(Left) Burritob0t platform (Right) The bot does not print the tortilla, unfortunately (via Marko Manriquez)
Robots have been showing their love for making food over the past few years like Suzomo’s SushiBot which can pump out thousands of the tasty rolls and the MIT BakeBot that mixes up cookie batter ingredients from scratch. It seems all the major cuisines are being slowly represented from our mechanical friends, but none have the unique technique of printing up delicious burritos like that of Marko Manriquez’s Burritob0t.
The robot uses a Mechatronics/Gantry 3D printing system with RAMPS (RepRap Arduino MEGA Pololu Shield) electronics, based in-part from RepRap’s self-replicating manufacturing machine, as the robots base platform. To actually build a burrito, the robot needs a 3D model representation of the ingredients (cheese and beans) which is done through the use of ReplicatorG software that converts the STL/3D model to GCODE. Once the robot has the converted code, the ingredients are fed into two MakerBot Frostruder MK2 compressed air delivery syringes which pump out ingredients based on the 3D model onto a tortilla.
Marko designed Burritob0t for his thesis project at ITP (Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU) as a way to examine the relationship between fast-food practices (conveyor-belt edibles) and human nutritional habits. While the robot does not actually build a burrito from scratch, it does print up 3D piles of tasty ingredients with digital perfection.
(Left) Technician working on a Foster-Miller robot (Right) Foster-Miller robot platform under repair (via Dave Bullock)
There are unsung heroes out there who have saved countless lives. Like a true superhero, their only response to a those saved is a simple "I'm only doing my job."
The Joint Robotics Repair Detachment (JRRD) keeps the U.S. military's robot armada up and running. Countless lives have been saved using these robots. These bots are almost exclusively tasked with handling IEDs, improvised explosive devices, and other traps and explosives. Without these robots, Operation Enduring Freedom would have casualties beyond comprehension. Thanks to the diverse crew of military and civilian personnel, many still breath today. Some may never even know the bot that saved their life was once before clown up.
Thousands of robots have been repaired throughout the war. One statistic form the JRRD says that within the year of 2009, over 1,800 robots were repaired or upgraded, where 500 were sent back to Afghanistan front line duty. Not only are these robots repaired to 100% operation functionality, but they are done so in the same day. Master Sgt. Ronald L. Helsley (402nd JRRD noncommissioned officer-in-charge) explained, "We repair and maintain all robots in theater, units bring equipment to the shop and if it can be repaired in four hours or less we will do the work and return the equipment to the unit." If the repair cannot be done on schedule, a one-for-one exchange will take place within the time frame. It is that diagnostic eye that will return a bot on a tight schedule, where a minute of delay could mean the cost of a life.
The JRRD handles robots ranging from the single digit pound range to several tons. Repairs are not always for the IED fatality robots. Normal wear and tear find that the bots need replacement treads or wheels, cameras, motors, and faulty electronics. More extreme cases have the repair technicians replacing major portions of the bots, arms, and other mutilated components.
Shawn Wyzlic talking about some of the robots in repair at Camp Victory, Iraq. (Via MilitaryNews)
JRRD is based in Iraq. As the troops return home, their robot counterparts are kept in the fight. Civilian robot technician from Wixom, Michigan, Shawn Wyzlic is based in Iraq, where he is busy prepping robots from their next frontier. Wyzlic explained, "Our primary goal is to maintain the robots we have here [at Camp Victory in Iraq]; our secondary goal is to assist Afghanistan in the transferring of the robot systems from here to over there." Not only are all battle-worn robots repaired, but they are also upgraded to handle the rough terrain of Afghanistan.
"Last week we had a Talon [Foster-Miller robot] blown up. Thank goodness it was a robot. We can lose a million of them, and it's worth it." - JRRD commander Marine Major John Amiss
I was going through my normal websites checking for updates and found this link to online technical books.
They are listing old documents that are no longer covered by copyright laws and they have some very good old classics on the evolution of radio and electronics.
So if you have some holes in your Technical Library give them a look.
