Get your own Rick and Morty Butter Bot!

https://circuitmess.com/pages/butter-bot-teaser

IDS Showcases Groundbreaking 2D, 3D, and AI-Based Vision Systems at SPS 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany

Innovative Industrial Cameras for Robotics and Process Automation to Take Center Stage at Stand 6-36

Industrial cameras are indispensable for automation – whether with 2D, 3D or AI

Detecting the smallest errors, increasing throughput rates, preventing wear – industrial cameras provide important information for automated processes. IDS will be demonstrating which technologies and products are particularly relevant at SPS / Smart Production Solutions in Nuremberg, Germany, from 12 to 14 November. If you want to experience how small cameras can achieve big things, stand 6-360 is the right place to visit.

IDS presents a wide range of applications, from visualisation to picking and OCR

Around 1,200 companies will be represented in a total of 16 exhibition halls at the trade fair for smart and digital automation. IDS will be taking part for the first time, focussing on industrial image processing for robotics, process automation and networked systems. Philipp Ohl, Head of Product Management at IDS, explains: „Automation and cameras? They go together like a lock and key. Depending on the task, very different qualities are required – such as particularly high-resolution images, remarkably fast cameras or models with integrated intelligence.“ Consequently, the products and demo systems that the company will be showcasing at SPS are highly diverse.

The highlights of IDS can be divided into three categories: 2D, 3D and AI-based image processing. The company will be presenting uEye Live, a newly developed product line. These industrial-grade monitoring cameras enable live streaming and are designed for the continuous monitoring and documentation of processes. IDS will also be introducing a new event-based sensor that is recommended for motion analyses or high-speed counting. It enables the efficient detection of rapid changes through continuous pixel-by-pixel detection instead of the usual sequential image-by-image analysis.

With over 25 years of experience, IDS is one of the key players in the image processing market

In the 3D cameras product segment, IDS will be demonstrating the advantages of the new stereo vision camera Ensenso B for precise close-range picking tasks as well as a prototype of the first time-of-flight camera developed entirely in-house. Anyone interested in robust character recognition will also find what they are looking for at the trade fair stand: Thanks to DENKnet OCR, texts and symbols on surfaces can be reliably identified and processed. IDS will be exhibiting at SPS, stand 6-360.

More information: https://en.ids-imaging.com/sps-2024.html

IDS NXT malibu now available with the 8 MP Sony Starvis 2 sensor IMX678

Intelligent industrial camera with 4K streaming and excellent low-light performance

IDS expands its product line for intelligent image processing and launches a new IDS NXT malibu camera. It enables AI-based image processing, video compression and streaming in full 4K sensor resolution at 30 fps – directly in and out of the camera. The 8 MP sensor IMX678 is part of the Starvis 2 series from Sony. It ensures impressive image quality even in low light conditions and twilight.

Industrial camera with live AI: IDS NXT malibu is able to independently perform AI-based image analyses and provide the results as live overlays in compressed video streams via RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol). Hidden inside is a special SoC (system-on-a-chip) from Ambarella, which is known from action cameras. An ISP with helpful automatic features such as brightness, noise and colour correction ensures that optimum image quality is attained at all times. The new 8 MP camera complements the recently introduced camera variant with the 5 MP onsemi sensor AR0521.

To coincide with the market launch of the new model, IDS Imaging Development Systems has also published a new software release. Users now also have have the the option of displaying live images from the IDS NXT malibu camera models via MJPEG-compressed HTTP stream. This enables visualisation in any web browser without additional software or plug-ins. In addition, the AI vision studio IDS lighthouse can be used to train individual neural networks for the Ambarella SoC of the camera family. This simplifies the use of the camera for AI-based image analyses with classification, object recognition and anomaly detection methods.

Geek Club and CircuitMess Launch a NASA-inspired DIY Perseverance Educational Space Rover Kit

After a series of successful Kickstarter Campaigns, Geek Club and CircuitMess launch their most ambitious project yet – a NASA-approved AI-powered scale model Replica of the Perseverance Space Rover  

Zagreb, Croatia – October 31st, 2023. – Today, Geek Club and CircuitMess announced their Kickstarter space exploration campaign designed to teach children eleven and up about engineering, AI, and coding by assembling the iconic NASA Perseverance Space Rover, as well as a series of other NASA-inspired space vehicles.

This new space-themed line of DIY educational products was born out of both companies‘ shared vision to aim for the stars and to take their fans with them. The Kickstarter campaign starts today, October 31st, and will last for 35 days.

The collaboration was a logical union of the two companies. Both companies create educational STEM DIY kits that are targeted towards kids and adults. Both share the same mission: To make learning STEM skills easy and fun.

