Category Archives: Robotics

Xconomy Boston

A funny thing happened in the five years since Amazon acquired warehouse automation firm Kiva Systems for $775 million. The logistics robot market has taken off, with different competing systems shuttling inventory around to try to speed up order fulfillment. But tasks requiring manual dexterity are still hard to automate.

Now, several companies and research groups are trying to solve a longstanding problem in logisticshow to get a robot to pick up individual items from one place and put them down in another, in a fast, reliable, and adaptable way.

The question is whether the technology is ready for the marketand whether real businesses can be built on it. Most would agree that having a gripper/arm solution that could perform even 80 percent of the flexible tasks currently handled easily by humans in pick-pack-and-ship operations is still 5 to 10 years away, says Mick Mountz, Kivas co-founder and former CEO. But he adds that some companies have identified key areas of specialization where they can gain significant traction in the market by performing a narrower set of tasks with great payback.

One of the companies trying to do that is RightHand Robotics. The Somerville, MA-based startup said today it has raised $8 million in Series A funding led by Playground Global. Thats the hardware-focused venture fund founded by Andy Rubin, formerly of Android and Googles robotics division. Other investors in the round include Matrix Partners, Seven Seas Partners, and Dream Incubator. RightHand says it has raised a total of $11.3 million to date.

In a prepared statement, Rubin says RightHand has created a transformative technology combining machine learning and smart hardware to address a tremendous opportunity in the logistics industry.

Mark Valdez, a colleague of Rubins at Playground Global, says in an e-mail that RightHands key difference is its ability to pick a wide range of items. Its not enough to simply build a good gripper, you need the machine intelligence to connect what you can see with what you can do.

RightHand has come a long way in the past couple years. The company has developed a hybrid gripper (see photo) that uses robotic fingers and a suction cup to pick up and place anything from pill bottles to packaged food items; the system uses 3D computer vision and embedded sensors to see and feel what its doing. But the companys real calling card is its software, which includes machine-learning algorithms that help the robot adapt to new objects and situations, according to RightHand.

Were not in the grippers business; were in the solutions business, says Yaro Tenzer, one of RightHands co-founders. We are focused on supply chain logistics in e-commerce and distribution.

That means helping retailers and other businesses automate their warehouse and logistics stations, as well as making existing robotic setups smarter and more adaptable. (RightHands technology works with off-the-shelf robot arms.) Its still early, and Tenzer declined to name any of the startups customers or partners.

RightHand got started in 2014 after its co-founders met as collaborators through a robotic manipulation program sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The founding team comes from Harvard, Yale, and MIT. As part of the DARPA program, they developed a robotic appendage called the iHY hand, which is the ancestor of RightHands product.

The 20-person startup competes in a broad logistics sector that includes companies like Soft Robotics (which has its own gripper technology) and Rethink Robotics (which has robots for assembly and manufacturing tasks). Other startups with different approaches in warehouse automation are 6 River Systems, Locus Robotics, and Fetch Robotics.

Gregory T. Huang is Xconomy's Deputy Editor, National IT Editor, and Editor of Xconomy Boston. E-mail him at gthuang [at] xconomy.com.

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RightHand Robotics Picks Up $8M to Automate Next-Gen ... - Xconomy

The primary platform for the project is Lego Mindstorms but individuals or groups can independently pursue other platforms.

National Youth Science Day

Ages: 9-18

Join the worlds largest youth-led science experiment!

Texas 4-H Robotics Advisory Committee

Ages: 13-Up

The Texas 4-H Robotics Advisory Committee provides direction for the future of the 4-H robotics projects. Members will work to build and strengthen the 4-H robotics program through suggestions for program direction and delivery. They will plan activities for the 4-H robotics program that interest a variety of youth and volunteers, and encourage participants to become more involved in planning and developing project materials and activities. Applications are accepted once a year at the beginning of the 4-H year. See opportunities.

