Self-driving Ubers picking up passengers from later this month

If you're ready to welcome in the era of self-driving cars in person, you may want to head to Pittsburgh later this month, smartphone in hand. Uber and Volvo have signed a deal to team up on developing autonomous driving technology, beginning with ferrying Uber customers around the Pennsylvania city.

Beginning later in August, it will be possible to use the Uber app to hail a ride from a self-driving Volvo XC90 in Pittsburgh. This will mark a pretty big first – Google and some automakers have been testing self-driving cars for years, and Tesla's Autopilot can essentially take over for a driver on the highway, but no one has yet offered a full door-to-door ride in an autonomous car to regular consumers.

It won't be a lone robot car pulling up to pick you up, though. A human driver will be in the driver's seat ready to take the wheel if anything goes wrong, as is currently required by law. Rides in a self-driving Uber will also be free for the time being.

The ridesharing company has been testing the technology at its Advanced Technology Center in Pittsburgh for many months already and competitor Lyft is pursuing similar ambitions with General Motors.

So far Volvo has delivered just a few cars to Uber, which then outfits them with its own autonomous driving system, including a number of sensors, cameras, lasers, radar, GPS and Uber's own in-house self-driving software. Volvo is also developing self-driving vehicles using the same base vehicle and its owns autonomous navigation system. The project relies on Volvo's modular auto production platform, which it calls Scalable Product Architecture (SPA).

Uber plans to have a test fleet of 100 self-driving Volvos roaming Pittsburgh's streets by the end of the year. It's all a big field test, with the end goal being a fully autonomous car model that will hit the market by 2021. Together, Uber and Volvo say they'll pour US$300 million into the development process.

Uber's self-driving vision isn't exclusive to the Volvo deal, however. Much of its previous testing in Pittsburgh was actually done using a Ford Fusion. The company has also announced its acquisition of self-driving truck startup Otto. Otto has been in existence only since January and makes a kit that can outfit any big rig to drive itself.

Uber has no plans to make self-driving cars itself, but it clearly hopes to be operating plenty of them within the next five years, just in time to compete with other autonomous ride-sharing aspirants, including the likes of companies that will be making their own, such as Ford.

Sources: New Atlas, Volvo, Bloomberg, Uber

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Geek Speak: Sai Sriram

The fact that today is Saturday seems to be ringing alarm bells for many a youngsters at Kidobotikz. It is the last weekend before KRg and everybody is busy on getting their robots ready. Every inch of the makerspace is crammed with students of all ages who are here with only one agenda on mind- KRG. Welcome to the KRG week blues. Between balancing homework and cranking out robots, the platter of these young gentlemen is filled for the whole week. We are back at where we left of yesterday. Yesterday was the turn of Thazeem getting interviewed by me when his “Partner-in-mischief” Sriram was caught up with their project. Now, Sriram has taken some time out of his day out at Kidobotikz to have a chat with me. He is a fun young chap who is by every meaning of the word “fiercely competitive“. Even as I meet him he is already brimming with energy and is not sure as to how to contain his immense energy. Assuming our chat could be of help, i engage him in a conversation.

Hey Sriram! Why don’t you temme a bit about yourself and your path to Kidobotikz?

I am Sai Sriram. I study in class 9 of Modern Senior Secondary School, Nanganallur. Back here at Kidobotikz, I finished my Advanced level recently and am now progressing through my expert level. I joined here in April after being introduced to Kidobotikz by a friend of mine named Siddharth who himself is in the Advanced level. Robotics was a relatively new interest for me and thanks to Kidobotikz it has now turned into a passion. 

Interesting. So, how does it feel to be a robotics enthusiast here at Kidobotikz? 

Well, robotics for me is a highly empowering experience. I get to feel like a grown up doing all kinds of grown up things. The whole aspect of learning through a having process appeals to me immensely. I have learnt concepts that are just mindblowing for a student of my age. Considering the fact that I’ve managed to learn them makes me feel great about myself.

I’ve asked this question to your partner and am asking you as well, why are you here this weekend? 

Well, like Thazeem put it so eloquently yesterday, My partner-in-mischief Thazeem and I are here to get our robot ready for the upcoming KRG event AutoTransbot .