“For decades, the team and I have been crafting gadgets for geeks always inspired by space exploration,” says Nicolas Deladerrière, co-founder of Geek Club. “Inspired by Mars exploration, we’ve studied thousands of official documents and blueprints to craft an authentic Mars exploration experience. The product comes alive thanks to microchips, electromotors, and artificial intelligence. Imagine simulating your own Mars mission right from your desk!”

Geek Club is an American company that specializes in designing and producing DIY robotics kits that educate their users on soldering and electronics. They focus primarily on space exploration and robotics, all to make learning engineering skills easy and fun for kids, adults, and everyone in between.

“We have successfully delivered seven Kickstarter campaigns, raised more than 2.5 million dollars, and made hundreds of thousands of geeks all around the world extremely happy,” says Albert Gajšak, CEO of CircuitMess. “In a universe where space and technology are constantly growing, we’re here to ensure you’re never left behind.”

The new product line consists of five unique space-themed products:

  • 1. The Perseverance Space Rover Kit

This kit is designed to be an educational journey into programming, electronics, robotics, and AI. The model comes with four electromotors, six wheels, a control system with a dual-core Espressif ESP32 processor, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity, a sample collection arm based on the real thing with two servo motors, a Wi-Fi-connected remote controller, and support for programming in Python or via a Scratch-inspired drag-and-drop visual coding environment.

Alongside the Perseverance Space Rover, you’ll be able to get more iconic space vehicles:

  • 2. The Voyager: A DIY kit made as a tribute to NASA’s longest-lasting mission, which has been beaming back data for an incredible 45 years and counting.
  • 3. Juno: A solar-powered DIY kit celebrating the mission that gave us the most detailed and breathtaking images of Jupiter.
  • 4. Discovery: A DIY kit honoring the legendary space shuttle with 39 successful orbital flights under its belt.
  • 5. The Artemis Watch: A sleek, space-themed wrist gadget inspired by NASA’s upcoming Artemis space suit design. The watch is a programmable device equipped with an LCD display, Bluetooth, and a gyroscope.

The Perseverance Educational Space Rover Kit is available for pre-order now on Kickstarter, starting at $149.

No previous experience or knowledge is needed for assembling your very own space rover. The kit is designed for anyone aged 11+  and comes with detailed video instructions.

You can visit the Kickstarter page here.

Precisely capture and monitor high-speed processes

Faster than any other IDS industrial camera: uEye Warp10 with 10GigE

With high speed to new spheres! When fast-moving scenes need to be captured in all their details, a high-performance transmission interface is essential in addition to the right sensor. With uEye Warp10, IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH is launching a new camera family that, thanks to 10GigE, transmits data in the Gigabit Ethernet-based network at a very high frame rate and virtually without delay. The first models with the IMX250 (5 MP), IMX253 (12 MP) and IMX255 (8.9 MP) sensors from the Sony Pregius series are now available.

Compared to 1GigE cameras, the uEye Warp10 models achieve up to 10 times the transmission bandwidth; they are also about twice as fast as cameras with USB 3.0 interfaces. The advantages become particularly apparent when scenes are to be captured, monitored and analysed in all details and without motion blur. Consequently, applications such as inspection applications on the production line with high clock speeds or image processing systems in sports analysis benefit from the fast data transfer.

The GigE Vision standard-compliant industrial cameras enable high-speed data transfer over cable lengths of up to 100 metres without repeaters or optical extenders via standard CAT6A cables (under 40 metres also CAT5E) with RJ45 connectors. The robust uEye Warp10 cameras are initially offered with C-mount lens holders. IDS is already working on additional models. In the future, versions with TFL mount (M35 x 0.75) will also be available for use with particularly high-resolution sensors up to 45 MP. The cameras are supported by the powerful IDS peak software development kit.

In the IDS Vision Channel, the experts from IDS present the features and possible applications of the new camera family in detail. The video is available here free of charge. All you need is a free IDS website user account.
Learn more: https://en.ids-imaging.com/ueye-warp10.html

Large laundry

Intelligent robotics for laundries closes automation gap

The textile and garment industry is facing major challenges with current supply chain and energy issues. The future recovery is also threatened by factors that hinder production, such as labour and equipment shortages, which put them under additional pressure. The competitiveness of the industry, especially in a global context, depends on how affected companies respond to these framework conditions. One solution is to move the production of clothing back to Europe in an economically viable way. Shorter transport routes and the associated significant savings in transport costs and greenhouse gases speak in favour of this. On the other hand, the related higher wage costs and the prevailing shortage of skilled workers in this country must be compensated. The latter requires further automation of textile processing. The German deep-tech start-up sewts GmbH from Munich has focused on the great potential that lies in this task. It develops solutions with the help of which robots – similar to humans – anticipate how a textile will behave and adapt their movement accordingly.