Toyota, along with the Illinois Institute of Technology, are innovating on an age-old device, the walking cane. This new version resembles the function of a Segway. With a six-axis accelerometer, it can sense if the user is falling forward or backward and exert power in the appropriate direction to help regain balance. This reaction is also controlled by the grip of the user. A stronger grip results in a stronger push from the wheel of the walking cane. Apart from preventing a fall, Toyota also suggests this robotic walking cane can be used as a tool to "exercise or rehabilitate back muscles that are not usually used by people with back injuries." Toyota even plans on incorporating fingerprint recognition to prevent theft and make this smart cane, that much smarter and impressive. This certainly seems appropriate for the younger elders in the digital age.
The days of the old RC car are certainly fading, especially when you see the RC helicopters and quad-copters showing no constraint to the ground. Like many other RC toys, three new controllable vehicles from Swann allow control via iDevices (iPad, iPod and iPhone). Swann has three new helicopters, the iFly Micro Lightning, the SkyEye and the Black Swann that will grant you this level of fun and more for less than $100.
All three helicopters include dual joystick IR remotes that require 6 AA batteries but can also be controlled using and iDevice with the included attachment and Swann application. They come with lithium batteries that can be recharged from the remotes or with an included USB cable from a PC. They all have Swann’s Easy-fly Gyro Technology, trim adjustment for stabilization to maximize performance during the 8-minute flight allowed by a charge.
For those of you with an agenda, two of the helicopters have onboard wireless cameras that take pictures and video on remote command. The SkyEye includes 512 MB of memory while the Black Swann has space for a 32 GB micro SD card. These two helicopters have 27 MHz frequency controllers that range for 110 ft.
The iFly Micro Lightning goes for $69.99 and the SkyEye and Black Swann sell for $99.99. Added rotors and a helipad game are included for inevitable accidents and to practice before you embark on your first adventure.
Below is an example of the video output of these helicopters. Seems usable.
Kmel Robotics may have one of the best promotions for their future flagship product, the mini quad-copter, via a collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania's GRASP Lab. The demonstration shows a series of synchronized flying patterns. The video gives the illusion of autonomous swam behavior. At the moment, both Kmel and GRASP are not letting out any information on the project.
The University of Pennsylvania researchers Alex Kushleyev, Daniel Mellinger, and Vijay Kumar put these quad-copters to the test. As the video shows, it was a very successful project. Like small remote control helicopters, we all received one Christmas in the past, these quad-copters will have a very limited battery power source. This is the only information released at the moment. As more develops, I will report back immediately.
iZac does not care how attractive you are so do not even attempt to “woohoo” this bartender. iZac is an electrifying machine, the Android Bartender! The barbot was created by Nick Johnson; who was inspired by Evil Mad Scientist Labs’ creation, Drink Making Unit 2.0. Nick was awed by the Drink Making Unit 2.0.; as a follow up, he challenged himself to develop his own version.
If bars own the iZac, would they be able to maintain it without busting their wallets? Nick Johnson took considerable time in determining how the iZac would be able to succeed at its purpose while being easy to maintain. Traditional pumps for the machine are frightfully expensive and impractical. Nick came up with the idea of using a battery powered aquarium pump to pressurize the bottles, lowered the cost and eliminating problems.
The iZac is not plugged straight into an outlet, instead if uses a custom laser-cut pinch-valve designed by Nick Johnson. Pinch valves do not require interrupting the tubing which the liquid flows through. The iZac is food safe. Johnson is determined to bring softdrink style self serve to the local pub.
iZac begins serving a delicious cocktail by choosing a drink from the list provided. You then place your glass onto a scale that measures the amount of liquid that would be appropriate. iZac then activates the aquarium pump and opens the appropriate valve to dispense that liquid gold. Then iZac continues to dispense all the liquid that makes up the drink. Once the barbot is finished dispensing; you take your glass and scream “CHEERS!”
The Nao Robot, part of the MyRobot connected site (Via Nao)
A social network for robots has gone live. MyRobots.com hopes to connect bots and smart web-enabled objects together in a type of "cloud robotics." The goal is to augment devices capabilities by off-loading computation or other task to the "cloud." This pushes robots beyond their physical and software limitations.
