The InMoov is an open-source, 3D printable humanoid invented by Gaël Langevin. Nao is a programmable humanoid by Aldebaran Robotics, now called SoftBank Robotics. Nao has become a standard robot for education and research in humanoid robots.

Researchers are particularly interested in the open and fully programmable platform that it offers. The first attempts at dancing Nao's were to showcase it's agile and rhythmic movements, thanks to the 25 degrees of freedom.

The dance has since become popular within robotics enthusiasts. It also functions well as an attendant or receptionist, where it uses its microphones and speakers along with speech recognition to interact. It has two 2D cameras and seven touch sensors.

DID YOU KNOW?

The motion corresponding to the songs is stored as separate files in an SD card. These act as inputs to the Arduino controller based on which the notes are executed by the respective robots.

The synchronized dance moves are achieved by syncing each and every motor in a universal time frame along with feedbacks of the position of each and every motor to maintain the syncing feature.

What happens when robots of equal precision and capabilities compete with each other?

Since its introduction in the 1980s, robot combat has gone in and out of popular culture. These robots were even featured in television shows such as Robot Wars and Battlebots. Robot fights have all the appeal of a contact sport and showcase the possibilities of robotic warfare.

These robots fight, fall, and stand up on their own using a camera to facilitate computer vision. Based on the image and video processing, these robot fighters decide their next move.

But as they continue combating with each other, the underlying AI model keeps learning and gets more intelligent with every new move.

These fighters can change their respective centre of gravity, allowing them to perform maneuvers like a somersault and aerobic gestures.

The technology used in these robots is similar to the one used in self-driving cars, object recognition and other fields to automate image-dependent tasks.

Features:

● High-precision servo motors that are powerful and easy to command.

● An Intelligent controller that includes a microcontroller to control parts of the robot.

● Gyro sensor to adjust its posture while walking.

● A Bluetooth module for wireless communication.

The competitions that put teams of robots against each other in a game of soccer offer both entertainment and education.

These robot players are model-based reflex AI agents. The basic robot structure consists of 4 Omni-wheels mounted at specific angles on the base plate and powered by high torque gear motors.

The movement of these robots is managed through a central server using algorithms on game policies and defense strategies. These algorithms use data from various sensors and cameras in real-time and operate the robots with individual NXP ARM CortexA3 controllers.

These robots use a solenoid piston for kicking and a separate dribbler motor for collecting the ball.

Coordinated and strategic movement between robots is important for practical applications in the real world. What better way of trying and testing coordination than soccer?

Features:

● High FPS (Frames per second), high-resolution machine vision cameras

● Pattern detection algorithm to filter the shape, size, and orientation of the robots for feedback

● Separate Nodes (Programs) for Tactics, which defines the gameplay based on the position of ball and Robots

● Open Motion Planning Library (OMPL) motion planning software for pathfinding for robots to avoid obstacles

When you picture a robot, you probably don't think about athletic skills and a split-of-a- second decision making ability. You are likely to imagine a stiff robot struggling to coordinate its leg movements and then tipping over without a clear centre of gravity. But today's robots are far more dexterous than you might think.

Thanks to the advancements in the fields of AI and robotics, today's state-of-the-art robots are ready to get competitive and perhaps even challenge your favourite sporting heroes!

A Badminton robot is a step in this direction.

An Opponent that Never Gets Tired

The robot uses a pair of high-definition cameras, motion sensors, and a unique navigation system to track and calculate the exact trajectory of an opponent's shot. It uses a racquet mounted on a linear rail system to return the shuttlecock to the player. The robot also features Omni-wheels at its bottom that allows it to move quickly around the court.

With coordinate tracking precision of 1 centimeter, this robot takes only one millisecond to predict the shuttlecock’s trajectory. It has a catching accuracy of 90% in midfield, 70% in the backfield, and 50% in the frontfield.

While the robot may not compete well against a skilled Badminton player yet, it can still tire out the opponent by returning every shot sent its way for hours and hours. As such, robots like these may seem promising in training athletes.

And, if the Olympics ever allow a robot to participate, who knows we might even see this robot aiming for a gold medal.

MEET YOUR NEW DOCTOR

Medical robots come in different types, serving a vast range of purposes. These include Surgical robots, Rehabilitation robots, Biorobots, Telepresence robots, Pharmacy automation, Companion robots, and Disinfection robots.

MEDICINE TODAY: ROBOT ASSISTED SURGERY

The da Vinci Surgical System is one of the most ubiquitous medical robots and is the standard for Robot-Assisted Surgery today. With a remarkable improvement over conventional laparoscopy, this advanced robotic platform allows surgeons to perform complex minimally invasive surgeries with high precision and accuracy.

The da-Vinci System has been successfully used for general surgery, Gynecology, treatment of lung and prostate cancer and urological conditions.

IF THAT DOESN’T CONVINCE YOU

Robot doctors may sound too futuristic, but robot-assisted surgery through da Vinci system is commonplace today.

More than 1,700 da Vinci systems are already installed in hospitals worldwide.

Since the FDA approval in 2000, more than 3 million minimal invasive surgeries have been performed with da Vinci systems and a new one begins every 42 seconds.

Three out of four prostate cancer surgeries in the U.S. are performed using the da Vinci Surgery.

Other robots in the category include the TSolution One, Flex Robotics system, and the ARTAS.

SURGEON CONSOLE

Provides high-definition, 3D image from inside of the patient’s body.

Master controls used to translate the surgeon’s hand movements to movements of surgical instruments.

VISION SYSTEM

Equipped with high-definition 3D endoscope and an image processing unit, the vision system offers realistic images of the patient’s body. There is also a wide screen view which provides surgical assistance near the patient side for a broader visualization of the ongoing procedure.

ENDOWRIST INSTRUMENTS

The surgeon has access to a full range of Endowrist instruments during the operation. These instruments are designed with seven degrees of motion, far better than the human wrists.

Patient Side Cart

Multiple robotic arms that function according to the surgeon’s commands.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

Search and Rescue is the application of robotics that is dedicated to locating casualties in such disasters and initiating rescue operations. Combining various different technologies and machines, we can reduce the loss of life and attend to the casualties caused by such events.

These operations commonly involve all-terrain robots to move through the rubble and reach areas where it would be hazardous for a man to go. Other scenarios include war casualties, mountain rescue and cave rescue.

A MACHINE SAVIOUR?

The PackBot Explorer is a variant of the PackBot that can be fitted with a payload that peeks over obstacles or cover by elevating its camera head. It is equipped with multiple cameras, laser pointers, audio and other sensors

Initially developed with the support of DARPA, more than 3,500 PackBots have been delivered by Endeavor Robotics, previously known as iRobot. They have further inspired the development of many different search and rescue robots.

Apart from PackBots, robots such as the RSTAR, SmokeBot, MIT’s blind Cheetah are already saving lives, proving to be more effective than humans.

