Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Robonexus and New Grand Challenge 2005 Practice Area
I just got back from last week's RoboNexus program, the first consumer robotics show in the US. Held in Santa Clara, CA, it featured hundreds of robots, robot startup companies, heavy hitters like iRobot, and an astounding competition featuring homebuilt exoskeletons.
It was unusual for a trade show in having lots of families and kids attending the open Expo, along with teens who have created their own robots. A far cry from 1990s Internet stuff, with consisted of snarling suits pluse skateboard-zooming, pierced, dotcommers bringing us the "solution for e-tomorrow."
I will be posting pictures and movies in the near future, along with commentary. I am more convinced than ever (despite companies like Anybots), that Silicon Valley is not likely to be the center of robotics in the US. Already looking forward to RoboNexus 2005, which may be held in Los Angeles.
In other interesting news for Robots That Jump, DARPA has announced that they will allow the garage-startup groups readying robot cars for the 2005 Challenge to use the Unmanned Systems Experimentation Environment (NUSE2) sites already used by government contractors to test their un-piloted vehicles. This may provide a great help for some GC teams, since finding a place to test robotic off-road vehicles presents many challenges. According to the PR released by DARPA,
"...These sites will be available thru September 2005 contingent on the trial practice event being conducted at the NUSE2 site called JOUSTER (Joint Unmanned Systems Test Experimentation and Research) at the Virginia International Raceway (VIR) near Danville, VA..."
The Joint Robotics Program sounds interesting in itself. According to the home page, it
"...provides focus and coordination for development of the technologies and systems to provide 21st century land forces with a family of highly mobile, multi-mission, unmanned ground vehicles to achieve a "leap ahead" capability across the spectrum of conflict. Multi-platform technology sharing, systems and parts commonality, joint architecture, and focused technology base development assure economic use of program resources..."
I note that JANUS is listed, which was apparently part of one GC entry. Also, one page lists "weight classifications" of UGV robots, ranging from iRobot's PackBot to an apparent robo-tank!
I just got back from last week's RoboNexus program, the first consumer robotics show in the US. Held in Santa Clara, CA, it featured hundreds of robots, robot startup companies, heavy hitters like iRobot, and an astounding competition featuring homebuilt exoskeletons.
It was unusual for a trade show in having lots of families and kids attending the open Expo, along with teens who have created their own robots. A far cry from 1990s Internet stuff, with consisted of snarling suits pluse skateboard-zooming, pierced, dotcommers bringing us the "solution for e-tomorrow."
I will be posting pictures and movies in the near future, along with commentary. I am more convinced than ever (despite companies like Anybots), that Silicon Valley is not likely to be the center of robotics in the US. Already looking forward to RoboNexus 2005, which may be held in Los Angeles.
In other interesting news for Robots That Jump, DARPA has announced that they will allow the garage-startup groups readying robot cars for the 2005 Challenge to use the Unmanned Systems Experimentation Environment (NUSE2) sites already used by government contractors to test their un-piloted vehicles. This may provide a great help for some GC teams, since finding a place to test robotic off-road vehicles presents many challenges. According to the PR released by DARPA,
"...These sites will be available thru September 2005 contingent on the trial practice event being conducted at the NUSE2 site called JOUSTER (Joint Unmanned Systems Test Experimentation and Research) at the Virginia International Raceway (VIR) near Danville, VA..."
The Joint Robotics Program sounds interesting in itself. According to the home page, it
"...provides focus and coordination for development of the technologies and systems to provide 21st century land forces with a family of highly mobile, multi-mission, unmanned ground vehicles to achieve a "leap ahead" capability across the spectrum of conflict. Multi-platform technology sharing, systems and parts commonality, joint architecture, and focused technology base development assure economic use of program resources..."
I note that JANUS is listed, which was apparently part of one GC entry. Also, one page lists "weight classifications" of UGV robots, ranging from iRobot's PackBot to an apparent robo-tank!
