Robots becoming useful...

SpaceNut · 2021-03-31 18:39:27

Alien suit but it sure would take care of the person in it.

https://youtu.be/3ldJswGpkjY

tahanson43206 · 2021-06-19 13:01:50

The link below takes the reader to an article about consumer grade (just barely) robotic equipment...

https://makezine.com/2015/09/25/makerco … ins-braun/

I am posting the link here so I can find it easily (or somewhat easily) in the future.

Hopefully there is a forum reader who might be interested in the products described as well.

I am interested in developing a robot application, having tested a crude mockup using cobbled together components.

The crude prototype definitely confirms my intuition that a machine could assist with the specific task I have in mind, but it ** also ** confirmed that my vision of how the system would work was woefully inadequate.

In case anyone else ** is ** interested in practical applications of consumer grade robotic equipment, here are some search terms:

SearchTerm:Robot arm
SearchTerm:Consumer grade robotics equipment (Under $2000 US)
SearchTerm:Arm robot

https://www.smashingrobotics.com/an-ove … ts-part-2/

The link above is to an article about mid-range robot kits, able to lift significant mass and extend significant distances.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2021-06-22 18:22:14

From a tech journal ...

Robot picks mushrooms, cuts stems like humans
Marie Donlon | June 03, 2021
A team from Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences has developed a robotic mechanism for automating the picking and cutting of button mushrooms.
To automate the harvesting of button mushrooms, the team built a prototype that picks and trims the mushrooms in a shelf-growing system.
Source: Penn State
Designed to work in conjunction with a machine vision system, the mushroom-picking mechanism replicates the hand-picking process associated with this crop, which is a labor intensive task that requires the identification of mature mushrooms and the ability to both detach mushrooms and remove stems.
As such, the prototype features a suction-cup mechanism for grabbing and inspecting the mushroom cap for bruising, a picking end-effector, a 4-degree-of-freedom positioning end-effector for moving the picking end-effector, a stem trimming end-effector and an electro-pneumatic control system.
If developed, the mushroom-picking mechanism could be used to fill worldwide labor shortages, particularly in the agricultural industry.
The prototype is detailed in the journal Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

Mars will need a ** lot ** of robots like this to feed its population.

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SpaceNut · 2021-06-26 16:13:36

A need to send any and all avenues to aid in rescue.

tahanson43206 · 2021-11-03 11:39:43

A relative sent a picture of a small delivery robot going about it's business on a college campus...

The article at the link below reports on the success of the venture that produced the machine ...

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus- … b9a33d5e1c

But robots don’t always cost delivery jobs. In some cases, they help create them. Before Starship’s robots arrived, Bowling Green didn’t offer delivery from campus dining spots. Since then, it has hired more than 30 people to serve as runners between kitchens and robots, Bowling Green dining spokesman Jon Zachrich said.
Brendan Witcher, a technology analyst with the consulting firm Forrester, says it’s easy to get excited about the Jetsons-like possibility of robot delivery. But ultimately, robots will have to prove they create an advantage in some way.
“It’s possible that we see this emerge into something else,” he said. “But it’s the right time and place for companies considering robots to test them and learn from them and do their own evaluation.”

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SpaceNut · 2021-11-03 19:42:00

McDonalds did the same thing when they put in the self order systems with the card pay on them. It reduced the people at the counter to take the order plus money to needing them in the kitchen to make the food quicker.

SpaceNut · 2021-11-22 08:08:27

100 Years of Robots: How Technology – And Our Lives – Have Changed AAQYAFw.img?h=416&w=799&m=6&q=60&u=t&o=f&l=f

Some of this falls in automation, probes and not robotics just computer controlled

tahanson43206 · 2021-12-24 18:51:06

The article at the link below describes a snow removal machine that comes close to matching my vision for a teleoperation system...

The price of just under $4,000 (USD) is about right .... I'd like to see this system operable using 5G(4G in my case) from the comfort of home.