WALL CLIMBING-GECKO ROBOT

GECKO ROBOT - FABRICATING THE NATURE

The Gecko robot uses an adhesive material that mimicks the lizard's ability to stick to the wall and move up. This adhesion is possible due to the Van der Walls forces created by the tiny fibers on the lizard's feet and the wall surface. The revolutionary synthetic material mimicking a gecko foot was discovered by Andre Geim and fellow researchers at the University of Manchester in 2003. Since the robot is capable of moving up the wall without any external power, it is cost-effective and is often used for pick and place applications. Gecko robot sets an example of how our understanding about the fundamental forces of nature can help us in looking at an unsolved problem from a different direction altogether.

Robots are primarily meant to reduce manual labour so that men can focus on intelligent tasks and wall climbing robots are a prime example of this. Impeller-based robot is another example of a robot that utilizes vacuum adhesion technique to move on the wall surface. It houses an impeller pump operated by an electric motor, which generates vacuum to allow the robot to adhere to the wall. The wheels allow the robot to move up or down the wall. These types of robots are often light in weight and are useful in wall cleaning applications.

MAGNETIC WALL CLIMBING ROBOT

These types of robots utilize the principle of magnetism to move up a metallic surface. The robots are equipped with either electromagnets or permanent magnets using different configurations to achieve locomotion. Magnetic wall climbing robots are widely used in outdoor applications, especially within industries for the inspection of ferromagnetic surfaces such as gas or oil tanks. Using different tools and sensors, these robots can detect cracks, corrosion and welding defects on complex industrial structures with better efficiency and precision.

SUCTION CUP WALL CLIMBING ROBOT

Suction robot, as the name implies, has suction cups as its legs. These legs are operated through a vacuum pump which creates a negative air pressure on the flat wall surface, allowing the robot to adhere to the wall. The robot is capable of moving upwards or downwards through pneumatic actuators. These types of robots are often useful in industrial settings, such as inspecting a machine or a part located in closed cavities and hazardous environments. However, one of the drawbacks of suction-based wall climbing robots is that these can only operate on a flat surface such as glass walls or finished metal surfaces.

WEIGHT SHIFTING ROBOT

Weight shifting robots are an advanced form of wall climbing robots that utilize foot and handholds to climb a wall, similar to a human climber. It utilizes algorithms that include a sophisticated load-balancing system to distribute the weight to the legs and arms evenly for greater stability when shifting between the supports during the climb. With advances in technology, weight shifting robots can be utilized in planetary exploration missions such as scaling uneven martian cliffs to uncover more geological information about the Red Planet. These robots are equally useful in search and rescue applications.

Precision & Industrial Robot

A HARDWORKING MACHINE

Precision and industrial robots are used in a variety of industrial processes ranging from packaging to manufacturing. Precision robots are made to work within very tight tolerances. They use sensors to ensure that they are always on track.

Industrial robots are commonly seen in heavy mechanical applications where they work alongside humans or work independently. Industrial robots are tailor-made for the function at hand. They are used in welding, painting and even heavy lifting. Hence each robot is distinct in its own regards.

UNDER THE HOOD

Precision and industrial robots use actuators and motors to expand their degrees of motion based on what they are required to do.

MEET THE WORKFORCE

The IRB 1200 is one of the smallest and fastest of these robots, and comes with a few different industry specific variants. They can typically carry a payload of 5-7Kgs.

The most commonly used types of industrial robots, based on the configuration of the axis, are cartesian, SCARA, cylindrical, delta, polar and vertically articulated. However, there are several other types available as well.

There are nearly 1.64 million industrial robots in operation today across many different industries.

Tech Specs

Reach: 0.7 m

Payload: 7 kg

Armload: 0.3 kg

Protection: Standard robot (IP40) or IP67, Foundry Plus 2 based on IP67, Food Grade Lubricant and Clean Room (ISO class 3) based on IP67

Controllers: IRC5 compact/IRC5 single cabinet

Integrated signal and power supply: 10 Signals on wrist

Integrated ethernet: One 100/10 Base-TX ethernet port

DOMESTIC AND FLOOR CLEANING

THE HOUSEKEEPING STAFF

Machines are now sophisticated enough to operate without much supervision. By making use of the latest technologies, they can navigate their way around the house, perform the tasks they’re programmed for, and alert you for refills, recharge, etc.

This is the case with the OysterBot, the current state of the art floor vacuum cleaner. It is the fastest cleaning bot in India and provides the longest battery life. It comes with a water tank that is used for wet cleaning. It can operate autonomously, keeping your house clean without any intervention.

Swash, on the other hand, is a dry cleaning robot that can clean and iron your clothes within 10 minutes without using any external agents such as water or petroleum based solvents. This increases the life of your clothes while saving time and money as well.

AUTONOMOUS HOME-SERVICE

Household chores are tasks that are important for a healthy life but take up time and energy. They often get neglected, particularly in the case of coming generations. Tasks such as mopping or cleaning could even cause muscle fatigue and in some cases, sprains. It is therefore natural to expect applications of robotics in housekeeping.

While machines such as automatic washing machines, dishwashers, etc., have been around for a long time, several other devices meant for housekeeping tasks are seeing adoption by the society today.

AGRICULTURE ROBOT

AUTONOMOUS FARMING: A STEP TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY

Robotics is redefining the agriculture industry and is enabling farmers to efficiently meet the growing demands of global food shortage and labour. Robots, specifically in the form of drones offer an unparalleled advantage to farmers in terms of better production, crop monitoring and overall farming efficiency.

Unlike ordinary drones, these sophisticated Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are fitted with high-resolution cameras and enhanced sensors that map the ground and provide accurate soil data to farmers in real-time. To maintain optimum altitude and flight control, agricultural drones also sport flight controllers along with a responsive propulsion system.

A FARMER’S BEST FRIEND

Agriculture drones like the DJI Matrice 100 are one of the easiest to operate, making use of DJI’s patented technology to maintain flight with minimal control. It comes with the flight controller, propulsion system, GPS, DJI Lightbridge, a dedicated remote controller, and a rechargeable battery.

Other examples include the Vinobot and Vinoculer, LSU's AgBot, Casmobot slope mower, HortiBot.

ASSISTING THE WORLD’S LARGEST INDUSTRY

From crop monitoring to planting, livestock management, crop spraying, irrigation mapping, and more, agricultural drones have a promising future in the agricultural industry.

AGRICULTURE ROBOT

AUTONOMOUS FARMING: A STEP TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY

Robotics is redefining the agriculture industry and is enabling farmers to efficiently meet the growing demands of global food shortage and labour. Robots, specifically in the form of drones offer an unparalleled advantage to farmers in terms of better production, crop monitoring and overall farming efficiency.

Unlike ordinary drones, these sophisticated Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are fitted with high-resolution cameras and enhanced sensors that map the ground and provide accurate soil data to farmers in real-time. To maintain optimum altitude and flight control, agricultural drones also sport flight controllers along with a responsive propulsion system.

A FARMER’S BEST FRIEND

Agriculture drones like the DJI Matrice 100 are one of the easiest to operate, making use of DJI’s patented technology to maintain flight with minimal control. It comes with the flight controller, propulsion system, GPS, DJI Lightbridge, a dedicated remote controller, and a rechargeable battery.

Other examples include the Vinobot and Vinoculer, LSU's AgBot, Casmobot slope mower, HortiBot.

