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The big announcement this year at the FIRST robotics finals in Atlanta was the new robot controller from National Instruments. This new controller called cRIO runs a real-time OS and can be programmed using LabVIEW. The power of this new technology will open the door for new and more interesting challenges for future FIRST competitions. One area that is underdeveloped in the FRC category of the competition is the autonomous mode. This is in contrast to FLL which is mostly autonomous. Hopefully we will see some interesting games ahead. In this video VI Shots interviews Ray Almgren who leads the worldwide academic relations program for National Instruments. We also interview several mentors and students to get their feedback on this change in direction for next years competition. Teams 2023, 1739, 47, 107 and 2053 are featured. Are you on a team? What s your opinion on the new hardware and LabVIEW? Resources: Quicktime version of video VI Shots Video: NITRO - Ball shooting cRIO powered FIRST Robotics demo bot VI Shots Video: Technical overview of cRIO (Compact RIO) controller used in 2009 FRC competition

Boston Engineering decided to demonstrate their FlexStack product by attaching it to an iRobot Create programmable robot, have it scan RFID tags and then make it do several dances. FlexStack is powered by LabVIEW Embedded. Take a look at this original VI Shots video. Resources: Quicktime Version of Video VI Shots Video: FlexStack using LabVIEW Microprocessor SDK iRobot Create Boston Engineering FlexStack

Roving VI Shots corespondent and LAVA member Justin Goeres participated in the buy one get one program that the OLPC foundation announced last year. This is where you spend $400 and you donate one laptop to a child in an impoverished nation and in return you get one laptop for yourself. I caught up with him and got his feedback on the unit. One thing I learned was that it ships with an application called TurtleDraw. This little app is great for teaching programming in a graphical way. If you re thinking LabVIEW here, well, take a look and judge for yourself. Resources: Link to Quicktime Version of Video OLPC Wiki Justins LAVA thread on the OLPC

Another video taken at the FIRST final competition of 2008 in Atlanta. NI built a robot called NITRO to demonstrate the powerful capabilities of the new cRIO controller that will be used by the competition teams this year. In addition to a cool ball shooting mode, NITRO has some advanced image analysis capabilities. Here we see it doing some pattern recognition and executing autonomous moves based on the image viewed. What is not shown in the video is the ability to execute a specific move just by drawing a series of segmented lines in the provided dashboard application and then transmitting them to the bot. A huge improvement over last year. The ability of the teams to take advantage of the power of LabVIEW graphical programming is really going to be an asset. Resources: Link to quicktime version of video

In this video taken at Robo Business 2008, Jim Lynch gives us an overview of the latest iRobot robot called the Looj. Resources: Quicktime version of video Looj product page on iRobot

This video highlights the new Compact RIO hardware that will be used as the controller for the 2009 FIRST robotics competition in the FRC category. National Instruments had a booth close to the pits at the 2008 FRC final championship in Atlanta. They built several robots demonstrating the capabilities of the new controller. One of the robots is shown here and the various components of the control hardware are explained. Resources: Quicktime version of video

Boston Engineering has created FlexStack. The FlexStack product is a 2.5 inch, rugged platform that takes advantage of the flexibility of LabVIEW Embedded with the power of the Analog Devices Blackfin Processor. Additional Resources: Boston Engineering Website FlexStack Information LabVIEW Microprocessor SDK Link to Video

Anybots just released a new video of the next version of Dexter. Dexter is a biped teleoperated robot created by the Mountain View, CA based company. Dexter s walking is performed autonomously and is a demonstration of the type of hybrid robot that Anybots is working on. It will mainly be teleoperated but certain tasks will be automated such as walking. Here s a VI Shots video of the Anybots team during last years Robodevelopment conference: Addition resources: Anybots Dexter s first steps Quicktime Version of Video Trevor Blackwell Paul Graham writes about Dexter

VI Shots talked with Maria Bualat from the NASA Ames Research Intelligent Robotics Group. Gigapan.org is a website where people can upload super high resolution panoramic photos. These photos were taken by a prototype motorized automated pan and tilt camera mount that figures out the exact positions of all the multiple snapshots required to make an awesome high resolution panorama. Gigapan (gigapixel panorama) was developed by Carnegie Mellon University in collaboration with NASA Ames Intelligent Robotics Group, with support from Google. The price for this technology seems within reach of the consumer market at $279. At the end of the video, Maria talks a little about here background and the K10 robotics platform which NASA used in the Canadian Arctic recently. The robots, K10 Black and K10 Red, carried 3-D laser scanners and ground-penetrating radar. The two NASA robots surveyed a rocky, isolated polar desert within a crater in the Arctic Circle. The study helped scientists learn how robots could evaluate potential outposts on the moon or Mars. Resources mentioned in video: Intelligent Robotics group NASA Robots Practice Moon Survey in the Arctic Circle (Haughton Crater Site Survey Field Test) Gigapan Website Gigapan Hardware Quicktime Version of Video Here is a video of the Gigapan announcement:

In this VI Shots video taken at Robodevelopment 2007, we talk with Paul Roberts, a developer with Microsoft Robotics Studio. Yes, it s similar to LabVIEW and it can be used as a general purpose language. Resources mentioned: Quicktime version of Video Microsoft Robotics Studio Robodevelopment 2007

In this VI Shots video taken at Robodevelopment 2007, we talk with Ariel Cohen the founder and chairman of Galileo Mobility Instruments. Their company has developed a unique wheel that can transform into a rugged track quickly and easily. Galileo is the innovator of a unique breakthrough technology, The Galileo Wheel which combines wheel and track in a single component. The simple mechanism enables switching back and forth between the two modes within seconds. The technology enables the device to use wheels whenever possible, and tracks whenever needed. They are currently looking for partners to adapt their invention to the consumer robotics market after successfully landing a contract with an Israeli defense contractor. Resources in this Video: Quicktime Version of Video Galileo Mobility Instruments Robodevelopment 2007

Braintech demonstrates Volts-IQ to VI Shots. Braintech s VOLTS-IQ Visual Intelligence Software Suite provides feature recognition, object localization and robot guidance in the form of Microsoft Robotics Studio (MSRS) services. VOLTS-IQ uniquely combines Braintech’s proven robot vision expertise with Microsoft’s powerful MSRS service-based architecture. Using VOLTS-IQ, researchers, commercial product developers and hobbyists can “vision-enable” their robotic projects and products with unprecedented ease and speed, leap frogging the traditional barriers involved with vision development and bringing their ideas to life faster than ever. Resources mentioned in this video: Volts-IQ Microsoft Robotics Studio Braintech Mindstorms NXT

National Instruments continuously works closely with Lego to expand virtual instrumentation into the classroom by developing LabVIEW integration with their Mindstorms NXT platform. In this latest VI Shots video we see a demo of an NI product acquired from Hyperception, the Speedy-33. We see how the Speedy-33 combined with a HiTechnic interface can integrate LabVIEW signal processing algorithms to move an NXT based on audio frequencies. Resources mentioned in Video: Infinity Project NI Speedy-33 HiTechnic LabVIEW Lego

Quicktime Version National Instruments had a very small booth at Macworld Expo this year. They were there nonetheless and I asked them a few questions about the current state of LabVIEW on the Mac. I also wanted to find out how, and if, a current Windows user like myself could use a Mac exclusively and still manage to satisfy Windows based LabVIEW project clients. According to Mike Neil, LabVIEW product manager, you can have your cake, er Mac and eat it too. With the use of virtual machines (vmware fusion, parallels) or bootcamp (which boots the whole machine into Windows), you can now run your windows development environment on a Mac and satisfy any Windows project requirements. Which leaves me asking myself, why am I still on a PC? Are you working with LabVIEW on the Mac? Tell us about your experiences in the comments.

I came a cross this inventor at Macworld Expo 2008. His name is Matthew Michaels and has come up with this awesome iPhoneiPod touch accessory for hands-free movie watching called iLidz. The idea is simple but the results are huge. Just the idea of not having to hold the player in your hands is great on its own, but add a 4x magnification and the results are hard to believe.

Play Quicktime I went to Macworld Expo this year to learn about new technology and instead stumbled across three inspirational teens from Santa Barbara Middle School. They are part of a team of students that are involved with the school Teen Press program. They are currently covering Macworld Expo and in about a week or so will be covering the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Check out all their great videos at: sbmsteenpress.org

In this video from RoboDevelopment 2007, we see the CoroBot in action. CoroBot was created to minimize the complexity of robot development. By combining a powerful PC-class platform with a robust, object-oriented software development system, the CoroBot empowers you to rapidly deploy and develop robotics solutions. The CoroBot also assists the hardware developer with additional physical mounting space, ports, sensors and communication devices.

