Combat helmet-mounted HUD combines information and infrared

Information can be a soldier's most important weapon, and Rockwell Collins has unveiled a new system that puts that weapon front and center. The company's Integrated Digital Vision System (IDVS) is a heads-up display that attaches to combat helmets and relays information from a command center, other warfighters or drones, as well as augmenting the wearer's vision with multispectral sensors.

Rockwell Collins' IDVS sounds a lot like BAE Systems' Q-Warrior HUD, with both designed to provide key data without distracting a warfighter from the task at hand. That data can take the form of maps, compass headings, and markers on people and objects, which are displayed on a transparent 1,920 x 1,200 pixel display before the wearer's eyes. This display flips up out of the way if need be, and can be adjusted to suit each wearer's unique interpupillary distance (the distance between their eyes).

Meanwhile, the unit can increase visibility in smoky, foggy, dusty or dark conditions through multiple sensors on the top. Two of these detect light in visible and near-infrared wavelengths, while another adds thermal infrared, and the company claims that the system can quickly transition between different light levels. Those sensors display their readings across a 40-degree field-of-view on the HUD, leaving the soldier's peripheral vision clear of any distortion.

Power comes from four 18650 batteries, which should grant the unit up to six hours of full-sensor operation, or eight CR123 batteries. To help future-proof its system, the company says it's built on an open architecture, allowing the data input, output and processing to be upgraded as technology progresses.

Rockwell Collins made the announcement at the Land Forces Australia exhibition in Adelaide, South Australia.

Source: New Atlas, Rockwellcollins

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Kidobotikz wins an award from the prestigious CII

Team Kidobotikz is happy to announce that Kidobotikz won yet another award from a prestigious industrial body. This reiterates the fact that our core philosophy of taking the knowledge of robotics and skill development to the young generation has struck a chord at the highest echelons of the industry. 

Kidobotikz was awarded with the “Exemplary Application of IT” award by CII for its revolutionary efforts in digitizing the process of teaching robotics to young students. 

Aligned with the Central government’s Digital India initiative, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Government of Tamil Nadu jointly organised ‘Connect 2016’ - an international conference and exhibition to discuss current and futuristic plans to boost the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem in Tamil Nadu. This event which has in the past felicitated some trendsetting companies held its 15th edition on the 27th and 28th of September at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai. 

As a part of the pitch, Kidobotikz had enumerated its efforts in usage of the IT Skills in the education space. Kidobotikz had conveyed to the CII panel the facets of its digital platform which enabled the access of technical education to school students. Apart from this, the panel was made aware of the various efforts undertaken by Kidobotikz to ensure opportunities for students to display their learnt skills via application in real-time projects. The panel was also apprised of the various student built projects such SwachhBot, Agribot etc. which had ensured that the Kidobotikz student community was always kept abreast of the latest innovations in the field of robotics. 

This conference was held to host panel discussions that aimed at highlighting the importance of digital strategies and the support structure available for startups from the Tamil Nadu government. The conference also laid emphasis on policies favourable to strengthening of the ICT industry. The two-day conference presented the “CII Connect 2016 Entrepreneurs Awards” to entrepreneurs across the domain of Information Communication Technology who have made major contributions to the industry. The event was attended by many dignitaries such as Mr. Kris Gopalakrishnan (Former Chairman Infosys), Mr. Vijay Thadani (Co-Founder NIIT). 

Along with Kidobotikz several other important achievers were felicitated. Mr. Arun Jain, Founder, Polaris, who was awarded the lifetime achievement award and Prof M.S.Ananth, Dean emeritus, IIT-M, who was also awarded the lifetime achievement award were among the awardees. 

Among the inspiring speeches that were delivered at the event, the speech by Mr. Vijay Thadani, Co-Founder, NIIT, was clearly reflective of the path that has been adopted by Kidobotikz. Mr. Thadani spoke on how skill development should be encouraged at the grassroots levels by engaging school students in the analysis of the various tech fields, before they embarked on their careers. Mr.Thadani was appreciative of Kidobotikz’s role as a key player in imparting technical knowledge to students of the schooling age before they chose their respective career paths. 

