ArcBotics Launches Hubert the Humanoid on Kickstarter, Funded In 2 Hours

HAYWARD – ArcBotics, a leading educational robotics company based in California, is pleased to announce the launch of Hubert the Humanoid: Your Advanced Robotics Study Buddy, a research-grade open source humanoid robot, on Kickstarter.

ArcBotics’ mission is to help anyone learn robotics, no matter their background or current skill level. It is undeniable that robots will play a part in every part of our collective futures, and in many ways, they already do. They believe that by understanding how robots work can we control our own futures, rather than allow technology to control us.

Hubert is designed for anyone pursuing robotics and want the most affordable, top-to-bottom college-level robotics class you’ll ever find – while getting to use your own humanoid robot. Hubert is designed for educators, roboticists who want to compete in robotics competitions, researchers, pro-users, and hobbyists new to robotics who are looking for a humanoid robot that is ready-to-go.

They have created Hubert to make a full suite of college-level robotics lessons cheaper than the cost of a single robotics class. Hubert runs the same software that today’s leading robotics companies and universities are running. Similar robots have been used in the leading universities – but starting at 10x the price. Hubert is starting at $599 USD on Kickstarter, retailing for $1,199 USD, and is 100% Open Source Hardware.

ArcBotics will be releasing in-depth, free web tutorials to help train anyone to become a robotics engineer in the latest topics such as: ROS, Arduino, OpenCV, Object Recognition, TensorFlow, Inverse Kinematics, Control Theory, MoveIt!, Power Management, Path Planning, Legged Mechanics, Python, and so much more.

Hubert’s core features:

  • Dual-camera stereo HD vision cameras
  • On-board Raspberry Pi 3, preloaded with all necessary software
  • Custom smart servo – incredibly high torque, voltage independent, embedded sensors with serial communication
  • Custom Arduino-compatible Python-powered servo controller, with on-board 9-axis Motion and Bluetooth 4 LE connection
  • Rigid aluminum frame
  • Removable outer sheet metal shell – easily remove, design, and attach your own shell or parts
  • Functional grippers
  • Speaker and microphone
  • Touch-screen LCD head
  • Independent emotive ears
  • 100% Open Source Hardware
  • Future-proof with Raspberry Pi 3, C.H.I.P., and ODROID-XU4

About ArcBotics Since 2012, ArcBotics has been making robotics accessible by creating full-feature robots designed for different age groups and skill levels, with extensive, step-by-step documentation and open sourcing the hardware and software. They previously launched 2 successful Kickstarter campaigns for Hexy the Hexapod and Sparki the Easy Robot for Everyone, raising $360,000 and shipping to over 2500 backers. Since then, they have grown to ship tens of thousands of robots to homes, STEM programs, and universities around the world like Stanford, MIT, and Northwestern. Their robots can be found at global retailers like Barnes and Noble, Adafruit, RobotShop, DFRobot, and more.

The first Mars rover designed for Earth

After several years of working on Mars rover prototypes, a team of four engineers decided to launch their own company and their own product.

Turtle Rover – as this is how they named their newest baby – is a remotely controlled four-wheeled robot designed for Earth exploration.

The rover is designed to drive anywhere you’d prefer not to go alone. Its architecture allows to attach cameras, sensors and your own electronic modules to its body, so you can easily configure it to your own needs. Tweak the inner RaspberryPi with your own code and fit your own electronics inside the rover watertight storage case.

As the rover is designed to drive on land, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that it allows for more predictable and longer use than drones.

With its on-board camera, Mars-rover suspension and enough power to keep your phone on for a month, it’s you who will be exhausted first, not the rover.

Attach it to your backpack and go to the mountains to explore caves in places no one explored yet. Find old ruins and inspect them with no worry of being stuck in tight passages. Go home and have fun with an open-source code in the soul of the robot to find out how to extend its functionality to the borders.

Turtle Rover is available on Kickstarter since 22 August 2017.

The special Kickstarter edition will be available with extra robotic arm attached starting at a price $1597.

See more at:

www.turtlerover.com

www.facebook.com/TurtleRover

 

Algobrix Makes Coders Out of Kids With Its LEGO Compatible Coding Blocks on Kickstarter

DELAWARE, USA  – July 25, 2017 – Algobrix is announcing the launch of its Kickstarter campaign today to make programming simple and fun with its play-based coding blocks. Algobrix turn traditional LEGOs into programmable robots through tangible lines of code. Each coding-block teaches children the basics of STEM with its step by step coding activities for a kid-friendly introduction to programming.