Texas 4-H Tech Team

Ages: 15-Up

The Texas 4-H Technology Team is a group of young people and adults who promote computer and technology use within 4-H. The Technology Team recruits new members yearly for one to two year membership terms. This program requires a significant amount of time and requires that you secure transportation for the Fall Orientation, the Spring Meeting, Texas 4-H Roundup, and Texas 4-H Congress. Applications are accepted once a year before the beginning of the 4-H year.

National 4-H Robotics

This program helps students learn basic science concepts and application of the scientific inquiry method and engineering design. Track are open to students: Junk Drawer Robotics Curriculum

GEAR Robotics

Ages: Juniors (8-13) and Senior (14-19)

Students are given the opportunity to design, build, and test a robot with limited time and resources. After completing the robot, the students can enter the robot into the GEAR (Get Excited About Robotics) competition. Part of the learning process is learning new game designs and developing winning game strategies.

Wichita County 5th Annual Open GEAR Robotics Tournament, Saturday, April 22

Gearing Up 4-H Robotics Series

Robotshop: How to Make a Robot Lesson

This 10 lesson online tutorial program is designed for students interested in building a robot on their own and provides explanations of robotics terms.

STEMcentric: NXT Tutorial

STEMcentric is a resource for students and teachers using the LEGO Robotics kits. The NXT Tutorial is divided into two parts. Essentials is the first part and includes information all NXT programmers should know with exercises for practice. The second part Advanced is for reference.

Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy

The Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy is a branch of the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute and it seeks to provide resources and activities for classroom use. This program uses Robot Virtual World Software which allows students to experience programming robots and viewing the robotics perform virtually.

LEGO Engineering

This site provides inspiration and support for teachers using the LEGO -based engineering program in classrooms.

SPIN Club

Start your own 4-H Robotics Club with five or more student members between the ages of 9-18. Starting your own Robotics Club enable more 4-H students to experience the fun of robotics! Contact your local county extension office.

Robotics Challenge at Texas 4-H Roundup

The Robotics Challenge is a contest designed to allow members to demonstrate their robotics, engineering, and problem-solving skills.More information can be on the Roundup webpage.

Texas 4-H GEAR Contests

Ages: Juniors (8-13) and Senior (14-19)

These competitions are open to active 4-H members who compete as 2-6 member teams. The competition is comprised of a robotics demonstration, an informational presentation, and technical interview. More information can be found in the robotics_GEAR-General-Rules-2015

Texas Tech University GEAR Contest

South Plains elementary and middle schools have the opportunity to partner with engineering students from Texas Tech University for a period of 6-8 weeks. This program is free of charge and requires schools to register. School teams will have the opportunity to compete in the South Plain GEAR tournaments.

Other Opportunities

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Robotics | Texas 4-H

The Atomic Robots (Photo courtesy teams Facebook page)

A few years ago, a neighbor from up the street told us about these amazing competitions that her son, who was part of the STEM program at Mountlake Terrace High School, took part in. She explained the stadium-type feel with cheering and fanfare typically reserved for sporting events. At the time, It was hard to picture, and now having had one of my kids compete in a robotics competition, my neighbor described it perfectly! By the end of the day-long robotics competition, the stands were full, the concession stand was picked over, and the cheering was loud.

While skimming Facebook, I came across a post in a local Moms group where Pam Brisse posted about her son Luke, a 10th grader at Edmonds Heights K-12, and his team, Atomic Robotics, going to Worlds next month in Houston, Texas. Brisse posted to brag a little about the team, which is one of only six teams from our state to advance to this level, and her son, who is the teams co-manager in charge of the engineering and programming side of things.

To get some more information on just what a robotics team does and to find out what Worlds are, I spoke with Cathy Webb, K-12 Tech Integration Specialist at Edmonds Heights, which draws students from across the Edmonds School District. Webb not only teaches their Robotics classes, she is also a coach for Atomic Robotics. She shares coaching duties with John Courter, the teams tech coach and a parent of a former Edmonds Heights K-12 student. I got the chance to talk to Webb, over background chatter from her school lab, about the team, its benefits and just what it takes for 10 kids, two coaches and one robot to get to Houston.

