Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Parks partnership helps launch MeArm – a mini robotic arm for the masses

Veröffentlicht am 4. Januar 2015 von Sebastian Trella

A pocket size robot arm to make robotics, electronics and programming accessible to the masses has smashed its Kickstarter goal. A miniaturised version of an industrial robot arm, MeArm is simple enough to build and use with primary school children, but also enables advanced levels of robotics education.

Being open-source, MeArm’s entire design and code files are freely available to download so that makers everywhere can share and enrich their knowledge. There are already well over 250 MeArms ‘in the wild’ in every continent except Antarctica.

MeArm can be cut entirely from an A4 sheet of acrylic and built with standard low-cost servo motors. Kickstarter success will enable the launch of the MeBrain, an innovative platform that make it possible to build something low cost ‘with nothing but a screwdriver and enthusiasm’ from May 2015.

In order to bring robotics to the masses, MeArm’s founder and open source enthusiast Ben Gray sought the expertise of Des19ncor, a design consultancy based on Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Parks (LUSEP).

“We saw a great opportunity to help Ben create a viable long term business” said Martin Croft, Des19ncor’s MD, who has since registered MeArm as a new venture in LUSEP’s Innovation Centre.

In addition to the partnership with De19ncor, MeArm has also benefited from the creative expertise in the Studio, the University’s graduate commercialisation hub. Collaboration with the Department of Computer Sciences will strengthen the ultimate goal of MeArm’s widespread adoption by schools, colleges and universities to encourage STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.

As support for MeArm builds, a stretch goal to upgrade kits to include hexagonal screws and tools has already been achieved and the project is well on the way to having a wireless support option. Further stretch goals have since been added, including Bluetooth support and app development. “It’s been fantastic to receive such an enthusiastic response for MeArm,” said Ben Gray. He added, “With even more support, we could create an interface with the credit card-sized computer, Raspberry Pi which is already blazing a path into engagement in STEM education.”

Somabar – The Automated Bartending Appliance for your Home

Veröffentlicht am 3. Januar 2015 von Sebastian Trella

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January 3, 2015 (Los Angeles, CA) – Meet Somabar, the first smart automated bartending appliance created for your home. This patent pending technology is the brainchild of two young entrepreneurs based in Los Angeles, Ammar Jangbarwala and Dylan Purcell-Lowe. “We are both fans of mixology and technology and consider ourselves nerds on the two subjects. Three years ago we had this ‘aha’ moment and realized bartending and mixology are about a century behind modern technology,” says Jangbarwala. “So we started playing around with pumps, tubing, a bulky HD screen and some programming and created an android app and a crude device that rested on a metal skid. But there it was, a robotic bartender sitting in our garage making cocktails in 5 seconds.”

After three years of refinement and a few dozen rounds of prototyping they have created a fully functional prototype with a sleek design. It’s a project they are truly excited about. However, “Due to the large manufacturing and development costs we will have to incur, we are limited in our ability to bring this to market,” says Purcell-Lowe. Therefore, they have taken their project to Kickstarter.com.

While there have been other automatic bartending machines created for clubs and bars, there has yet to be one created and priced specifically for the home appliance market. “We wanted to create something people could actually afford and use in their own kitchen,” says Purcell-Lowe “not just something they could only dream about.” Somabar stands at 15’’ tall and fits easily next to your coffee maker. It uses a Wi-Fi connected ordering system controlled through an Android and iOS compatible app with the ability to make 12 drinks a minute. But, what makes Somabar even more unique is that its patent pending technology is able to infuse craft bitters, while also thoroughly mixing every drink, before being poured into your glass. Its six liquor containers and bitters container, also called Soma Pods, are portable, dishwasher safe and easy to refill. Somabar is self-cleaning using an internal water-flushing system ensuring that every cocktail made tastes like your first. It boasts an interactive menu of over 300 cocktails and makes each drink creation in under 5 seconds.

Their campaign is now live at: http://kck.st/11ChwPn

Pixel Pals Educational Electronics Kit – Integrated Learning Tool

Veröffentlicht am 10. November 2014 von Sebastian Trella

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Chip – the first in a line of beginner friendly products debuts on Kickstarter

Chip, a Pixel Pals educational electronics kit, is the first in a line of beginner friendly products that goes beyond learning soldering skills. He can be incorporated into Arduino based projects as well as using the Pixel Power board in e-textiles. The kits are designed to be multifunctional, yet affordable.

The first character, Chip featured in this Kickstarter campaign, focusses on LEDs and basic circuitry. Once soldered, it can standalone with the Pixel Power board and serve as a fun toy or light. Chip can also plug into an Arduino Uno Rev 3 or into a breadboard where Chip can be incorporated into more advanced electronic projects or programming lessons.