Imagine your typical LEGO set growing up. Chances are you would build a car, play with it and deconstruct it shortly after being left underwhelmed or frustrated. With Algobrix, play is limitless and screenless so kids (or kids at heart), can develop greater analytical thinking skills while learning the basics of coding while creating moving masterpieces. All it takes to upgrade your standard-block play to coding-block play is a bit of programming and imagination. Creators simply:

  • Snap: Each block represents a unique function and commands the AlgoBot to play audio, light or move in any direction.
  • Set: The parameters are stacked on top of the function block to determine specifically how the AlgoBot will carry out the function and for how long.
  • Activate: Once the function blocks are snapped together, a sequence is triggered and the AlgoBot is set into motion.
  • Explore: AlgoBots come with a variety of mats and activity cards to enhance and elevate the learning experience.

Why program on a screen when you can program with your hands? Algobrix takes standard, computer code and allows you to hold it in your hands in the form of coding blocks.  Now, ordinary LEGOs are transformed to create moving AlgoBots. AlgoBots light up, make sounds and explore the space around you through simple code.

https://youtu.be/o-bGJlvd23Y

“Kids find it difficult to sit next to a computer and learn how to program,” describes co-founder Amir Asor. “The first problem is language related and the second problem is that they don’t enjoy the experience. Algobrix changes what is stereotypically a boring, confined experience to a playful, intuitive, and fun learning experience while maintaining a high, positive correlation with coding languages that leave a lasting impression.”

“The third industrial revolution is around the corner,” says CTO and co-founder Dr. Danny Eizicovits. “We are starting to see robots in hospitals, schools, and even our homes. By teaching our kids to communicate with our robotic counterparts, we are hoping to give them the proper tools, and competitive edge in a world that is moving further towards robotics every day.”

 

About

Algobrix was founded in April 2016 after Amir Asor and Dr. Danny Eizicovits came together with a collective goal to enhance and redefine how children learn to code. The company’s mission is to introduce young children to an entertaining and effective style of education that is based on fun, intuition, and the joy of LEGO-building through the implementation of coding and its patented coding blocks.

Amir, CEO and Co-Founder, established his first educational company, Young Engineers, in 2008 and was named YBI Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011. Following his success with Young Engineers, Amir co-founded BRIXO, an electric building blocks company, that raised $1.5 Million through Kickstarter and Indiegogo. Algobrix’s CTO, Danny Eizicovits, received a PhD in Robotics and is an award-winning researcher and lecturer in accordance with Ben Gurion University of the Negev.

Learn programming and more with the Hedgehog robotics controller

Hedgehog is for anyone who wants to explore robotics, no matter their age or expertise. It is particularly suited for learning programming, but doesn’t stop there: building your own robot allows you to explore mechanics as well, and experienced programmers can tackle complex projects, such as swarm intelligence, advanced image processing, or developing their own microcontroller firmware.

Hedgehog is developed by the Practical Robotics Institute Austria and is a robot controller: the control module and heart of any robot. It can be combined with standard RC servos, DC motors, as well as various kinds of sensors and push buttons. Its case connects easily to Lego building blocks, but of course robots can be constructed from any kind of pieces.

In many ways, Hedgehog is similar to other controllers, but what makes it stand out is its versatility. Hedgehog supports both visual and textual programming through Blockly and Python. It allows you to connect different kinds of custom hardware through its UART, I2C and SPI busses. You can connect to Hedgehog over Ethernet, WiFi, or by directly plugging in monitor and keyboard. Use either the beginner-friendly in-browser development environment, or use SSH to access Hedgehog’s Raspberry Pi directly. Augment your controller by using thousands of third-party applications & libraries for the Raspberry Pi. Get into Digital Manufacturing by downloading our blueprints and laser-cutting a customized acrylic case – the possibilities are endless.

“We use Hedgehog in workshops all the time, and simplicity and versatility are two major requirements for us. Simplicity allows our learners to focus on exploring robotics, instead of handling the system. And versatility allows us to work with the same hardware in different settings, be it with elementary schoolers, in robot competitions, or in projects with students from technical high schools,” says Clemens Koza, one of Hedgehog’s developers. Workshop and classroom settings are indeed a focus of the controller’s design, but hobbyists profit from this as well: more possibilities potentially mean more projects and experiments, making the controller a cost-effective purchase.

All of Hedgehog’s hardware and software is open source, Clemens Koza explains: “when versatility is one of your goals, hiding details is counterproductive. We’re convinced of our system’s value and dedicated to its ongoing development. We try to enable a broad audience to explore technology and engineering, and I think Hedgehog is a great tool for this.” Hedgehog is currently on Kickstarter, and more information is available at hedgehog.pria.at.

Move Your Project From Prototype To Production With Evezor

Evezor is a robot that can carve, draw, engrave, pour, pick,
place, cut, weld, 3D print, grab, mill, assemble and create your next
project or business.  Powered by Raspberry Pi, open source software and
hardware, Evezor is the most hackable robotic arm there is.  Evezor can
share and automate the hand tools you already own and with open tool head
platform, anyone can make tools for this machine.