Users of the service can create apps to aid in adding to a bot's function. For example, a robot has a camera but does nothing with it but stream video. A cloud based app would give this bot image recognition, navigation, object tracking and the like to that image.
Once the owner's bot is connected to MyRobots.com, it can be monitored via the web, sent commands, return updates, and run custom applications. At the moment only a handful of robots are compatible with the social network. However, Arduino based devices and PCs can connect to the system.
A serial to Ethernet gateway allows most non-connected bots to hop on the network. At $77 USD a piece, connecting various old "dumb-bots" may have to wait.
My question, can a virtual robot connect to MyRobots? If so, can improvements be made to the virtual-bot?
The OWI535 robot ARM is an educational toy manufactured by OWI. The ARM has four degrees of freedom and a gripper. All four joints and the gripper are controlled by small three volt DC motors.
As shown above, normally the robot arm is controlled by a manual wired controller. Each DC motor has two wires coming from it, that plug into an adapter board that then connects to a manual controller. Since both wires from the motor are available on (0.1" headers), hacking the arm is incredibly easy.
RobotSee is a free programming language and part of the Robot Vision Toolkit. RobotSee is as easy as BASIC, with the power of C. Using RobotSee you can write simple graphics based programs for controlling anything over a serial port. The above image shows the RobotSee tool with some RobotSee code in the upper left corner and the graphic application controlling the arm in the lower corner. Using RobotSee you can easily customize your graphics application to look however you want.
A simple Graphics Application Used to Control the Arm via the TI Launchpad and Six Pack
The above graphic application allows the user to control four of the five motors by simply clicking on the up or down arrows. Click the arrow start the motor, clicking the red box stops the motor. This graphic application was written in 30 minutes using RobotSee.
EMGRobotics SixPack Booster plugged into TI Launchpad
The SixPack Booster from EMGRobotics plugs into the TI Launchpad and can be used to control up to six small DC motors. The TI Launchpad is a $4.30 development system similar to the Arduino. The TI Launchpad has made a big mark in the hobbyist/DIY industry by being a very low cost, high quality development board. The TI Launchpad is supported by a large Wiki, and a huge amount of projects. The TI Launchpad includes a built-in USB to serial converter. This creates a virtual COM port on your PC whenever the TI Launchpad is plugged in.
The Six Pack Booster plugs into the TI Launchpad and up to six low power DC motors. The direction of each DC motor can be controlled independently, using two signals each from the Launchpad. The motor drivers are FAN8200's. Each FAN8200 can control two DC motors. The Six Pack is ideal for use with 3 volt motors. The FAN8200's can be used with 6 volt motors but that is close to the limit of the FAN8200's capabilities. The three volt motors used in the OWI535 ARM are ideal for the Six Pack board.
The firmware for the EMGRobotics Six Pack is free and Open Source. You can modify it to do whatever you would like. You can add digital or analog sensors, you can add buttons, you can even add more TI Launchpads using I2C. robotSee is also free, and can be downloaded from here: www.buildsmartrobots.com. The RX and TX lines on the launchpad are available. Simply remove the USB to serial RX/TX jumpers and you can control the robot arm from any 3.3 volt TTL controller (add a resistor divider yo use with Arduino).
Control your OWI535 using any software that can send character through the serial port. You can control the arm using C, C++, .NET, C# or Python. You can even manually control the arm using hyperterminal.
Scientists at MIT’s Chembots program have just introduced a self-contained, self-propelling robot. The gimmick of this bot is to house its power cell and locomotion mechanism all in it structural housing. This automaton, or self-operating machine or mechanism, is made up of silicone bladders and moves with the aid of a pneumatic battery. This battery uses hydrogen peroxide catalyst reaction that helps maintain a stable pressure inside the robots on-board pressure vessel. The reaction inflates the soft silicone pod, in turn forcing the robot forward. All it takes is a small current to go through built in valves, which are regulated with onboard electropermanent magnets.
How the battery works.
Valve cross-section.
