RobotShop will offer, to its current members and future users of the new Community platform, a more convenient area to engage, showcase projects and prosper. By centralizing all its resources and its current Community web pages (LMR, Forum, GoRobotics, Blog, etc.) at one place, users will have the chance to share their projects as well as exchange with the largest community of robotics enthusiasts.

New RobotShop Community platform, online soon

This new platform will be managed by our new community manager Mariane. Mariane was first hired in RobotShop’s team as a Content Specialist and has several skills in domains such as communications, cinema and writing. Her ever-growing interest in robotics and technologies, her passion, creativity and experience make her a prime candidate to drive the RobotShop community towards growth and success.

As a new active member of the RobotShop online community, Mariane’s goal will be to ensure the new platform runs optimally; she will communicate and interact with you via our platform and social media, ask for your opinion and much more. Her new role will be backed by a competent team of robotics engineers and technicians. Their collaborative support and their robotics expertise will serve the entire community, whether it is in forum posts, news feed, and so on.

Stay tuned for more information on this new platform and join us on September 18th!

          

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RobotShop expands operations to Spain

Specialized in the sale of robotic products, RobotShop already serves a large pool of the European population through localized eCommerce stores; Spain being the fourth country with dedicated operations after France, UK and Germany. Spanish customers will benefit from RobotShop’s optimized logistics, including one or more warehouses per country/store. They will also obtain affordable shipping fees, including free shipping for orders over 200€ (before taxes), short transit times and no duty fees charged upon delivery.

RobotShop’s European logistics center nonetheless provides service to all customers of the European Union through the standard European eCommerce store.

“We’re thrilled to integrate a Spanish store on RobotShop.com” said Julie Gendron, VP Market Development – eCommerce at RobotShop. “Spaniards will surely profit from an enhance shopping experience by having the widest range of robotic products at their disposal.”

RobotShop also ships worldwide through eCommerce stores in Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan, serving customers in English, French, Japanese, German, and now Spanish. Customers may therefore shop at RobotShop’s available locations based on their proximity, language and currency.

For more information:

Official press release (English)

Official press release (Spanish)

Official press release (French)

Official press release (German)

          

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The Lynxmotion team worked to release a frame kit that would be able to suit the needs of schools when it comes to choosing the kinds of platforms they need, as well as being able to experiment with various types of UAVs without the need to buy each one individually. Our Lynxmotion MES Reconfigurable Folding UAV Frame Kit allows the user to quickly switch between Y6, Quad and Hex configurations without much hassle and is all in one kit.

Supported Configurations

		Y4: One motor on each front (top) arms and 2 motor on the back (top & bottom) arm Y6: Two motors on each arm (top & bottom)
		Quadcopter X4: One motor on each arm (top) Quadcopter X8: Two motors on each arm (top & bottom)
		Hexacopter 6: One motor on each arm (top) or in alternate (top & bottom) Hexacopter 12: Two motors on each arm (top & bottom)

Folding Design

It’s also a portable frame that can be fully folded in each configuration, its landing gear can be removed and the optional plate, released (twist lock with grommet damping).

Propeller Sizes

The maximum propeller size is in direct relation to the configuration as the Hexacopter config will not allow for the same space between motors. Here is a quick view of the two main configurations in Quad or Hex using the provided 300mm arm tubes.

Power Distribution Compatibility

Our Lynxmotion MES Power Distribution Board (PDB) for UAV has been developed with the frame in mind and will fit right in the middle of it.

Lynxmotion MES Power Distribution Board (PDB)

More Information:
Wiki – MES – Reconfigurable Modular Frame
RobotShop – Lynxmotion MES Reconfigurable Folding UAV Frame Kit

          

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• Servo Magazine’s Review of the Lynxmotion Quadrino Nano
• Lynxmotion – MES Power Distribution Board (PDB)
• Our Journey In Drone Racing – Chapter 1

 

Our Lynxmotion MES-PDB (Multirotor Erector Set / Power Distribution Board) was created based on needs for our Lynxmotion MES frame system that will be released soon. The design objectives of this board included properly powering all motors (up to eight motors), distribute the ESC signals, and power the Lynxmotion Quadrino Nano. All this with simple connections that would not require any soldering on the part of the user. Our team worked hard to pack more features as well to make life easier for any builder but, especially for Quadrino Nano users.

