermeister Dr. Lutz Trümper und lädt alle Interessierten in die Ottostadt ein. „Magdeburg freut sich auch im siebten Jahr auf die zahlreichen Teams und Akteure, die unsere Messehallen im kommenden Frühjahr erneut für einige Tage in eine Arena für Roboter verwandeln.“

Zu den RoboCup German Open werden rund 1.000 Schülerinnen und Schüler sowie Studierende, Forscher und Wissenschaftler aus dem In- und Ausland erwartet. Die Wettbewerbe dienen den Wissenschaftlern und Studenten als publikumswirksames Testfeld zur Demonstration der Fähigkeiten heutiger Roboter. Es wird zwischen RoboCup Major, dem Wettbewerb der Wissenschaftler, und RoboCup Junior, dem Nachwuchswettbewerb, unterschieden. RoboCup Major ist das inspirierende Forschungs- und Vernetzungsumfeld für internationale Forscherteams, RoboCup Junior der attraktive Wettbewerb für technikbegeisterte Schüler.

Anmeldungen unter www.robocupgermanopen.de Anmeldungen für die RoboCup German Open sind seit heute möglich. Da die Anzahl der aktiven Schülerteams in den vergangenen Jahren stark angestiegen ist, müssen sich die bundesweit über 460 Teams im Nachwuchswettbewerb RoboCup Junior zunächst in regionalen Vorturnieren für eine Teilnahme in Magdeburg qualifizieren. Im Frühjahr 2017 finden sechs Qualifikationsturniere statt: in der Universität Hannover (6. bis 8. Februar 2017), in der Hochschule Mannheim (11. und 12. Februar 2017), im Kulturzentrum Vöhringen (18. und 19. Februar 2017), in der Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (18. und 19. Februar 2017), in der kooperativen Gesamtschule Rastede (8. bis 10. März 2017) und in der Urania Berlin (11. und 12. März 2017).

Wer sich bei einem dieser Turniere qualifiziert, trifft beim Finale im Mai in Magdeburg auf die besten RoboCup Junior Teams aus ganz Deutschland. Dort werden die deutschen Meister in den drei Disziplinen OnStage, Rescue und Soccer ermittelt. Die Besten qualifizieren sich zudem für eine Teilnahme an der RoboCup- Weltmeisterschaft, die 2017 im japanischen Nagoya stattfindet.

Die Online-Anmeldung für die RoboCup-Junior-Qualifikationsturniere 2017 ist bis zum 30. November 2016 möglich. Die internationalen Teams aus dem RoboCup-Major-Bereich haben etwas mehr Zeit. Sie können sich bis zum 15. Dezember anmelden. Die Registrierung ist ausschließlich unter https://robocupgermanopen.de möglich. Dort stehen auch alle weiteren Informationen zu den sechs Qualifikationsturnieren und zu den RoboCup German Open 2017 in Magdeburg zur Verfügung.

Die Landeshauptstadt Magdeburg ist seit 2010 Gastgeber für die RoboCup German Open, eine der größten europäischen Robotikveranstaltungen. Die Magdeburger Robotik-Teams schneiden außerdem bei den internationalen Wettkämpfen sehr gut ab. So errangen in diesem Jahr bei der RoboCup-Weltmeisterschaft in Leipzig gleich zwei Teams des Werner- von-Siemens-Gymnasiums Weltmeister-Titel in der Junior-Kategorie Rescue Maze. Das Team robOTTO der Otto-von-Guericke Universität nahm erfolgreich in der Forscherliga RoboCup@Work teil und erreichte den vierten Rang.

