Welcome to NREF
LATEST ROBOTICS NEWS, PRODUCT REVIEWS & CURRICULA!
FAA & AMA Positions on UAS, Drone & Model Registration: Click here for details!
2015 Robotics -- The Year in Review
Click here for our full report.
Product Reviews
11-27-15 update.
HitecRCD MD10 Robot Action Camera Review!
Your robot needs this voice-actuated beauty! Carol Lynne Hazlett reports!
Hobbico Dromida Multirotor
by Scott Dedic
Build a Robotic Bird
by Nathan Chronister
Two HitecRCD servos do the heavy lifting! Check out this educational article on the mechanics of a flying, radio controlled Ornithopter! And, you can easily build your own!
A Simplest Paradigm for Understanding Artificial Intelligence
by Salvador Garcia
EDUCATION - Curricula & Lesson Programs
STEM education is the key to the future success of our students, educational institutions, industry and economy. See NREF'S comprehensive index of curricula and lesson programs, where you can drill down and find a wide variety of both free and commercially available teaching resources. More
Latest Robotics News
Agritechnique Engineering Prototyping UGEV Disaster Recovery Vehicle
02-27-16 update. Agritechnique Engineering has designed a disaster recovery vehicle that can be used in search and rescue operations following a variety of disaster scenarios such as nuclear power plant fires, storms and earthquakes. The Isreali-based company is leading the market with this tracked vehicle that carries specific tool sets for different site-specific applications. The automated arm can lift two tons in tools and payload! Agritechnique has been in the construction and earth moving business for decades, and currently seeks investment funding and partnerships. For more information, contact Avner Operman, Agritechnique CEO and founder, at: avner.opperman@agritechnique-eng.com. More.
Japanese Develop UGV for use at Disaster Sites
It was announced in the Japan News that the Japanese Defense Ministry has developed a remote control unmanned vehicle that can be used in search and rescue at disaster sites. It can remove rubble and was designed based on lessons learned at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 power plant meltdown. It can be controlled via satellite from a command station as far as 20 kilometers away, and will be deployed by the Ground Self-Defense Force as early as 2019. AP photo is of Unit 4 Reactor at Fukushima after a tsunami disabled the reactor in March, 2011. –Story via David Place, NPS Research Associate. More.
UAV-Integrated Digital Pickup Truck
02-24-16 update. Ford and renowned drone pioneer DJI are collaborating on a digital pickup truck with an integrated UAS for use by farmers and ranchers. The companies launched the “Drone-to-vehicle developer challenge”, a contest to enlist programmers to create integrated control of a UAV through a Ford F150’s onboard digital system. Winners will receive $100,000. For details, click here!
Mitsubishi Robot Ready to Build Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii
02-23-16 update. John Boyd of IEEE Spektrum reported that the Mitsubishi Electric-built robot designed to grab and replace hexagonal mirror segments on the 30-meter telescope to be built on Mauna Kea, a volcano on The Big Island, in Hawaii, is ready for deployment, but the project is on hold pending resolution of a legal challenge by Hawaiians who hold the mountain area sacred. The robot is suspended under a 15-meter bridge that rotates it around the circumference of the mirror, where it can access any of 492 segments. With 6 degrees of freedom, the robot has three arms with manipulators that can grasp a given mirror. The robot’s vision system checks patterns it projects onto the mirror glass to adjust its orientation. Force sensors prevent load imbalance that might distort the glass. More