A welded tube tower and steel skeleton give Evezor the strength
to support tools weighing over six pounds.  Precision machined components
and NEMA 23 motors deliver precise control, quiet operation and the power
for machining operations.  An 800mm wingspan provides the build area for
large projects.  Evezor has printed an entire single piece violin.

Magnetic encoders make this collaborative arm so user friendly a four year
old can program it, and closed loop control gives you the peace of mind that
you’ll never miss a step.

Make prototypes from a wide array of tool heads, then seamlessly
scale up to production with the same tool.  Evezor’s agility opens the door
to the entrepreneurial world for every maker.  What can Evezor make?  The
answer to this question is anything you can think of, and cocktails.

Evezor commits itself to giving back to the open source and open
hardware communities by contributing 10% from every arm.  „We think it’s
important to give back to the ecosystem that made this project possible“
says Andrew Wingate [Founder.]  Their mission is to democratize
manufacturing and increase access to opportunity.

„Chicago is one of the world’s megaregions and we often get
overlooked behind Silicon Valley and New York. I think this is the best
place in the world to kick start the next industrial revolution“ ~Andrew
Wingate

Evezor has launched a crowdfunding campaign that can be found at
http://evezor.com/kickstarter

MeArm Pi by Mime Industries now on Kickstarter

Mime Industries launched their latest product on Kickstarter; a Raspberry Pi powered robot arm kit that’s simple enough for kids to build.

Ben Pirt from Mime Industries said “we believe in helping children to have fun whilst learning about technology and the MeArm Pi is completely designed around that goal”. Based on the original MeArm, which was launched on Kickstarter in 2014, this version has seen a complete re-working in order to make it much simpler for children to build.

The kit integrates smoothly with the Raspberry Pi, the ubiquitous educational computing platform, using a HAT (a plug-on board that fits on the computer) with on-board joysticks for control. Because of the large ecosystem of programming language support for the Raspberry Pi it is also possible to program the movements of the arm using a wide range of popular programming languages.

Mime Industries enables people to learn through play and exploration of technology. Their groundbreaking build-it-yourself kits have inspired children and adults to break through their own barriers and learn to build and code whilst having fun. Their products are simple to build and can be easily understood. Meaning you can use them to learn whilst playing, adding your own imagination to make something great.

Link to the Kickstarter Page

Hanson Robotics Launches Kickstarter Campaign for Professor Einstein, an Expressive Robot that Teaches Science

A scientific legend brought back to life

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1240047277/professor-einstein-your-personal-genius

Hong Kong (PRWEB) January 23, 2017 — Today Hanson Robotics launched a Kickstarter campaign for an uncannily human-like robot version of Albert Einstein. The company aims to honor the iconic and imaginative scientist and bring fully expressive robots direct to consumers.

Professor Einstein is a 14.5” personal robot with the ability to walk, hold a natural conversation, learn your name, maintain eye contact, answer questions, entertain and teach science. He’s cloud and Wifi connected, allowing for dynamic interaction with a tablet and the corresponding Stein-O-Matic app to learn and play games.

The robot guides users through the world of science and beyond by presenting interactive lessons, eye-popping slideshows, daily mental kick starts, thought experiments, jokes, brain games and more. With new activities added to the Stein-O-Matic every day, Professor Einstein’s robust reward system allows users to earn IQ points, which can be used to unlock special items, bonus games and avatar upgrades.

The idea for Professor Einstein was born out of toy inventor Andy Rifkin’s lifelong fascination with all things Einstein, and the values he stood for. Hanson Robotics founder and CEO Dr. David Hanson approached Andy about teaming up to create a robot, which led to the formation of a unique shared vision. Rifkin was invited to join as Hanson Robotics’ Chief Technology Officer and the robot was developed under the Hanson Robotics umbrella.

“Professor Einstein has an adaptive learning ability, which means that if you don’t understand something, he will modify the way he presents the information,” said Rifkin. “He has infinite patience. He will keep trying different ways of explaining things until it “clicks” for you. Plus, because he teaches through jokes, metaphors, and games, he makes learning genuinely fun.”

“It was crucial for us that Professor Einstein would embody a sense of playfulness and wonder,” said Hanson. “He had to inspire imagination, be a great conversationalist, and make the gestures and facial expressions that the real Albert Einstein was known for.”

The Professor Einstein Kickstarter campaign runs from January 23 – February 27, 2017. Early bird pricing starts at $249 USD. For a full rundown of the pledge levels visit the Kickstarter page.