Die Unternehmen HARTING KGaA, MathWorks, MICRO-EPSILON MESSTECHNIK GmbH & Co. KG, PHOENIX CONTACT GmbH & Co. KG, regiocom GmbH und der Arbeitgeberverband Gesamtmetall im Rahmen der Initiative think ING haben bereits ihre Unterstützung der RoboCup German Open in Magdeburg zugesagt.

iRobot To Host Analyst Day

BEDFORD, Mass., Nov. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — iRobot Corp. (NASDAQ: IRBT), a leader in delivering robotic technology-based solutions, announced today it will host an invitation only Analyst Day on November 10, 2016 in Boston from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The day’s agenda includes presentations by Colin Angle, iRobot’s chairman & chief executive officer, Alison Dean, executive vice president and chief financial officer, and other senior executives. A webcast of the event will be available live on the Investor Relations section of the company’s web site at http://investor.irobot.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=193096&p=irol-EventDetails&EventId=5242525and for 180 days thereafter.

iRobot logo.

About iRobot Corp.
iRobot designs and builds robots that empower people to do more. The company’s home robots help people find smarter ways to clean and accomplish more in their daily lives. iRobot’s portfolio of solutions features proprietary technologies for the connected home and advanced concepts in navigation, mobility and artificial intelligence. For more information about iRobot, please visit www.irobot.com.

MODI, Smart IoT/Robotic Modules, Kickstarted

“JUST CONNECT.” LUXROBO wants you to simply connect its MODI modules to create an IoT or robotic device in seconds. MODI is a set of cube-shaped modules that LUXROBO launched on Kickstarter.com on October 14th.  It has already reached its funding goal of $30,000 in less than three days. With MODI, you can quickly and easily create devices like a theft detector, an RC car, a mini Segway and much more.

MODI comes with 13 different modules. They are color-coded into three different types: Input, Output and Setup. LUXROBO plans to add numerous other modules to its line-up soon. To take a full advantage of your MODI modules, you would customize the interactions among the modules through MODI Studio, LUXROBO’s simple graphic coding tool. You just need to drag and drop the commands. You can also convert the graphic coding into C Language (with other languages to be added) instantly.

The first thing you notice about MODI is its simple, elegant, minimalist design. You may also be surprised to see how small the modules are, only about 2.5 cm wide and long, and 1.5 cm tall. In such a compact dimension, LUXROBO has packed in PCB, MCU and its unique magnetic connection mechanism, in addition to the apparatus that supports each module’s unique function. Taking advantage of each module’s MCU, each MODI comes with MODI OS embedded. This feature enables each module to do its own processing and store memory. Each MODI is a smart module. One of the many benefits is MODI modules do not need to be connected to a PC or some other form of a master system to function on their own.

Putting MODI modules together is a pure joy. Each module’s four sides are all equipped for MODI’s unique magnetic connection. When placed close to another module, a pair of magnetic prongs come out slightly to form a tight and secure magnetic connection with the other. It is a lot of fun to try the automatic magnet connection over and over. Another advantage of MODI is its compatibility with Lego blocks. You can easily recycle the Legos or Lego-compatible blocks that you may have stored away to build a nice housing to your MODI devices.

LUXROBO aims to make IoT and robotic technologies more accessible for everyone, and that goal is captured in their vision of “Robotics of Things.” With its Kickstarter campaign, LUXROBO has taken a big step towards its vision of Robotics of Things. Until November 22nd, you can back LUXROBO and get MODI modules at approximately 40% off the estimated prices.

About LUXROBO:

LUXROBO’s roots are in robots. The founding team and core R&D members studied robotics together in college and have entered and won numerous international robot competitions together. LUXROBO was founded with the vision “Robotics of Things,” making robotic and IoT devices readily accessible for everyone.

LUXROBO is young and fearless. It was founded while its core members were still in college. It had no fear in developing its own OS for MODI and its own SW coding tool in MODI Studio. Even with MODI still in development and with no revenue stream to show, LUXROBO has been honored and recognized as one of Korea’s top technology-based startups, including being awarded Top11 at this year’s Echelon Asia Summit.

LUXROBO is ready for next big steps and challenges. LUXROBO has supplemented its young talents with experienced engineers and marketers from Samsung Electronics. With the Kickstarter campaign under way and supply of MODI modules to the UK soon to follow, LUXROBO is ready for a take-off.