The award was presented by Thiru.Mukkur N. Subramanian, Hon’ble Minister, Department of Information Technology(Tamil Nadu). On behalf of Kidobotikz, the award was received by Ms. Sneha Priya, Director, Kidobotikz.

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Geek Speak: Akash

It’s a small weekend for Kidobotikz considering the fact that the makerspace will be on holiday tomorrow for Gandhi Jayanthi. But, Kidobotikzians are more than making up for it with putting in extra hours today. Students are here in droves to take up their robotics lessons in the earnest. With us today is a robotics pro who defines the word dashing. With his straightfaced style of answering and sharp accent he just lights up the conversation. This ends up intimidating the person sitting across and talking with this bond-esque boy wonder. He’s only in class 8 but has a way of answering questions that surely will make people think twice if they were talking to someone of age 14. Meet Akash, a nube to robotics but geek in every other way. He is our geek for the day. 

Hey Akash! Can you introduce yourself to our readers?

Hi everyone! I’m Akash, studying in class 8 at PSBB KK Nagar. Here at Kidobotikz, I have completed the Beginner level

Can you tell us how you ended up being a Kidobotikzian?

Well, I remember the day I joined Kidobotikz. It was on the 3rd of August. I had attended the Hindu Young world Summer camp which was conducted by Kidobotikz. After that I came with my parents to find out more about them. I got interested and joined. 

So, what was your opinion about robotics before and after joining Kidobotikz?

Ever since I saw the movie Iron Man as a 3rd grade my perspective of robotics was that it was a very complex subject to learn. I always assumed that to be a robotics guy, you needed to be a Tony Stark and have all the resources at your disposal. Well, after joining Kidobotikz, I realise that Tony Stark is over rated (laughs). Thanks to Kidobotikz, I now know that every Tom and Harry can be a robotics guy if he has a Foundation Kit. 

Interesting. So, how do you think robotics has changed you? 

Robotics has changed me in ways that I couldn’t have expected. For one thing, it has definitely changed my perspective of people who are in the field of technology. More importantly, my conversations with them have become less juvenile and more mature.

Is there any particular kind of robot that fascinates you? 

Yes. I am immensely fascinated with humanoids. They represent the cutting edge of technology in robotics. In particular, Honda’s ASIMO is a major area of interest for me.

And are there any kind of robots that you intend to build?

Ofcourse. I wanna build an exoskeleton type robot that can help the differently abled. This is what I see as my ultimate aim in robotics.

How was your KRG experience this time?

Given the fact that I was hardly a month into Kidobotikz when KRG-IX happened, I was all but a silent spectator over there (laughs). But I loved the electrifying atmosphere though.

That’s funny. To sum up, I would just like to know as to what your future plans are? 

I have no plans yet. I have just found my footing in robotics. I wanna move along and see what more can I do.

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ESLOV: The amazing IoT Invention Kit from Arduino

For years, the open-source philosophy of Arduino has been the inspiration to robots, drones, medical and space research, interactive art, musical instruments, 3D printers, and so much more. Now, Arduino is on a mission to radically simplify the way you build smart devices. They've introduced  ESLOV, a revolutionary plug-and-play IoT invention kit.

ESLOV consists of intelligent modules that join together to create projects in minutes with no prior hardware or programming knowledge necessary. Just connect the modules using cables or mounting them on the back of our WiFi and motion hub. When done, plug the hub into your PC.

ESLOV’s visual code editor automatically recognizes each module, displaying them onto the user’s screen. The connections can be drawn between the modules on the editor, and project can be made come to life on the screen. Added to this, the device project can be uploaded to the Arduino Cloud and users can interact with it remotely from anywhere, including via mobile phones. The Arduino Cloud’s user-friendly interface simplifies complex interactions with sliders, buttons, value fields, and more.

The ESLOV modules and hub can also be programmed with the wildly popular Arduino Editor. With the provided libraries, one can customize the behavior of the existing modules, enhance the hub’s functionalities, as well as modify the protocols of both the hub and the modules.