Mixbots, A Robot Building Trading Card Party Game Now On Kickstarter

Funamite LLC launches Mixbots, a robot building trading card game on Kickstarter. Robots are built by applying stickers onto trading cards, and combat is played with the hand game, Rock Paper Scissors. Combat is fast and furious for one on one duels and team battles with 10 or more players. Mixbots is enjoyed by tweens, teens, new gamers, and groups of friends.


Building robots is half the fun and putting them in action against other robots completes the whole experience. After building their robots, players will have a chance to personalize them by writing a name on the back. In team battles, players can help their own teammates by using their robots’ special abilities. “Students were on the edge of their seats. They were very engaged and enjoying the game”, said Christine Ha, a middle school teacher.

Funamite decided on using stickers instead of transparent cards to build the robots because that allowed the player’s creations to remain intact when being carried about, and to easily be seen. When multiple transparent cards are stacked on top of one another, details become blurry, so stickers were the easy choice. Funamite decided on Rock Paper Scissors as the combat mechanism because it’s already a familiar system with many and therefore lowers the learning curve and barrier to entry.

Funamite LLC is game publishing company founded in 2016 and based in Elk Grove, California. Mixbots is the company’s first product.

Chicago game publisher launches a crowdfunding campaign for their STEM-inspired, color-matching, robot-building game

Chicago, IL – January 11, 2017.

Today, XYZ Game Labs launched a Kickstarter for RobotLab: The Card Game, a
STEM-inspired card game where players race to build robots.

RobotLab: The Card Game is a light, family-friendly card game where you
take on the role of a scientist racing to build your robot and claim the
coveted Devol Prize in Robotics!  Along the way you’ll need to do some
research, deal with some faulty parts, and do your best to avoid the other
scientists trying to stop you.

„We wanted a game where the goal was creation rather than destruction. It
needed to be accessible for all types of players AND it needed to be about
robots,” said RobotLab co-creator and XYZ Game Labs CEO Adam McCrimmon.
“We
designed RobotLab so people new to tabletop gaming would be able to easily
pick it up and learn, but we still wanted a game what was complex enough
to
hold the interest of experienced gamers. After months of testing, we think
we’ve struck the right balance for both newcomers and serious gamers.“

RobotLab: The Card Game is for 2 to 5 players, ages 6 and up. The 2-player
game plays in about 10 minutes, adding 5-8 minutes for each additional
player. It includes a deck of 80 cards (assorted robot parts and action
cards) and 5 robot body cards. RobotLab: The Card Game is launching on
Kickstarter on Wednesday, January 11th. Delivery is anticipated in
October,
2017, and it is expected to sell for $20 at retail (Kickstarter backers
receive the game for $15 + $5 shipping).  For more information, you can
visit robotlabcg.com.

As part of their Kickstarter campaign, XYZ Game Labs will be donating
copies of RobotLab: The Card Game to a number of non-profit organizations
including: Lurie Children’s Hospital, the Chicago Public Library and The
Night Ministry. Non-profit organizations interested in receiving games
should contact [email protected].

About XYZ Game Labs

XYZ Game Labs is a board game designer and publisher based in Chicago, IL.
The company was formed under the guiding principle that tabletop gaming is
one of the best ways of bringing people together and fostering meaningful,
long lasting friendships. RobotLab: The Card Game is the company’s first
foray into the board game market.

RobotLab: The Card Game is a trademark of XYZ Game Labs, Inc.

LINK to Kickstarter

Bobbie 1S Robot

DEN HAAG, Netherlands, Dec. 23, 2016 — Anyone searching for a cool personal robot might be interested in Dawody Robotics, Bobbie 1S robot. This cute humanoid robot is voice controlled and can be used as a home guard, personal assistant, educational robot and family member in one.

The robot can be described as a Smartbot. A telephone and robot in one, Bobbie is equipped with a touch screen monitor and a camera that enables it to monitor the house, make calls, surf the web, receive messages and much more.

Bobbie has a simple program, making it easy for young and old to develop new applications for it. The robot has its own, sometimes annoying character that makes him special. Sometimes Bobbie will give surprising answers while having a chat with him. While shooting a promotion video, the founder of Dawody Robotics asked Bobbie who the President is. Bobbie’s answer was that he is officially running for president himself, promising to make Dawody Robotics great again.

Dawody Robotics‘ aim is to introduce Bobbie’s little brother in 2017 in collaboration with a partner company that will truly change the way we look at robots. „Our aim is to have robots in every household in a time span of 5 years from now, just like people have mobile phones nowadays,“ said Safa Dawody, the founder of Dawody Robotics. The price for Bobbie 1S is from $300 USD for the Super Early Birds and will be shipped estimated in March 2017 to its new owners. Who knows, maybe Bobbie 1S will make it to the White House one day.

LINK to Kickstarter