ROBOTs TECHNOLOGY: Electronic for Robot

Showing posts with label Electronic for Robot. Show all posts

Wednesday, 30 September 2015

Explore Virtual Reality with Leap Motion 3D Motion Controller

10:59 Telli k No comments

Have you heard of augmented reality or virtual reality? As wikipedia puts it, augmented reality (AR) is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data.

There is a lot of research and products coming out on the market at the moment that can enhance the users perception of reality. The 3D motion controller by Leap Motion is one of them.

You now have the chance to try one of these products, since for a limited time only, the Leap Motion 3D Motion Controller is $10 Off. This promotion will run through 10/25 so don’t miss it.

The Leap Motion 3D Motion Controller uses multiple cameras and infrared light to detect hand motions in3D space – tracking the movement of both hands and all 10 fingers with incredible speed and precision. Just plug the Leap Motion Controller into your computer, download the software, and launch the Leap Motion SDK to get started.

Here are the main features of the Leap Motion controller:

Enables you to operate a computer with hand movements
Tracks all 10 fingers up to 1/100th of a millimeter
Senses 8 cubic feet of interactive, three-dimensional space
Tracks movements at a rate of over 200FPS
SDK in six programming languages

Leap Motion has an active developer community where you can create, share, and discover a wide variety of open-source integrations, cool projects and fun hacks. Makers and hardware hackers can use the tracking data to control almost anything – from flying drones or manipulating robotic arms, to LEDs and 3D printers.

You can also integrate your Leap Motion Controller with an Arduino, attach it to a head-mounted display like the Oculus Rift, or drive a remote-controlled car over Wi-Fi. With the new raw image pass-through and head-mounted tracking software capabilities, you can literally reach into virtual and augmented realities, where the possibilities are truly endless.

Benefit from this promotion in order to start exploring virtual reality with the Leap Motion 3D Controller today.

iRobot 510 PackBot®

06:38 Telli k No comments

the Multi-mission Robot
Modular, adaptable and expandable, the iRobot 510 PackBot can perform bomb disposal, surveillance and reconnaissance, CBRN detection and HazMat handling operations. Quickly configured based on mission needs, PackBot easily climbs stairs and navigates narrow passages with sure-footed efficiency, relaying real-time video, audio and sensor data while the operator stays at a safer, standoff distance.

For more information click here.

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New cockroach robot

06:26 Telli k No comments

If something looks like a cockroach and behaves like a cockroach – well, don’t be so sure. It could be a Russia-created miniature robot which can spy and find people trapped under debris. Scientists say this is the smallest roach robot ever.
Russian scientists from the Kaliningrad-based Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University have presented a prototype of a 100-percent machine cockroach robot that they have developed for a company whose name hasn’t been disclosed.

For more information click here.

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Halluc IIx

06:17 Telli k No comments

Foto: Seiji Mizuno

The concept of Halluc II, model 2 of the Hallucigenia project, is a future vehicle that can co-exists with natural environment. It features a newly developed ultra-multi-motored system with 56 motors, which makes traveling on unpaved surfaces possible and eliminates the need for paving.

For more information click here.

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iRobot VS RobotShop

07:56 Telli k No comments

Customers frequently ask us why buy a Roomba from RobotShop?

If you’re considering buying a Roomba Robot Vacuum, You may ask yourself why buy from RobotShop over the manufacturer, iRobot? So here are the reasons:

Why Buy From RobotShop

You can find more information on the RobotShop 5 year warranty here.

If you have questions concerning this product. Do not hesitate to contact us.

Nimble Microrobots in Building Structures

06:54 Telli k No comments

Over the past year or two, we've seen all kinds of creative robots and robot teams that are learning how to build things. Recently, we've highlighted Harvard's TERMES Project, and we're particular fans of this robot that builds ramps by tossing thousands of toothpicks and glue into a giant random pile.

SRI International has also been developing construction robots, but on a much smaller scale, with swarms of magnetically actuated microrobots that can work together to build macro-scale structures.

For more information click here.

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Robots Build Large Structures With Brick and Concrete

06:06 Telli k No comments

Image: Fastbrick Robotics

It’s expensive to make things. Making food, making furniture, making electronics, making cars… It’s all a lot of time consuming labor requiring a variety of skilled and semi-skilled labor. Industrial robots have been very successful at taking over some of the semi-skilled stuff in structured environments like factories, but other than in a few art projects, it’s relatively new to see industrial arms doing productive things out in the world, like laying bricks.