Kickstarter Campaign:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/luxrobo/modi-create-anything-you-want-with-robotics-of-thi

Tanky Drone Introduces an Insanely Fast FPV Racing Quadcopter

Los Angeles, CA — October 25, 2016 — Tanky Drone, a start-up drone design company in Southern California today introduced Tanky, a first person view (FPV) racing drone — at just 460 grams all-up-weight, Tanky features a remotely tiltable camera for ease of landing, tough-as-nails impact-resistant injection molded plastics, sleek aesthetics, and an aerodynamic design. Tanky delivers incredible performance. It can reach speeds upwards of 100 mph with 2305 motors and 1.0Ah 4S battery, a combination that delivers an amazing power-to-weight ratio. With its streamlined aerodynamic shape and obstruction free thrust column, Tanky performs on par with any custom made competition-bred craft.

“Tanky is a new generation of ready-to-race fpv drones. It’s not a toy. It’s a true speed machine, just like a sports motorcycle or a Formula 1 racecar. We optimized it for speed, minimized the weight, without compromising on design,” said lead designer, Bogdan Ryabyshchuk.

“One of the problems with drone racing today is the limited selection of ready-to-race crafts. This means that if you want to get into the hobby and sport of drone racing you need to build it yourself. This process usually takes a few weeks, rewards the naturally mechanically inclined, and does not guarantee a fast craft. After building your craft, you also run into another problem—learning to pilot it. So what do you do if you don’t have time to build a fast racing drone, but want to get into the sport? We decided to eliminate this barrier.

With Tanky, you have the option to buy it ready-to-fly, so you can start learning how to pilot it right away and become a drone racer,” said Yuki To, co-designer of Tanky, “So anyone can enjoy the exploding hobby of FPV flying and racing.”

“FPV drone racing is an immersive experience, enabling you to experience flight, speed, and exhilaration, without compromising on personal safety. When you inevitably crash, Tanky’s major components are protected with tough as nails polycarbonate. A polycarbonate skin not only protects the vital components, but also hides unsightly wiring. If the plastics do break on harsh impact, they are easily replaceable. This gives you the added benefit of being able to switch up your plastics to a different color, for a different feel, and to upgrade your components to stay on the cutting edge of innovation.”

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1970204458/tanky-drone-insanely-fast-fpv-racing-quadcopter

Harvard University Based Startup Launches New Robot, Root, That Teaches Anyone To Code

All ages and skill levels can learn coding in an intuitive, interactive way.

 CAMBRIDGE, Mass. October 26, 2016 – Scansorial, a startup emerging from Harvard University, is on a mission to bridge the coding gap with the launch of their newest invention, Root: a fun, easy-to-use robot which teaches coding to anyone ages four to 99. Root has over 50 sensors and actuators with which it can draw, erase, play music, explore its world, and even defy gravity by using magnetism to drive on wall mounted whiteboards — making coding activities applicable to a range of topics, social, and way more cool.

With its interactive nature and easy setup, Root is the perfect tool for learning from authentic coding experiences at home, with teachers in classrooms, and has a social platform to share programs around the world. Root appeals to children as young as four and grows with them as a familiar and consistent platform — offering years of learning opportunities rather than days. As their coding skills improve, they’ll advance from programming with a blocks-based graphical interface (a child can use it even before they know how to read) to programming with fully text-based languages like Swift, JavaScript, and Python.

Another thing that makes Root special is the interplay with iPad. Not only is it programmed from an iPad, with Root’s app the iPad sensors can be used to interact with Root in real-time (for instance, the iPad can be programmed to act as a steering wheel.) Programs can be modified even while they’re running which facilitates the real-time debugging of code as children flexibly pause, step through, or add instructions at any point. Root also promotes agent-based thinking by showing exactly what the robot sees on the iPad.

“We have a big problem in our country, nine out of 10 parents want their kids to learn computer science but only one out of 10 elementary schools actually teach it. This leaves 58 million kids stuck in the middle not knowing how to get a computer science education,” Zee Dubrovsky, CEO of Scansorial.

“We are thrilled to support Root as it heads out to change the world of education. iRobot is committed to STEM learning and excited to see one of our alumni carry this passion forward in a startup aimed at bringing robotics and programming into homes and classrooms.“ Colin Angle, CEO of iRobot.