The German deep-tech start-up sewts GmbH from Munich has focused on the great potential that lies in this task. It develops solutions with the help of which robots – similar to humans – anticipate how a textile will behave and adapt their movement accordingly. In the first step, sewts has set its sights on an application for large industrial laundries. With a system that uses both 2D and 3D cameras from IDS Imaging Development Systems GmbH, the young entrepreneurs are automating one of the last remaining manual steps in large-scale industrial laundries, the unfolding process. Although 90% of the process steps in industrial washing are already automated, the remaining manual operations account for 30% of labour costs. The potential savings through automation are therefore enormous at this point.

Application

It is true that industrial laundries already operate in a highly automated environment to handle the large volumes of laundry. Among other things, the folding of laundry is done by machines. However, each of these machines usually requires an employee to manually spread out the laundry and feed it without creases. This monotonous and strenuous loading of the folding machines has a disproportionate effect on personnel costs. In addition, qualified workforce is difficult to find, which often has an impact on the capacity utilisation and thus the profitability of industrial laundries. The seasonal nature of the business also requires a high degree of flexibility. sewts makes IDS cameras the image processing components of a new type of intelligent system whose technology can now be used to automate individual steps, such as sorting dirty textiles or inserting laundry into folding machines.

„The particular challenge here is the malleability of the textiles,“ explains Tim Doerks, co-founder and CTO. While the automation of the processing of solid materials, such as metals, is comparatively unproblematic with the help of robotics and AI solutions, available software solutions and conventional image processing often still have their limits when it comes to easily deformable materials. Accordingly, commercially available robots and gripping systems have so far only been able to perform such simple operations as gripping a towel or piece of clothing inadequately. But the sewts system

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The PROTO-HAROLD 1.1 motorized camera cellphone slider robot

The PROTO-HAROLD 1.1 is a simple, light weight robot, designed to easily bring a CINEMATIC element to any video project. Designed, Machined and Hand Assembled in Cleveland,  Ohio, USA.

Your smartphone can go from pocket to stunning motion shot in under 10 seconds as the PROTO-HAROLD 1.1 has ZERO assembly or setup, programming or technical know-how required for use. Simply insert your smartphone, press „ON“, followed by „GO“ and you have a MOVING VIDEO.

Perfect for live streams, nature documentaries, music videos, interviews, YouTubers, TikTokers, movie projects for screens large and small, commercials, presentations, video demonstrations, school projects, home movies, advertisements, video production, unboxing videos, reaction videos, literally… any video project imaginable.

BOUNCE: When turned on, the PROTO-HAROLD 1.1 will begin running „BOUNCE“, a custom-written, pre-loaded program which will move the CAMERA SLED from one end of the track to the other. Instead of only traveling only one time like other systems, or harshly running back and forth, BOUNCE slowly brings the camera sled to a smooth, full stop, before reversing and smoothly accelerating backwards to full speed, endlessly repeating this choreographed process.

The speed and travel length are both adjustable, with a max travel speed of ~1cm per second, or ~50 seconds to go 52cm / 20.5″ from one end to the other.

This is useful as an extra „camera man“ during an interview process to provide an extra moving camera angle, or set it up to capture a moving shot when you aren’t exactly sure when the action will start, let it run for a bit and choose the best moving shot.

MOVING TIME LAPSE: Use the backlit LCD screen and EASY MENU to change modes to TIME LAPSE and set a desired time frame of 2 – 60 minutes. The PROTO-HAROLD 1.1 does the math and will travel from one end to the other, slowly accelerating, reaching full speed, decelerating and smoothly coming to a stop within the time frame selected. Once done, it will park and then ask to run a second time in reverse.

FEATURES:

  • Light Weight and Portable (under 2 pounds / under 1kg)
  • 34″ x  4″ x  2″ (87cm x 10cm x 5cm)
  • 20.5″ of camera movement  (52cm)
  • Strong for its size (can lift itself, or up to 2 pounds vertically)
  • Designed for smartphones up to 2 pounds, but can slide 10+ pounds (not recommended)
  • USB rechargeable (take and charge it anywhere)
  • ~2 Hour Runtime (horizontal, no camera)
  • ~1 Hour Runtime (vertical, no camera)
  • RECORD MOVING TIME LAPSE VIDEO (2 – 60 minutes) with soft start and stop
  • (3) 1/4″ standard tripod bottom mounting holes on each end
  • Non-marring rubber feet
  • Self Calibrating
  • Powered by a 16MHz Super Computer Thinking Machine
  • Precision Stepper Motor Control
  • Quiet Operation
  • (2) Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries
  • RED/GREEN charging LED
  • Replaceable Safety Fuse (remove for long term storage/transport)
  • Pre-programmed with an EASY USE MENU, turn it on and use it
  • Adjustable Speed, Acceleration/Deceleration & Overall Travel Length
  • Blue
  • Designed, Machined and Hand Assembled in Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Please support this project on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/simplerobot/the-proto-harold-11-bounce-by-simple-robot-llc/description