With a total of 25 modules — buttons, LEDs, air quality sensors, microphones, servos, and several others — the possibilities are endless. Applications like baby monitors, washing machine notifier (that informs users when their laundry is finished), IoT enabled thermostats that can be adjust while away from home.

In line with the core values of the Arduino community, ESLOV’s hardware and software are open-source, enabling users to produce their own modules. To accelerate its development in the open-source spirit, ESLOV — which began as part of a three-year EU-funded PELARS project — is now live on Kickstarter and needs your support.

The toolkit is offered in a variety of sizes, depending on the number of modules. Prices range from ~$55 USD to ~$499 USD, with multipacks and other opportunities available as well. Delivery is expected to get underway in June 2017.

In terms of hardware, the main hub is currently equipped with a Microchip SAM D21 ARM Cortex-M0+ MCU at 48MHz and built-in WiFi (just like the MKR1000). Each of the modules are small (2.5 x 2.5cm), low-power (3.3V), single-purpose boards featuring the same processor found at the heart of the Arduino/Genuino UNO: Microchip’s ATmega328P.

The modules’ firmware and the hub’s software can be updated both using the USB cable and over-the-air (OTA).

Those heading to World Maker Faire in New York on October 1st-2nd can learn more about the kit inside the Microchip booth in Zone 3, as well as during Massimo Banzi’s “State of Arduino” presentation on Saturday at 1:30pm in the New York Hall of Science Auditorium.

Want to learn more or back ESLOV for yourself? Check out its Kickstarter page!

Source: Arduino

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Geek Speak: Abishek Shankar

Terms like “Robotics Hobbyists” are becoming ubiquitous today. With the advent of informal learning or rather unconventional learning platforms, more and more students are trying out their hands at the hitherto unchartered areas of robotics and electronics. Nowhere is this change more pronounced than at Kidobotikz where you can find every other 8th grader working on an arduino board. The ones not working on the arduino are probably using a Viper or a Raspberry Pi. 

The result is an ever growing pool of Kidobotikzians who develop wonderful working models and robots, not to mention the accolades these people receive after one upping the college guys and the pros in the areas of robots. With us today is a robotics pro whose age does not do justice to his stature. He’s only in class 11 but has already logged up a half life’s worth of robotics here at Kidobotikz. Meet Abhishek, an old timer at Kidobotikz and a robotics pro who is our geek for the day. 

Hey Abishek! Can you introduce yourself to our readers?

Hi everyone! I’m Abishek Shankar, studying in class 11 at PSBB KK Nagar. 

Being an early student of Kidobotikz, can you describe your journey with Kidobotikz till now? 

Well, I guess 3 years is a long time. I still remember why I joined Kidobotikz. I had a couple of friends who used to share the classroom benches with and roam around. When they joined this new place called Kidobotikz which was on the way from school, I got curious. Then I also joined here with the intention that I could hang out with them even after school. Today, as I look back, both of them have moved on with their academics catching up but for me robotics has become a very big part of my life. I had recently completed my Expert level and am awaiting the graduation day. Not just me, a lot has changed for Kidobotikz too. When I joined here, it was a small organization. Today, much to our delight they’ve scaled up well and are changing the lives of ever increasing number of students. I am happy for them and the entire community of Kidobotikzians.

Interesting. So, how do you think robotics has changed you?

Robotics has changed me in ways I could not have imagined. I see things differently now, I imagine about things in technical manner, the “how stuff works” part of it has become important to me now. I’ve done things that I never would’ve fathomed. I’ve taken part in Singapore Robo Games, IIT Shaastra and also won several events at NIT- Calicut. To me all this is quite amazing. More importantly, it has empowered me as a student.

How do your parents feel about you? 

My parents have always been supportive of my choices. And when it comes to Kidobotikz, they’re outright supportive of what I do here. In the beginning when I used to participate in events, they were always encouraging me to participate in as many events as possible. Now that I know my way around robotics, the advise me to be picky with the events that I participate in, They ask me to participate in events where I have a sure shot of winning. This is an outlook that I am also inculcating in my participation. 

So, why don’t you tell me about your most favourite roboting experience?