Interesting! So, what events are you participating in this time?

Well, that’s a totally funny story! I am participating in all the events of KRG except Project Expo. 

I’m sorry, could you refresh my memory and temme the name of each event you are participating in?

The list is quite long. Here it goes- Line Tracer, AutoTransbot, Temple Run, Balloon Burster, Manual Pick ‘n’ Place and Manual Sumo. So, basically everything other than the Project Expo. I would’ve participated in it as well, if time wasn’t so scarce. Between schooling and robotics, this is the best I could manage.

That is a long list indeed! Phew! To even remember such a long list of events is quite a daunting task. My best wishes for you.

Moving on, why don’t you temme if there is a particular kind of robot that you have a fascination for? 

The ASIMO series of robots which Honda developed have always fascinated me. I intend to learn robotics to the extent that I am able to design one of these by myself one day.

You’ve read about ASIMO? That’s impressive! I’d be even more enchanted if you could elaborate it’s abbreviation!

Easy peasy! Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility…

I’m quite dumbfounded by your curiosity and acumen in the area of robotics! So, what do you plan to do when you graduate from high school? 

Well, I have always wanted to do science or robotics as a part of my career. I intend to join Cambridge when i become a graduate. It represents to me the best seat in science.

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Spherical cells free up modular CellRobot design

Toy robots are pretty commonplace these days, whether they're playing games,teaching kids to code or being our best buds. Plenty of those are modular, too, like the EZ-Robot line or Wunderkind sets, but with its spherical "cells" the CellRobot from KEYi Tech looks more versatile than most, coming together as everything from an RC racer or home security guard, to a smart camera stand or mini robo-bartender.

The basic non-functional cell modules have eight joint faces with which they can connect to other cells, opening up an impressive range of possible body shapes and forms. They're also split into two hemispheres that gives them 360-degree rotation, meaning that robot constructions can be programmed to move in complex and precise ways.

No matter what you decide to build, the heart of all CellRobot designs will be, well, the Heart. Supplying power to the rest of the robot, the Heart cell connects to phones and tablets via Bluetooth, and relays the instructions input through a companion app (iOS and Android) to the rest of the robot. Around its surface lie eight joint connectors, where other cells snap on with a twisting action.

Functional cells include the Vision cell, which serves as the robot's eyes thanks to a wide-angle lens camera that shoots 640 x 480-pixel pictures or video at 30 fps, transmitting it to the connected smart device. There's also the Mount cell, which can clamp onto a desk or object, either to hold the robot in place or let it grasp and use objects. The Wheels cells, obviously, gives the CellRobot some much needed mobility at speeds of up to 5 in/s (12.7 cm/s), connecting with a hinge that grants three degrees of freedom.

There is plenty of freedom when it comes to combining all these pieces into a functioning whole. A Heart can run up to 20 modules, and a library of shapes in the app provides ideas for putting them together via detailed tutorials. For the more advanced and adventurous there's Custom mode, which lets users set parameters for each individual cell, or gently twist them into shape manually. From there, the design can be saved in the app to call back on later, or shared online.

The current cell options don't sound like the final lineup, either. The company plans to release its open-source hardware and software API, and judging by the promo videos and images, suction cups, more articulated claws and the like could be on the way.

You can check out a few of the possible CellRobot designs in the video below.

Source: KEYi Tech, NewAtlas

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Geek Speak: Thazeem Mohammed

It’s Friday the 19th of August and today officially marks the one week countdown to KRG’s 9th Edition. Back at Kidobotikz, familiar scenes are unfolding with lots of students flocking to get their robots ready for participating in KRG. These young gentlemen are left with less than week to submit their registrations for Kidobotikz’s flagship event and slugging towards the deadline with an intent to be ready in time for the registrations. Meanwhile, I spot a kiddo with a demeanour that is not much unlike any youngster I meet here at Kidobotikz. He is engrossed in a brainstorming session with his buddy/partner; both of them are probably dwelling over the details of their project to get the aspects right. This is when I precisely interrupted their conversation to prise out an interview out of him and his buddy.

Hey Thazeem! Why don’t you temme a bit about yourself and your path to Kidobotikz?