100 DRONES FLOWN AT ONCE! A NEW GUINNESS WORLD RECORD!
02-16-16 update. Intel put on a remarkable display of aerial choreography that earned it a place in the Guinness Worlds Records for the largest group of simultaneously controlled UAVs -- 100 drones all at once -- operated by a crew using PCs with Intel software. The mass of drones lit up the night sky in sync to a live performance of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Commentators have likened this to an aerial robotic performance fireworks display. “Drone 100” took place at Flugplatz Ahrenlohe, Tornesch, Germany, in November 2015, in collaboration with Ars Electronica Futurelab. More
NEW KIDS BOOK: BUILD THE ROBOT
02-01-16 update. Published by Silver Dolphin Books, BUILD THE ROBOT is an interactive introduction to the history of robotics from the first slow-moving 1930s robots to the futuristic nanobots that could one day be used to fight diseases in the human body. The 32-page book comes with three wind-up motors and 62 model pieces to build three robots that wiggle, walk, and wave, offering a hands-on learning experience for young robot fans. Engaging text and colorful illustrations will keep future scientists engaged and entertained for hours. More
Large Displacement Undersea ROVs Control System Tested
01-29-16 update. The NAVY recently tested the Common Control System (CCS) with a remotely operated submersible vehicle. Capt. Ralph Lee, who oversees Navy's CCS Program at Patuxent River, MD, reported that "These tests proved that operators could use CCS from a single global operations center to plan, command, and monitor UUVs on missions located anywhere in the world... This event also showed us that CCS is adaptable from the UAV [unmanned air vehicle] to UUV missions.” More
Open Source Drone Code Project
01-25-16 update. The Dronecode Project is an open source, collaborative project that brings together existing and future open source drone projects under a nonprofit structure governed by The Linux Foundation. The result will be a common, shared open source platform for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). More
Squishy Robotic Fingers Grasp Undersea Specimens
01-23-16 update. A report by the Harvard Office of Technology development recently reported that Baruch College marine biologist David Gruber and Harvard engineer and roboticist Robert J. Wood successfully demonstrated soft robotic grippers able to collect underwater specimens. The two scientists have been recognized as Emerging Explorers by the National Geographic Society. To see amazing video of their testing the soft gripping fingers in the Gulf of Eilat in the northern Red Sea, click here.
Quanergy Announces Phased Array Robot Vision
01-08-16 update. As reported by Evan Ackerman at IEEE Spectrum, Quanergy, an automotive robotics startup, announced on Januay 7 its new S3 solid-state LIDAR system. This could be a revolution. S3 will bring affordable, safe and comprehensive environmental sensing to autonomous cars and a wide range of aerial, ground and maritime robots. With no moving parts, S3 has a projected retail price of just $250. It is all solid state, including the “electronic lens” – an optical phased array – that enables extremely accurate sensing of distances. S3 can emit laser pulses up to a million times every second. S3 computes the topography of the surrounding environment by measuring the timing of laser reflections.
Because pulses can be selectively transmitted in any direction at microsecond intervals, there is huge potential for highly selective sensing of specifically targeted objects. Frame rates are software controlled, and the S3 has 120-degree vertical and horizontal fields of view. Depth of view (analogous to depth of focus) ranges from 10 centimeters to 150 meters -- with 8% reflectivity at 100 meters. At 100 meters, S3 projects a 9cm spot and distance accuracy is +/- 5cm. With this new technology, the robots will be watching us as never before. More
Smallest Live Streaming Drone Yet!
01-04-16 update. The Axis Aerius takes the lead as the smallest drone you can buy that sends streaming video to your smartphone! It transmits a live 420P video via a direct Wi-Fi connection, and flies for over five minutes on a 20-minute charge. 
The 2.4GHz 4-channel transmitter enables flight up to 100 feet away, and the drone is gyro-stabilized. With a retail price of $95, the craft will not be available till end of January next year, but early purchasers save $20. Find out the details at gizmodo.
NEATO offers Mobile App-Controlled "Botvac Connected"
12-26-15 update. Devindra Hardawar, intrepid robot vac reporter at endgadget, notes that Neato's new Wi-Fi equipped vac, Botvac Connected, which lists for approximately $700, does a great job cleaning but has some difficulties getting tangled up with wires that it encounters on cleaning missions. See his full report here.
A Merry Christmas from Boston Dynamics! Robot Reindeer will help Santa this year!