Main Features

General: Affect any users

• 20A continuous current per motor & up to 8 BLDC motors (160A)
• Two battery inputs w/ XT60 harness (one harness supplied in the kit)
• Location to add a standard 5V BEC (voltage regulator)
• Dual PCB construction
• Standard 45mm mounting pattern
• 3.5mm bullet connectors for each ESC’s
• Laser-cut foam for bottom protection

Lynxmotion Quadrino Nano Compatibility

• Single wiring harness for the Quadrino Nano (sold separately)
• Breakout of the ESC connections with proper localization related to MultiWii
• Amplified buzzer for audible alarm
• Output for an optional alarm with either 5V or Vin power (LED’s for example) with a jumper for selection
• Battery monitor connection via analog input

Wiring

Here are some of the standard wiring options although, there are much more on the Lynxmotion MES – Power Distribution Board (PDB) wiki.

Lynxmotion Quadrino Nano to MES-PDB Wiring

single ESC	Quadcopter (4)	Hexacopter (6)	Octocopter (8)

More information:
Wiki – Lynxmotion MES – Power Distribution Board (PDB)

RobotShop – Lynxmotion MES Power Distribution Board (PDB) for UAV

          

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RoboCup 2018 is set to take place in Montreal from June 18 to 22 at the Palais des Congres. Around 4000 participants from 35 countries will compete in a variety of challenges to see which robots are the most versatile and intelligent. The event started in 1996 and has grown considerably in size and scope. Organizers have divided the event into two main sections, Junior and Major, each with their own lists of competitions.

RoboCup Federation is a reputable international scientific initiative with the goal to advance the state of the art of intelligent robots. When established in 1997, the original mission was to field a team of robots capable of winning against the human soccer World Cup champions by 2050. Today, the federation still holds this dream, however, the necessary technologies to accomplish these landmark projects in Artificial Intelligence take dedication, much research and development.

RoboCup Junior

Onstage

RoboCup Junior OnStage invites teams to develop a creative stage performance using autonomous robots that they have designed, built and programmed. The objective is to create a robotic performance between 1 to 2 minutes that uses technology to engage an audience. 

Rescue

The Rescue league is split into three sections: line following, maze solving and simulation navigation. Participants who have entries in all three stand a strong chance of creating a robot for the Major rescue competition later. This competition is targeted to primary and secondary students. The robots are complex and small. Students must make use of onboard sensors to detect and navigate, as well as carry out the required mission.

• Line

An autonomous robot should follow a black line while overcoming different problems in a modular arena formed by tiles with different patterns. The floor is white in color and the tiles are on different levels connected with ramps.

• Maze

The terrain is simply too dangerous for humans to reach the victims. Your team has been given a difficult task. The robot must be able to carry out the rescue mission in a fully autonomous mode with no human assistance. The robot must be durable and intelligent enough to navigate through treacherous terrain with hills, uneven land and rubble without getting stuck.

• Simulation

Teams have to develop and program appropriate strategies for both real and virtual autonomous robots to navigate through the worlds to collect objects while competing with another team’s robot that is also searching and collecting objects in the same real and virtual worlds.

Soccer

The Junior soccer league not only helps students show off their robot building and programming skills, but also their knowledge and skills at soccer and team play.

In the RoboCupJunior soccer league, a team of two autonomous mobile robots competes against another team in matches. 2-on-2 teams of autonomous mobile robots play in a highly dynamic environment, tracking a special light-emitting or passive ball in an enclosed, landmarked field. 

RoboCup Major

@Home

The @home challenge is quite different from what most people associate with RoboCup in that the focus is not a sport, nor even a structured task, but rather an unstructured, previously unexplored environment and the need to succeed at a wide variety of tasks. The emphasis is the ability to autonomously assist humans in situations like in a grocery store. The mobile robots make use of one or more arms to pick up and manipulate objects.