About Scansorial, PBC

Founded in 2016, Scansorial is a Public Benefit Corporation on a mission to make coding accessible for learners of any age. Scansorial makes robots, apps, and curricula that allow people to instantly set up, create, and share interactive coding lessons. Robots are the best way to engage in the journey of learning how digital stuff really works. Scansorial is a privately-held company headquartered in Cambridge, MA.

Root Team

The Root team has over 50 years of collective experience in launching and building consumer products (iRobot, Sonos, Apple) and software/education services (Microsoft, Disney, PLTW, Harvard, MIT). This includes launching four coding robots (Create, Kilobot, AERobot, Multiplo), launching two graphical coding environments (MIT App Inventor, Minibloq), and launching three consumer robots (Roomba, Scooba, Looj).

It is now possible to pre-order Root exclusively through Kickstarter through November 30. A limited number are priced at $145 which is only a fraction of its retail value. With a pledge of only $10, the campaign will put that money aside for schools in need that can’t afford Root. For any backers with deeper pockets, a pledge of $10,000 will put 60 Roots in a school of their choice and the campaign will promote these backers as a School Hero. Follow #SchoolHero to see who out there will step up to the plate and join this cause.

Kickstarter page: http://kck.st/2exTJN8

Pictures from Legoworld Utrecht 2016

Plobot is a colorful coding companion that takes programming beyond the computer screen

A revolutionary robot toy helps your kids learn computational thinking through physical play

An educational robotics startup is pioneering a new way of teaching computational thinking and programming through physical interactions with command cards.

How the Plobot platform works

Plobot is an Arduino-based robot learning companion designed for four to eight year-olds. It’s designed to be a child’s first encounter with coding concepts – using cards and storytelling versus syntax and computer screens.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1365116576/plobot-a-robot-coding-companion

Each command card represents a block of code, directly triggering actions for the robot through its built-in RFID scanner. Kids can make Plobot navigate a maze of obstacles, play music, light up with different colors, sense nearby objects, and much more.

Swiping the cards in sequence strings together a ‘program’ the robot follows, with the „Play“ card working as an execute function. Amplifier cards mimic loops and conditionals, changing the effects of the other cards.

A headstart in computational thinking

By breaking down each task into a sequence of steps, kids exercise problem solving and creative thinking abilities, while picking up core coding concepts such as variables, conditionals, and loops. This helps pave the way for a foundation in computational thinking, and sparks an early interest in computer science.

Plobot can take up to 50 instructions in one sequence. With card expansion packs, Plobot provides countless possible combinations that make it one of the most versatile screen-free coding platforms in the market.

In addition to command cards, Plobot works with ‘stations’, circular pads with labels like ‘school’, ‘ice cream shop, or ‘home’ which serve as goal posts during programming activities and adds a storytelling element to the lessons.

Plobot’s exterior is made of easy to clean plastic, and kids can customize Plobot using stickers, clay, and or attaching Duplo blocks on its back.

 

A Maker’s Journey

Plobot began in 2013 as Rodolfo Cossovich’s side project. Rodolfo is an Argentinian robotics engineer and inventor who teaches robotics at New York University.

“We started with the idea that children learn best through physical play,” Cossovich shares, “The challenge was fundamentally how to make the code-learning experience more interactive and engaging without getting kids in front of computer screens.”

Plobot participated in Make in LA’s hardware tech accelerator to move the project forward. The edtech startup has developed a custom curriculum around Plobot which it has pilot-tested with hundreds of kids in international schools and coding bootcamps in Shanghai, Taipei, Buenos Aires, Washington DC, and other cities over the past year.

“Computational thinking is becoming core literacy for the next generation. Plobot gives kids a headstart. Many parents have described Plobot as a physical version of Scratch. We use this physical coding approach to help kids become better thinkers through play.”

Plobot is set to launch on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter the third week of October at a retail price of $159. An introductory price of $79 (50% off retail price) will be offered to early backers.

The Kickstarter campaign can be found here.