12-22-15 update. endgadget, one of our favorite sites, shared this gem today. We wish our visitors a great Holiday and a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
--the editors
Product Hunt Announces Kittyhawk 2.0 UAS Management Tool
12-22-15 update. New products and services are coming to market to help the mushrooming population of UAS (aka drone) pilots manage their assets, flights and flight planning. The founders at Product Hunt note that they are “building Kittyhawk as a way for pilots to show their history and their status as a drone pilot. While you, as a pilot, are logging flights -- we also give you a way to track all of your assets and locations. And similar to Github, you can join and create multiple teams.” More
Looking for that Last Minute Holiday Gift? Consider the BeBop 2 Drone from Parrot!
12-16-15 update. Billed as a "flying image processor," this latest airframe from Parrot is awesome, and the lucky roboteer who receives this gem will be forever singing your praises! With a price of only $500 U.S., this beauty operates in FPV mode (first person view), watches the ground to self-stabilize, includes an altimeter, a 3-axis gyro, accelerometer and magnetometer, sensors operating at 1 kilohertz supporting stabilization, and a GPS chip set, as well as a graphics processor, and 8 gigabytes of flash memory. This flying robot will enable artistic videography on a whole new level! And, its only moving parts? Its propellers. More
$1Billion Non-Profit AI Lab to Open in San Francisco
Mission: Benefit Humanity as a Whole
12-12-15 update. An influential group of Silicon Valley leaders has announced that they have committed a billion dollars to launch a program in San Francisco titled "OpenAI". The goal is to advance "digital intelligence in a way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole, unconstrained by a need to generate a financial return." Elon Musk is an OpenAI co-chair and strong program advocate . Photo courtesy of Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg/Getty Images. More
Will a Robot Take Your Job?
12-07-15 update. Editors at the BBC have put together an engine that will calculate the odds that a robot will take your job within the next two decades. About 35% of current jobs in the UK are at high risk of computerization over the following 20 years, according to a study by researchers at Oxford University and Deloitte. Occupations involving tasks that require a high degree of social intelligence and negotiating skills, like managerial positions, are considerably less at risk from machines according to the study. More
How the Star Wars BB8 Droid Works!
12-07-15 update. Veteran droid builder Mike Senna opens up a BB8 droid to reveal the mechanisms that drive, stear and balance the robot sphere from the inside. This is elegant mechanical engineering with a degree of electronic stabilization. Click here for the details!
Alien-Built Robotic Satellite?
11-27-15 update. A recent report by Ian O'Neill, Discovery News, posted at Space.com, looks at the scientific explanations that may explain what appears to be a massive object orbiting a star named named KIC 8462852. Scientists have noticed that "Over the duration of the Kepler mission, KIC 8462852 was observed to under
go irregularly shaped, aperiodic dips in flux down to below the 20 percent level." After seeming to exhaust natural explanations, the last hypothesis to be considered in such matters, and which has not been disproved, is that the massive object or objects periodically obstructing view of the star are examples of alien-made artificial technology, i.e., robotics. We will leave it to the reader to pass judgment on this theory, but we can say the investigation is both deep and provocative. Image credit for Kepler Observatory: NASA Ames.JPL-Caltech.T Pyle More
Humanoid Progress Update
11-20-15 update. On November 17, NASA announced that two R5 humanoid robot prototypes have been given, one each, to MIT's “Robust Autonomy for Extreme Space Environments” test team in Cambridge, MA, and to Northeastern University's “Accessible Testing on Humanoid-Robot-R5 and Evaluation of NASA Administered (ATHENA) Space Robotics Challenge” team in Boston, MA. The two university research groups won the opportunity to test an R5 through a competitive process in the DARPA Robotics Challenge. The robots are contemplated for use in solar system exploration in advance of human participation, and as human assistants in manned missions to planets and asteroids, and in deep space exploration.