Atomic Robotics is a FTC or FIRST Tech Challenge Team. FTC teams are aimed at those from 7th to 12th grade. As I found out with my sons team, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competitions are much more than robot building. The group, founded in 1989, aims to inspire young peoples interest and participation in science and technology. Webb explained that the team reached this level after wins at Interleague and State then after a good showing at Super Regionals, the team was invited to compete at the FIRST Championship in Houston next month, otherwise known at Worlds as international teams compete. These teams are far more than just building robots. Many different skills are involved in being on a robotics team. Competitions require marketing, programming, community outreach, mentoring, and more.

Team members develop a multitude of skills and develop the skills on their own, Webb said, leading into a story about a team member who joined Atomic Robotics intending to work on robot programming. Instead, he ended up focusing on the production of the video they use to market the team and do community outreach. Being able to explore all the different facets of a team allowed this team member to find out he loved a different thing and has since been accepted to Seattle Film Institute.

On top of broadening horizons and gaining translatable life skills, Webb says the students get opportunities for exposure and professional input on their projects. Atomic Robots has done so by presenting their projects to Boeing, Microsoft, and Disney.

The other reason Brisse posted about her sons team was to generate donations. Webb told me that it will take $16,000 to get the team to the competition. The robot theyve been using weighed 85 pounds, but Webb says they are building a new robot for this competition. Since posting their GoFundMe page currently at $1,400 the team announced that two anonymous donors have offered a match if the donations reach $3,000: If we can raise $3,000.00, it will become $9,000.00! If youd like to help Atomic Robotics, you can do so by clicking HERE.

So how does your child get involved in robotics locally? Webb told me that each local high school has a FRC robotics team. They are like the Atomic Robotics FTC team, but the age range is smaller, allowing only for those at the high school level. On the lower levels, where my son competed, Ive seen FLL, FIRST Lego League, teams formed at school, but also was particularly pumped up about a local Girl Scout Troop forming a team and advancing past the first level of competition. You can find out more about bringing a team to your school at FirstInspires.org.

Of the many LEGO engineering camps at the Frances Anderson Center this summer, two are specifically robotics based. Robotics Using LEGO WeDo for grades 2-4 is an introductory robotics class where kids will learn basic programming skills, simple engineering concepts, and the names of robot components. This class is a great way to prepare young Robotics enthusiasts for our more advanced Robotics programs.

Those in grades 5-8 can sign up for Robotics Using LEGO EV3. Students can build and program robots using the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 system which is what the FIRST LEGO League competitors use. Students will use mechanical and software design as they work in small groups to program and build their robot to avoid obstacles, pick up and carry objects, and play sounds. For more details on either class, you can check out EdmondsCamps.org or call Edmonds Parks and Recreation at 425-771-0230.

By Jennifer Marx

Jen Marx, an Edmonds mom of two young boys, is always looking for a fun place to take the kids that makes them tired enough to go to bed on time. You can find her on Twitter trying to make sense of begging kids to just eat the mac n cheese @jen_marx.

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Playtime: Explaining robotics, and how you can help local team travel to 'Worlds' - MLT News

Kaden Smith, Enapa Croy and Kaylie Prieur perform routine maintenance on The Bullfish, the Fishy Business teams robotic competition vehicle. (SCOTT D. JOHNSTON PHOTO)

By Scott D. Johnston

For GH Newspaper Group

In the world of organized high school robotics competitions, it may be that size doesnt really matter. Smarts and savvy seem to be the secrets of success.

How else to explain that members of the 4-H Ocosta Fishy Business Inc. team from Ocosta Junior/Senior High School in Westport crushed the competition, are preparing for the ultimate battle at a world championship event next month and already have an impressive world record atop their stellar stats?