The RoboCup@Home league aims to develop service and assistive robot technology with high relevance for future personal domestic applications. It is the largest international annual competition for autonomous service robots and is part of the RoboCup initiative. 

RoboCup Industrial

A natural extension of the @home challenge is the industrial challenge. This league covers both robots which provide manufacturing services (standardized on the FESTO Robotino platform), as well as robots which help in the workplace.

• @Work

The RoboCup@Work is the newest league in RoboCup, targeting the use of robots in work-related scenarios. The robots in this league utilize proven ideas and concepts from other RoboCup competitions to tackle open research challenges in industrial and service robotics.

• RoboCupLogistics

The RoboCup Logistics League is an application driven league inspired by the industrial scenario of a smart factory, where a number of machines provide manufacturing services to refine, assemble, or modify a workpiece eventually resulting in a final product.

RoboCup RESCUE

The Rescue league involves robots which are considerably larger and more versatile their junior counterparts. Correspondingly, the tasks are considerably more difficult. There is both a physical robot challenge as well as a simulation challenge.

• Robot

Robot rescue challenge assists first responders in assessing an emergency situation such as searching for potential victims and provide an automated map of an environment with uneven terrain, stairs and navigating through doorways.

• Simulation

The purpose of the RoboCup Rescue Simulation 2D and 3D league is twofold. First, it aims to develop simulators that form the infrastructure of the simulation system and emulate realistic phenomena predominant in disasters.

RoboCup Soccer

Soccer is the sport which most people think about when they hear about RoboCup. The objective is to create a team of robots able to compete and win against human players. Full-scale humanoid robots are still incredibly expensive, so in order to ensure the competition is accessible, and focus on the software needed, the organizers have subdivided this league into simulation, small, medium and large sized robots. There is also a standard platform using SoftBank’s NAO humanoid robot which teams can make use of.

The main focus of the RoboCup competitions is the game of football/soccer, where the research goals concern cooperative multi-robot and multi-agent systems in dynamic adversarial environments. All robots in this league are fully autonomous.

• Humanoid
• Standard Platform
• Middle Size
• Small Size
• Simulation

Have you attended a RoboCup event in the past, or are you planning to attend RoboCup 2018? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.

Sources

robocup.org/

robocup2018.org

           

Before we begin, I would like to apologize for the limited number of pictures, unfortunately, something happened with our camera so we only have a few.

How did we do?

One of our drones

The one-million-euro question. How did we do? Well, we didn’t perform as well as we had hoped. We didn’t lose but we didn’t win either. As of yet, we don’t know our precise position in the competition but I am hopeful that we placed at least within the top 5.

What were the competitors like?

One of Syndic8 winning teams

The competition was quite varied. At the start, we had very high hopes of winning because some of the competitors were disqualified after it was found they had not obeyed the competition rules. After a while, however, we began to see the high level we had expected with people coming from schools all over the country.

What was the event itself like?

Syndic8 at Royal Hospital Kilmainham

Though we didn’t do as well as we had hoped, we did have tremendous fun at the event itself. We spent time talking to competitors and visitors about how we build our drone, what resources we used, the various processes and more. We also got to see entries for the other categories, F1 car racing, and RC Rally. The quality and level of expertise there were extremely high and we were delighted to be a part of such a great event.

Our Final Thanks and Goodbye

One of our aircraft used in drone racing

We would like to thank RobotShop for kindly sponsoring us in our endeavor and without whose help, this would not have been possible. We would also like to thank our school, friends, and family (I sound very cliché) for supporting us and last but most certainly not least, anyone reading this, thus being part of the adventure with us. And so, the journey comes to a close. Slán go foill.

          

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What was your journey in the Film Industry?

I began my production career at Warner Bros. Television (while at the same time producing independent shorts and pilots, and serving on the IATSE boards). My indie producing effort WEST BANK STORY earned an Academy Award. Then, I became Director of Production at Nickelodeon (also supporting TV Land, Nick at Nite, and TeenNick) while also successfully managing development, current, and on-air. I later joined Michael Eisner’s digital studio, Vuguru, as Head of Production, creating original scripted content for various partners including Hulu, AOL, and Yahoo. Since starting Lifeboat Productions, we have been working in the digital space with major studios and networks.