NASA notes: “The university principal investigators will serve as critical partners in NASA’s upcoming Space Robotics Challenge where the two R5 units will act as instruments. The challenge is part of the agency’s Centennial Challenges Program, and is divided into two competitions: a virtual competition using robotic simulations, and a physical competition using the two upgraded R5 robots. The goal of the challenge is to create better software for dexterous humanoid robots used in space missions, giving them more autonomy.” www.nasa.gov/…/nasa-awards-two-robots-to-university-groups-…
AeroSystems Earns Proto Labs Cool Idea Award
11-20-15 update. Developed by AZ-based Ascent AeroSystems, SPRITE is a micro, coaxial-rotor drone that you can hold in one hand. Initial rototypes were developed on a consumer-grade 3D printer, and the current version uses injection-molded poly-carbonate parts from Proto Labs. Markets will include hikers, backpackers, law enforcement, science research, search & rescue, defense, and more. A Kickstarter program yielded$406,061, doubling the goal. More
The Drone that can Hover Continuously for Weeks
11-08-15 update. Boston-based CyPhy Works has launched a commercial version of the Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications (PARC) hexrotor – a multirotor drone that can stay aloft for weeks at 
Phantom Maker DJI Building New Center in Palo Alto, CA
11-02-15 update. UAS Vision reports here--
DJI announced that it is building a new R&D lab in Palo Alto, CA, that may include 75 engineers and researchers. It is reported that the lab is east of Stanford Univ. on Portage Ave., and already houses a few personnel, including Darren Liccardo, who led the autopilot team for Tesla Motors. This is a new move by the Shenzhen, China-based company to capitalize on American engineering talent, it is reported. More
Over 500,000 new Robotics Jobs by 2020
11-02-15 update. GoodCall reports on our survey, here--
There will be huge opportunities for careers in robotics design, programming, maintenance and education in coming years, as the market continues to explode owing to Moore's Law and the proliferation of technologies. The challenge is how to engage our students in STEM careers that will enable them to enjoy the high paying, rewarding careers in robotics. We run this site to promote these careers to students, and, also, to serve hobbyists and robotics newshounds of all ages. More
Roomba Maps Your House but Costs a Mint
11-02-15 update. See endgadget's review here--
Robot lovers will geek out over the new Roomba 980. It includes a WiFi app and maps your house. It keeps a history of cleaning sessions, and can start from any room to vacuum your entire home. It is iRobot's first consumer product to include vSLAM technology (visual simultaneous localization and mapping). All this technology comes with the highest price yet for an iRobot vac: $900 retail. See the wrap-up by author Devindra Hardawar for a listing of the competition. More
Is There a Russian Robot Roach in Your House?
11-02-15 update. The Daily Mail Reports here--
Providing new meaning to the old saying, “the Russians are coming” these 4-inch long robot roaches are modeled after the Blaberus Cranifer cockroach. Equipped with photo-sensitive and contact sensors, they can avoid objects on 20 minute walks. Designed by Danil Borchevkin and Aleksey Belousov of Kaliningrad's Kant University, these cyber insects can pack additional sensor payloads (e.g., streaming video cam) of up to 10g in weight. and have a ground speed of up to a foot a second. It is reported the Russian military may take an interest in these as potential spy bots. More
Yamaha's Humanoid Robot Motorcyclist
11-02-15 update. IEEE Spectrum Reports here--
Announced at the recent Tokyo Motor Show, this robot cyclist will eventually be driving a bike at 200 km/h on unmodified race tracks. More information from a report by Forbes indicates that this humanoid robot will drive Yamaha's flagship YZF-R motorcycle with the declared intention of beating 9-time MotoGP winner Valentino Rossi, who rode this bike to victory. The humanoid has been heard addressing Rossi in a video: "I am Motobot... I was created to surpass you." More
10-05-15 update. HitecRCD and ServoCity products were DEMOED at the 2015 San Diego Maker Faire BATTLE POND Event!
NEW ELECTRIC ARM, WRIST & FINGER JOINTS
10-02-15 update. Pierre Bouchard of Quebec, Canada, has created electric-powered arm, wrist and grasping hand joint mechanics for his full scale Humanoid robot named J.A.R.R.V.I.S. See the video here!