Bryan Hood
Thu, December 23, 2021, 6:30 PM
It can be magical to wake up and discover it snowed all night. That is, until you have to find your shovel and clear a pathway to your driveway.
Luckily, thanks to Hanyang Robotics you may never have to do the arduous task again. That’s because the company has just introduced Snowbot S1, an autonomous snowblower that can clear a path through up to 12 inches of snow so you don’t have to.
<snip>
The Snowbot S1 works like any other snowblower with one key (and extremely appealing) difference—you don’t have to push it. Instead, all you need to do is set up three beacons and a receiving terminal around the area that needs to be cleared and then use the companion smartphone app to set the machine on its way. The robot is able to clear up to 1.3 feet of snow per second with its hard rubber auger and can operate for an hour and a half on a single charge, allowing it to clear up to 1,500 square feet of snow. It’s also equipped with a LIDAR sensor to help it avoid obstacles and it throws snow up to 12 feet away so you don’t have to worry about it accidentally covering the area it just cleared.

That may sound too good to be true, but Hanyang Robotics has shared video of the robot in action. In the clip, you can see that, despite the machine’s relatively compact size, it can cut through the snow with ease. Or at least with a lot more ease than it would take you to accomplish the same task.
If you live in an area where snow drifts are just part of winter, it’s hard not to be intrigued by Snowbot S1, even if it will cost $3,599 when it launches next fall. You won’t have to wait until then to get your hands on the snowblower, though. The company is currently accepting applications for beta testers right now. And with winter now officially upon us, we’d sign up sooner than later.

SpaceNut · 2021-12-24 20:33:03

I believe you put forth that vary question of how to make snow blowing robotic-ally for a side walk snow removal.

http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=9678

and this post
http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 16#p187816

tahanson43206 · 2021-12-24 21:29:32

For SpaceNut re #34

Thank you for remembering that I've been talking about a teleoperation system for snow removal for a few weeks, as the snow season approaches.

The machine described in Post #33 is NOT remotely operated. Instead, the designers have gone for the full robotic option.

They ** must ** have thought about who their customers might be, and they ** must ** have concluded their customers would be similar to or perhaps the same as those who now buy robotic lawn mowers and robotic vacuum cleaners.

I can understand the logic, if you (a manufacturer) are selling to home owners with driveways that need to be cleared.

A robotic solution would certainly be attractive to that customer, and a teleoperation system would NOT be attractive.

The subset of potential customers ** I ** am thinking about are city dwellers, where home owners are responsible for clearing the walks in front of their homes in the downtown urban environment.

In ** that ** environment, for safety reasons alone, I cannot imagine anyone investing in a pure robotic solution.

The risk of injury to passers-by is too great for any sensible person to consider.

(th)

SpaceNut · 2021-12-27 10:21:09

Here is your product in the news.

Snowbot Is The Autonomous Driveway-Clearing Snow Blower Of Your Dreams

This snow removal friend lives at your house and like a loyal dog, it will do whatever you ask of it, as long as it has enough charge, and falls within the agreed upon boundary area. The S1 features 1.5 hours of run time and can handle up to 12.0-inches of snow in a single pass. This single-stage style snow blower uses a clever algorithm to plan exactly where it should throw the snow to clear your driveway.

tahanson43206 · 2021-12-27 10:42:41

For SpaceNut re #36

Thanks for the link to that report! Nice!

Based on the video footage, the Snowbot S1 certainly knows how to efficiently clear a driveway of snow. If you think this robot ally would be a good fit for your home Snowbol is in the process of getting beta testers to use the Snowbot S1 so be sure to sign up.
Source: Snowbot
Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

As you can see from the report, this configuration falls short of the requirements I have specified for an urban application.

However, I decided to post the notice about beta testers in case a NewMars member might live far enough North to actually see snow this season. I am doubtful we will see any at the latitude here.

That said, the high temperature yesterday fell well short of the record for this date.

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SpaceNut · 2021-12-29 20:00:50

tahanson43206 wrote:

For SpaceNut re #24 and support of topic ...
Thanks for these interesting links, and for your support of this topic!
Here is a report that just showed up on my Internet feed ... the AI must know I'm looking for snow removal equipment ... (not that there is much chance of snow here).
Remote control electric vehicle has snow removal attachment ...
This is definitely a step in the direction I'd like to see! It saves money by requiring assembly at home.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/meet-cy … 00309.html
The coolest part, though, has to be the CyBlower. This nifty attachment, which is still in development, can be mounted to the CyberKat’s trailer hitch to help blow away snow in a snap. Think of it as a snowblower on wheels that you can control from the comfort of your living room. You can also use the hitch to pull a wagon or wheeled cooler, for instance. To top it off, the CyberKat is fitted with light bars like the original Cybertruck that give it a futuristic feel.
The CyberKat starts at $1,299, but you’ll need to fork out an additional $120 for the electronics kit to power it and another $80 for the optional radio. The first models are currently estimated to start shipping in January or February 2022, which means the CyberKat will likely beat the Cybertruck to market. (Tesla’s truck is due to arrive sometime next year.)
And while it won’t set you back as much as the recently announced Snowbot, the kicker is that you will have to build this beast yourself. Hey, there’s nothing like a good DIY project to kick off the new year.
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SpaceNut · 2021-12-30 10:44:53