PLEN Cube: The Portable Personal Assistant Robot, from PLENGoer Robotics Inc., launched on Kickstarter

PLENGoer Robotics launched a KICKSTARTER campaign to bring PLEN Cube:
The Portable Personal Assistant Robot, to the world. PLEN Cube can be your
customizable, palm-­sized companion featuring a smart camera and automation skills.
Visit PLEN Cube’s Kickstarter page to pre-­order it, meet the developers, and learn more
about the product that is changing our lives.


PLEN Cube is a portable robot that can consolidate your devices and favorite web
services;; capture moments with a smart camera that tracks your face and motions;; and
complement your life with hands-­free voice activation, and customization options.
Natsuo Akazawa, CEO at PLENGoer Robotics, explains: “Think of PLEN Cube as your
right-­hand man (in robot form). We’ve packed a lot into this playful 3-­inch powerhouse:
a powerful processor, Full-­HD camera, display, microphone array and speakers, along
with cutting-­edge software in facial recognition, speech recognition, and more.“

 

A HANDS-­FREE CAMERA THAT FOLLOWS YOUR MOVEMENTS

No need for a cameraperson. Simply use voice commands to take a photo or video. PLEN Cube also uses computer vision technology, and can rotate 360 degrees to follow you wherever you go. Because PLEN Cube is wifi and bluetooth-­enabled, you can instantly share photos or videos on social media.

KEEPS YOU INFORMED

PLEN Cube aggregates all your day’s essential info including the weather, schedule, reminders, social media and more.Use the PLEN Cube mobile app to connect your services. PLEN Cube will keep you informed through its display, movements, sound, or notifications to your mobile device.

ALL YOUR SERVICES AND DEVICES IN ONE PLACE

With PLEN Cube, you can control all your favorite devices via Wifi, Bluetooth and infrared.You can also connect and consolidate your social media, including Facebook,Instagram, and Twitter.

CUSTOMIZE TO YOUR LIFE -­ FROM MORNING TO NIGHT

Anyone can customize the PLEN Cube using IFTTT, a web-­based automation service that allows you to create chains of actions with your favorite web services. PLEN Cube can do everything else a personal assistant bot can do, and also expands the number of triggers (inputs) and actions (outputs) you can use. Advanced developers can access our open API and take customization to the next level. We’ll also launch a community forum where users can share ideas and collaborate, and PLENGoer can provide further developer information.

Specs:

  • Size: 75mm x75mm x75mm / Weight: 500g (1.1 lbs).
  • Intel Joule 570x
  • WiFi, Bluetooth
  • 320×240 LCD – full color
  • Full HD Camera – with stop motion, panoramic, and face and actiontracking
  • Microphone x2 – to locate sound source
  • Electromagnetic field-based sensor – detects hand presence and motion.
  • Program different gestures to activate certain application actions
  • Speakers – full range drivers, woofers and tweeters from GoerTek, a leaderin the global miniature electro-acoustic industry
  • Infrared home appliance control – through a partnership with Crossdoor
  • Motors – for PLEN Cube’s expressive movement
  • Linux OS
  • Robot Operating System (ROS)
  • Voice recognition software (we’re currently evaluating the best option for this)

About PLENGoer Robotics Inc.

Founded in 2016, PLENGoer Robotics Inc. develops personal service robots to achieve a richer quality of life. With the robot development technology our parent PLEN Project Company has cultivated thus far, and production technology of GoerTek group, we aim to develop unprecedented and truly functional service robots. PLENGoer Robotics will be an innovation platform for service robots.
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/plengoer/

People Power Announces World’s First iOS and Android Enabled Smartphone Security Camera Robot – Presence 360

Breathe New Life Into an Unused Phone With the Intelligent Motion-Sensing Smartphone Robot That Can Automatically Keep an Eye on the Most Important Locations in Your Home

DALLAS, TX–(Marketwired – Sep 13, 2016) – People Power, a services enablement company providing apps, cloud and mobile services for the Internet of Things (IoT), today announces Presence 360, the world’s first 360-degree smartphone security camera robot that reveals existing blind spots in home security. Presence 360 integrates with People Power’s free Presence app, which reimagines spare smart devices into remotely monitored video cameras and has already sent more than 80 million Presence Video Alerts worldwide. By downloading the Presence app on an unused smartphone and cradling that device in Presence 360’s adjustable arms, users can monitor their homes and loved ones in 360-degrees, control viewing angles remotely and automatically receive motion detected video alerts when they’re away from home. People Power will be demoing Presence 360 at the CEDIA Expo 2016, September 15-17, 2016, at booth 4171.