ASSISTING THE WORLD’S LARGEST INDUSTRY

From crop monitoring to planting, livestock management, crop spraying, irrigation mapping, and more, agricultural drones have a promising future in the agricultural industry.

AGRICULTURE ROBOT

AUTONOMOUS FARMING: A STEP TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY

Robotics is redefining the agriculture industry and is enabling farmers to efficiently meet the growing demands of global food shortage and labour. Robots, specifically in the form of drones offer an unparalleled advantage to farmers in terms of better production, crop monitoring and overall farming efficiency.

Unlike ordinary drones, these sophisticated Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are fitted with high-resolution cameras and enhanced sensors that map the ground and provide accurate soil data to farmers in real-time. To maintain optimum altitude and flight control, agricultural drones also sport flight controllers along with a responsive propulsion system.

A FARMER’S BEST FRIEND

Agriculture drones like the DJI Matrice 100 are one of the easiest to operate, making use of DJI’s patented technology to maintain flight with minimal control. It comes with the flight controller, propulsion system, GPS, DJI Lightbridge, a dedicated remote controller, and a rechargeable battery.

Other examples include the Vinobot and Vinoculer, LSU's AgBot, Casmobot slope mower, HortiBot.

ASSISTING THE WORLD’S LARGEST INDUSTRY

From crop monitoring to planting, livestock management, crop spraying, irrigation mapping, and more, agricultural drones have a promising future in the agricultural industry.

MICRO ROBOTS

THE LITTLE ONES

Robots that are less than 1mm in size are known as microbots. The initial research on these robots was done in the 1970’s by the U.S. Intelligence agencies. This classified research was to analyse their possible usage in rescue assistance and electronic intercept missions.

Today, the three major areas of research in this field are power supply, flight and the use of “robot swarms”. Robot swarms are swarms of microbots that work in unison to achieve specific goals. They use signals such as the WiFi to coordinate their movements.

INSPIRED BY NATURE

Developers are making use of biomimetics to overcome the challenges they face in applying the “macro” technologies to microscopic robots. Biomimetics refers to the imitation of natural systems to solve human problems and often finds implementations in technology. For example, biological motors can be used as power sources for these tiny robots, which can not carry large batteries for power supply.

CHILD’S PLAY

The popularity of microbots as toys has grown significantly in the past years, with brands like Hexbug providing many child friendly microbots. These are fascinating machines but there are many potential applications that they can have with future developments. These robots can have a huge application in search and rescue operations. There is still tremendous research scope for such robots.

DRDO ROBOT

DRDO: AT THE FOREFRONT OF DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY

DRDO, our country’s premier R&D organization has demonstrated the use of robotics technologies through a wide range of robots that are capable of performing mission-critical tasks with minimal human intervention.

The application of robotics in defence has seen tremendous growth over the years and specialized laboratories such as the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) have been established to cater to this area of research.

ENABLING SMART OPERATIONS

Robots operating in a battlefield scenario are often required to traverse uneven terrains and should possess different sensing capabilities in order to intelligently achieve the mission objectives. To achieve such a feat, DRDO robots use a wide range of locomotion and manipulation technologies underpinned by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Tech Specs:

Legged Robots

Hexapods and Quadrupeds with three degrees of freedom enabling omni-directional motion

Ultrasonic sensors for obstacle detection and avoidance

Human-like, stable locomotion

Actuated wheels for hybrid locomotion in quadruped

Miniature Ground Vehicle

Payload Capacity: 50 Kg

Robot weight: 28 Kg

Daylight camera used for counter-insurgence operations

Speed of 3 Km/h on the roughest terrain

Prosthetic and Exoskeleton

A CHANCE OF PHYSICAL REHABILITATION

Robotic limbs and wearable robots are inventions that have a direct impact on humanity. Their importance is widely acknowledged as a result of the contribution of popular cinema.

The loss of a limb due to accidents, war casualties or cardiovascular disease is one of the most painful experiences for a human. Robotics gives amputees a chance of recuperating their limbs and being able to get back to their lives.

Robotic prosthetics require multidisciplinary research, primarily making use of electronics, mechanics and biology. Several technologies have been developed to implement this concept and we are not too far from commercially available robotic prosthetics.

A STEP FURTHER

This research can further be applied to the creation of devices like exoskeletons that enable humans to go beyond their capabilities and achieve physical strength and dexterity that can only be defined as super-human.

Tagged as one of the “50 best innovations of 2010” by TIME magazine, the EksoVest by Eksobionics is one such invention that helps workers operate more efficiently by reducing fatigue. Use of such devices also reduces the chances of injury.

THE POWER OF PHYSICS

The EksoVest uses physics to shift the weight from your arms and shoulders to your legs. This machine is being actively tested at companies such as Ford. It can be of great assistance to mechanics who have to deal with muscle fatigue on a daily basis.

MODERN SCIENCE AT WORK

Myoelectric systems are used to read the brain signals from the nerves of the damaged organs and activate motorized limbs in accordance. This technology is being explored as an underlying mechanism of robotic prosthetics.

3D printed prosthetics are used to reduce the weight of a myoelectric system and provide better personalization.

Terrain Robots

REACH BEYOND YOUR GRASP

Terrain robots are robots that are used for surveillance, research & surveying and other tasks where the terrain is difficult to move through, such as thick forests or uneven rocks. These are rugged robots that are made to operate under rough conditions and are hence best suited for the military as well as search and rescue operations.

MILITARY’S WATCHDOG 

Packbots are a standard example of terrain robots and have been used in military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. They were also used to look through the debris after the attack on the WTC and later in the inspection of the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant after the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

GO ANYWHERE

Weighing less than 14 kg, this rugged robot can easily move over rough and uneven terrain, climb stairs as well as manipulate objects dexterously through a wearable controller. The robot is also easy to carry and can be deployed in packs while on the move.

Designed to operate in all weather conditions, this waterproof and shockproof robot can move with a maximum road speed of 10 km/hr. It can even traverse through a water depth of 15.2 cm and is small enough to reach places where soldiers cannot or should not go.

All-terrain robots can be easily regarded as the future of search and rescue missions as well as a future means of fighting wars.

TRIVIA 

The payload can be changed and deployed in under two minutes.

The controller is based on video game controllers, ensuring easy adoption by young soldiers.

SEARCH & RESCUE ROBOTS

DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGYSearch and Rescue is the application of robotics that is dedicated to locating casualties in such disasters and initiating rescue operations. Combining various different technologies and machines, we can reduce the loss of life and attend to the casualties caused by such events.

These operations commonly involve all-terrain robots to move through the rubble and reach areas where it would be hazardous for a man to go. Other scenarios include war casualties, mountain rescue and cave rescue.

A MACHINE SAVIOUR?

The PackBot Explorer is a variant of the PackBot that can be fitted with a payload that peeks over obstacles or cover by elevating its camera head. It is equipped with multiple cameras, laser pointers, audio and other sensors

Initially developed with the support of DARPA, more than 3,500 PackBots have been delivered by Endeavor Robotics, previously known as iRobot. They have further inspired the development of many different search and rescue robots.