Mars_B4_Moon wrote:

Robot Startup project to Clear Snow...but can it also Clear Mars Dust?
'A Cybertruck-Inspired Remote-Controlled EV Could Help You Clear Snow'
https://interestingengineering.com/a-cy … clear-snow
helps you clear snow during heavy winters.

tahanson43206 · 2021-12-30 10:54:18

It is good to see this "Cybertruck" inspired device showing up in the "Robots becoming useful..." topic.

As reported earlier, in another topic, the end point I would like to see for these remote controlled vehicle systems is Virtual Reality operation.

The device reported in Post #39 is NOT VR controlled. It is (currently) limited to line-of-sight radio control, like a model airplane.

Where I would like to see development proceed is toward full Virtual Reality remote control, with full video and audio delivered from the remote equipment.

This expectation applies directly to Mars.

We already have this concept fully realized in military drones, so it is just a matter of adjusting to the cost structure of civilian applications.

Fortunately, massive investment in smart phones provides a realistic low cost scenario for civilian tele-operatied equipment.

If anyone in the current active NewMars membership runs across a report of development along these lines, I would be happy to see it!

***
In addition, if anyone in the NewMars readership is inspired to start a company to tap the potential teleoperations market, please contact NewMarsMember at the NewMars portal to report your intentions. I'll be happy to pass your message along, even if you prefer not to become a member of the forum.

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SpaceNut · 2021-12-30 11:13:38

That means adding a camera and more logic interface to allow for a higher level of communications to the device being operated. That means GPS needs to be added plus other features to allow for tele-robitic application.

tahanson43206 · 2021-12-30 11:19:37

For SpaceNut re #41

Thanks (very much) for your interest in and support of this topic!

Your Post #41 describes a modern Smart Phone ... even a low end Android smart phone is able to perform all the functions needed for remote operation.

The device can communicate to the operator via 4G or 5G network (even 3G if that is all that is available).

The device can communicate to the machine via Bluetooth.

It can provide video and audio and GPS information to the operator, and it can provide machine control commands to the machine.

The smart phone can even take readings of machine state (via Bluetooth).

All this is possible using a smart phone that a user already has, or a new one can be secured for about $100 (USD).

Thanks again for picking up on this business opportunity!

(th)

SpaceNut · 2021-12-30 11:22:25

All it needs is the interface app to control the functions an featured via the main control unit through the blue tooth communications path to be added to the packet of information being exchanged.

tahanson43206 · 2021-12-30 12:04:26

For SpaceNut re #43

Thank you for your vision of how the VR remote controlled system would work!

We just need to find an entrepreneur willing to take the risk of funding development, and marketing to find the right audience. I suspect that the audience exists, because the folks who are offering the "Cypertruck" clone appear to think such a market exists. They are approaching it more cautiously, by offering a kit. if the market works among kit builders, it may exist in the much larger population of wealthy people who want snow cleared without leaving the house. Such persons can hire the work done, and at present, most do. The sweet spot is the subset who like the idea of having a robot available on a moment's notice. A human contractor can certainly do the job, but on snow day they are over-booked, and otherwise their equipment is sitting idle.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2022-01-04 19:26:36

Here's an update on John Deere's ongoing development of remotely controlled autonomous agricultural equipmment.

This one appears to be all electric ...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technolo … hp&pc=U531

The model that Deere is showing off combines a Deere 8R Tractor, a TruSet-enabled chisel plow and the secret sauce contained within its navigation technology. It says that all a farmer needs to do is drive it to the start of a field, configure it for autonomous operation and then “swipe from left to right to start the machine.” Its progress can then be monitored from a mobile device, which can receive live video, data and metrics, allowing a farmer to adjust speed and drill depth from their phone.
We don't yet know how much the hardware is going to cost, but we can imagine that there will be plenty of interest from major farming companies both in the US and abroad as they look to cut costs on labor and search for efficiencies any way that they can.

