Category: News

There are any number of robotics development platforms out there, and we’ve written about most of them TurtleBots, iRobot Creates, and more recently robots like Misty. Generally, these platforms are intended to be used for experimenting with sensors and software, or for more socially-oriented applications that don’t involve much in the way of lifting or moving stuff.

A Silicon Valley startup called Ubiquity Robotics believes that there’s an opportunity here, and they’re crowdfunding a robot called Magni that’s specifically designed to handle large payloads for long durations. It comes with sensing and computing out of the box, and Ubiquity hopes it’ll enable hobbyists to create a new generation of practical robotic solutions.In addition, Ubiquity is offering Loki, a small and more or less affordable learning platform that you can use to develop applications for Magni.

It’s important to note that Magni  are not for novice programmers, and they’re probably not for people who are interested in learning about robotics and ROS. There are tutorials for Magni, but they assume that you have a working knowledge of ROS already.

This strikes us as an optimistic vision for a robotic development platform. Not that there’s anything wrong with optimism, but as we mentioned above, people have been making development platforms for years, and they’ve remained a niche product, mostly used by researchers or hobbyists.

Ubiquity believes that there’s a market out there of people who want to do practical things with robots, but who are restricted more by platform availability than anything else. It’s certainly true that most mobile bases that can handle large payloads tend to be on the expensive side, but it remains to be seen whether there’s enough demand out there to sustain even relatively low volume production of a robot like Magni.

Ubiquity is crowdfunding the version of Magni that most people probably want for US $1,000, not including a 3D vision system, meaning that they’ll probably need to sell between one and two hundred Magnis (of varying specs) to reach their fixed goal of $200k.

#LITTLEBOTZACADEMY#

#ATRIASHOPPINGGALLERY#

#STAYTUNEWITHBOTZFORMOREINFO#

https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/diy/ubiquity-robotics-launches-beefy-ros-development-platform

German robotics firm Magazino, creator of robots meant to work alongside people in warehouses and the like, has raised $24.8 million to continue development and deployment of its TORU and SOTO robots.

The bots are made for the kind of repetitive fetching and transport work that is so common in e-commerce distribution and storage facilities. They’re considerably larger than people, but are designed to move about and interact with the same spaces — ordinary shelves, lanes and tables.

The heavy-duty SOTO, which was just recently introduced, can handle boxes of more than 20 pounds and two feet across. TORU was recently redesigned but is intended for smaller payloads (think shoe boxes). The two robots load multiple target boxes into their internal storage, then navigate to their destinations to drop them off. It’s the kind of thing human warehouse workers tend to get really tired of doing.

It’s also done autonomously with 3D imaging in real time — not a simple by-wire system where it might grab at empty air and then plow through people in its path. Magazino is investing heavily into the sensing and real-time operation stack, which it calls ACROS(Advanced Cooperative Robotic Operating System).

The company was started in 2014, and by 2016 had landed major clients like Fiege, which now uses Magazino robots for some of its warehouse work, and recently ordered 30 more.

#ATRIASHOPPINGGALLERY#

#LITTLEBOTZACADEMY#

#BRIDGINGTHEFUTURE#

#STAYTUNEFORMOREINFOWITHUS#

source:

Robo-logistics company Magazino raises $25M for its warehouse bots

Every year thousands of carpenters injure their hands and fingers doing dangerous tasks such as sawing.

In an effort to minimize injury and let carpenters focus on design and other bigger-picture tasks, a team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) has created AutoSaw, a system that lets nonexperts customize different items that can then be constructed with the help of robots.

Users can choose from a range of carpenter-designed templates for chairs, desks, and other furniture. The team says that AutoSaw could eventually be used for projects as large as a deck or a porch.

“If you’re building a deck, you have to cut large sections of lumber to length, and that’s often done on site,” says CSAIL postdoc Jeffrey Lipton, who was a lead author on a related paper about the system. “Every time you put a hand near a blade, you’re at risk. To avoid that, we’ve largely automated the process using a chop-saw and jigsaw.

How it works

Software isn’t a foreign concept for some carpenters. “Computer Numerical Control” (CNC) can convert designs into numbers that are fed to specially programmed tools to execute. However, the machines used for CNC fabrication are usually large and cumbersome, and users are limited to the size of the existing CNC tool.

As a result, many carpenters continue to use chop-saws, jigsaws, and other hand tools that are low cost, easy to move, and simple to use. These tools, while useful for customization, still put people at a high risk of injury.

AutoSaw draws on expert knowledge for designing, and robotics for the more risky cutting tasks. Using the existing CAD system OnShape with an interface of design templates, users can customize their furniture for things like size, sturdiness, and aesthetics. Once the design is finalized, it’s sent to the robots to assist in the cutting process using the jigsaw and chop-saw.

To cut lumber the team used motion-tracking software and small mobile robots — an approach that takes up less space and is more cost-effective than large robotic arms.

Specifically, the team used a modified Roomba with a jigsaw attached to cut lumber of any shape on a plank. For the chopping, the team used two Kuka youBots to lift the beam, place it on the chop saw, and cut.

“We added soft grippers to the robots to give them more flexibility, like that of a human carpenter,” says Lipton. “This meant we could rely on the accuracy of the power tools instead of the rigid-bodied robots.”

After the robots finish with cutting, the user then assembles the new piece of furniture using step-by-step directions from the system.

#LITTLEBOTZACADEMY#

#ATRIASHOPPINGGALARY#

#STAYTUNEFORMOREUPDATE#

Source: http://news.mit.edu/2018/custom-carpentry-help-robots-autosaw-0228

Article by Ling Kwan.

For the longest time, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants or ACCA exam has been the worst nightmare for accounting students, because the papers are notoriously difficult and they have to pass the exams in order to become a chartered accountant. No short cuts! Which is why we’re extremely delighted to announce that Wan Nur Mafudah from Kampung Tok Raja, Terengganu has recently emerged as the world prize winner for the ACCA Financial Reporting paper! Congrats!

In fact, she is the first Malay to nab the number one world-ranking by passing the exam with 95 per cent!

“I was told that before this, the highest ranking that Malay students ever achieved in ACCA exams were second, fifth, and sixth from 2015 until last year,” the 21-year-old student said.

When interviewed by reporters, the graduate from Intec Education College said that she has always been interested in accountancy and that she aspires to become an accounting lecturer one day. Although she was advised to give up on accountancy earlier, Wan Mafudah persevered and refused to listen to the naysayers.

After smashing her SPM exam with 8A1s and 1B, the former MRSM Besut student then furthered her studies in accountancy at Poly-Tech Mara College before receiving a scholarship from Permodalan Nasional Berhad to study at her former college. Not only has her success made her folks in the kampung proud, but it also proves that anyone can master this field, so long as you put your mind to it!

What’s her secret?

Well, she said that sharing her knowledge with others is the best way to revise her knowledge as it helped strengthen her understanding about certain topics. Remember, sharing is caring guys! Don’t kedekut ilmu!  When asked about her next move, Wan Mafudah said she plans to work as an accountant first before she works towards being a lecturer. “I want to become a role model to my younger siblings so that they would study hard for their exams,” she said.  Wan Mafudah’s inspiring journey has proven that nothing is impossible if you work hard enough for it, and we’d like to wish her all the best in her future endeavours!

Source: http://www.worldofbuzz.com/21-year-old-malaysian-graduate-named-no-1-world-prize-winner-acca-exam/