Soldering Sunday created the Pixel Pals soldering kits to fill the gap between introductory and advanced projects. Each Pixel Pal will focus on a particular electronics component which will require soldering; but are Arduino compatible so that they can be programmed for other projects are used.

The kits are also designed to be affordable for organizations and parents who want to encourage STEAM education but are hindered by the large price tag of many existing educational products. The Kickstarter campaign, if successful, will help keep the production costs down.

Kickstarter is an all or nothing proposition. Soldering Sunday hopes to reach its goal of $2,500 to cover mass production cost of the Chip, Pixel Pal Soldering kit. The project runs from
November 3 to December 3, 2014.

To keep up to date with the project, follow Soldering Sunday on Twitter (@SolderingSunday), Facebook (www.facebook.com/SolderingSunday) or on their website (www.solderingsunday.com)

Also consider visiting the project on Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.com/projects/solderingsunday/chip-an-electronics-kit-with-character) donating $1 on Kickstarter to receive updates.

Dynepic® to Launch Internet of Toys™ Platform & Debut Product on Kickstarter: 15 November

Veröffentlicht am 7. November 2014 von Sebastian Trella

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Dynepic® is pleased to debut the future of toys with our premier device, the DynePod™, which will launch 15 November on Kickstarter.com. DynePods™ operate on The Internet of Toys™ (IoToys), Dynepic’s state-of-the-art open platform designed to share cloud content and connect toys, merging elements of child’s play and technology to enable children to interact with their toys in revolutionary and modern ways.

The DynePod™ is an educational, Bluetooth connected toy designed to introduce fundamental concepts of customization, socialization, programming and engineering, by allowing children to create their own interactive programs for their toys. Using a graphical If, Then programming interface, developed under contract with the National Science Foundation, children can create a multitude of unique, useful programs that involve both the digital and physical world. DynePods™ are modular, fully customizable toys that are compatible with a multitude of self-designed and 3D printed accessories, encouraging the next generation to start innovating. Enabled by the Internet of Toys™ platform, DynePods™ can morph and grow with the child through cloud updates, as well as connect wirelessly with other DynePods™ and a host of other future toys linked to the platform.

„DynePods™ and The Internet of Toys™ platform will enable new play patterns and encourage open-ended exploration for the future of toys, for children, makers, and toy inventors alike,“ Krissa Watry, Dynepic’s Co-Founder & CEO, comments. „We hope you will join us by supporting DynePods™ and the Internet of Toys on Kickstarter, 15 November.“ For more information on how Dynepic is working to build the COOL aisle for toys, please visit our website www.dynepic.com or contact us at [email protected]. A Press kit is available.

Founded in 2011, Dynepic® is focused on building cool connected toys and an open architecture and cloud platform to drive child friendly content in new and innovative ways. Dynepic® is a women owned, veteran owned, small business focused on creating the Internet of Toys™.

15-foot-tall robots coming to a reality near you!

Veröffentlicht am 2. November 2014 von Sebastian Trella

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Boston-based engineers developing humanoid robots meant to be piloted by two people

BOSTON, MASS. — Three engineers are leading a team building fifteen-foot-tall, fighting humanoid robots in Boston, Mass., and they are asking the public for help to pull it off. It might sound like science fiction, but it’s not.

Experienced and talented engineers and entrepreneurs Andrew Stroup, Gui Cavalcanti and Matt Oehrlein have teamed up to turn these robots into reality. At the end of October, they will launch a Kickstarter campaign to take things to the next level.

“People keep asking us, ‘Why build giant fighting robots?’” said Andrew Stroup, Co-Founder of MegaBots, Inc. “Our answer is always, ‘Why not?’” All three were raised on video games, movies and science fiction stories that included giant robots, and decided that it was time to turn their skills to good use.

Since the start of summer, they have built a fully functional torso, cockpit, arm, and two main weapons system of a MegaBot. The cockpit seats two adults, a driver who controls the robot’s movements and the gunner who commands the weapons systems.

„Having the MegaBot aim its cannon at you is a heart-stopping experience,” Gui Cavalcanti, Co-Founder

of MegaBots, Inc. described. “Even if you know it’s not loaded. Here’s this gigantic, armored humanoid robot three times taller than you are, smoothly and quietly lining up its sights on you – it’s downright terrifying.“

The MegaBots team has completed parts of the dream. Soon, they will ask the public for help with the launch of a Kickstarter campaign.