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Mars_B4_Moon · 2022-01-09 15:59:20

Another news update on the farming topic

John Deere unveils fully autonomous 8R tractor

https://www.agriculture.com/news/techno … 8r-tractor

'While it works, a farmer can leave the field to focus on other tasks, yet still monitor the machine remotely from a mobile device.'

tahanson43206 · 2022-01-10 18:29:02

tahanson43206 wrote:

Mars Society Announces Telerobotic Mars Expedition Design Competition
The Mars Society is pleased to announce the launching of a new global contest to design a telerobotic Mars expedition. There will be a prize of $10,000 for first place, $5,000 for second, $2,500 for third, $1,000 for fourth, and $500 for fifth. In addition, the best 20 papers will be published in a new Mars Society book “Telerobotic Mars Expeditions: Exploring the Red Planet with Platoons of Robots.”
An essential requirement for any human Mars exploration mission is a system capable of landing payloads of 10 metric tons or more on the Martian surface. Such systems could first be demonstrated by being used to deliver expeditions consisting of platoons of robots, including wheeled or treaded ground rovers, helicopters, airplanes, balloons, or other types of flight vehicles, and legged robots, including those in humanoid, cat-like, or insectoid forms. Expeditions of this type could return scientific bonanzas while preparing Mars landing sites for human arrival.
The challenge of the Telerobotic Mars Expedition Design Competition (TMEDC) is to design the best such mission using a 10-ton payload Mars lander.
TMEDC teams should assume the existence of a lander capable of delivering a 10 metric ton payload to the surface of the Red Planet. Participating teams need to select the robotic platoon carried by the lander, provide conceptual designs for the robots employed, determine how they will be instrumented and powered, and outline what they will do after landing to achieve the maximum possible benefit for Mars science and future exploration. The robotic crew and its equipment need have a total mass of ten metric tons or less. It should also be able to fit, before deployment on the Martian surface, inside of a lander payload compartment no more than 5 m in diameter and 5 m in height.
The mission does not need to be totally robotic. It can be commanded from Earth, as current rover missions are. In addition to any number of robots desired, the mission can include other equipment, including power systems, construction equipment, ISRU systems, laboratories, communications gear, sample return ascent vehicles, machine tools, 3D printers, or anything else other than living beings, so long as the total mass of the entire expedition (not counting the lander or its payload compartment) is ten metric tons or less.
The planned mission needs to be based on technologies that would allow it to be launched no later than 2033, with sooner being better.
The goal of the design is to produce the maximum possible science return while doing the most to prepare human Mars missions to follow.
In scoring telerobotic expedition designs, points will be allocated on the following basis:
+25 points – Engineering design: How credible are the engineering designs of the proposed systems?
+20 points – Science return: What will be the scientific return of the expedition?
+20 points – Exploration preparation: What will the expedition do to prepare for future human exploration, both at the landing site itself and across Mars in general.
+20 points – Cost: Not counting the systems used to deliver the expedition, how much will the mission cost?
+15 points – Schedule: How soon could the mission be made ready for flight? How credible is the claim that it could be launched by 2033? How plausible is the claim that it could be ready in time for an earlier launch date?
The TMEDC is open to all people from every country. You can work alone or as part of a team. Each contestant will need to submit a report of no more than 20 pages presenting their plan by June 30, 2022. A down select will then be made to the top 10 proposals, whose authors will be invited to present them in person in front of an audience of judges chosen by the Mars Society at the next International Mars Society Convention in October 2022.
A website for registering for the TMEDC has been set up. To use this online registration form, participants must sign in with a Google account.
Please note that all competition entries should be PDF files with a maximum of 20 pages in length, using 12-point Times / Times New Roman font and one-inch margins. There is a maximum file size of 100 MB for your submission as well. Thank you.
We look forward to seeing what all of you designers and innovators can do! Good luck!
The Mars Society
11111 West 8th Avenue, unit A
Lakewood, CO 80215 U.S.A.
www.marssociety.org
https://www.facebook.com/TheMarsSociety
@TheMarsSociety
Copyright (c) 2021 The Mars Society
All rights reserved.
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tahanson43206 · 2022-02-11 19:18:08