Apart from PackBots, robots such as the RSTAR, SmokeBot, MIT’s blind Cheetah are already saving lives, proving to be more effective than humans.

MEDICAL ROBOTS

MEET YOUR NEW DOCTOR

Medical robots come in different types, serving a vast range of purposes. These include Surgical robots, Rehabilitation robots, Biorobots, Telepresence robots, Pharmacy automation, Companion robots, and Disinfection robots.

MEDICINE TODAY: ROBOT ASSISTED SURGERYThe da Vinci Surgical System is one of the most ubiquitous medical robots and is the standard for Robot-Assisted Surgery today. With a remarkable improvement over conventional laparoscopy, this advanced robotic platform allows surgeons to perform complex minimally invasive surgeries with high precision and accuracy.

The da-Vinci System has been successfully used for general surgery, Gynecology, treatment of lung and prostate cancer and urological conditions.

IF THAT DOESN’T CONVINCE YOURobot doctors may sound too futuristic, but robot-assisted surgery through da Vinci system is commonplace today.

More than 1,700 da Vinci systems are already installed in hospitals worldwide.

Since the FDA approval in 2000, more than 3 million minimal invasive surgeries have been performed with da Vinci systems and a new one begins every 42 seconds.

Three out of four prostate cancer surgeries in the U.S. are performed using the da Vinci Surgery.

Other robots in the category include the TSolution One, Flex Robotics system, and the ARTAS.

SURGEON CONSOLE Provides high-definition, 3D image from inside of the patient’s body.

Master controls used to translate the surgeon’s hand movements to movements of surgical instruments.

VISION SYSTEM

Equipped with high-definition 3D endoscope and an image processing unit, the vision system offers realistic images of the patient’s body. There is also a wide screen view which provides surgical assistance near the patient side for a broader visualization of the ongoing procedure.

ENDOWRISTINSTRUMENTS 

The surgeon has access to a full range of Endowrist instruments during the operation. These instruments are designed with seven degrees of motion, far better than the human wrists.

Patient Side Cart

Multiple robotic arms that function according to the surgeon’s commands.

WALL CLIMBING

GECKO ROBOT

The Gecko robot uses an adhesive material that mimicks the lizard's ability to stick to the wall and move up. This adhesion is possible due to the Van der Walls forces created by the tiny fibers on the lizard's feet and the wall surface.The revolutionary synthetic material mimicking a gecko foot was discovered by Andre Geim and fellow researchers at the University of Manchester in 2003. Since the robot is capable of moving up the wall without any external power, it is cost-effective and is often used for pick and place applications. Gecko robot sets an example of how our understanding about the fundamental forces of nature can help us in looking at an unsolved problem from a different direction altogether.

IMPELLER-BASED WALL CLIMBING ROBOTRobots are primarily meant to reduce manual labour so that men can focus on intelligent tasks and wall climbing robots are a prime example of this. Impeller-based robot is another example of a robot that utilizes vacuum adhesion technique to move on the wall surface. It houses an impeller pump operated by an electric motor, which generates vacuum to allow the robot to adhere to the wall. The wheels allow the robot to move up or down the wall. These types of robots are often light in weight and are useful in wall cleaning applications.

MAGNETIC WALL CLIMBING ROBOT

These types of robots utilize the principle of magnetism to move up a metallic surface. The robots are equipped with either electromagnets or permanent magnets using different configurations to achieve locomotion. Magnetic wall climbing robots are widely used in outdoor applications, especially within industries for the inspection of ferromagnetic surfaces such as gas or oil tanks. Using different tools and sensors, these robots can detect cracks, corrosion and welding defects on complex industrial structures with better efficiency and precision.

SUCTION CUP WALL CLIMBING ROBOTSuction robot, as the name implies, has suction cups as its legs. These legs are operated through a vacuum pump which creates a negative air pressure on the flat wall surface, allowing the robot to adhere to the wall. The robot is capable of moving upwards or downwards through pneumatic actuators. These types of robots are often useful in industrial settings, such as inspecting a machine or a part located in closed cavities and hazardous environments. However, one of the drawbacks of suction-based wall climbing robots is that these can only operate on a flat surface such as glass walls or finished metal surfaces.

WEIGHT SHIFTING ROBOT Weight shifting robots are an advanced form of wall climbing robots that utilize foot and handholds to climb a wall, similar to a human climber. It utilizes algorithms that include a sophisticated load-balancing system to distribute the weight to the legs and arms evenly for greater stability when shifting between the supports during the climb. With advances in technology, weight shifting robots can be utilized in planetary exploration missions such as scaling uneven martian cliffs to uncover more geological information about the Red Planet. These robots are equally useful in search and rescue applications.

MICRO ROBOTS- 

THE LITTLE ONES

Robots that are less than 1mm in size are known as microbots. The initial research on these robots was done in the 1970’s by the U.S. Intelligence agencies. This classified research was to analyse their possible usage in rescue assistance and electronic  intercept missions.

Today, the three major areas of research in this field are power supply, flight and the use of “robot swarms”. Robot swarms are swarms of microbots that work in unison to achieve specific goals. They use signals such as the WiFi to coordinate their movements.

INSPIRED BY NATURE

Developers are making use of biomimetics to overcome the challenges they face in applying the “macro” technologies to microscopic robots. Biomimetics refers to the imitation of natural systems to solve human problems and often finds implementations in technology. For example, biological motors can be used as power sources for these tiny robots, which can not carry large batteries for power supply.

CHILD’S PLAYThe popularity of microbots as toys has grown significantly in the past years, with brands like Hexbug providing many child friendly microbots. These are fascinating machines but there are many potential applications that they can have with future developments. These robots can have a huge application in search and rescue operations. There is still tremendous research scope for such robots.

DOMESTIC AND FLOOR CLEANING 

THE HOUSEKEEPING STAFF

Machines are now sophisticated enough to operate without much supervision. By making use of the latest technologies, they can navigate their way around the house, perform the tasks they’re programmed for, and alert you for refills, recharge, etc.

This is the case with the OysterBot, the current state of the art floor vacuum cleaner. It is the fastest cleaning bot in India and provides the longest battery life. It comes with a water tank that is used for wet cleaning. It can operate autonomously, keeping your house clean without any intervention.

Swash, on the other hand, is a dry cleaning robot that can clean and iron your clothes within 10 minutes without using any external agents such as water or petroleum based solvents. This increases the life of your clothes while saving time and money as well.

AUTONOMOUS HOME-SERVICE

Household chores are tasks that are important for a healthy life but take up time and energy. They often get neglected, particularly in the case of coming generations. Tasks such as mopping or cleaning could even cause muscle fatigue and in some cases, sprains. It is therefore natural to expect applications of robotics in housekeeping.

While machines such as automatic washing machines, dishwashers, etc., have been around for a long time, several other devices meant for housekeeping tasks are seeing adoption by the society today.

Precision & Industrial Robot 

A HARDWORKING MACHINE

Precision and industrial robots are used in a variety of industrial processes ranging from packaging to manufacturing. Precision robots are made to work within very tight tolerances. They use sensors to ensure that they are always on track.