How Robotics have been used and are being used in the Movie Industry?

Still from Daphne & Velma – Featuring a Lynxmotion Hexapod

My mind goes to animatronic puppets and drones with cameras and I’m sure that is what most people think of as well.

A newer development is 3D printing. Admittedly, this is “robotics adjacent”, but the ability to print small and intricate items is very interesting. I’ve mostly read about mass printing character faces for stop motion animation and how it has allowed for an exponential increase the level of expression and nuance.

I look forward to seeing how other departments, like props, special FX, or make-up, can use the exactness of 3D printing to bring a computer model into the real world of something otherwise impossible to create.

In your opinion, what has been the best use of Robotics in Movies?

Using robotics to create otherworldly beings, creatures, and/or machines is by far my favorite. Instead of a person in costume or CGI only, having real robots on a set to play characters allows for talent to interact and crew to react at the moment, and that is how you can get those fantastic unpredictable moments. The “happy accidents” that can only happen when shooting on a real set with real people… and robots.

With more and more movies using CGI, do you think there’s still room for Robotics/Animatronics in production?

Still from Daphne & Velma – Featuring a Lynxmotion Hexapod

Definitely. CGI is great and many creatures and contraptions are impossible and need to be fabricated in a computer. However, we’ve already seen productions make animatronics & machines for the set and then augment the footage with CGI.

We’ll continue to see practical effects and animatronics on set more and more, as the technology develops. Ultimately, both robotics and CGI will be used together to create the best possible result.

Do you think a Robotics professional could make their way into the Movie Industry?

Still from Daphne & Velma – Featuring a Lynxmotion Hexapod

The way things are going, it might be a case of movie and TV’s professionals making their way into robotics and other technologies. Tech companies are making their own content while content companies are making & using technology to tell game, VR, and AR stories, so the convergence is interesting and there will certainly be changes to come.

Lynxmotion products have been used previously in TV shows like New Girl and in commercials like KFC – How/Why did you pick them?

Still from Daphne & Velma – Featuring a Lynxmotion Hexapod

Our decision was a practical one. The hexapods had the right look for our “security defense” machines within the world of our story, and the team at Lynxmotion were fantastic and willing to work with us on our tight schedule and budget.

How was working with Lynxmotion Hexapods?

I love those little guys! They were easy to manage, worked every time and looked great. When are they going to be able to design costumes?

          

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Here are some features of the Pixy2 compared to its predecessor :

• Faster: 60 frames per second (vs 50 frames per second for Pixy1)
• Smaller: less than half the size of Pixy1
• Cheaper: Pixy2 costs $59 USD (vs $67 USD for Pixy1)
• New “line following” mode: many educational and hobbyist robot makers create robots that follow line paths. Pixy2 has custom algorithms for detecting and tracking lines. It can also decode “road signs”. The road signs can tell your robot what to do like turning right, turning left or slowing down, etc.
• Improved software: Pixy’s software PixyMon is improved by making it more intuitive and responsive. The Arduino and Raspberry Pi libraries have also been revisited by adding more examples, making them easier to understand and extending their functionality
• Redesigned Pan Tilt: The new pan tilt is smaller and faster than the Pixy1 Pan Tilt
• Built-in light source (dual LEDs) for illuminating what Pixy is looking at

Pixy2 Packaging

Pixy2

Pixy2 Pan&Tilt

Pixy2 vs Pixy

Pixy2 and Pixy2 Pan&Tilt can be purchased here :

Charmed Labs Pixy 2 CMUcam5 Image Sensor

Charmed Labs Pan/Tilt Kit for Pixy 2 CMUcam5 Image Sensor

          

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Congratulations to Saildrone which have just raised $60 million in series B funding (May 2018) to continue development and deployment of their autonomous sailing robot. Saildrone launched commercially in 2016 and its current mission is to build and deploy a fleet of 1,000 fully autonomous ocean-capable vessels. They hope to have 200 drones completed by the end of this year. So what exactly are Saildrones?