https://currently.att.yahoo.com/news/ro … 54689.html

Robot dogs could soon help patrol the U.S.-Mexico border
Russell Contreras
Thu, February 10, 2022, 12:52 PM
Robot dogs could soon help patrol the U.S.-Mexico border.
Why it matters: Both political parties have long said U.S. Customs and Border Protection needs more technology to monitor the 2,000-mile terrain, but some Democrats and advocates say the border is already overly militarized.
Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
Driving the news: A research and development arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced last week it has been working with the Philadelphia-based company Ghost Robotics to develop a robot dog for the border.
The dogs can transmit real-time video and other data back to human operators while climbing over sand, rocks and hills.
The project has been under development for two and a half years. It's unclear how many robot dogs will be deployed, when and where to.
Details: Ghost Robotics CEO Jiren Parikh told Axios he couldn't share more information about the robot dogs the Border Patrol will use, but some in development have special sensors and can carry equipment to identify drugs, nuclear materials and chemical weapons.
"We are trying to keep CBP and other government personnel in the field out of harm's way."
The robots can explore confined spaces and have long-range and night vision cameras, Parikh said.

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tahanson43206 · 2022-03-07 11:30:38

There are a number of robot arms available for the education market ... The ones I've seen recently can handle 50 grams of payload.

The load I want to manipulate is on the order of 150 grams ... think Dremel, although the actual tool brand may differ.

In searching today, I found a report of some work done as a student project. The student had access to an industrial robot in an educational setting, so i assume this must have been a university.

The student write up included mention of the brand ...

UR3e
With a 3 kg payload capacity, 500 mm reach, and Ø 128 mm footprint, the compact form factor of the UR3e makes it a fit for tight workspaces. Additionally, because of its low weight (only 24.7 lbs / 11.2 kg) and PolyScope's simplified programming via the e-Series teach pendant, it's easy to switch it between tasks to meet agile manufacturing needs, resulting in a low total cost of ownership and an ultra-fast payback period.
UR3e Quick Facts:
Max payload capacity: 3 kg / 6.6 lbs
Reach: 500 mm / 19.7 ins
Footprint: Ø 128 mm
Weight: 11.2 kg / 24.7 lbs
Learn more by clicking on the tabs below.
28,800.00 USD
(MSRP / tax, shipping and handling not included)

That product is definitely out of my league, but it shows pretty much what I have in mind for remote teleoperation of a Dremel (or similar) tool.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2022-03-08 13:34:10

The company I wrote yesterday sent a courteous and helpful reply.

Their first offering is just under $3,000, and it definitely shows the capability I have in mind.

There might be someone in the NewMars community who could afford something like this ... it is still a bit out of my league.

On the ** other ** hand, if it were packaged in a system for sale, then it would be a bargain.

https://www.trossenrobotics.com/dobot-m … ktop-robot

I'll be interested in any comments NewMars members might have.

Update a few minutes later .... the company representative even went so far as to show a competitor's product:

https://www.dobot.cc/dobot-magician/pro … rview.html

In reviewing this site, I got the impression it ** might ** be priced aggressively, but I didn't see any figures.

(th)

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#26 2021-03-31 18:39:27

Re: Robots becoming useful...

#27 2021-06-19 13:01:50

Re: Robots becoming useful...

#28 2021-06-22 18:22:14

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#29 2021-06-26 16:13:36

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#30 2021-11-03 11:39:43

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#31 2021-11-03 19:42:00

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#32 2021-11-22 08:08:27

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#33 2021-12-24 18:51:06

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#34 2021-12-24 20:33:03

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#35 2021-12-24 21:29:32

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#36 2021-12-27 10:21:09

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#37 2021-12-27 10:42:41

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#38 2021-12-29 20:00:50

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#39 2021-12-30 10:44:53

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#40 2021-12-30 10:54:18

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#41 2021-12-30 11:13:38

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#42 2021-12-30 11:19:37

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#43 2021-12-30 11:22:25

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#44 2021-12-30 12:04:26

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#45 2022-01-04 19:26:36

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#46 2022-01-09 15:59:20

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#47 2022-01-10 18:29:02

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#48 2022-02-11 19:18:08

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#49 2022-03-07 11:30:38

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#50 2022-03-08 13:34:10

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