Fastbrick Robotics has been working for about a decade to refine the bricklaying robot that you can sort-of-but-not-really see in the above pic.. This animation gives a much better sense of how it works:

For more information click here.

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Trash Hauling Robots Are Cool, But Do We Really Need Them?

11:07 Telli k No comments

Volvo Group is partnering with Chalmers University of Technology and Mälardalen University in Sweden, Penn State University, and Renova (a Swedish waste recycling company) to “develop a robot that interacts with the refuse truck and its driver to accomplish the work.” The concept image above shows some mobile manipulators capable of lifting heavy loads and dynamically navigating (and balancing) in an unstructured environment.

For more information click here.

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FlowBotics Studio App Contest 2015

11:05 Telli k No comments

Let’s Make Robots

This is the first of many contests which RobotShop will organize on Let’s Make Robots (L.M.R.). In August, RobotShop.com announced the acquisition of Let’s Make Robots (LMR), a website that brings together the world’s largest community of robot makers and enthusiasts. RobotShop is proud to support and encourage this community, so this first contest is specifically for members of Let’s Make Robots. If you’re not already a member of LMR but want to participate in the contest, joining LMR is free!

FlowBotics Studio

This contest involves using FlowBotics Studio to create a popular (stand-alone) robot-related software application (“App”). Don’t have FlowBotics Studio? Don’t worry! If you have been a member on LMR for over 6 months, then you can register and get FlowBotics Studio – Download ($40 USD value) absolutely free! If you’ve been on LMR for less than 6 months, or are a new member, you can register for the contest and get FlowBotics Studio – Download at half price. Rules Create a new stand-alone App using FlowBotics Studio Provide the FlowBotics Studio (.fbs) program used to create the App App should be “new” and not simply add a bit of functionality to an existing app App must be in the form of a .exe file (exported from FBS) If malware is found, entry is disqualified If the App is found to have been plagiarized without credit to the original creator, it will be disqualified. The App should contain at least 50% new material; it can build upon existing apps, or reuse aspects from existing apps. * Selecting Winners The jury (see registration for details) will select the winners according to the points system (maximum 20 points) described below.
Description	Points
Implemented and useful features & functions	1 – 8
Use of custom interface elements (images / Ruby, etc.)	0 – 3
Can interface with many different hardware platforms	0 – 3
Visual appeal and ease of use of the interface	0 – 3
Simplicity of the app code / modules / links	0 – 3
Bonus points
Can interface with Arduino (with an appropriate sketch provided with submission)	0 – 1
Submitted before Sunday, November 1st	0 – 1
Deadlines
Contest starts	Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Registration deadline	Thursday, October 1 2015
FlowBotics Studio coupons will be sent by e-mail on	Friday, October 2 2015
App submission deadline is	Sunday, December 6, 2015