I am Thazeem Mohammed. I study in class 9 of Modern Senior Secondary School, Nanganallur. Back here at Kidobotikz, I finished my Beginner level here a couple of months back and am now on a hiatus until I take up the Advanced level in October. I joined here in April after being introduced to Kidobotikz by a friend of mine named Siddharth who himself is in the Advanced level. It’s been an interesting few months. I was infact looking for a place to learn robotics and then Kidobotikz happened.

That is interesting. So, how do feel as a student here at Kidobotikz? And why are you here this weekend if you are on a sabbatical from the course?

Well, to anybody who asks me this question, I always say this- “I underestimated the system at Kidobotikz”. I was looking for a place to join and learn robotics out of interest, but at Kidobotikz, I found more than that. It’s more about learning and having fun in that process. I have learnt concepts in a fun way at Kidobotikz which would otherwise be utterly boring. To answer your second question, I am here to take part in KRG’s August edition which is happening a week from today. My partner-in-mischief Sai Sriram and I are here to get our robots ready to take part in various.

Interesting! So, what robots are you developing for the event?

I am here to develop two robots. One of them is a Line tracer robot which will be used in the Autotransbot event. The other one is a wall follower event where the robot will carry out it’s locomotion around the walls.

Impressive! So, what do you think of the idea of learning robotics at such a young age? Are there any particular robots that you have a fascination for?

Well, the whole idea of learning robotics as a course while still in school is something that I completely support. It helps me let off some steam from the regular learning that I do at school while also supplementing the same learning that I try to get away from by immersing myself into robotics. Talking about favourite bots, I gotta say my favourite would be the Hexapods we learn in the Expert level. They quite resemble insects and their locomotion and are fairly complex. That keeps me in awe of them.

Moving on, what do you plan to do with the knowledge that you learnt here?

I actually planned to do Civil engineering for my bachelors. Ever since I saw the “Introduction to Kidobotikz” video, I have shifted my goalposts. Now I intend to do robotics in my higher studies. While, I am still not sure which college I wanna enroll myself in, I just wanna join any college where I can pursue a Mechanical engineering course, if not a full-fledged robotics course.

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Intel unveils new developer drone

Intel has dabbled in drones in the past, building impressive obstacle avoidance software and even claiming the world record for the most drones to be flown in synchronized flight. But now the company is looking to be a driving force behind the technology's rise, announcing a ready-to-fly drone called Aero that really is a software development kit designed to push the boundaries of unmanned flight.

Intel announced the Aero drone at its Developer Forum in San Francisco this week, alongside an all-in-one VR headset and its new tiny Joule computer. Aero is a fully assembled quadcopter that runs on the newly-announced Aero compute board, a playing card-sized device powered by an Atom quad-core processor that handles storage, communications and input/outputs.

This combines with an optional Vision Accessory Kit, which includes an 8-megapixel camera, VGA camera and Intel's RealSense R200 camera, to give software developers flexibility to explore potential applications for drones. Aero will also come equipped with Intel's RealSense Technology, which uses the drone's cameras, processor and sensors to create a model of a 3D environment.

Intel first showed off this technology at CES this year onboard a Typhoon H, a hexacopter built by electric aircraft-maker Yuneec. Obstacle avoidance technology is something that has popped up on some consumer models, such as the DJI Phantom 4, but with the ability to detect obstacles and plot alternative courses RealSense sounded like it might be a step up.

A planned demonstration is one thing, (even if it did involve dodging falling trees) but picking out obstacles in the real world is another. The Aero drone also comes preloaded with AirMap, an airspace management app that tells pilots where it is safe to fly and notifies them of things like wildfires and weather patterns.

Source: Intel, New Atlas

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Fostering the 'Jugaad' way of learning in mainstream education ! !

Far from the days of Japanese terms of management philosophy and production and intensive post "dot-com bubble" jargon, if there is one more word which cas captured the fascination of industry majors, it has to be the word Jugaad. ‘Jugaad’, which is a colloquial Hindi word, has gained significant traction these days in the business and management parlance. The word, which literally means a "hack", is generally used to represent an ingenious fix or a simple work-around in situations that would warrant strict adherence to existing norms or practices.