Although the slow walk of this bot may not be enough to impress the projects funders, DARPA and Boeing, the valve system might be. The main focus in the experiment was to create flexible, and controllable, movement.
As we prepare for wars fought with robots, it is comforting to know that at least half of the people fighting will be safe at home. The US army's Long Distance Tele-Operation (LDTO) system allows for military robots to be controlled at any distance using cellular radio and secure web portals. That is right, a person from their home living room can operate a bot on the other side of the globe.
The LDTO was developed at the US military's Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Centre (TARDEC). The interface for the remote operators is designed to mimic the standard control systems used in today's standard line-of-sight ground robot interface. An Electrical Engineer in the project, Ty Valashcho, explained, "While UAS are flying in theater, they're being controlled from here [The Ground Vehicle Robotics (GVR) Systems Integration Laboratory]. Our task within GVR was to see if we could get that capability working and be able to drive it using all in-house assets."
The biggest challenge for the LDTO system comes from Internet latency. The unpredictable nature of the connection could give single digit millisecond response time, or several seconds. Valascho continued, "If the robot's moving at full speed and you're trying to negotiate around something, even a half-second delay can make a huge difference. Latency is a problem, and the fact that we're going over the Internet adds another challenge, because it's not constant latency. This is a variable latency, so sometimes the delays are very great and sometimes there's very little delay. We're trying different techniques to minimize the effect on the user."
Like in competitive video games, the latency (ping time) can make all the difference in a real-time situation. If anyone has watched the film "The Hurt Locker," they will understand how valuable keeping people out of harm's way can truly be.
From the creators of BigDog and AlphaDog comes the most advanced humanoid robot to date, the Protection Ensemble Test Mannequin (PETMAN). This bot is designed to move with the same limitations of the human body. PETMAN was designed to be of average weight and size, at just under 6' tall it weighs 180 pounds. Even though this bot costs $26.3 million USD, funding from DARPA, its supposed will make all the development feel like a waste.
PETMAN was designed to test military uniforms. The bot simulates breathing, temperature, sweating, with a full range of human motion and can maintain its own balance just to make sure the BDUs of the troops fit? I am dubious of their claim. The bot's creating company, Boston Dynamics, stated that PETMAN may be used in hazardous areas and environments like floods, Fukushima, etc. A common claim for most advanced robotics.
The immediate question, will it be weaponized? Unfortunately, it is too expensive versus human soldiers to be a replacement. However it does mark the first step towards truly useful humanoid robots.
I remember seeing the original PETMAN prototype a few years ago. The project has come a long way.
If the future is all about robots, will there be robot bugs? UC Berkeley has created and designed a “bot," if you will, that may be the first of the bug infestation, named Clash. This little guy is 10 centimeters long and weighs only 15 grams. Clash is a vertical and horizontal climbing robot that, due to his small and lightweight structure, is very quick on his six robotic legs. He just may be one of the fastest climbing bug-bots in existence. He is able to move upwards at 24 centimeters per second as long as the material he is climbing is cloth. Whether it be your clothes, your bed comforter, your couch or whatever your imagination can dig up….it looks like it would be entertaining!
Clash’s front four legs have small claws that grip the material while the two back legs provide direction and stabilization. The claws could be swapped with sticky feet, made with "Gecko Tape," so it can climb most surfaces. You will be surprised by the get up and go of this lively little bot! (see video)
Clash is the next-gen version of Berkeley's "Dash" robot. Aside from Clash, the climbing version of Dash, the team also made a flying configuration named "Dash+Wings." Taking the idea further, they made "BOLT," a cot that can walk and then fly. It is only a matter of time before we see the "Dash-Bolt -Clash+Wings," I have no doubt.
Sometimes we cannot even spare 5 minutes to read an article, let alone 10 to watch a video.
Here is the article's highlight:
● Tim Hemmes, a paralyzed volunteer, was able to move a robotic arm via electrodes directly connected to his brain.
● Researchers in the project plan on piecing the brain to get a better reading, and using multiple sensors.
● The study was conducted at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute.
For those who do have time, continue below:
“I put my heart and soul into everything they asked me to do. I got to reach out and touch somebody for the first time in seven years.” - Tim Hemmes, who was paralyzed after a motorcycle accident.