Traditional security cameras are costly and only let you see a single static view, which leaves users blind to anything outside of the camera’s visual range. Presence 360’s full pan-and-tilt and 360-degree rotation allows users to look all around. Users can customize how long the camera remains at each vantage point too. Set Presence 360 to automatically pan to the front door for 15 seconds, the kitchen window or any other area of the home. Presence 360 cycles through those vantage points automatically to search for intruders or activity — recording video the instant motion is detected. When motion is detected, a Presence Video Alert of the activity is sent straight to the user’s smartphone as well as to their trusted circle of family and friends.

“In an era where technology is helping workers make impressive strides in productivity, we still find a big need for technology that lets consumers know what’s happening at home when they can’t be there,” said Gene Wang, CEO and co-founder of People Power. “Unless you’ve budgeted for a complicated and expensive home surveillance system, you may never know what’s happening until it’s too late. By revealing those nagging blind spots, Presence 360 brings people peace of mind, and is paving the way for a new era of lifestyle security.”

The Presence Security Pack extends the value of Presence 360. It works through the Presence app and combines entry, motion, water, humidity, temperature and touch sensors to create a whole home monitoring solution.

Also announced today is a significant performance increase to the Android version of Presence, which comes as a result of a conscientious refactoring of the popular mobile application. Android users will experience an increase in performance 3 times greater with the new version of Presence, available today in the Google Play Store.

Presence 360 is compatible with iOS and Android smartphones. To pre-order Presence 360, visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/presence-360-smartphone-security-camera-robot-99-app#/.

About People Power
Founded in 2009, People Power Company is an award-winning software company with a successful legacy in mobile and cloud technology. The People Power IoT Suite enables rapid connection, engagement, delivery and management of IoT products and services for services providers, manufacturers and consumers searching for connected lifestyle enhancements. Its ready-made cloud and mobile software stacks connect people with networked devices to humanize the Internet of Things. Services from concept through commercial release enabled by People Power are available as white-labeled solutions for customers around the world. For more information, visit www.peoplepowerco.com

RoboSnap – Vision for your Robot

Truckee, CA, May 22, 2015 – 10 Imaging Inc. launched their debut product on Kickstarter, RoboSnap.  RoboSnap provides “Vision for Your Robot”, by detecting objects in the environment by their color, location, shape and size.  The creator of RoboSnap, Shari Vedovato says, “We created RoboSnap to add a new dimension to your robot to allow it to have more understanding of the environment and be more autonomous.”

RoboSnap currently works on the LEGO® Mindstorms EV3 as well as the Raspberry Pi with the BrickPi add-on board.

 

Not only can RoboSnap add vision to your robot, it can be programmed with Snap!, a Scratch extension or with the Python and C programming languages.  Shari says, “We provide many choices to program RoboSnap in order to support our youngest customers to our most experienced.  We received a lot of positive feedback about the ability to program the EV3 with Snap! at our demonstrations at the San Mateo Maker Faire.  Many kids are learning Scratch at school and it is comfortable for them to continue to program with this language as they move into robotics.”  Kickstarter backers can select to receive the “JUST THE SOFTWARE”  reward if they are interested in programming their robots with Snap! on the EV3.

Riley Breuner, a high school student who recently competed in the FIRST Robotics League competition said, “It’s great that there’s a new sensor that can detect colors accurately and reliably. It’s almost impossible to use the existing Lego sensors because you can run the same program and get different results or it just detects the wrong color. RoboSnap is a much better option.“  Shari agreed, “When watching the recent FIRST LEGO League missions I noticed that it was difficult for the robots to perform the ‘Search Engine’ mission in one pass.  It was necessary to use the ‘eyes’ of the players to determine the color.   We have shown that RoboSnap can do this mission in a single pass.  Although RoboSnap is not currently sanctioned to be part of the FIRST LEGO League competition, we are working on having it accepted.”

 

RoboSnap will be available exclusively on Kickstarter from May 13 to June 12, 2015 with the first shipments of RoboSnap cameras in October 2015.

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/robosnap/robosnap-vision-for-your-robot