Well, if anything, it has to be the competition I took part in at NIT Calicut. It was a jolly good experience; one that I will always cherish. I managed to win a string of events - 1st Place in Line Tracer, 2nd in Robo Soccer, 3rd in Robo Sumo and two 5th places in Dirt Race and Project Expo events respectively. 

Are there any favourite robots or dream robots of yours?

Well, my favourite robot has to be the Nao robot. On the other hand, I have a dream robot, one that i intend to design and develop. I want to develop a robot that can replace ball pickers at Tennis Courts. Playing tennis a lot has made me realise that the role of ball pickers is quite strenuous and it is time someone came up with an alternative.

That’s impressive. To sum up, I would just like to know as to what your future plans are? 

Well I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur and now I have decided to that I will preneur in the field of robotics. As for my plans related to higher studies, I intend to go abroad and learn robotics at some of the universities renowned for their robotics programmes. So, working towards it.

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First self-driving vehicle produced for Volvo's public trial

The first car built to take part in Volvo's Drive Me trial has rolled off the production line in Torslanda, Sweden. Described by Volvo as "the world's most ambitious and advanced public autonomous driving experiment," Drive Me will see real people using fully autonomous cars on public roads.

Although the cars aren't scheduled to hit the road until next year, Volvo sees this as the beginning of the project, which will be run in Gothenburg with special "hands-off and feet-off" zones allowing for full autonomous use.

The carmaker has been at the forefront of the autonomous driving revolution, most recently in partnering with Uber to ferry passengers around in self-driving taxis and in trialing a self driving truck in an underground mine.

For the Drive Me trial, Volvo XC90 SUVs are being fitted with a variety of sensors, including LiDAR, radar and traditional cameras. The information from the source sensors is then brought together by a powerful computer that Volvo calls the Autonomous Driving Brain in a process called data fusion. The fused data is used to inform the actions that the cars take.

Volvo says that the Drive Me project differs from others in its customer-focused approach. By researching with real drivers in real-world situations, it hopes to gain insights that more controlled research approaches may not yield.

Subsequent to the Drive Me project getting underway at Gothenburg, another leg is planned for launch in London. Volvo says it is considering interest from cities in China too.

Volvo has high hopes for autonomous driving tech. It's already introducing semi-autonomous technologies to help with its aim for no-one to be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo by the year 2020, and is looking to begin introducing fully autonomous cars commercially by around 2021.

Here's Volvo's run-down on the project:

Source: Volvo, New Atlas 

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Redefine hospitality with some inspired gadgets!

Do you get shy when guests come calling? Is your neighbour constantly goading about the new gadget he/she imported? 

How about getting them all impressed and mystified every time they land on your doorstep?

Well, the easy way would be to innovate something cool that pulls off a smart statement every time someone walks past the threshold!

If you have your Kidobotikz kits, it can be done easy peasy! You’ll probably have all the neighbours dropping in for Navaratri, delight them with some fun projects! 

Following are three fun “Kit-creatives” that you can make using your foundation and beginner level kits. 

1) Automatic Door Bell Using IR Sensor- F

You guests will be amazingly pleased if they found out that right at the moment they landed on your door, they found the calling bell missing but the bell rang anyways. Surprise them with this curious innovation. All you need is an IR Sensor and a Buzzer

Find out how to do it here: Automatic Door Bell Using IR Sensor-F

2) Foot Step Activated Door Bell-F

Imagine the bewilderment of the pizza guy at your doorstep when he finds out that as soon as he stepped onto the doormat he heard the bell go off. Part utilitarian part pranky, this will be a fun project to try out. 

Find out how to do it over here: Foot Step Activated Door Bell-F

3) Smart Door Opening System - F+B

You’ve probably been impressed by the automatic sliding doors at the mall and the airport. Chances are you’ve been through the doors again and again only to marvel at the doors that slide aside automatically on detecting your presence. How about giving the same kind of feel to people who visit your home? If your dad isn’t too pleased with your idea of drilling holes into the door, you can always try this experiment on the windows of your bedroom.

Find out how to do it over here: Smart Door Opening System - F+B

Pull off these projects this holiday season and be the toast of your neighbourhood. 

After all it’s, “Athithi Devo Bhava” ! !

Happy Roboting!

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