robotics

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Gateworks Ventana GW5530 SBC is Designed for Drones, Robots, and Digital Signage

Gateworks Ventana GW5530 SBC is Designed for Drones, Robots, and Digital Signage

Gateworks Ventana is a family of boards based on NXP i.MX6 processor designed for embedded applications, and often include one or more mini PCIe ports for expansion. Their latest single board computer – Ventana GW5530 –  is powered by an NXP i.MX 6Dual processor coupled with 512MB RAM, 256MB storage, a mini PCIe port, a micro SD / SIM card slot, micro HDMI output, and some I/Os. Ventana GW5530 specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX6 Dual Core ARM Cortex-A9 processor @ 800MHz with Vivante 2D and 3D GPUs System Memory – 512MB DDR3 (Up to 2GB as option) Storage – 256MB flash (Up to 2GB as option), micro SD/SIM card slot, serial configuration EEPROM Video & Audio Output – micro HDMI 1.4 port Connectivity – Optional u-blox EVA-M8M GPS Receiver with MMCX or u.FL Antenna Connector USB – 1x micro USB 2.0 OTG Port Sensors – 9-axis inertial module (accelerometer/gyro/magnetometer) Expansion […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Get an Early ESP32 Board by Contributing to Luanode for ESP8266 & ESP32 Project (Crowdfunding)

Get an Early ESP32 Board by Contributing to Luanode for ESP8266 & ESP32 Project (Crowdfunding)

Development boards and module based on Espressif ESP32 dual core processor with WiFi and Bluetooth LE connectivity are due for Q3 or Q4 2016, but you could get an early sample as early as July if you contribute to Jimmy Wu’s (of wifimcu.com) crowdfunding campaign to develop Luanode (Lua SDK) for ESP8266 and ESP32 processors, as ESP32 boards are part of the rewards. Luanode is a Lua SDK for ESP32 and ESP8266 that supports multi-tasking through FreeRTOS, and includes support for peripherals. The source code and documentation can be already be found on Github, and the main differences against something like NodeMCU appear to be multi-tasking and (for now) ESP32 support. Interestingly the SDK contains a tools called WiFi-Killer uses for Denial of Service (DoS) attacks using ESP8266 or ESP32 modules… One hardware project is called WiFi tank comprised of one T300 Tank Chassis, ESP8266 Development Kit, 720p HD Camera, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments on Intel RealSense Robotic Development Kit Features Atom x5 UP Board, Realsense R200 Depth Camera

Intel RealSense Robotic Development Kit Features Atom x5 UP Board, Realsense R200 Depth Camera

An Intel Developer Forum is currently taking place in Shenzhen, China, which may explains why we have several Intel products announcements targeting developers such as the launch of Quark D2000 development board. Another product for makers and developers is Intel RealSense Robotic Development Kit combining Raspberry Pi like UP Board powered by Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor with Intel RealSense camera (R200) in order to bring 3D / depth vision to robots. UP Board specifications have changed a little as the processor is now Z8350 instead of Z8300, and they now have a version with 4GB RAM used in the kit: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8350 “Cherry Trail” quad core processor @ 1.44 GHz (Burst frequency: 1.92 GHz) with Intel Gen8 HD graphics System Memory –  4GB DDR3L-1600 Storage – 32 GB eMMC flash Video Output / Display – HDMI 1.4b, MIPI DSI/eDP interface Audio I/O – HDMI, I2S Connectivity – […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on $100 Chuwi Ilife V5S Autonomous Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Offers an Alternative to iRobot Roomba

$100 Chuwi Ilife V5S Autonomous Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Offers an Alternative to iRobot Roomba

iRobot Roomba autonomous vacuum cleaners have been around since 2002, with the robots automatically cleaning the floor, detecting walls and edges, going around table and chair feet, etc… The company also produced iCreate 2 programmable robot for educators, students and developers who wants to learn about robotics, and works with Arduino and Raspberry Pi boards. I had seen similar cleaners from Chinese vendors in the past, with prices starting at $30, but they looked basically useless based on the specs, but yesterday I discovered Chuwi Ilife V5S robotic vacuum cleaner and mop that seems pretty decent, and even can go back to its charging station automatically. Chuwi Ilife V5S key features and specifications: Anti-collision System, drop avoidance induction 50db low noise design; 850pa strong suction Sensors – 10 IR sensor on sides and bottom, OBS (Optical backscatter point sensor) sensors, 1 set wall sensor. (Note: OBS is based on IR, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Two Contests for Makers with BeagleBone Green (ARM) and Creator CI20 (MIPS) Boards