“There’s no doubt we want to bring MegaBots to the masses,” Matt Oehrlein, Co-Founder of MegaBots, Inc., proclaimed. “We want to know they want it to happen as bad as we do.”

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/megabots/megabots-live-action-giant-robot-combat

To learn more, please visit http://www.megabots.com/ or join the conversation at:
https://www.facebook.com/megabotsinc
http://instagram.com/megabotsinc
https://twitter.com/megabotsinc

AeriCam Releases the Anura; a Revolutionary Pocket Size Drone.

Veröffentlicht am 31. Oktober 2014 von Sebastian Trella

The Anura is AeriCam’s game changer for the drone consumer market. Anura is a mini drone that’s designed to fit in pants or shirt pockets, with all sensitive parts protected. Your smart phone is the only thing you need to operate the Anura.

The Anura is the first drone in the consumer market to travel with the user 24/7, whenever and wherever. This allowing users to never miss a moment; capturing aerial photo and video. It is user friendly, so one can simply enjoy the thrill and freedom of flying.

The Anura was designed to inspire people who are interested in flight, photography, videography, or just to entertain. Anura is controlled via Wi-Fi to your smart phone (IOS/Android), and through the App. You can fully control the aircraft’s direction. Anura features a micro camera and the view of the camera is streamed through Wi-Fi to your smart phone; which allows you to capture the exact photo and video from the App. Anura also features functions such as auto take off, auto land, return home, and follow the phone; which makes it one of the most powerful and versatile mini drone of its class.

AeriCam is a San Francisco based company established for developing aerial cinematography solutions. The company has designed drones and camera equipment for six years, and combines a strong technical expertise with a long history of delivering professional and reliable equipment. The Anura is AeriCam’s first consumer product, but you can be certain it will share the same traits as their professional line.

Anura will be available for pre-order through Kickstarter, and you can check updates and product launch information on www.AeriCam.com.

FlowPaw the new hardware and software coding kit from DSPRobotics gets a KickStart!

Veröffentlicht am 23. Oktober 2014 von Sebastian Trella

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London UK October 20, 2014 – DSPRobotics announce the ‘FlowPaw’ the ‘Build-your-own-Gizmo’ kit aimed at education & robotics. This neat kit comprises of state-of-the-art USB hardware that allows interfacing to a range of plug-in sensors, motor controllers and displays etc. plus a range of digital and analog ins and outs and the control of RC servos for robotics/control applications etc. The kit also comes with a STEM version of the award winning FlowStone graphical programming language also from DSPRobotics. The FlowPaw kit is available now to pre-order on KickStarter: http://kck.st/1sMebqo

“The FlowPaw system has been created following two years of testing various electronics interfaces for the education/hobby/robotics market and writing about them in Robot Magazine. We have also tested the system in schools all over the world and created a system that is incredibly easy to use, teach and learn.” Says Carl Owen, CEO of DSPRobotics.

For more information visit: www.FlowPaw.com

Rico – Turn your used smartphone into a smart-home security device

Veröffentlicht am 14. Oktober 2014 von Sebastian Trella

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Rico is a smarthome security device that uses your old smartphone as its brain and eyes. We took away the clutter of heavy and expensive home security hardware and replaced them with an old smartphone. All you need to do is install an App into your old smartphone, insert it into Rico, turn it on, and your smarthome security companion is ready.

Rico has just launched on Kickstarter

Kallidil Kalidasan, the CEO of MindHelix, Inc which created Rico says, “Smartphones are really powerful devices with HD cameras, microphones, 3G and WiFi connectivity and a powerful processor. Rico takes these capabilities and uses them to transform your home into a smarter, secure home at an affordable price point.”

Users connect with their Rico through the Rico App which will be available across all major smartphone platforms. Rico comes equipped with photo electric sensors that detect the slightest changes in your home like temperature, humidity, motion, carbon monoxide, smoke, natural gas, noise levels etc. It will immediately alert you when something goes wrong and you can even watch live video of your living room with Rico App. Rico also comes with smart power sockets which can control your appliances using the Rico App from anywhere.

Whilst Rico is an effective solution to home security, Kali points out that the product is trying to solve a much bigger problem. “We love how cute Rico is. But the reality of how many smartphones are wasted is not so cute. So we decided that this would be a focus for us when we began the project. It turns out that we have created not just a viable alternative use for your old smartphone, but an industry-disrupting product. Because of this, we truly believe it is going to take the world by storm.”

He is right. For the average consumer, the shelf-life of a smartphone is 24 months. According to IDC, of the over 280 million smartphones that were sold last year, many will be replaced without being recycled. These phones are toxic to the environment, polluting the air and contaminating soil and water with metals and plastics. What’s worse is that over 90% of these will be in perfect working order.