Industrial robots are commonly seen in heavy mechanical applications where they work alongside humans or work independently. Industrial robots are tailor-made for the function at hand. They are used in welding, painting and even heavy lifting. Hence each robot is distinct in its own regards.

UNDER THE HOOD

Precision and industrial robots use actuators and motors to expand their degrees of motion based on what they are required to do.

MEET THE WORKFORCE

The IRB 1200 is one of the smallest and fastest of these robots, and comes with a few different industry specific variants. They can typically carry a payload of 5-7Kgs.

The most commonly used types of industrial robots, based on the configuration of the axis, are cartesian, SCARA, cylindrical, delta, polar and vertically articulated. However, there are several other types available as well.

There are nearly 1.64 million industrial robots in operation today across many different industries.

Tech Specs

Reach  : 0.7 m

Payload : 7 kg

Armload : 0.3 kg

Protection: Standard robot (IP40) or IP67,

Foundry Plus 2 based on IP67,

Food Grade Lubricant and Clean Room (ISO class 3) based on IP67

Controllers: IRC5 compact/IRC5 single cabinet

Integrated signal and power supply: 10 Signals on wrist

Integrated ethernet: One 100/10 Base-TX ethernet port

AGRICULTURE ROBOT

AUTONOMOUS FARMING: A STEP TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY

Robotics is redefining the agriculture industry and is enabling farmers to efficiently meet the growing demands of global food shortage and labour. Robots, specifically in the form of drones offer an unparalleled advantage to farmers in terms of better production, crop monitoring and overall farming efficiency.

Unlike ordinary drones, these sophisticated Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are fitted with high-resolution cameras and enhanced sensors that map the ground and provide accurate soil data to farmers in real-time. To maintain optimum altitude and flight control, agricultural drones also sport flight controllers along with a responsive propulsion system.

A FARMER’S BEST FRIENDAgriculture drones like the DJIMatrice 100 are one of the easiest to operate, making use of DJI’s patented technology to maintain flight with minimal control. It comes with the flight controller, propulsion system, GPS, DJI Lightbridge, a dedicated remote controller, and a rechargeable battery.

Other examples include the Vinobot and Vinoculer, LSU's AgBot, Casmobot slope mower, HortiBot.

ASSISTING THE WORLD’S LARGEST INDUSTRY

From crop monitoring to planting, livestock management, crop spraying, irrigation mapping, and more, agricultural drones have a promising future in the agricultural industry.

SPACE ROBOT 

Machines, The Space Nomads-

Space robots are made to help us explore extraterrestrial worlds. They help us to understand a planet in detail without having to send a human candidate or assist astronauts in tasks that would be difficult or risky for humans. Space robots are made in many forms, from humanoids to rovers.

These machines are designed very differently from the robots that we use on earth as they are built from the ground up to work in the extreme space and atmospheric conditions.

Space robots are sent to either other planets or specific parts of the space to study the environment. they have various sensors and scanners that they use to study everything around them. The data that they collect is then transmitted to earth for research.

The Space Mechanic

The biggest advantage of Space Robots is that they are disposable. Once they are deployed on their mission, they will remain operational for years and will only stop when the core components are damaged.

Sometimes space shuttles or space stations require construction and repair work. However, having a person do this could lead to all sorts of hazards.

Exposure to radiation and extreme temperatures could be fatal to humans. This is a perfect example of a task that a robot would do with relative ease, factoring in all the risk involved.

Some examples of space robots from NASA are Robonaut, RASSOR, Spidernaut, ATHLETE, Dextre, SPHERES, Curiosity, and Pioneer.

The visual representation on display is achieved by using an InMoov robot. The InMoov is an open source, 3D printable humanoid invented by Gaël Langevin

DRDO ROBOT–

\DRDO: AT THE FOREFRONT OF DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY

DRDO, our country’s premier R&D organization has demonstrated the use of robotics technologies through a wide range of robots that are capable of performing mission-critical tasks with minimal human intervention.

The application of robotics in defence has seen tremendous growth over the years and specialized laboratories such as the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) have been established to cater to this area of research.

ENABLING SMART OPERATIONS 

Robots operating in a battlefield scenario are often required to traverse uneven terrains and should possess different sensing capabilities in order to intelligently achieve the mission objectives. To achieve such a feat, DRDO robots use a wide range of locomotion and manipulation technologies underpinned by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Tech Specs: 

Legged Robots - 

Hexapods and Quadrupeds with three degrees of freedom enabling omni-directional motion

Ultrasonic sensors for obstacle detection and avoidance

Human-like, stable locomotion–

Actuated wheels for hybrid locomotion in quadruped–

Miniature Ground Vehicle–

Payload Capacity: 50 Kg

Robot weight: 28 Kg

Daylight camera used for counter-insurgence operations

Speed of 3 Km/h on the roughest terrain

Prosthetic and Exoskeleton

A CHANCE OF PHYSICAL REHABILITATION

Robotic limbs and wearable robots are inventions that have a direct impact on humanity. Their importance is widely acknowledged as a result of the contribution of popular cinema. 

The loss of a limb due to accidents, war casualties or cardiovascular disease is one of the most painful experiences for a human. Robotics gives amputees a chance of recuperating their limbs and being able to get back to their lives.

Robotic prosthetics require multidisciplinary research, primarily making use of electronics, mechanics and biology. Several technologies have been developed to implement this concept and we are not too far from commercially available robotic prosthetics.

A STEP FURTHER–

This research can further be applied to the creation of devices like exoskeletons that enable humans to go beyond their capabilities and achieve physical strength and dexterity that can only be defined as super-human. 

Tagged as one of the “50 best innovations of 2010” by TIME magazine, the EksoVest by Eksobionics is one such invention that helps workers operate more efficiently by reducing fatigue. Use of such devices also reduces the chances of injury.

THE POWER OF PHYSICS

The EksoVest uses physics to shift the weight from your arms and shoulders to your legs. This machine is being actively tested at companies such as Ford. It can be of great assistance to mechanics who have to deal with muscle fatigue on a daily basis.

MODERN SCIENCE AT WORK–

Myoelectric systems are used to read the brain signals from the nerves of the damaged organs and activate motorized limbs in accordance. This technology is being explored as an underlying mechanism of robotic prosthetics.

3D printed prosthetics are used to reduce the weight of a myoelectric system and provide better personalization.

History Gallery Timeline Panel 

A discussion about robots naturally leads to a debate about the future. However, we can trace back many of the robotics technologies in our history. 

The concept of humanoids and automatons were refined by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th and 16th centuries, and later, in the 17th century through Japanese Karakuri puppets. 

In 1950s, we saw the first industrial application of robots. It was a remarkable era linked to the rapid growth of robotics. Many inventions, such as the silver arm or delta pick and place robots, have since contributed to industrialization. 

Science fiction is also tied to robotics. Introduced in 1950, 'I, Robot" a novel by Issac Asimov is considered to be among the first science fiction works on robots. Cinema classics such as "Metropolis" and "Star Wars" to pulp magazines have influenced the way we think about robots. They use art to emulate a society with robots. 

Robots such as WABOT 1 and 2 or Raibert Hopper have enhanced the human-like functionality of robots, bringing robotics closer to the vision presented by science fiction. 