Two Contests for Makers with BeagleBone Green (ARM) and Creator CI20 (MIPS) Boards

I’ve noticed Hackster hardware community has helped organizing several challenges for makers, and the most two recent one are sponsored by Imagination Technologies with their Creator CI20 MIPS board, and SeeedStudio and Beagleboard.org with BeagleBone Green board. “Terminate the competition with Creator Ci20!” That’s the title for Imagination Technologies contest, who basically wants you to create our robot overloads using their MIPS board, or at least design a Terminator inspired robot or hack using the board. You’ll need to submit your idea by March 4, 2016, and the company will give 50 Creator Ci20 to the best 50 ideas, aftwer which you have until April 29, 2016 to complete your project, and write about it on Hackster with photos, code and schematics. Three winners will be selected by May 6, 2016 to get one of the three prizes: 1st place (worth $400) – A bag of Imagination-powered goodies, including a Meizu […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on Intrinsyc Open-Q 600 Single Board Computer is Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Processor

Intrinsyc Open-Q 600 Single Board Computer is Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Processor

Intrinsyc has released several Qualcomm Snapdragon development kits and system-on-modules over the last few years, and the company has now unveiled their first single board computer with Open-Q 600 SBC powered by Snapdragon 600 quad core processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB eMMC flash. Open-Q 600 specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 (APQ8064) quad core Krait 300 processor @  1.7GHz with 2MB L2 cache, Adreno 320 GPU, and Hexagon QDSP6V4 DSP System Memory – 2GB PCDDR3 RAM @ 533MHz; dual channel 32-bit Storage – 16GB eMMC 4.5 flash, micro SD card slot Video Output / Display I/F – HDMI 1.4a port for up to 1080p @ 60Hz, 2-lane MIPI-DSI connector Audio – HDMI, 3.5mm stereo headset output with mono input, 3.5mm Mic line in; Qualcomm WCD9311 audio codec Camera – 2-lane MIPI-CSI connector supporting  8 MP camera up to WXGA resolution @ 60 fps Connectivity Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) via Qualcomm […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Loon Copter is a Drone that Flies, Floats and Dives Underwater

Loon Copter is a Drone that Flies, Floats and Dives Underwater

Most drones simply fly, while some robots can dive underwater, but Loon Copter, a project by Oakland University’s Embedded Systems Research Laboratory, can fly, float on the water, and dive underwater just like a duck, hence its name. I could not find much technical details about the drone, but since I discovered it via Atmel on Google+, I assume some soon-to-be Microchip AVR MCUs might be involved. It flies like any quadcopter, then it can land on water and move sideways with the blades rotating in the air. The submerged mode is interesting. The drone fills itself with water until the blades are under water, and then rotates 90 degrees to roam in the water. Once it’s done it ejects the water to get back to the surface. The drone is also equipped with camera and sensors to explore its surroundings. Some potential applications include underwater survey of corals or […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Autonomous Deep Learning Robot Features Nvidia Jetson TK1 Board, a 3D Camera, and More

Autonomous Deep Learning Robot Features Nvidia Jetson TK1 Board, a 3D Camera, and More

Autonomous, a US company that makes smart products such as smart desks, virtual reality kits and autonomous robots, has recently introduced a deep learning robot that comes with a 3D camera, speaker and microphone, Jetson TK1 board, and a mobile base. The robot appears to be mostly made of the shelves parts: 3D Depth camera – Asus Xtion Pro 3D Depth Camera Speaker & Microphone Nvidia Jetson TK1 PM375 board – Nvidia Terra K1 quad-core Cortex A15 processor @ 2.3 GHz with a 192-core Kepler GPU, 2GB RAM, 16 GB flash Kobuki Mobile Base –  Kobuki is the best mobile base designed for education and research on state of the art robotics. Kobuki provides power supplies for external computer power as well as additional sensors and actuators. Its highly accurate odometry, amended by calibrated gyroscope, enables precise navigation. The robot is designed for research in deep learning and mobile robotics, […]