This method of solving a complicated issue with out-of-the-box thought processes is often used to signify creativity wherein a conventional mindset or approach is shunned to make existing things work without significant expenditure; or to create new things with meager resources. The Indian-originated practice of Jugaad engineering is widely accepted as a effective form of frugal engineering across the world. ISRO which successfully managed to achieve the title of being “the first country in the world to place a probe in orbit around Mars on the very first attempt” itself attributed its enormous success to process of Jugaad inspired frugal engineering where the attitude of “make do with what you have” is embraced. This practice of “form follows function” is actually what drove the cost economics behind TATA’s Nano Car or the endless models of sub-INR 10000 smartphones that are available in the market today.

Interestingly, the concept of Jugaad in itself has never been approved or acknowledged by the mainstream education system in the country. Infact, it could even be considered that the Jugaad actually thrives due to immense satisfaction caused by it being able to bend around the existing framework and come up with a decent work around. In a scenario like a faulty desktop, conventional wisdom would advise the user to find a qualified tech support and reach out for authentic spares; while a Jugaad mindset would advise the user to develop a cheaper workaround by himself.

This form of resourcefulness, which does not conform to existing ethos, has never been promoted by the education system as it views this as a “hack” culture fraught with un-usefulness. On the contrary, this system promotes anything but un-usefulness. It is a system wherein the user can be creative only if he is well versed with the technical knowhow of the given process or product. A jugaad mindset would actually motivate a student to be technically sound in order to be able to achieve the desired workaround.

We at Kidobotikz aim to bring these hitherto marginalized concepts into the learning scheme of things for our students and make the ‘Jugaad’ way of learning as a part of mainstream education. We promote core philosophies of frugality in learning through our kits where kids understand the face value of every component and tinker with designs to achieve high optimum performance as against cosmetic appearance. This will not only make the process of learning fun and fulfilling, but will also make the society a better place as such life hacks go a long way in driving contentment in an increasingly capitalist society.

Happy Roboting ! 

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NASA's robotic mission to capture asteroids gets a "go-ahead"

NASA is that much closer to snatching an asteroid after the robotic half of its two-part Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) passed a key program review. The mission to retrieve an asteroid and move it into lunar orbit for study can now proceed to the next phase of design and development ahead of a planned launch in late 2021.

NASA's manned and unmanned mission to move an asteroid into either lunar or cislunar orbit isn't just a cosmic rock collecting trip. The space agency regards it as a major demonstration of the technology and methods that may one day allow it to send astronauts to Mars.

The first robotic phase of the mission will demonstrate the capabilities of a number of key technologies, such as an advanced, high-power, high-throughput solar-electric propulsion system, the ability to carry out autonomous high-speed proximity operations near an asteroid, and the capability of touching down on one.

In addition, NASA hopes to try out advanced robotic systems for grappling with an asteroid and a gravity "tractor beam" technique that uses the mass of a spacecraft to steer a large object in space. ARM will test advanced solar-electric propulsion systems.

NASA says that the target for the robotic phase won't be selected until 2020, but that it will be a near-Earth asteroid similar to asteroid 2008 EV – a primitive carbonaceous asteroid that may be rich in volatiles, water, and organic compounds. It's hoped that ARM will be able to recover core samples of such an asteroid that will not only reveal more about the origin of the Solar System, but also the commercial viability of asteroid mining.

The Key Decision Point-B review was carried out in July and approved on August 15. It's the latest in a series of development milestones leading to the mission liftoff. In this case, the milestone has to do with mission content, costs, and schedules for phase B of the project. The objective is to provide a baseline mission for risk, cost, and scheduling analysis for an independent review.

As part of the advancement to the next stage, NASA will be inviting government, private, and international participants to help in developing the robotic phase of the mission and selecting payloads. NASA says that it will provide spacecraft integration services, power, data storage, and payload telemetry. In addition, an ARM Investigation Team will provide technical expertise for the next three to five years for both the manned and unmanned phases of the mission.

Based on the most recent reviews, NASA has pushed back the launch date to December 2021 and the budget has been increased to US$1.4 billion for the prelaunch phase of the mission. The manned mission, which is pencilled in for 2026, is still in the concept phase.

Source: NASA, New Atlas

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