For details on his arm and shoulder design, watch the brief test of a prototype at: Iron Man Super Heros JARRVIS
For a review of Pierre Bouchard's original design direction, Click here.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN TO BUILD BACK-PACKABLE UGS
10-02-15 update. In September, the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology division in Indian Head, MD, announced a $14.2 million Northrop Grumman contract to build open-systems man packable ground robots that will neutralize improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The unrelated Remotec Andros UGS shown, is an example of a larger anti-IED robot currently marketed by Northrop Grumman. This brings Northrop Grumman squarely into a market that already includes companies such as iRobot and The Machine Lab, and it is another sign of the exploding robotics industry.
QUADS AUTONOMOUSLY BUILD BRIDGE
10-02-15 update. For the first time, a full-scale load-bearing bridge capable of supporting people was built entirely by autonomous, programmed quadcopter drones. The Swiss research team is shown walking across the Dyneema rope fiber bridge. Watch the video here. The project was conducted at the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control, ETH Zurich Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich. --Story and photo via David Place, NPS Research Associate
Military Researching Fast, Efficient UUVs
09-30-15 update. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Keyport, Wash. awarded three DARPA contracts to study next generation faster, longer excursion unmanned, underwater vehicles (UUVS). The Blue Wolf program's most recent contract, for $3.7 million, went to the Charles Stark Draper Lab in Cambridge, Mass. Research will focus on dynamic lift, drag reduction and innovative hybrid energy systems. Click here for details from Militaryaerospace.com.
Robotics Society of Southern California (RSSC)
This friendly, hospitable group dates from the late 1970's and meets at 10:00 a.m. on the second Saturday of the month at California State Univ. Long Beach, in the Engineering Technology (ET) Building, room 241.
RSSC offers classes, workshops and presentations by special interest groups. Enthusiasts of all skill levels are invited. "We have a short business meeting followed by a short break then a competition plus a show and tell of the various projects our members are working on and it ends around 3pm." Photos show an android demo and a crawler project. [For those in the Inland Empire, see its sister club, The Riverside Robotics Society, www.meetup.com/The-Riverside-Robotics-Society, www.rssc.org. Images courtesy of RSSC.
Joseph F. Engleberger, "Father of Robotics", has Passed
Responsible for the birth of the robotics industry, Engelberger was an American physicist, engineer, and business man whose innovative contributions revolutionized manufacturing and society. The Unimate, one of Engelberger's greatest creations, was the very first industrial robot. It worked on a General Motors assembly line at the Inland Fisher Guide Plant in Ewing Township, NJ in 1961. It has left a living legacy in an industry to which it gave birth. Please see the Obituary and details of his life at www.robotics.org.
A mighty bridge has fallen. Lem Fugitt, a pioneering blogger, accomplished photojournalist, and community friend, has passed.
Read David Calkins’ tribute here
In Memory of Gary Kolesar
We are sad to report that our Operations Manager and Webmaster, Gary Kolesar, passed away on Tuesday, September 15, 2015. His contributions to the NREF were many. More about his legacy can be learned by clicking here.
Robotis Custom Workshops
Robotis is a provider of high quality humanoid robots serving professional research, academic (school) and hobby enthusiast markets. Robotis has provided workshops in the SoCal area in recent years, often on a custom basis for teachers, students and clubs, both for their industry-leading humanoids and their very affordable OLLO mini-rover table-top robots.
For more information, please contact Robotis at (949) 333-3635 and visit: www.robotiskidslab.com.
University of Southern California Robots -- Humanoids, Dogs & More!
Watch out, as when you see this video, you will be startled! The USC researchers are pioneering quadruped robots that can walk over any terrain, check out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxA2O-tHftI. For more detail on the remarkable automaton research that just might be in your backyard, watch www.youtube.com/usc.
Robotic Surgery
Robotic surgery is safer and less invasive than traditional surgery, and it offers faster recovery. This technology was pioneered by da Vinci, www.davincisurgery.com.
For SoCal sources, please see socalroboticsurgery.com and www.losangelesroboticsurgery.com, and Google for more options. Photo courtesy of da Vinci.