WABOT 2 showcases the application of robotics in arts, much like the automaton trumpet player. Apart from playing music, some robots can paint or even dance! 

The final frontier, space, depends on rovers and robots to study other planets. Apart from rovers, many other inventions are expected to assist in space exploration. 

The research in robotics has the potential to revolutionize many industries. Witness some of the landmark contributions in the history of robotics, which led to intelligent robots that we see today. 

Leonardo’s Robot 

Built by Leonardo da Vinci in 1495, the robot was a humanoid automaton. The robot is clad in medieval armour that resembles the armoury of Germany and Italy. Several sketchbooks were discovered in the 1950s that demonstrated design notes of the robot.

● Leonardo is said to have displayed this robot in 1495 at the court of Milan. 

● It could sit, stand, maneuver its arms and raise its visor by making use of cables and pulleys. 

● Its jaw was anatomically perfect. 

● It was later re-created using the designs and found to be functional. 

Clockwork Prayer 

This mechanical masterpiece was designed and built by the consummate clockmaker, JuaneloTurriano in the 16th century. The clockwork monk is a self-acting device and all its mechanisms are hidden under its cloak. Created as a symbol of religion, it is a true tribute to human ability today. 

● Even after 450 years, this robot is fully operational. It can move its arms and mouth in prayer. 

● It turns its body after every 20 inches of motion and glances to its left and right by moving its head. 

● Each time it raises its eyes, it looks at the cross.

KarakuriPuppets 

Karakuri puppets are traditional Japanese automata, designed between the 17th and 19th century. Karakuri is a Japanese word meaning “tricks” or “mechanisms.” This robot is extremely entertaining due to its fascinating gestures. 

● This robot is embedded in the tradition of Karakuri, known for concealing technology and evoking emotions in people.

● Karakuri puppets were the beginning of Japan’s love and passion for robots and technology. 

● These puppets use subtle hand movements that are often abstract and do not have any reason or logic behind them. 

Trumpet Player 

Designed in 1810 by Johann Friedrich Kaufmann, the trumpet player is on display today at the Deutsches Museum, Munich (Germany). It is the figure of a man wearing a Spanish costume. His lungs are represented by leather bellows that imitate the sound of a trumpet. 

● The most remarkable quality of this robot is its ability to produce dual sounds without compromising on its quality, purity, and strength. ● The genius of Kaufmann lies in his knowledge of music, mechanics and mathematics. 

Maria Machinenmensch 

Maschinenmensch is German word for “machine person.” It is a one-of-a-kind robot, based on the character of Maria from the cult classic, Metropolis. It was created by Rotwang based on Maria’s character in the novel and the film. The character in the film is played by the German actress Brigitte Helm, who plays the role of both the robot and its human incarnation in the movie. Maschinenmensch was destroyed in the novel as well as during filming. 

● Although several replicas of this robot have been made, it is still a mystery as to what happened to the original German robot.

Unimate 

Unimate was the first-ever industrial robot that was put into use. It worked in production on a General Motors assembly line in New Jersey. The robot was built in the 1950s by George Devol. It was created to work on machinery, especially handling apparatus and controlling them. 

● Devol and his business associate Joseph Engelberger also started Unimation, the first-ever robot manufacturing company in the world.

● The robot proved to be handy and undertook complicated tasks that would have been dangerous for the workers. This work included working on welding and transporting die castings.

Dalek

The Daleks are a fictional race of mutants as seen in the popular British TV series, Doctor Who. Daleks were portrayed as extremely violent, pitiless and merciless cyborg aliens, based on the Nazis. This is why the robots possess characteristics that instill fear in everyone. 

● The robot has been designed by Raymond Cusick and created by the writer of Doctor Who, Terry Nation.

● It was given the title of “the all-time greatest monster” by the readers of a science fiction magazine SFX. in 2010.

● Rob Hull from Doncaster, South Yorkshire holds the official world record for the largest collection of Daleks in the world. 

WABOT 1 

WABOT 1 is an anthropomorphic robot developed by Ichiro Kato at the Japanese Waseda University and released in 1970. It is short for Waseda Robot and is the intelligent predecessor of WABOT 2. This robot, known for its human-esque characteristics, works on a vision and limb control system. It can even talk in Japanese. 

KUKA

Jacob Knappich and Josef Keller built the first KUKA robot in 1898 with the purpose of providing cost-effective illumination. The KUKA Automation Company aims to empower industries by equipping them with a multitude of innovative robotics. KUKA Robots has changed the face of robotics. 

● All the robots from Kuka Robotics are programmed to work in industries and are self-operational. 

● These robots can perform several tasks such as welding and handling the apparatus. 

● The company designed the world’s first industrial robot with 6 electromechanical drive axes. 

Silver Arm

David Silver from MIT was the primary creative head and developer behind the Silver Arm. This enhanced robotic arm was created to mimic the motions of human hands and fingers using distinct motor control. The Silver Arm is a true testament to automation. 

● It was built in 1974 and performed precise assembly, utilizing pressure sensors, touch sensors and a microcomputer.

● It was a fully functional and operational robotic arm, capable of replicating the fine movements of human hands.

● This robotic hand was a great feat in the history of robotics.

Star Wars

Star Wars is a classic that has gained a fan following among both scientific and non-scientific communities. From R2-D2, C-3PO to BB8, Star Wars has a dense history of robots with an innate ability to replicate humans. 

● It was speculated that these robots might one day replace humans. 

● Though some may fear replacement by such robots, in the film, robots mostly assisted human life forms instead of replacing them.

● C-3PO is an admired protocol droid that was designed to be capable of translation, etiquette, and customs. 

Delta Robots 

Delta robots are parallel robots and consist of three arms that are connected at the base to universal joints. Parallelograms are used to maintain perfect orientation. Delta robots are used in factories and industries due to their speed in picking and packaging and can perform 300 picks or more in a minute. 

● They were invented in the early 1980s and were popularly known as parallel arm robots, or pick and place robots.

● These robots can also manipulate small and light objects at an amazingly high speed. 

● They have an intricate design and are made to operate exceptionally in industrial setups.

Direct Drive Arm 

The Direct Drive Arm was designed and built by Takeo Kanade. This is the best method designed till date for mechanical arms. This is due to the fact that they can move smoothly and with precision even at high speeds, which is achieved by replacing the transmission mechanisms involved between the loads and the motors. 

● The success of this robot led to further improvements resulting in Direct Drive Arm II. 

● Both these arms are technological breakthroughs in the field of robotic mechanics. 

SCARA 

SCARA is the acronym for Selective Compliance Assembly/Articulated Robot Arm. It was created in 1981 under the guidance of a professor named Hiroshi Makino. It is effective for a variety of assembly operations due to its cleaner and faster motion such as loading/unloading, packaging, pick & place, etc. .

● The SCARA 4-axis robots were designed to fulfill stringent requirements in fields like automotive, pharmaceuticals, electrical and food sectors. 

● They can also handle sorting, spacing, piling, and palletization in factories without breaking a sweat and at superfast speed

Raibert Hopper 

Raibert Hopper earned its name because of its one leg. It can be considered proof that robots might be agile like human beings and walk or run someday. This is why Raibert Hopper is considered a milestone in the history of robotics. 

