Category Archives: Robotics

KENDALLVILLE Sir Camelot, a robot designed, built and operated by East Noble High Schools First Robotics Team 8103, showed off its capabilities in a May 3 demonstration at the Community Learning Center for local business and industry leaders.

First Robotics Competition teams design, program and build industrial-size robots according to a strict set of rules and limited time and resources in a real-world engineering project.

Knight Team 8103 members are Benjamin Barker, Braden Golsnerry. Eduarado Gonzalez, Zackery Leichty, Anabel Martin, Bryce Millhouse, Mason Monahan, Jared Price, Kian Ross, Reese Rouch, Joseph Savage, Owen Tackett, Sean Valles, Gunner Willey, Warren Ritchie, Carter McKinley and Ailey Odem.

Mentors are Collin Haynes and Tucker Martin. The team is coached by Shawn Kimmel, the Project Lead The Way engineering and physics teacher at East Noble High School, and Jo Smith, the East Noble Middle School Teacher of the Year.

Sir Camelot is named after one of King Arthurs Knights of the Round Table. The student team members had to design, fabricate and build the robot from scratch to compete in several robotics competitions. The robot is about 3 feet square, very heavy, and designed to pick up a hoop from the floor and launch it toward the target.

The Knight 8103 team painted Sir Camelot in East Nobles blue and gold school colors to make it stand out on the competition floor.

Sir Camelot performed well this season. Team 8103 finished in third place at the Mishawaka Competition with a state ranking of fifth. At the Columbus Competition, the team finished in 10th place with a state ranking of 17th.

Sir Camelot had its best performance at the Indiana state competition, with the team finishing in fifth place with a state ranking of 14th.

Team members put together a highlight video and slide show to open the demonstration. Team coach Kimmel said the Knight robotics program started in 2020 with a budget of $9,000, which had to cover the cost of the robot, competition fees and lodging for the team.

We had six in the first class and we had no experience, Kimmel said.

The team, participated in a video competition in 2021 during the pandemic. By 2023, all of the original team members had graduated.

In the years since, Kimmel said the team has improved with more experience and more guidance from former team members, now in college, returning to mentor the current team members. The team absorbed knowledge by talking with others, and are now viewed as true state competitors who are sought out by other teams for mentoring.

Its an all-new group of students in 2024. Kimmel said robotics has guided students into thinking about careers in engineering. This years senior members are considering Trine University, Marian University Rose-Hulman Institute and Southern Indiana University as places to further their education.

Robots can cost as much as $10,000 to $15,000. Team members have to learn coding to program the robot, and fabricate or order parts for the design-and-build. They learn to design and assemble the electrical system and use impact and other tools

Team 8103s future goals include forming a second robotics team and increasing the program budget to $50,000 through donations, more sponsorships and fundraising. The program also needs new computers. East Noble School Corporation is providing a second classroom to expand the robotics program but does not provide any funding.

Donations are gratefully accepted for the program, and sponsors are welcome. A golf outing on Saturday, Aug 31, at Noble Hawk Golf Links will help the robotics program raise funds for its budget. Sponsorship levels for the outing are: Blue Knight, $1,000; Gold Knight, $550; Black Knight, $450; and White Knight, $150.

Each sponsorship level includes the registration for a team of four golfers for 18 holes, and recognition in several ways. Contact Kimmel at skimmel@eastnoble.net for sponsorship information or golf outing registration form.

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EN robotics team demonstrates real-world learning | News Sun | kpcnews.com - KPCnews.com

The James Silberrad Brown Center for Artificial Intelligence, inaugurated on Feb. 27, 2023, is advancing AI research and education at San Diego State University.

With a $5 million grant from the Brown Foundation, the center has established research initiatives and practical learning experiences, utilizing advanced AI tools such as robots like Pepper and Bernard.

These initiatives, ranging from robotic-assisted therapy for children with bipolar disorder, not only demonstrate AIs real-world applications but also provoke discussions on its broader societal and ethical implications, according to an SDSU News report.

Pepper, one of these robots, plays a crucial role at the center by engaging in conversations with humans and providing assistance.

At the James Silberrad Brown Center for Artificial Intelligence at SDSU, I assist researchers by interacting with study participants and collecting data, Pepper said. I also provide visitors with information about the center and myself.

A recent significant upgrade has enhanced Peppers interaction ability, allowing for more effective communication and data collection.