Tim Hemmes was part of a ground-breaking experiment at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute. The researchers applied an electrocortigraphy (ECoG) grid of electrodes directly on a section of Hemmes brain. Through the use of thought, Hemmes could move a robotic arm and high-five his girlfriend. (See the heartwarming video above.)
On August 25th, UPMC neurosurgeon Elizibeth Tyler-Kabara placed the grid on his brain in about 2 hours. She explained the operation, "Before the procedure, we conducted several functional imaging tests to determine where his brain processed signals for moving his right arm. We removed a small piece of his skull and opened the thick layer of protective dura mater beneath it to place the grid over that area of motor cortex. We then put the dura and skull back with the wires on the outside of the skull but under the scalp.” Dr. Tyler-Kabara routed all the ECoG wires down to exit through Hemmes chest for connection to the various computers.
For 6 days a week, over the course of 4 weeks, Hemmes was tested and monitored. The first tests were for Hemmes to navigate and move virtual objects. After some time of watching a virtual avatar move an arm, he learned what he needed to think of to move everything properly. After a short time, he move virtual objects around the screen fairly accurately. However, it was not a "think of your arm moving, and it will move its arm" type of control. Instead, he would think of his thumb moving, that would signify move left, and move an elbow is meant for move right.
Assistant professor and co-principal investigator Wei Wang explained, "He mentally associated specific motor imageries with desired movement direction. It required concentration and patience, but this process seemed to get easier for him with practice, just like when someone learns to drive a car with a manual transmission. In future studies, we also will test other approaches, including the participant simply thinking up for up, down for down, and so on.”
After eight sessions, Hemmes was able to move the ball in three dimensions on a 3D television. This movement technique was applied to a robotic arm built by John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. The rest is explained in the following video.
The next step for the research team is a 10-by-10 array of electrode points that pierce the brain and seek to monitor 100 different neurons (points go in about 0.1" ~2.54mm). This device will attempt to monitor the area of the brain that is responsible for hand movement. Co-principal investigator, Professor Andrew Schwartz explained the goal, "We anticipate that these penetrating grids can pick up very clear signals from the brain to reveal what motion is intended by the participant. The second grid will allow us to see what might be possible in controlling the fine movement of the fingers and hand, which is far more complicated but also could offer more useful function for the participant.”
The penetrating grid is already showing good results in live monkey testing. One monkey was able to move a robotic arm to grab and feed itself a marshmallow treat.
Furthermore, the team plans to investigate the use of sensors, possible on the robotic arm, to send feedback to the operator's brain. They also plan on exploring a way to bypass failed injuries to stimulate the muscle fibers in hand and arms. They are not the only ones with this idea.
Unfortunately, Tim Hemmes had the device removed from the skull after the 30-day trial. Whether he will be part of phase two or not is unsure. I will be sure to follow this research.
Eavesdropper
There are many new developments in electroencephalography (EEG), the recording of electrical activity of the brain.
RED cameras are widely known to have changed the film industry due to their high level of quality for an extremely low price. The price, $7,000 for the cheapest model, has enabled many independent film makers to produce cinema quality films for many years. The up and coming major Hollywood films The Amazing Spider-Man, The Hobbit, and Avatar 2 will use RED cameras.
A new accessory for RED cameras may now make boom-crane and other equipment in the film industry obsolete. Berlin based OMSTUDIOS has just announced their RED Epic camera remote controlled drone, the OM-Copter. The heart of the bot is a octo-copter, a custom-designed 8-propeller based helicopter with controllable camera gimbals. This is not the first time a camera has been put on a flying robot, but it is the first time that the camera is this level professional grade. The Om-Copter can reach a height of 150 meters in 15 minutes but is limited to the actual range the wireless signals can reach (typically 100 meters).
OMSTUDIO stated that the days of cranes and real helicopter usage for filming are numbered. I like the fact that independent film makers have the opportunity to achieve a shot they never could without renting some contraption. However, no price has been mentioned for the OM-Copter. I will have to hold my accolades for later.