Members who have been registered on LMR for at least 6 months can register for this contest and receive FlowBotics Studio ($40 USD value) FREE. Members who are new to LMR and register for the competition will receive 50% off. For all deadlines, the cut off is at midnight (EDT) on that day. Help / Support Feel free to ask any questions related to the challenge here in the comments below. If you need more information on FlowBotics Studio, you can check out the Developer Zone here. We also recommend reading the user guide, the component reference manual and checkout the example robotic apps that come with the software. There is also information on the FlowBotics studio support forum that you may find helpful and can help solve many common issues quickly. If you are curious about what is curently offered on the RobotShop App Store, you can have a look here. If you have more questions concerning the App Store, you can read the FAQ here. App Ideas Basic Arduino interface as IO board (ex: using Firmata) Will require sample code (sketch) to be uploaded to Arduino Rover interface (control buttons and two-way communication via serial port) Arrows to control the motion Receive sensor data 2D or 3D “map app” using pan/tilt and distance sensor (IR, laser, etc.) Simple interface for time lapse camera rig Interface with MyRobot.com Automated camera slider (ex: time lapse) Registration You can register for the competition and to obtain the FlowBotics Software coupon code by contacting us via the LMR contact us form. Note that we will only send the coupon codes once the contestant has been verified and apologize in advance for any delay. You can request (or nominate someone else from the LMR community) to be a member of the jury by submitting a ticket to the LMR department via the contact us form. To submit a project, you must create a robot project page on LMR and then link to it in the comments section of the contest (on the LMR website) before the submission deadline (Sunday, December 6, 2015). You can give your post whatever name you want, but when you submit it as a comment here, please give the comment the title “FBS Contest Entry: Project Name” (Project Name changed to the name of your project) so it is easy to find, and include a short description of your app and its main features. The more detailed the description the easier it will be to assign more points to the entry appropriately! Prizes RobotShop is offering the following to the winners in the form of RobotShop in-store credit: First Prize $500 Second Prize $300 Third Prize $150 Additional Details Only members of LMR can participate in this contest, so if you’re not a member, then join – it’s FREE after all! The coupon codes for the software will be emailed to all eligible registered user on Friday, October 2 2015. This coupon code can be used on the RobotShop website to purchase the FlowBotics Studio software for free or at 50% rebate depending on the code used. If the App is made public (for sale) via the RobotShop App Store, source material will be taken offline. If you already had FlowBotics Studio, no additional credit will be provided in place of the 50% off for < 6mo or free FlowBotics software for > 6mo. If you were already working on an App using FlowBotics Studio, you can certainly submit it. Multiple entries per contestant will be accepted. For example if you want to submit an App but with different aesthetics or layout, one may get more points than another. * We do understand this is subjective, but in the spirit of this contest, the objective is to create something new, and not just change a few colors. If you’re not sure if the app you’re working on is sufficiently different than something which already exists, then there’s no need to ask – it more than likely is and more work should be done to make it different. In order for the App to be accepted for sale via the RobotShop App Store, RobotShop staff will contact the creator and may request and help with specific changes such as implementing a license system. All apps created for this contest remain the full intellectual property of their creators/publishers. Apps will only be published on our app store if the creator wishes so and with approval of RobotShop. The prize money is completely free of any future requirements from the app creators and is offered to help promote this contest and participation.

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Sensors You Can Swallow

07:04 Telli k No comments

The future of ingestible sensors could be a cross between silicon-based circuitry and biodegradable materials, with batteries made of nutrients and running on stomach juices.

That, at least, is the vision of Christopher Bettinger, assistant professor of materials science and biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. His group is working on edible electronics and ways to power them.

For more information click here.

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Fixing Flaky LCD Monitor with ESR Meter

17:44 Telli k No comments

My Dell E2210H LCD monitor was really wonky.

Powering up from sleep, it would only occasionally come back to life, usually after resetting itself several times.

More often, it would power off or go into power saving mode, leaving the front panel buttons inoperative.

Occasionally it would reset or power off while operating normally.

Here's how I fixed it, using my DIY ESR test harness to find a bad capacitor without desoldering.

You can find disassembly videos and tutorials out on the web specific to your monitor. Remember, safety is your responsibility so please learn how to safely deal with dangerous high voltages, how to safely discharge capacitors, etc.

Low voltage drop; low ESR.

Meanwhile, after disassembling, I used my Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) Test Harness to identify bad aluminum electrolytic power supply capacitors.

The device sends a 1.0 Vp-p, 1kHz - 250kHz square wave through a capacitor on the board while the oscilloscope displays voltage drop across the capacitor.

You turn on the ESR harness, connect Channel 1 to the Probe BNC and Channel 2 to the Trigger BNC.

Then touch the red/black probes to the positive/negative capacitor terminals while they are on the board. Which is nice; you don't have to desolder every cap.

High voltage drop; high ESR.

The harness incorporates a voltage divider, so you can compute ESR based on voltage drop and the harness' series resistance.

But usually it's really obvious when you find a bad capacitor.

What you should see is a very low voltage drop across the capacitor as pictured above right.

A capacitor with overly high ESR will drop far less voltage as shown below right.

And that is just what I found on one of the 100uF supply capacitors on the main driver board for the LCD. The rest of the capacitors tested ok.

The bad cap looked fine but tested bad.

The test harness I built uses a 6.8 ohm series resistor so the ESR is computed as:

Normal ESR for good capacitors of similar size are orders of magnitude less than that.

With such a high ESR, the capacitor was slowly charging and discharging, likely confusing whatever circuit or MCU was controlling the main power.

After replacing the capacitor with a good one, the monitor works normally, as expected. All with a minimum of work and the very low cost of a capacitor.

Admittedly, I somehow missed the bad capacitor the first time I tested so I ended up buying a power supply board. Now I have a spare. Oops.