Keenan Wyrobek from Stanford University is working closely with Willow Garage to continue the development work he and Eric Berger started while in their graduate studies at Stanford University. He shows off PR1 and explains the goals of the Personal Robotics Program and the next generation, PR2. Via Stanford University Website: Kenneth Salisbury, a professor of Computer Science and of Surgery leads the Personal Robotics Program at Stanford with CS Assistant Professor Andrew Ng in coordination with the department s STAIR project. After about 18 months of work, they have developed a first prototype. It is remotely controlled now (eventually it will become more autonomous) but it is an early milestone on the way to releasing a practical, affordable and complete robotics platform. See also: CNET Article

Stephen Litt, a systems design engineering student from the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada) shows us how he and three other students replaced a vehicle ECU with a CompactRIO module running LabVIEW Real-Time. What started as a fourth year design project has now turned into a start-up company called WaterlooSPEED. The team documents their efforts on their blog, and in this post, describe how they have the system controllable via a PDA! Now that s cool.

Steve Hassenplug was there from the beginning when Lego decided to revamp the old RCX platform. He was part of the Mindstorms User Panel (MUP) which was extensively covered in a Feb 2006 Wired magazine article. He was later invited to participate in the Mindstorm Developer Program (MDP) where he built a holonomic drive robot called Omni. This latest version which he shows off in the video uses a compass sensor to keep on track to it s destination. Team Hassenplug Article in Wired Steve s Lego page

Mark Balla is a very active member of the LabVIEW community and contributes his valuable time to the LAVA forums. He developed an Icon editor replacement for LabVIEW, is currently a member of the Code Repository review team and is an organizer for the LAVA Coding Challenges. I spent a few minutes at NIWeek this year to talk to him about LAVA and why LabVIEW community involvement is important to him. Link to Quicktime Video version

Mark Balla is a very active member of the LabVIEW community and contributes his valuable time to the LAVA forums. He developed an Icon editor replacement for LabVIEW, is currently a member of the Code Repository review team and is an organizer for the LAVA Coding Challenges. I spent a few minutes at NIWeek this year to talk to him about LAVA and why LabVIEW community involvement is important to him.

Mike Kleinigger is currently a sophomore at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) pursuing a dual degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. In this video He discusses the MOT-V (Medium Object Transport Vehicle) at NIWeek 2007. Unlike the Segway style vehicle, the MOT-V always tries to keep it s position vertical as oppose to moving forward. We were surprised to see a unicyle which also uses a control system for stabilization. Movement commands (forward, back) are sent via a bluetooth cellphone.

Martin Rowe from Test & Measurement World has just posted a new song on his blog called Electrical Heroes. Song (mp3)

In this video interview we have Amanda Emnett from the University of Tulsa give us a tour of the vehicle her team worked on for the Challenge X competition. The brain of the vehicle control system is powered by a Compact RIO Real-Time FPGA system that was programmed with LabVIEW. Challenge X is a three year national competition that started in 2004. It s sponsored by General Motors and the US Department of Energy. The objective is to take a GM Chevy Equinox and modify the vehicle to minimize emissions and consumption, without sacrificing utility and performance. Now in its final year, the focus is on delivering a showroom vehicle that addresses the requirements of consumers. YouTube page with more videos on the car. Nice AutoChannel video covering Challenge X.

In this video taken at NIWeek 2007, we interview Rick Francis who is one of the TestStand developers. The only reason this demo is cool is because of the HO sized slot cars. Each car is a device under test .

Quicktime Jay Kinzie is an avid Lego Mindstorms fan, he contributes to the NXT STEP blog and is a participant in FLL competitions. He is also a MINDSTORM Community Partner (MCP). Jay showed us some of his creations at NIWeek 2007 this past August. Jay is also a freshman mechanical engineering student at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Jay caught the entrepreneurial spirit at 15 years old and has formed Jbotics Innovations LLC (www.jbotics.com) to leverage his ideas related to internal combustion engines and transmission designs. He currently is pursuing 41 patents on a variety of products. Some of his transmission designs are built into his Lego robots.

Quicktime Karl Muecke was at the Robo Development conference 2007 showing of DARwIn. DARwIn stands for Dynamic Anthropomorphic Robot with Intelligence. Karl was visiting from RoMeLa, the robotics and mechanisms laboratory at Virginia Tech. RoMeLa does a lot of research into robotics locomotion strategies. The development of DARwIn started back in 2005 with version 1 and the current incarnation is at version 2b. DARwIn runs LabVIEW Real Time on a PC104 board and RoMeLa has decided to standardize on this platform for all their robots. LabVIEW controls DARwIn’s motion over RS-485 and can read joint positions on the same serial network from the servo motors’ built-in potentiometers. While the robot is walking or moving, a rate gyro with acceleration and orientation information communicates with LabVIEW over an RS-232 serial connection so that the program modifies the walking gait to effectively balance the robot in real time. Karl told VI Shots that RoMeLa is planning on evolving DARwIn hardware so it can be sold at the consumer level at a lower cost. I think this would be very cool.