The Fishy Business team, with seven students and three adult mentors, finished second among 73 teams from 14 states at the FIRST Tech Challenge West Super Regional event at the Tacoma Convention Center March 11. That makes them one of five teams from Washington state and 128 overall that will battle it out at the FTC World Championships to be held April 19-22 in Houston, Texas.

But now they need the communitys help to make the final chapter of their quest come true. Mentor Joe Prieur, whose daughter, Kaylie, is part of a trio of seniors leading the team, has started a Gofundme page at http://www.gofundme.com/FTC11121Worlds. The team is a little over three-quarters of the way to its goal of $13,000, which means they can afford to send at least three students plus mentors on the six-day trip. The goal, of course, is to raise enough to send the entire team.

The competitions are staged by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a non-profit organization that seeks to inspire young peoples interest and participation in science and technology. FIRST operates four global after-school programs for grades K-12. The FIRST Tech Challenge for grades 7-12 is the third level.

Each year brings a different set of parameters and objectives for the robotics competitions. Each team starts with a kit that resembles a glorified erector set and a 100-page manual that explains it all. There are no specific blueprints for the robotic device to be built, and teams can fabricate parts along the way.

The competition is judged on multiple elements, including an autonomous section that tests successful programming, a section on the teams log books that have been kept since the first team meetings, and the actual robot vs. robot competitions.

Strategy and cooperation are also key elements as the event involves two teams pairing up and working to each others strengths. It was in that setting that the Fishy Business roboteers and a team from Pleasant Hill, Calif., combined to set a world record.

Everything went perfect

Senior Aaron Doull said scores at the Super Regional level were mostly in the range of 150-200 points. The existing record of 300 points was eclipsed with a 305 score early in the event at Tacoma. But the Ocosta/Pleasant Hill alliance blew the competition away with a stunning 350 points. Junior Kaden Smith said it was a match where the synergy with our partner was great, and everything went perfect.

The Ocosta team got started in mid-September and actually lost its first competition eight weeks later. Eighteen straight wins then followed as they progressed through four levels of competition. The World FTC event is the fifth and final level.

While all seven members of the team are able to put their robotic vehicle nicknamed The Bullfish through its paces, some are also specialists. Senior Enapay Croy who has been doing robotics for three years said he likes building, testing and adjusting. He said many elements have been refined, sometimes replaced, as The Bullfish has continued to evolve via competition.

All three seniors said their experiences with robotics and the Fishy Business team have helped them choose careers they intend to pursue after graduating this year. That will leave three freshmen to carry on the Fishy Business tradition: Samatha Starkey, Evan Smith and Markay Williams.

More information on the Ocosta team is available online at their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/FTC11121/.

Ocosta Junior/Senior High Schools Fishy Business robotics team practicing in anticipation of their trip next month to the World Championship event in Houston. Pictured from left are Enapay Croy, Aaron Doull, Evan Smith, Kaylie Prieur, Samatha Starkey and Kaden Smith. (SCOTT D. JOHNSTON PHOTO)

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Ocosta robotics team headed to world championships - The Daily World

ALBANY Robotics teams from all over the state of Georgia were in Albany this weekend competing in the weekend-long FIRST Robotics Peachtree District Qualifier at the Albany Civic Center.

The robotics competition, which began Friday, brought 35 teams of students from across Georgia together to battle for a berth to compete in the FIRST Robotics state championship set for April 5-8 at the University of Georgias Stegeman Coliseum.

The local events lead sponsor, Procter & Gamble, contributed $50,000 for Albany to host the event and to help support any local teams, of which there were six competing, that qualify for the state championship.

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FIRST Robotics competition wraps up in Albany | Local News ... - The Albany Herald

The 2017 Smoky Mountains Regional Robotics Competition at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville hosted hundreds of high school students whose teams competed with their own, individually built robots. Andrew Capps

MC Stephanie Steuri encourages the crowd to cheer for the finalists at the 2017 Smoky Mountain Regional Robotics Competition at Thompson-Boling Arena.(Photo: Andrew Capps/News Sentinel)Buy Photo

Hundreds of high school students, parents and mentors gathered from across the region Saturday, March 25, for the 2017 Smoky Mountain Regional Robotics Competition at Thompson-Boling Arena.

Teams began arriving Wednesday for the competition, which is one of dozens across the country that have taken place since the beginning of March. Teams from Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and West Virginia traveled to compete in the event and possiblyadvancing to the 2017 FIRST Robotics Championship in Houston.

According to FIRST Regional Director, L.J. Robinson, who brought the event to Knoxville in 2010, 15 teams from the Knoxville area competed in the 48-team event, including the Farragut High School Flagship team, which earned the opportunity to compete in the championship in April.

The event began with several practice matches Thursday and Friday, in which teams were able to test their machines ability to complete the tasks required to compete. The final competition came down to two alliances of three teams who were competing for the chance to go to Houston. The red alliance consisted of the Delphi E.L.I.T.E. team from Warren, Ohio, Shark Attack from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the Farragut High School Flagship team from Knoxville. After two tense final rounds, the red alliance defeated the opposing blue alliance, which featured the SigmaC@T Robotic Team from Fort Lauderdale, Category 5 from North Charleston, South Carolina, and the Secret City Wildbots from Oak Ridge.

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Robinson explained that the annual competition serves an opportunity to introduce high school students to engineering concepts and to help them build relationships with mentors.

Its a wonderful cycle, she said. These children are mentored by professional engineers from the industry or professors from here at UT. When they go to college they become the interns of these industries and when they graduate these industries have already captured their future engineers and scientists.

She added that the program gives former students the opportunity to give back to their schools as mentors and team coaches.

Thats one of the interesting things about this program, these kids are being mentored therefore they learn mentoring, she said. Then they turn around and give back to the team when they graduate. Its so much more than the robots.

Theyre learning about giving.

Mark Wehrenberg, who has been involved in the Smoky Mountain Regional Robotics Competition since its inception, served as the judge advisor at this years competition. He added that the event helps area schools and industries interest the students in STEM careers.

The environment that we create here helps the K-12 students to understand that theres more to it than just math, he said. Theres teambuilding and problem solving and so much competition that is involved. It truly fills a need in the future by starting the program when theyre young.

For Robinson, who works as the executive director of Manorhouse Assisted Living in Knoxville, bringing a regional competition to Knoxville was less about the robots and more about doing something good for the community.

I dont know the first thing about engineering or technology, she said, but I know a good thing when I see it, and this is a good thing.

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Robotics competition draws teams from across the region - Knoxville News Sentinel

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Robotics News - Robot News, Robotics, Robots, Robotics ...

Seacrest Country Day School RoboRays celebrating victory at Orlando FIRST Regional robotics tournament held March 11 12.(Photo: Submitted)

Seacrest Country Day Schools high school robotics team has qualified for the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) robotics world championship in Houston, Texas.

The RoboRays, only in their second year, beat 60 other teams at a FIRST competition in Orlando last week to win the title of co-regional champions alongside two other teams.

There was a bit of confusion and disbelief, said Seacrest senior Kate Talano, 17, a scouter for the RoboRays. Im really humbled to have been able to witness that experience. Ive never seen a team so dedicated.

Most of the teams that compete in FIRST competitions are made up of at least 50 team membersand some have upwards of 100. The RoboRays have only 13 students.

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Were such a small team that nobody expected us to get this far, said RoboRays captain and driver Will LaFreniere, 17, a senior.

Only two students on the team had prior robotics experience when the team started last year.

We started from next to nothing, Will said. Weve had to scrap and scrape to find all the resources we can. Its been really tough but the fact we made it through, theres really a sense of pride that comes along with it.

The team has been practicing six days a week since February, working alongside robotics coach Marc Barry as well as two advisors from the teams sponsor Florida Power and Light.

Barry said the adults have been hands off throughout the robot building process, which has contributed to the teams success.

Its given them a greater sense of ownership and pride and thats shown through in the way they carry themselves and in the pride they have in their accomplishments, he said.

Now that the team has qualified, theyre shifting their focus from circuit boards to fundraising.

Registration to FIRST'sworldcompetition alone costs $5,000. Barry estimates it will cost another $10,000 for travel, lodging and meals.

The team is holding a Cars & Coffee Autoshow fundraiser on Saturday, April 1 from 9 a.m. 1 p.m. at Seacrest Country Day School at 7100 Davis Boulevard in Naples. All proceeds will go towards the robotics program to sendthe students to the world competition, which will take place April 19 22.

Car registration costs $20 in advance and $25 the day of the fundraiser. For more information or to register a car, contact Tina LaFreniere at 918-497-8500 or tina@pintime.com.

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Seacrest's robotics team qualifies for world competition - Naples Daily News

The Gunn High School robotics team will advance to the national and world FIRST Robotics Competition Championship in April in Houston.

The Gunn Robotics Team qualified for the championships after ranking first at the Arizona North Regional on March 11, the first time the team has won a regional since 2013.

The team also won the Excellence in Engineering Award at the regional event in Flagstaff, which they also won at the Hub City Regional in Lubbock, Texas.

Team captain Mihir Juvvadi said that judges were impressed with the teams use of alternative construction techniques, such as laser cutting and 3D printing, as well as the teams design and prototyping process.

Everything we could have possibly hoped for out of this regional happened, Juvvadi said in summarizing the event.

The teams first match at the regional was a little rocky but things improved with more preparation, said Juvvadi, a senior at Gunn.

What should have been a home run match paired with another high-performing robot went very poorly, and following it, we scrambled to prepare for the rest of the day, Juvvadi said. That preparation paid off however, and that first match was our only loss of the day.

The Gunn team formed an alliance with teams from Monte Vista High School in Cupertino and Beyer High School in Modesto to compete in the tournaments playoffs.

Seth Mallory, who has mentored the Gunn team for 15 years, was recognized at the regional event with the Woodie Flowers Award for being an outstanding mentor.

He personifies the mission of the program, that is to guide students to discover solutions for themselves, rather than be handed it, Juvvadi said. His dedication to the team allows it to continue year after year, and the program would not be what it is without him.

Juvvadi also said the student-guided organization benefits from the mentor support of lead mentor Kristina Granlund-Moyer.

Paly Robotics Team 8 ranked 20th at the Ventura Regional, which ended Saturday, and earned the FIRST Deans List Finalist Award, Creativity Award and Entrepreneurship Award.

These local high school teams and others will be in action this year at the annual Silicon Valley Regional, set for March 29 to April 1 in San Jose.

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Palo Alto: Gunn robotics team advances to championship - The Mercury News

GLENDALE -

About a dozen students from Desert Mirage Elementary School in Glendale are ready to show off their robotics skills in a worldwide competition.

This is the first year the school put a robotics program in place and they were excited that three of their teams beat out the state competition, to move on to the "Vex Worlds Event" in Louisville, Kentucky.

The students design and build their own robots. They compete against other teams, just like a sporting event, getting their robots through challenges and obstacles.

"It means the world," said seventh grader Sidney Casillas, who is on an all-girls team. "My team wasn't the best in the beginning but we spent so much time and it's just crazy that we are able to go to world."

Many of the students have found a passion for technology by joining the group.

"You can make anything out of it," said eighth grader Jose Leon. "There is not limit to what you can make. That is the main thing I like about robotics."

About 275 teams will be coming in for the competition from all over the world. It is going to cost about $1,500 for each student to attend so they are raising money right now.

If you want to help them make it to their competition, you can donate to their fundraiser athttps://www.youcaring.com/desertmirageroboticsclub-766472

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Glendale students heading to international robotics competition - ABC15 Arizona