Although seaworthy autonomous vessels are certainly not new, designs which have successfully crossed oceans and are made to be mass produced are rare. The technology used in its propulsion involves the patented hard wing / sail technology means it does not have a standard propeller and relies on the wind, as has been done for centuries. The use of this wing allows it to cross vast distances with no onboard stored energy, aside from what is needed to reliably power the electronics. In 2014, they set out to  sail around the world without human intervention.

What are Saildrones capable of?

Each 23 foot long drone is equipped with a wide array of sensors, making it incredibly versatile in terms of potential applications. The team foresees these drones being used to monitor both weather and ocean conditions (environmental monitoring) and fish (and shark migration soon enough) all in real time. Missions can last up to 12 months and so far have not required human intervention. The company is also offering the drones for “rental”: for $2,500 a day a drone can be re-tasked based on customer needs. One or more drones which may already have been deployed can be redirected, which greatly reduces the time needed to obtain data. Should a drone not be close by to the target area, one can always be deployed.

Saildrone Data Capabilities

What can Saildrones do?

So what can’t these drones do? Aside from putting themselves into the water, they can pretty much do everything autonomously. The drones have needed a bit of human help in certain situations like being towed out to deeper water for easier deployment, or where the wind is stronger. Humans can also not only obtain sensor data in real time from the drone but also images. Currently, fixed buoys are used for a variety of reasons worldwide from monitoring weather and sea conditions to detecting possible tsunamis. A secondary objective is to use the drones as replacements to manned research vessels, which not only require scientists and sailors, but also food and provisions. This has the effect of greatly reducing the cost of obtaining relevant data, as well as reducing the risk of injury to humans in potentially dangerous situations.

Sources

• www.saildrone.com
• www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2018-05-15/the-robots-roaming-the-high-seas-video
• www.wired.com/2014/02/saildrone/

          

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Why are we competing in Drone Racing?

As explained in the first chapter of this series:

Drone Racing (FPV) involves a mini camera mounted on your drone streaming live video, giving the pilot first person view of the action! This competition involves designing and assembling your own FPV Drones. Using hi spec goggles and a mini camera on top of your drone, whizz around obstacles, LED gates and other competitors as you hurtle towards the finish line! Not only will you learn how to design and build your own drone but you will also master controlling it at speeds of up to 185 Km/h!

By entering the Syndic8 competition, we’ll learn about team management, sponsorship research and negotiation, designing and manufacturing our aircraft, documentation writing and presenting, and of course drone racing!

A quadcopter UAV

Where are we now?

In the previous post, we had only just ordered our equipment but now, they have arrived. Me and two others have been extremely busy these past few days, pulling the circuit together with the motor kit and cameras. We have been working tirelessly over the weekend and staying up late to make sure our drone will be perfect. While the three of us have been working on the circuits, our designer has been working even harder to finish and polish off the final design for our drone frames to be 3D printed as soon as possible.

There’s been a lot of soldering lately for our drone boards

What have we left to do before the Syndic8 competition?

We’re relieved and proud to only have very little left. The frames have yet to be 3D printed but we are sure we will have them ready soon. We are currently finishing up our portfolio that we will print off soon. Once our drones are put together, we will hopefully be putting it through a series of tests both to check for any possible problems (hopefully very few) and to determine who our flyers will be. We’re confident our prototypes will be amazing from the start.

Almost ready to race!

Have we encountered any issues?

Unfortunately, yes. Our biggest issues at the moment are our First Person View (FPV) goggles. Due to an unexpected issue with the suppliers, we probably won’t be able to have our goggles in time for the competition. Luckily, Syndic8 (the entity hosting the competition) have told us that, just in case, they will have some for us.

Our next biggest issue is relatively minor. We have yet to figure out how we will be traveling to the competition. Because the competition will be held on a working day, we need a way to get to the competition and we also have yet to talk to our year head so that we may miss school.

Luckily, those are our only problems. And they should be easy to tackle.

That’s all for now and next time, I will be talking about our experience at the competition and hopefully, how we won in a blaze of glory

[Keep reading – Our Journey in Drone Racing Final Chapter]

          

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