Makeblock mBot: Introducing kids to robotics and programming
By Hitesh Raj Bhagat, ET Bureau: This cute little fella is the mBot — a do-it-yourself educational robot kit from robotics experts Makeblock. Built around the Arduino open-source platform, it's designed to induct kids into the fields of robotics and programming. The company chose to build around the concept of STEM education: science, technology, engineering & mathematics. Specifically, it helps children get an early start into these disciplines. There are two versions of the mBot: a Bluetooth version for home use 2.4Ghz WiFi version, which is designed for classroom use.
The company took to Kickstarter to generate funds for mBot and promised one unit for $49 (plus shipping). From a modest $20,000 goal, a staggering $285,463 was raised during the campaign. Now, you can buy a kit from Makeblock's website. Coming back to the mBot, everything that you need to build it is in the box — in a nutshell, you need to assemble it using the precise instructions provided and add batteries. There are 45 pieces and it's easy to put them together in about 15 minutes. It's neatly packaged and consists of very high quality materials — including some attractive anodised aluminium parts in your choice of pink or blue. Every little part that you need — from the main Arduino board, DC motors, to each screw, cable and even a set of tools — is in the box. It comes pre-programmed but it's also designed to be tinkered with. Parent of pre-teens might be familiar with Scratch — a free, graphicalbased programming language developed by MIT Media Lab. Well, Makeblock has built their own version for this and called it mBlock (it's based on Scratch 2.0 and free to download from their website). The idea behind mBlock is that younger children can start out with graphical programming and move on to text-based programming as they become more advanced. Cont'd...
Lake fire grew after private drone flights disrupted air drops
As a hot wind shifted north and drove the flames toward Onyx Peak east of Big Bear Lake, fire crews deployed to save homes scattered among brittle-dry pines — waiting for help from a DC-10 laden with 10,800 gallons of retardant.
It never came. Shortly before 6 p.m. on Wednesday, an incident commander on the ground spotted a hobby drone buzzing near the drop site at 11,000 feet. The air tanker had to turn back, as did two smaller planes following it.
“These folks who are handling these drones, I have to assume they have no idea what they're doing,” Chon Bribiescas, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, said Thursday. “They not only endangered the folks on the ground, but they endanger the pilots.”
Officials fighting the Lake fire in the San Bernardino Mountains scrambled to warn the public that it is illegal and dangerous to fly drones in restricted airspace around a fire. Unmanned aircraft are particularly hazardous because authorities have no idea who is controlling them or how they might maneuver. Cont'd...
Pioneering the Next Generation of Robotics with the Biomimetic 'Melissa Robot'
The Human Gait will be Perfected Artificially Within 5 Years
ThinkFun and MakerBot Inspire the Engineer in Every Child with Maker Studio Construction Sets Available Online on Thingiverse
Sets to Create Imaginative, Kinetic Machines Now Available on Thingiverse, the Worlds Largest 3D Design Community
Commercial UAV Expo Announces 2015 Conference Program
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Experts to Speak at SPAR Point Groups Inaugural UAV Event in Las Vegas October 5-7
MathWorks Hosts "Mission on Mars Robot Challenge" Finals at Innorobo
Company provides MATLAB and Simulink to teams of engineers, researchers and students participating in the robotics competition
Midwest Engineered Systems Listed as Future 50 Company for 2nd Consecutive Year
Construction and manufacturing firms topped this years Future 50 list.
Adept Technology Wins 2.5 Million Dollars in Orders from Two Digital Storage Companies
Adept has served the digital storage and broader electronics industries with
leading-edge robotics and controls in both standard and cleanroom
configurations for more than 25 years.
MecklerMedia Announces Launch of 3DPrinting@home and Robot@home at CEATEC in Tokyo
Japans Largest Consumer Electronics Show, October 7-10, 2015
A3 Business Forum Set for February 3-5, 2016 in Orlando
More than 500 global leaders from the robotics, machine vision, motion controls, motors, and other automation industries are expected to attend.
Japan's Embedded Technology 2015 Trade Show Set to Co-Locate With Internet of Things Technology
World's largest embedded technology conference and exhibition Is "Asia's vortex of embedded innovation."
Two New Gold Sponsors and Dozens of Exhibitors Announced for 2015 Drone World Expo
Expo Hall will offer Flying Demonstrations, Tech Talk Theater and Networking Receptions
SCHUNK FEATURED IN ROBOT REVOLUTION EXHIBIT AT MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY, CHICAGO
Exhibit supported by Google.org features SCHUNK and begins national tour in Chicago
Emotional 'Pepper' robots sell out in one minute in Japan
The initial batch of Pepper robots developed by Japanese mobile carrier SoftBank Corp and manufactured by Taiwan's Foxconn Technology Group sold out in one minute on the first day it went on sale in Japan.
The 1,000 Pepper robots available for purchase in June sold out in 60 seconds when online orders started at 10 am on Saturday, according to a statement from SoftBank Robotics Corp, a robotics venture formed by SoftBank, Foxconn and Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba Group.
Orders are no longer being taken and additional sales of Pepper, which sells for 198,000 yen (US$1,625), are scheduled to be announced on SoftBank's website in July.
In addition to Pepper's emotion recognition functions, the robot generates emotions autonomously by processing information from its cameras, touch sensors, accelerometer and other sensors within its "endocrine-type multi-layer neural network," SoftBank said.
UASympEx 2015: Europe's 1st Symposium for Integration and Security of drones in Hamburg
Hamburg - UASympEx will take place on September 18th and 19th 2015 in Hamburg, on the initiative of Christian L. Caballero Kroschel and Jan Hesselbarth from Caballero & Hesselbarth Consulting - together with the Northern Business School (NBS) and supported by the city of Hamburg.
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