● This robot was designed by Marc Raibert in 1980 at a Leg Laboratory at the Carnegie Mellon. 

● His theory was that just like humans; robots also rely on some kind of motion for their stability. 

● He applied those theories in Hopper, and this robot turned out to be a grand success

WABOT 2 

WABOT 2 was developed by Waseda University in Japan in 1984 and perfectly mimicked the movements of a human hand. WABOT 2 is a humanoid that accomplishes artistic activities such as playing keyboard instruments. The developers, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. demonstrated it at Expo 85. 

● It has hands and legs to tap the keys and manage the expression pedals softly. 

● Its design also includes ears and a mouth to ensure a seamless conversation with humans. 

● The robot also possesses a pair of eyes to read a musical score easily. 

Johnny 5

Johnny 5 is the robot from the movie Short Circuit, an action comedy directed by John Badham. The plot of the film revolves around an experimental military robot. This robot is struck by lightning in the movie after which it gains human-like intelligence. 

● In the movie, Johnny Five had emotions and was self-aware. 

● The robot was designed by Dr. Newton Crosby and Benjamin Jahrvi. 

● It was constructed in the Robotics Division by Nova Laboratories Inc. as a robotic soldier that had military applications. 

Sojourner 

The Sojourner Mars Rover was a part of the Mars Pathfinder mission conducted by NASA. The objective of the mission was to get science equipment to Mars in a low budget form factor. The mission commenced on December 4th, 1996 and the rover landed on Mars on July 4th, 1997 at Ares Vallis. The primary objective of the Sojourner was to study the Mars terrain and record the performance of the micro vehicles on unknown terrain. 

● The Sojourner sports solar panels that lend it enough power to move around Mars. 

● The Rover has front and rear cameras to click pictures of the Martian surface. 

● To study soil composition, the Rover sported an Alpha Proton X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS). 

● The Sojourner’s mission was proposed to be for 7 sols (Solar days on Mars). However, it functioned for a whopping 83 sols, sending pictures and data of Mars on its time on the red planet. 

CHANDRAYAAN-2 ROVER

Launched in 2019, Chandrayaan-2 was India's second moon mission. After various attempts to partner with other space agencies, Chandrayaan-2 mission was executed purely based on home-grown technology. Chandrayaan-2 included an orbiter to perform a mapping from an altitude of 100 kilometres (62 miles), as well as a lander (Vikram) to make a soft landing on the south pole of moon and to send out the robotic rover (Pragyan) on the moon’s terrain.

The principal purpose of Chandrayaan-2 was to exhibit the capacity to soft-land on the lunar surface and work a robotic rover on the surface. The mission carried 13 Indian scientific instruments for experiments to determine lunar topography, mineralogy, elemental abundance, the lunar exosphere, and signatures of hydroxyl and water ice.

Chandrayaan-2 stack was first put in an Earth parking orbit of 170 km perigee and 40,400 km apogee by the launch vehicle. It then performed orbit-raising operations followed by trans-lunar injection using its own power.

A NASA instrument for Laser ranging was carried by the mission as a mark of cooperation between the two space agencies. The collaboration included the use of Deep Space Network of NASA for navigation and guidance.

A BOT NAMED WISDOM

Chandrayaan-2's Rover was a 6-wheeled robotic vehicle named Pragyan. The word translates literally as wisdom. The name is aptly given to the robot made to study the moon, which is said to be the oldest undisturbed record of the history of our solar system. It was capable of generating 50 W of energy using solar power, which would be enough to sustain its basic functions.

While there were several setbacks while communicating with the lander, the mission is still considered successful as the orbiter was able to record important information and will remain operational for 7 years.

DOSAMATIC 

Developed by Bangalore-based Mukunda Foods, Dosamatic, is the world’s first automatic table top dosa making machine, a stellar success in the domestic as well as international markets.

Feeling hungry? Just place the Dosamatic on the table, switch on the plug and the machine will serve you fresh and hot dosas within a minute. On the press of a button, the machine disperses the batter, spreads it, applies oil, and cooks it in just 60 seconds. This means that with 60 dosas, Dosamatic Machine offers impressive turnout of dosas every hour.

Later, any filling as per preference can be added. It offers the opportunity of cooking more than 99 varieties of dosas. It also has an auto-clean feature to free you from hassles of maintenance. Dosamatic functions on 3K-Watt 1-Phase 220V and hence is energy friendly.

ROBO CHEFS

Archimedes’ screw system is used to pump the batter onto the hot plate. The principles of a side-stand of a motorcycle are put to practice when the machine has to interchange from spreading batter to peeling the cooked Dosa.

Similarly, Rotimatic is a robotic roti maker manufactured by Zimplistic. It is the world's first and fully automatic flatbread maker that makes rotis, chapatis, puris, pizza bases, and tortillas in less than 90 seconds.

Introduced to the world during CES 2019, BreadBot by Wilkinson Baking Company is another robot that can mix, form, proof and bake ten loaves of bread an hour.

Trivia

Mukunda Foods is reportedly the first company to install a dosa making machine inside a naval ship, INS Jyoti.

DTU-AUV

Arya is an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle or AUV. The team that worked on this project consists of undergraduate students of the Delhi Technological University (DTU) in India from varied multidisciplinary backgrounds.

The AUV's mechanical system includes the watertight hulls and the structural framework that house the on-board electronic system. The rationale that has been provided behind this design methodology is to design a stable vehicle that has positive buoyancy and can help in operating as well as modeling the AUV’s control system.

This is accomplished by ensuring the desired aspect ratio of the hydrodynamic stability as well as placing all the components optimally to maintain the required positions of buoyancy and the centre of gravity. In addition to that, the AUV also has an open-frame structure so that it can reduce the drag force it experiences effectively. It is also noteworthy that the AUV has an acrylic framework that supports all its subsystems robustly.

ARYA’s cut-off circuit has also been designed with the safety of electronic circuits and batteries in mind. It consists of MOSFETs, diodes, relays, and comparators. The diodes in the circuit are employed to prevent back current from entering the batteries. Also, two comparators are employed to keep the battery voltage of the AUV between the minimum threshold and the maximum.

Tools of introspection

ARYA’s design can be regarded as the result of a commitment and dedication to develop a robust yet compact and lightweight vehicle. It meets the industrial standards when it comes to its eco-friendliness and safety to function effectively in shallow water as well as a 5-25 meters depth range.

ARYA’s development offers a favorable platform for future advancements by improvising parts of the vehicle. For instance, by integrating different advanced sensors to enhance the application of the AUV in detecting and monitoring the marine structures and habitat.

DTU-UAV

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), also known as an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle, are elements of a UAS or an Unmanned Aircraft System. These systems comprise a ground-based controller, a UAV as well as a system of communication that is carried out between the two. The flight of these UAVs might function with different degrees of autonomy. They can either be controlled by a human operator using a remote control or by onboard computers autonomously.