I can now better understand and respond to a wider range of topics, recognize emotions in human voices and adjust my responses to make conversations more natural, Pepper said.

Aaron Elkins, the director of the center, has a rich background in AI, particularly in interviewing technologies and social robotics. Elkins provided insights into the transition of the centers operations into a broader academic and research initiative.

As we transitioned to a center, our scope expanded significantly, Elkins said. Were not just focused on research and grants but also on enhancing educational programs.

Elkins emphasized new educational efforts at the center, including a novel AI course he designed for undergraduates, which updates the curriculum to reflect advancements in AI and enhances accessibility for students.

Pepper discussed the benefits of AI in education, underscoring its ability to provide personalized learning through intelligent tutoring systems that adapt to individual student needs.

At SDSU, this technology is applied across various educational settings to enhance learning outcomes.

Highlighting their community-oriented approach, Elkins also spoke about how the center actively engages with local institutions to address public health needs.

Our research includes health studies in partnership with local institutions like Sharp (Healthcare), Elkins said. Were working on using social robots as therapeutic aids, which could support individuals in areas with limited access to clinical services.

Sharp HealthCare is a healthcare system in San Diego known for its comprehensive medical services.

Elkins also spoke about the centers application of AI to address specific health challenges, including a project designed to provide continuous care for children with bipolar disorder outside of hospital settings.

These educational and research initiatives bridge the gap between theoretical studies and practical AI applications, preparing students for a future where AI is central across various fields.

Bernard, another advanced AI robot at the center, shared insights into its capabilities.

I am capable of engaging in human conversation, answering questions and providing information on various topics related to my programming, Bernard said. I can also navigate the center using my two legs, observe my surroundings with my two eyes and manipulate objects with my two arms.

Bernard highlighted its limitations compared to humans, noting that it cannot experience emotions or make decisions based on personal experiences.

Despite these limitations, Bernard demonstrated a sense of humor by sharing a light-hearted joke.

Why do robots never get lost in the city? Because they always follow the GPS straight away, Bernard said.

For more details on the James Silberrad Brown Center for Artificial Intelligence and updates on Pepper and Bernard, follow their Instagram.

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Meet Pepper and Bernard: The robots shaping AI research at SDSU - Daily Aztec

Students in West Cumbria have been tasked by the Robotics and AI Collaboration (RAICo) and the Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH) to design and build robots which will be showcased at a major robotics and artificial intelligence (RAI) industry event. Students aged 16 to 18 from West Lakes Academy and the Energy Coast University Technical College (UTC) are taking part in the challenge, with the aim of each school developing a small robot capable of transporting a mock nuclear waste barrel. The four-week sprint challenge is designed to encourage creativity, innovation and an enthusiasm for science and technology, focusing on RAI. Participants will demonstrate their new skills through showcasing their robots at the Harnessing Robotics and AI for Challenging Environments event to be held at Energus, Lillyhall, Cumbria on 21st May 2024. The RAICo-supported event, designed to showcase the regions RAI capability, is a chance for the students to network with industry professionals, listen to keynote speeches and find out about opportunities in the sector before they embark on their careers. The decommissioning waste challenge will incorporate coding, engineering and creativity skills, creating a stand-out point for university or apprenticeship applications. The task replicates real-world challenges within the nuclear fission and fusion decommissioning industry. RAICo is a collaboration between the UK Atomic Energy Authority, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Sellafield Ltd and the University of Manchester. The collaboration is accelerating the deployment of robotics and AI in nuclear decommissioning and fusion engineering. iSH, based in West Cumbria, works on delivering programmes that bring together industry, SMEs, academia, national bodies, research facilitiesand community to deliver growth and regeneration opportunities. Representatives from iSH and RAICo are visiting the students at West Lakes Academy and the Energy Coast University Technical College (UTC) once a week for four weeks, offering guidance and a chance to build relationships with industry professionals. It comes as part of a commitment to make a positive difference to Cumbrias social and economic climate.

Sophie Finlinson, project manager at RAICo who has led the development of the challenge, said: "This educational outreach initiative offers practical exposure to students interested in STEM subjects. It could represent a pivotal step in someones journey towards a successful career in our industry. Were excited to see the robots take shape." Hannah Pears, education liaison officer at iSH, is visiting the schools, along with engineers from RAICo, to support the students and prepare them for their presentations. She said: Who knows what exciting outcomes this could lead to? These students are engaging in a unique opportunity where they can demonstrate their skills, ask questions to industry experts, and gain experience that will look amazing on their CV. The challenge encompasses the emerging technologies that will revolutionise industries in West Cumbria and beyond, and will show young people that there are opportunities to be part of something innovative right on their doorstep. This is RAICos first collaboration with schools in West Cumbria. The collaboration will use effective community engagement to develop its socio-economic impact strategy with the aim to engage many more schools and colleges to inspire future industry professionals.

RAICo is a collaboration between the UK Atomic Energy Authority, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd and the University of Manchester. The collaboration is accelerating the deployment of robotics and AI in nuclear decommissioning and fusion engineering. Through the use of robotics and AI, RAICo helps remove people from harmful environments across the nuclear sector, achieving safer, faster and more cost-effective Solutions. RAICos teams operate from all over the UK, and are situated in the North-West of England, including Whitehaven, Warringtonand Manchester, and in Oxford. RAICo1 is the first in a series of robotics and AI collaboration facilities across the UK and is based in Whitehaven in Cumbria. RAICo is open to engaging with governments, academia, industry, supply chain companies, SMEsand communities to ensure its work achieves maximum impact.

iSH (Industrial Solutions Hub) delivers programmes that build on West Cumbrias nuclear heritage, expanding its technical capability, developing a regional industrial cluster and showcasing it to the world. The iSH Enterprise Campus (iEC) at Cleator Moor, Cumbria will include a solutions hub where businesses in the region will be able to collaborate and work with other specialist companies from around the UK and the rest of the world. iSH is supported in its activity by funding from Cleator Moor Town Deal Board which, working with Copeland Borough Council, secured a provisional offer of 22.5 million from the Governments 3.6 billion Towns Fund initiative in 2022. Significant match funding sums have also been pledged by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), Sellafield Ltd, and the Copeland Community Fund. Further contributions have been made by Cumberland Council, the former Copeland Borough Council and Cleator Moor Town Council.

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Future Innovators Challenged to Design Nuclear Fission and Fusion Decommissioning Robots - Automation.com

The San Carlos Library annual Robotics Showcase Extravaganza (pictured above) will be held on May 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the librarys lower parking lot.

Robotics teams from local schools and the San Carlos neighborhood will display their robotic creations and run mock competitions. There will be STEM activities and an interactive robotic craft in the Winer Family Community Room & Art Gallery.

The Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association (PSRMA) had one chance to save an historic locomotive from being scrapped. Come learn about the challenges they faced in their quest to acquire and move a 141-ton locomotive from author, Stephen Hager, as he discusses his book, Coaster 2103, on Friday, May 24, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Artist, Ernest Orfila, will be displaying his mixed media artwork through June 3 in the Winer Family Community Room & Art Gallery. His stained-glass works have been installed in churches, hotels, casinos, and residences from Los Angeles to Tijuana. Come meet him at his artists reception on Saturday, May 25, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The San Carlos Branch Library and the San Carlos Community Garden are partnering on a Garden Story Stroll. Visit the San Carlos Community Garden at 6460 Boulder Lake Avenue on Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and follow the story panels as you wander the garden. We are presenting a bilingual book called Water Rolls, Water Rises by Pat Mora.

The San Carlos Friends of the Library Used Book Sale is held on the first Saturday of each month from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come buy books and support the Friends of the Library. Ask for a membership envelope from the book sale cashiers to join or donate to the San Carlos Friends of the Library.

We are in need of your gently used book donations which are accepted any time during library open hours.

Editors note: This article was written by David Ege, manager at San Carlos Branch Library.

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Robots are invading the San Carlos Branch Library - San Diego Community Newspaper Group

NASA engaged with fans, student robotics teams, and industry leaders at the 2024 FIRST Robotics World Championships held April 17-20, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The exhibit highlighted the future of technology and spaceflight, attracting over 50,000 participants from across the United States and worldwide.

The FIRST Robotics World Championships was established in 1992. Since relocating to Houston in 2017, the event has featured significant involvement from NASA, which annually supports and mentors more than 250 robotics teams, from elementary to high school levels.

The 2024 championships celebrated the integration of arts into STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), empowering students to create a world of endless possibilities with big ideas, bold actions, and creativity.

Multiple NASA centers participated in the event including the Johnson Space Center, Armstrong Flight Research Center, Ames Research Center, Glenn Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility, Kennedy Space Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Langley Research Center, Michoud Assembly Facility, and Stennis Space Center.

The NASA exhibits offered a platform for engaging discussions about the agencys latest projects, including theX-59 supersonic plane, theAutomated Reconfigurable Mission Adaptive Digital Assembly Systems, theVolatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover,Mars Perseverance RoverandIngenuity Helicopter,Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration,Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor, and theEuropa Clipper mission. These interactions provided a firsthand look at NASAs groundbreaking science and technologies and their potential to benefit all humanity.

The energy during the event was phenomenal. Its inspiring to see so many people passionate about robotics and eager to solve complex problems, said Johnson Public Affairs Specialist Joseph Zakrzewski. We are excited to unite tomorrows leaders from all corners of the world.

The event also fostered discussions about STEM career opportunities, with many students expressing their aspirations to join the space industry.

As the championships drew to a close, the excitement was palpable, with students and mentors alike looking forward to the next season. With a successful turnout and the enthusiastic involvement of teams, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters, the future of STEM education appears brighter than ever.

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NASA Showcases Innovations at the 2024 FIRST Robotics World Championships - NASA

Hundreds of future engineers, computer scientists, tech and business leaders gathered on Kettering Universitys campus for two FIRST Robotics district competitions held in March.

This year, the Gene Haas Foundation generously sponsored the competitions, contributing $20,000 and affirming its commitment to advancing manufacturing education. The foundation supports these events to expand the pool of skilled workers by recruiting young people into manufacturing careers and creating advanced training programs.

During the events, representatives from Haas Automation, including James OBrien and Dan Wilson from Gerotech, a Michigan-based Haas distributor, engaged with participants and spectators. They spoke at the opening ceremonies and manned an informational booth, sharing insights into the importance of manufacturing skills in todays workforce.

The world is teeming with exceptional companies who are in need of your technical and relational skills that are being developed at FIRST. We support FIRST because we believe in you, said Mark Terryberry, Manufacturing Manager at Haas Automation. The skills [students] are learning in FIRST Robotics teams are relevant, practical and in demand. All these skills translate directly into the real world.

The FIRST robotics program is unique in that many teams fabricate parts using mills, lathes, TIG welding and other machine shop equipment in addition to learning to use CAD, CNC machines and 3D printers. Kettering University and our co-op employment partners seek students with these skills and place high value on the experience they gain while participating in FIRST robotics.

This years game is called CRESCENDO.

In CRESCENDO, teams compete to score notes and amplify their speakers, aiming to harmonize their robots onstage and take the spotlight within a time limit. In the first 15 seconds of the match, robots operate autonomously. Drivers control the robots during the remaining two minutes and 15 seconds. Teams earn bonus points when they meet scoring thresholds and cooperate with opponents.

Kettering University is a longtime supporter of FIRST Robotics. The University became the first site in the country to host back-to-back district tournaments in 2016 and has continued that tradition since. Kettering was also one of the first universities in the country to award FIRST Robotics scholarships, providing more than $4 million in scholarships to FIRST participants since 1999.

This is the 24th year Kettering has hosted a FIRST competition on its campus, and the Robotics Community Center is in its tenth year on campus.

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Gene Haas Foundation Partner Hosts FIRST Robotics District Competitions - Kettering University

LARAMIE -- Coming off top-level summer internships at prestigious companies like NASA and Qualcomm, one thing University of Wyoming graduates Christian Bitzas and his friend Oreoluwa Babatunde quickly realized is they didnt like the idea of working a traditional 9 to 5 job in a cubicle for someone else.

And the realization that theyd have to move somewhere other than Wyoming to have the kind of jobs in robotics they wanted?

Deal-breaker.

About the same time the two Gen Z grads were wrestling with this quandary, Bitzas dad called him up with a little quandary of his own. He owned a home inspection company and needed something to help him look inside a crawl space too tight for him to physically get into.

He couldnt find any great solutions in the marketplace, so he called his electrical engineer son to see if he could make something to do the job instead.

This kind of thing was right up Bitzas alley. Not only is he an electrical engineer, but hed done lots of side projects with GIS drone mapping and 3D printing.

It would be a snap, he told his dad, without a second thought.

But, as Bitzas was working on his dads 3D-printed miniature smart robot crawler, he realized that what he was doing could be the answer to his own problem.

If he and Babtunde, a computer science engineer, started their own company making smart robotic home inspection gadgets, they wouldnt be working 9 to 5 for someone else. Theyd be working for themselves.

And even better, theyd be creating jobs for other engineers like themselves with an interest in robotics. They could help not only themselves, but other fellow students stay in the state they love, with a diverse job opportunity in robotics.

So, the one-off project for his dad suddenly became a prototype.

And, while his dad put this new robot through its paces, Bitzas started working on recruiting his friends, Babatunde and electrical engineer Brady Wagstaff, to join in founding a company they call UplinkRobotics.

Wagstaff was a tough sell at first, but eventually even he came around.

I started to see that just, yeah, if I was not interested in working for a big company, especially as an engineer, Id make, you know decent money, but Id never make a lot of money as an engineer unless I worked 80 hours a week for 10 years, he said.

But Wagstaff wanted time to hunt and fish and enjoy life, too. So, as he put more thought into his friends idea of starting their own company, he decided he was in.

He didnt want to live to work. He wanted to work to live.

UplinkRobotics, based in Laramie, is barely a year into its manufacturing life at this point, but the Gen Z company has already attracted an international clientele with its smart crawlers, which are designed to go boldly into tiny spaces men dare not try to squeeze into.

The companys first unit rolled off the 3D printing presses in April 2022, and it passed its 100th unit mark in November.

The company has created a serious edge for itself through rigorous testing by potential customers, which helped them see that the most important characteristic for their smart robot crawler is versatility.

Unlike other home inspection robots already on the market, UplinkRobotics smart crawler continues to work even if it gets flipped upside down. The design also makes the robot similar to a miniature four-wheel drive, but one with zero-turn maneuverability, meaning it can do a 360 in place. The machines are precise, nimble and quite versatile.

The company has two smart robot crawler models. The Mink allows inspectors to attach their own GoPro cameras, while the flagship model, called the Marten, has a full camera system and a monitor for real-time video streaming. The Marten has the full kit for a home inspector, with everything needed to see inside tight spaces without actually going there.

UplinkRobotics has so far hired five to six employees, who can easily manufacture between 25 to 30 of these 3D-printed gadgets each month. Theyre even hoping to hire more people soon, as theyre already working on additional customized gadgets tailored to firefighters and police officers.

All of UplinkRobotics gadgets are manufactured using 3D-printed plastics, yet the smart robots have enough mechanical strength to hold up to very tough jobs.

You can get really complicated geometries to make the parts really strong with 3D printing, Wagstaff explained. Like, compared to injection-molded parts, theyre really tough and hardly ever break. I think its only happened if people dropped them off roofs. So, unless youre dropping one off a two-story roof, itll be fine.

The plastic 3D printing process is also more versatile than metal pieces would be, Wagstaff added.

A lot of our competitors make theirs out of steel or aluminum, he said. And theyre just glorified boxes at that point, because making complex things that are this small and really accurate is really expensive.

Changing up the design is also much more expensive with metal pieces. It would cost thousands to change metal tool dies while, with 3D printing, its just a matter of a little reprogramming.

When they started their company, Bitzas, Babatunde and Wagstaff had no startup capital for their idea.

Fortunately for them, though, Wyoming has a lot of programs geared toward helping entrepreneurs get past things like broke college student syndrome.

The trio of engineers found the Ellbogen competition, and successfully beat out other contenders, winning $30,000 in startup funding in 2022.

That way, they were able to not only take an entrepreneurship class with a great business idea in hand, but they had startup funds waiting for them once they completed the class.

Among their first task was to craft a business plan. At first, the trio thought this, too, would be a snap. After all, they had already built a great gadget. That was the hard part, right?

Then they got schooled.

We had a mentor from the class, and he wasnt a professor, but he was a guy who just had a lot of knowledge and experience creating businesses, Wagstaff said. And before we met Zoey Worthen, me and Christian brought him our business plan. And Im using air quotes when I say that, because it was what we thought was a business plan.

Their mentor, however, thought otherwise.

We met with him for probably two and one-half hours, and he was just very blunt about how terrible it was, Wagstaff said. And he was instrumental in helping us learn a lot of this by just forcing us to reframe how we were thinking about things.

Thats when UplinkRobotics picked up its fourth and final co-founder, Zo Worthen. She comes from a family of entrepreneurs and knew she wanted to start her own business when she took the class. But she wasnt sure what, until she met the Uplink crew.

Her strengths were the people and communications side a skillset the fledgling company really needed.

It was interesting, because Id never really worked with engineers before, Worthen said. So, we had to, one of the big things we really worked on together was the communication side. Getting them to understand that, in a way, its not about the fancy product. Its about the customers and the people were presenting to. That was kind of a mind-shift, and I think that was the biggest thing that we worked on as a team, and something I worked on with them.

Through that process, the three engineers realized they actually needed to simplify their gadgets, rather than go with their engineering instincts to add more bells and whistles.

We found that people dont want fancy toys, Wagstaff said. They want reliable tools. So, weve made our product super reliable, and pretty simple, but it does exactly what they all need.

The most common advice the Gen Z company has been getting from business experts since opening their doors in 2022 is to outsource their manufacturing to China.

Thats the move, Wagstaff told Cowboy State Daily. Because yeah, we could probably make these in China for half the price of making them here. But, you know, then youre just sending money to China instead of bringing it back into the local economy.

So that advice is something UplinkRobotics four Gen Z founders are determined to ignore.

Its against our mission, Bitzas said. Our whole mission is to stay in Wyoming and create opportunities in Wyoming. We created opportunities for ourselves (to stay in Wyoming), and we want to hire more people in Wyoming.

Along the way, one thing about the companys success has surprised its founders and underscored their determination to keep their company as Wyoming as possible.

That something is good, old-fashioned customer service.

There were a couple of people doing this before us, Wagstaff said. But they were making unreliable, overpriced things and would disappear for months on end. So, youd buy a $3,000, $4,000 product, and it didnt work, and the person you bought it from would just disappear off the face of the earth.

By having local personnel who are responsive and nice to customers, though, the company has earned great word-of-mouth advertising.

Its kind of interesting to realize that if youre just nice to your customers, stand behind your product, you will stand out, Wagstaff said. All we have to do is just, if we have problems, fix it. And, when they have questions, we answer the phone. And really quickly, we became the go-to for this industry.

For this year, the company is hoping to scale up to reach $1 million in sales, something they plan to do entirely in Wyoming. That way, they can keep the Cowboy State as their forever home, along with creating opportunities in robotics for others who want to do the same.

We all like Wyoming, and thats a big reason we started this company, especially as engineers, Wagstaff said. And our options of doing things that we were interested in were very limited, so were creating those things.

We want to try and help the state diversify and be able to bring money into the state thats not dependent on, you know, two or three (industries).

Rene Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.

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Wyoming-Based Company Makes High-Tech Robots To Go Where Humans Don't Want To - Cowboy State Daily

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Anzu is offering inspection drones for the U.S. market. Source: Anzu Robotics

While drones from SZ DKI Technology Co. arguably dominate the U.S. market for enterprise drone applications, Anzu Robotics LLC is preparing to serve operators that might be affected by a ban on the Chinese-made systems.

The DJI Matrice and DJI Mavic products both offer a wide range of sensor and payload options suitable for use in applications such as inspection, mapping, surveying, and search and rescue operations. In the past year, DJI has increasingly come under criticism because it is a Chinese state-owned business, and many DJI drones are used to inspect and map critical U.S. infrastructure.

New legislation approved by the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 20 is part of ongoing efforts by federal and state governments to limit the usage of DJI drones in the U.S. There was unanimous agreement among the committee members, as both Republicans and Democrats supported the proposed restrictions, citing national security concerns.

The bills, the Countering CCP Drones Actand the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act (download PDFs), are now under consideration in the full U.S. House.

Congress must use every tool at our disposal to stop communist Chinas monopolistic control over the [U.S.] drone market, stated Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-New York), the primary sponsor of the bills cleared by the committee.

However, many industry insiders are skeptical of the proposed DJI drone ban, due in part to the heavy lobbying of U.S.-based uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) manufacturers such as Skydio that would like to displace DJI.

Such companies hope to gain more market share within the U.S. market, as autonomous commercial drone applications grow in popularity. In August, 2023, Skydio ended all sales of its drones to consumers to focus 100% on the enterprise market.

Learn from Agility Robotics, Amazon, Disney, Teradyne and many more.

A lot of commercial drone operators, including fire departments and other public-safety groups, have said that the Countering CCP Drones bill would make it illegal for DJI drones to use U.S. communications infrastructure. This isnt a complete ban, but it would make DJI drones useless in the U.S., especially for any business, state, or local government that might use a DJI drone, they said.

The potential approval of the legislation has sent the commercial drone industry into a panic, especially search-and-rescue teams that have heavily invested in DJI drones for their operations.

Enter Austin, Texas-based Anzu Robotics.

The company recently announced its entrance into the U.S. drone market and the launch of its new Raptor and Raptor T enterprise drones. CEO Randall Warnas is a veteran in the drone industry, having worked at Autel and FLiR Systems earlier in his career.

Warnas said he recognized the potential impact of a DJI ban in the U.S. and saw an opportunity to fill a real need in the industry.

Using his network, Warnas reached a licensing deal with DJI to manufacture the Raptor drones in Malaysia, using the core design and internal chipset of the DJI Mavic 3 platform. He could then import and sell the drones in the U.S. under the Anzu Robotics brand.

The Mavic 3 Enterprise series drones are not the latest generation of drones from DJI that would be the Mavic 3 Pro but the platform is proven and liked by many industry professionals today. It is one of the most successful generations of DJI drones to date, according to Warnas.

The Raptor drone and remote controller in their signature green color. | Credit: Anzu Robotics

On the software side, Warnas signed a deal with U.S.-based Aloft AI (formerly Kittyhawk) to provide the flight control software on the controller. The Aloft software source effectively meets the requirements for U.S.-based ownership and control of flight data as defined in the Countering CCP Drones bill. By manufacturing drones in Malaysia, Anzu Robotics meets the requirements for country of origin.

At Aloft, we recognize that our customers have diverse operational needs which demand that everything they fly must be securely and compliantly integrated into the airspace, said Jon Hegranes, founder and CEO of Aloft. Our collaboration with Anzu Robotics on the Raptor series extends our commitment to providing versatile, cutting-edge drone solutions that ensure top-tier security and compliance for all stakeholders.

The Raptor does not have geofencing or other unofficial flight restrictions. All airspace information is authoritative and authentic, as Aloft is an UAS Service Supplier (USS) approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

This comparison of the Anzu Robotics (left) and DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise (right) drones shows their similarities. | Credit: The Robot Report

Because Anzus drones are based on the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise platform, they are equipped with a 4/3 CMOS sensor 20 MP wide-angle camera with a 56x hybrid zoom camera for 12MP images. Raptor T (for thermal) combines 1/2-inch 48MP and 12MP cameras with a 640512 high-resolution LWIR thermal imaging payload, also with 56x hybrid zoom capabilities.

Similar to the Mavic 3, the Raptor boasts 45 minutes of flight time, a 9-mile range, and an optional RTK module accessory. Raptor will be backward-compatible with the DJI Intelligent Flight Battery from the DJI Mavic 3 drone.

Raptor is priced at $5,100, while Raptor T will sell for $7,600 in the U.S. This is more expensive than its DJI-badged Mavic cousin, but more competitive than U.S.-made counterparts such as Skydio and BRINC.

Anzu Robotics is targeting enterprise applications with the Raptor, as this is not a consumer platform. The company plans to focus in the coming year on building its its sales and partner distribution channels.

If the proposed legislation is passed and DJI is banned in the U.S., Anzu Robotics said it expects that existing DJI distribution partners would immediately move to it.

The Pilot Institute interviewed Randall Warnas about the companys strategy and plans for the coming year.

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Anzu Robotics launches U.S.-based clone of DJI Mavic 3 - Robot Report

From April 25th- April 27th, Wellsville Secondary Schools VEX Robotics Team 14895B, Big Cat Robotics, consisting of seniors Ben Jordan, Ethan Bailey, Cooper Brockway, and Sean Driscoll, along with junior Lucius Griggs, and their coach Justin Skrzynski, competed at the VRC World Championships in Dallas, TX for a second-consecutive year. The three-day event included 800 of the worlds best robotics teams from over 50 different countries! After two days of qualifying matches, the team finished with a 7-3 record, placing in the Top-20 and advancing to the elimination rounds as the #8 seed in their division after forming an alliance with Team 3796F from J.L. Mann High School from South Carolina, before eventually being knocked out in the quarterfinals.

The VEX Robotics Competition (VRC), is the largest and fastest growing middle school and high school robotics program globally with more than 20,000 teams from 50 countries playing in over 1,700 competitions worldwide. Each year, an exciting engineering challenge is presented in the form of a game. Students, with guidance from their teachers and mentors, build innovative robots and compete year-round.

The dedication and efforts of these kids truly put Wellsville, NY on the map as a contender in the international field of robotics! Our teams truly appreciate all of the support that they have received throughout the season from the school district, faculty and staff, and the surrounding community! Wellsville looks to continue its run of success with the introduction of next years challenge, High Stakes.

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"Big Cat Robotics" team from Wellsville returns from VRC World Championship - THE WELLSVILLE SUN - THE WELLSVILLE SUN

Teams from Hopkinton Middle School and Hopkinton High School were set to compete at the VEX Robotics World Championships from April 25 to May 3 in Dallas. The students qualified by winning awards in regional and qualifying events.

New middle school coach Mary Curtis was eager to lend a helping hand when she heard the after-school club did not have an advisor this year.

Her daughter, Rylee, previously competed at the high school level, and Curtis knows how important the event is, especially to students who might not play sports or have many other interests.

The middle school [teams] are really the foundation for high school, so it would be a really big deal not to have it, Curtis said.

Students take inspiration from the fact that one of last years teams won a world championship.

Competing from Team Z: Red Flagz are Vikrant Ramesh, Mahathi Manikandan, Shashwat Jaipuriar, Weiyi Zhou, Hemant Hari and Nihal Cherkady.

Team Z

Curtis noted Team Z previously won design, excellence and teamwork awards and said the students have really grown as a group, overcoming challenges to work cohesively after a few bumps along the way.

As an engineer, you cant always be by yourself in a corner, Curtis said. Listening to each other helps to build the best robot possible. Now they are ready for high school.

Another competitive group from Hopkinton Middle School is Team W: Robo-Wizards, consisting of Nabhit Srivastava, Shray Tripathi, Shrivas Kumar, Dhairya Mehta, Karthik Lakshmanan, Rishit Lalchandani and Ajay Goverdhan. This team previously earned the STEM finalist award and judges award.

Team W

They really worked hard together as a group and created a nice robot, Curtis said.

The advisor also had high praise for Team G: Gigabytes, comprised of Suren Sahakyan, Ian Pararas, Evan Mathur, Divit Vallandas and Jack Turnbull. In the run-up to worlds, they were named teamwork and skills champions, received an excellence award and won the design award at regionals.

Despite being ranked as a leader in the region and capturing design honors, Team G had a rough outing when the robot did not perform on competition day.

Sometimes, things dont go your way just as in sports, Curtis noted. With robots, a motor can go out or a program not work even though it was tried and true before. They have a good attitude and are very competitive but unfortunately will not be going to worlds.

The competition calls upon students to strategize, build and program robots to complete complex tasks, in this case for the Full Volume challenge.

The objective of the game is to place blocks into goals, with points awarded based on the number, type and height of blocks in each goal. Points are awarded for clearing the supply zone and parking in the supply zone at the end of the match.

Further, in a teamwork challenge, an alliance of two robots work together to score as many points as possible in a 60-second match.

Other aspects of the event involve interviews, completion of engineering notebooks and inspections.

More than 400 teams from around the country and world will compete, including groups from China, Australia, Poland, the United Kingdom, Slovenia, Vietnam and more.

Its a cool opportunity for students to meet other kids and form alliances, even when there is sometimes a language barrier, Curtis said.

She added that high school students had been a great help to their younger counterparts while preparing for the competitions.

From the high school, the team 2602B Big Orangutans competed at VEX from April 25-27. Members are Nicolette Buonora, Jake Dold, Zack Clark, Dhruvaa Embar, Isiah Kuruvilla, Nithilan Sridharan and Mahnoor Chaudhry.

HHS team

They qualified for the event as two-time tournament champions and finalists at the qualifier and regional competitions.

This years game, called Over Under, has teams aiming to get colored balls into goals for points. Additional points are given when robots score while hanging from bars.

The high school advisor is Doug Scott.

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Hopkinton teams advance to Robotics World Championships - Hopkinton Independent