With Rico, MindHelix aims to disrupt the smart-home market and then encourage us to rethink how we consume electronics. The company plans to open up developer APIs for Rico, allowing developers around the world to create a community and help Rico grow. Kali says “We’ve developed working prototypes of Rico and we need your help to bring Rico to market. We want to solve the problem of used smartphones creating a huge environmental impact. Rico helps consumers repurpose them for something as cool as a smart home solution”.

Rico is a product from Mindhelix, Inc a Bay Area based startup which was part of the batch 3 at the Alchemist Accelerator program.

Rico is now raising $100,000 on Kickstarter and has already chalked up 30% of its target in the first week. Kickstarter page here : http://kck.st/1pmEqzN

VEX IQ – A STEM Education Revolution

Veröffentlicht am 2. April 2014 von Sebastian Trella

What is VEX IQ?

VEX IQ is a robotics platform designed to transform STEM learning for young students and their teachers. Students as young as 8 can jump right in and snap robots together using the intuitive, toolless platform while educators can utilize the free VEX IQ Curriculum to help teach students valuable lessons and skills that are needed in today’s changing world. Complete VEX IQ Starter Kits start at $249.99 and contain everything needed to build a drivable robot. The VEX IQ Super Kit, at $299.99, includes everything found in a Starter Kit plus a full array of sensors.

What is the VEX IQ Challenge?

The VEX IQ Challenge, presented by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, is a brand new STEM program for elementary and middle school students (ages 8-14). Students, with guidance from their teachers and mentors, will build a robot using the VEX IQ robotics platform to solve an engineering challenge presented in the form of a game. VEX IQ Challenge teams will work together scoring points in Teamwork Matches, and also display their robot’s skills individually in driver controlled and autonomous Skills Challenges.
In addition to building robots, the VEX IQ Challenge encourages students to actively learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with a STEM themed research project that consists of a written or media presentation. Registration for a VEX IQ Challenge team costs $100. Additional teams from the same schools can register for $50. Tournament entry fees vary by event.

What software & programming options are available for VEX IQ?

VEX IQ robot kits come pre-programmed with built-in default functionality. The Robot Brain contains a Driver Control program that allows students to drive their robots as soon as they’re built, and each Smart Sensor will perform a default action when plugged in to any of the Robot Brain’s Smart Ports. For example, the Gyro Sensor will always keep the robot facing forward, which creates a great learning opportunity for a curious student – how does a gyro work? How else can we apply this technology?

For advanced opportunities, the VEX IQ Robot Brain can be programmed using one of two software options from VEX partners. Robomatter’s ROBOTC 4.0 is a C-based programming language supported by Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Academy, and the free Modkit for VEX is a graphical dragand-drop programming environment inspired by MIT’s popular “Scratch” language. Autodesk has also created a design package, VEX Assembler, that brings the modern principles of computer-aided design (CAD) into an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface.

How can educators use VEX IQ?

In addition to the VEX IQ Challenge, educators can access a free online curriculum designed for classroom use and mapped to US national STEM standards for grades 2-8 (NGSS, STL, and Common Core). With student handouts, teachers’ guides, and custom projects, the flexible VEX IQ curriculum can be scaled for everything from an after school STEM club to a dedicated class period. By exciting and inspiring students through robotics, the VEX IQ curriculum instills proper engineering practices from an early age, while maintaining the fun and excitement that comes from playing with VEX IQ.

Is VEX IQ available internationally?

Yes, VEX IQ is available worldwide.

For more information, visit:

www.vexiq.com

www.vexiq.com/compete

VEX IQ Unboxing, detail pictures

Veröffentlicht am 22. März 2014 von Sebastian Trella

The VEX IQ system was designed to be simple and easy for students to use. Structural pieces snap together and come apart without tools, allowing for quick build times and easy modifications. A variety of gears, wheels and other accessories allows for complete customisation of VEX IQ projects and mobile robots.

The Robot Brain takes high-end, powerful technology and simplifies it for educational use while keeping a high ceiling. Connect any combination of up to 12 Smart Port devices to the Robot Brain, which can then be controlled by built-in programs or programmed via a computer and compatible software program. In addition to using pre-programmed instructions, VEX IQ robots can be controlled by drivers using the Controller.

VEX IQ sensors, including a color sensor, gyroscope, potentiometer, allow for advanced robots and teaching opportunities.

Here are the pictures i have taken during unboxing:

The complete box with nice sticker on it!