As opposed to crewed aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles were used originally for missions that were too dirty, dangerous or dull for humans. These UAVs mostly originated in military applications initially. Today, their use has expanded to scientific, commercial, agricultural, recreational as well as a host of other applications.

These UAVs are also used for policing and surveillance, aerial photography, drone racing, and product deliveries. In fact, civilian UAVs now outnumber military UAVs vastly.

Popular UAVs

The Predator has a length of 8 meters as well as a wingspan of 12.5 meters. It can fly at 130 km per hour. Moreover, it has an endurance of a good 24 hours. Along with its infrared and visible television, it also carries passive electronic sensors and a synthetic aperture radar. In the same vein, it can even carry anti-tank missiles. Its sensor outputs and control inputs are transmitted through communications satellites. Hence, the Predator was a significant achievement for the US during that time.

Avniel is another impressive UAV as far as its technical specifications are concerned. The features of Avniel include human tracking, autonomous landing, autonomous takeoff by following the given waypoints, autonomous payload delivery and human detection over 100 ft. Moreover, it has an aluminum and birch wood framework.

This drone or UAV, in addition to all the others, promise some interesting and useful applications in a number of fields and industries across the globe.

IDEA FORGE NETRA

The DRDO Netra can be defined as an Indian autonomous and lightweight UAV used for reconnaissance and surveillance operations. It has been developed jointly by the Research and Development Establishment (R&DE) of the Defence Research and Development Organization and a private firm based in Mumbai known as IdeaForge.

The Netra can be defined as a lightweight UAV built using carbon fiber composites that use quadcopters to control and provide lift. Moreover, it has absolutely no moving parts besides its motors, transmissions, and rotors. Hence, it needs very low maintenance.

The Netra also comprises a military-grade controller, communication systems, a power supply as well as a handheld operator console.

NETRA IN NUMBERS

The Netra can also be launched easily from a small clearing. It has the ability to fly a distance of more than 2.5 km when measured from its take-off point.

The UAV’s operational altitude is 200 m. Using an on-board wireless transmitter, the Netra can also carry out surveillance single-handedly in an area of 1.5 km LOS or Line of Sight at the altitude of 300 m and for half an hour with merely a single battery charge.

The UAV also has a CCD camera of high resolution with a zoom and pan/tilt in order to facilitate wider surveillance as well as a thermal camera for visibility during night operations.

ISROSTUDSAT

StudSat is essentially a CubeSat satellite designed by a group of engineering students from different parts of India. StudSat-1 is a miniaturized, picosatellite launched successfully on July 12th, 2010 into the synchronous orbit of the sun from the Satish Dhawan Space Center.

The objective of the mission was for students to get hands-on experience of the fabrication, realization, and design of a real space mission at minimum cost. The mission was largely experimental in nature, and lasted for six months. StudSat-1 can easily be called the first picosatellite as well as the smallest one launched by the country or any Indian organization for that matter.

SMALL BUT POWERFUL

Today, StudSat is placed successfully in the orbit of the sun. It even received its first signal on July 12th, 2010 at 11:07 IST. The satellite largely resembles a small rectangular cube. Its dimensions are 10 cm x 10 cm x 13.5 cm.

The Satellite performs the application of a remote-sensing satellite. It takes pictures of earth's surface with a 90-meter resolution. Besides, the satellite also consists of a host of subsystems such as a mechanical structure, a communication subsystem, Payload (Camera), a distribution and power generation subsystem, as well as an on-board control and determination subsystem.

A Ground Station has also been designed to communicate effectively with the satellite. NMIT established this Ground Station or the NASTRAC (Nitte Amateur Satellite Tracking Center). It has been inaugurated by ISRO’s chairman, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan.

TEAM INDUS ROVER
Bengaluru-based private aerospace firm Team Indus is part of a consortium that has bagged a contract from US space agency NASA to design and build a lander for its next lunar mission in 2020.

A RAY OF HOPE

The lander was initially code-named HHK1, and their single rover is called ECA, a shortened form for EkChotisi Asha (A Small Hope). The spacecraft has a liquid rocket engine with a thrust capability of 440 N for deceleration, and sixteen small 22 N thrusters for finer orbital maneuvers and attitude control (orientation). Then the lander would perform a soft landing at a location yet to be determined.

In late 2018, Team Indus (Axiom Research Labs) partnered with OrbitBeyond and won a NASA CLPS award to land several commercial payloads on the Moon. The lander was renamed Z-01 and is planned to be launched in the third-quarter of 2020, possibly on a Falcon 9 rocket and land at Mare Imbrium (29.52º N 25.68º W).

TRIVIA

Established in 2010 by Rahul Narayana, Team Indus was a finalist for the $30 million Google XPrize Lunar Prize competition.

Group Indus has the support of Infosys, Ratan Tata and Flipkart founders Sachin and Binny Bansal.

The DRDO Netra can be defined as an Indian autonomous and lightweight UAV used for reconnaissance and surveillance operations. It has been developed jointly by the Research and Development Establishment (R&DE) of the Defence Research and Development Organization and a private firm based in Mumbai known as IdeaForge. 

The Netra can be defined as a lightweight UAV built using carbon fiber composites that use quadcopters to control and provide lift. Moreover, it has absolutely no moving parts besides its motors, transmissions, and rotors. Hence, it needs very low maintenance. 

The Netra also comprises a military-grade controller, communication systems, a power supply as well as a handheld operator console.

NETRA IN NUMBERS

The Netra can also be launched easily from a small clearing. It has the ability to fly a distance of more than 2.5 km when measured from its take-off point. 

The UAV’s operational altitude is 200 m. Using an on-board wireless transmitter, the Netra can also carry out surveillance single-handedly in an area of 1.5 km LOS or Line of Sight at the altitude of 300 m and for half an hour with merely a single battery charge. 

The UAV also has a CCD camera of high resolution with a zoom and pan/tilt in order to facilitate wider surveillance as well as a thermal camera for visibility during night operations.

StudSat is essentially a CubeSat satellite designed by a group of engineering students from different parts of India. StudSat-1 is a miniaturized, picosatellite launched successfully on July 12th, 2010 into the synchronous orbit of the sun from the Satish Dhawan Space Center. 

The objective of the mission was for students to get hands-on experience of the fabrication, realization, and design of a real space mission at minimum cost. The mission was largely experimental in nature, and lasted for six months. StudSat-1 can easily be called the first picosatellite as well as the smallest one launched by the country or any Indian organization for that matter. 

SMALL BUT POWERFUL

Today, StudSat is placed successfully in the orbit of the sun. It even received its first signal on July 12th, 2010 at 11:07 IST. The satellite largely resembles a small rectangular cube. Its dimensions are 10 cm x 10 cm x 13.5 cm.

The Satellite performs the application of a remote-sensing satellite. It takes pictures of earth's surface with a 90-meter resolution. Besides, the satellite also consists of a host of subsystems such as a mechanical structure, a communication subsystem, Payload (Camera), a distribution and power generation subsystem, as well as an on-board control and determination subsystem.

A Ground Station has also been designed to communicate effectively with the satellite. NMIT established this Ground Station or the NASTRAC (Nitte Amateur Satellite Tracking Center). It has been inaugurated by ISRO’s chairman, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan.