Category: Drone and Robotics

NASA’s Dragonfly Mission Will Send A Drone To Saturn’s Moon In Search For Life

The National Aeronautics and Space Association (NASA) of the United States has announced a new mission called Dragonfly. This mission will send multiple sorties or drone-like aircraft to the Titan, one of Saturn’s natural satellites. The icy celestial body is the largest moon of Saturn and the second largest natural satellite in the solar system. It is also the only moon to have a dense atmosphere, which is why the Dragonfly mission is being sent to study clues of life.

NASA’s Dragonfly Mission

The Dragonfly Mission by NASA is scheduled to launch in the year 2026 and will take eight years to reach Titan in 2034. The rotorcrafts or drones will fly to dozens of locations on the satellite to look for prebiotic chemical processes, which are a link between Titan and Earth. It will mark the first time the organization will fly a multi-rotor vehicle on another celestial body. This device is claimed to have eight rotors and will fly like a normal drone or UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). The moon is credited to have four times the dense atmosphere than of Earth; which will be taken advantage of by Dragonfly in flying its science equipment payload to new places for repeatable access to materials on the surface.

Also read: Apple Increases iPhone Production After Huawei US Ban

The icy moon of Saturn is claimed to be the analogic representation of prehistoric Earth. During the 2.7 years long Mission Dragonfly, it will explore different environment factors; to search for the possibility of life. It is said that that the key to life once existed on Titan tens of thousands of years ago. So while the mission may or may not find the existence and sustenance of life there, it is said to give us the chemical evidence of the past or extant life on the moon.

June 28, 2019
MIT Develops Algorithm To Help Robots Predict Human Movements

Robots and humans are capable of functioning in close proximity to each other. For instance, in factories, robots assemble the moving parts of a machine, while the human workforce is responsible for transporting different parts between workstations. However, some hindrances might lead to unexpected slowdowns, consequently reducing the efficiency of the whole system. Hence, researchers at MIT have designed an algorithm that can predict where humans will go next.

In the year 2018, MIT researchers and BMW automobiles were testing ways where humans and robots could collaborate to speed up car assemblies. In such an instance, robots were programmed to pause momentarily whenever a human passes close by. However, it was noted that the robots would literally freeze and held their state for a long time instead of resuming their functions. Such unnecessary pauses would translate to a huge loss in efficiency. The researchers at MIT came up with a solution for the same.

The team discovered that the major problem lies in the robot’s trajectory alignment algorithms. The pre-fed algorithms could accurately predict a human’s future movements, but the major limitation resided in its ability to predict how long would a person take to move to any point in the predicted path. A new algorithm was developed by the MIT research team which anticipates the timing of a person’s motion in addition to guessing his/her movements. When the algorithm was applied, it was derived that the robot became much more responsive than before. Instead of freezing in place when someone walked by, the robot simply rolled out of the way and resumed later.

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Julie Shah, a member of the team stated that the algorithm mimics human motion to such an extent that the robot can understand and monitor pauses in natural movement. The results of the latest studies and research will be presented at the Robotics: Science and Systems conference in Germany.

June 13, 2019
Zomato Successfully Tests Aerial Food Delivery

Indian food search and delivery startup Zomato have successfully tested aerial food delivery by using a drone. In a blog post by a senior company executive, it has been revealed that the test was conducted using a hybrid drone. It was conducted as a part of Zomato’s attempt at reducing the time taken to deliver food to customers. While in its initial stage, the service is expected to be more mainstream and may roll out in the following months.

Zomato Aerial Food Delivery

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As mentioned above, Zomato has successfully tested food delivery via a drone. The news arrives a few months after the company acquired the Indian drone startup called TechEagle. In the blog post, it is claimed the teams of both companies worked together for the test. The drone covered a distance of 5kms in a time period of 10 minutes; with a peak speed of 80kmph while carrying a payload of 5kgs. As it was a non-commercial delivery, it is not known where the drone dropped off the package. According to Zomato, when the service is ready, the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) will pick up the food package from the restaurant hub; and drop the package at a customer hub, which will be a landing station close to dense communities. To fly back, the drone will use a mix of various flight modes to navigate to the dispatch site.

Also read: Pixel 4 Design Revealed By Google

To fly a drone in India currently, a slew of permissions from the government is required. Zomato claims it is forming a consortium as per the guidelines of the DGCA (Director General of Civil Aviation); to carry out remote drone operations in India. The company is also looking forward to solving issues like pollution and traffic by using a drone for food delivery. Unfortunately, it is not known when the service will start rolling out commercially, but the successful test insinuates it may be introduced soon.

June 13, 2019
Astrobotic’s Tiny Rover To Test Endurance Of Small Robots On The Moon

Astrobotic, the Pennsylvanian aerospace company plans on sending a lander to the Moon within the next couple of years for various tests and studies. The main motive of the tests will be to test the operational life of small robots on the Moon’s surface. The toaster-sized machine was built by the Carnegie Mellon University and will pave the way for drone-based space exploration.

NASA (National Aeronautical Space Agency) had previously contracted Astrobotic with a sum of $79.5 million to carry the American space agency’s 14 payloads on its lander, which is dubbed Peregrine. The lander will reportedly carry another 14 payloads from various commercial companies, space agencies and research organizations. All the payloads will be hauled in a lander which is over 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide.

The reason for the rovers small stature is due to the lack of room in the cargo region of the Peregrine landers. Hence, an announcement unveiled the development of a tiny robot that can survive the low gravity, extreme temperature conditions, and high radiation environment on the lunar surface. An average rover is built to be large and sturdy to survive the gruelling conditions while carrying scientific instruments. Astrobotic faces a Herculean task of creating a fully functioning rover of this size.

The Peregrine lander will also carry a couple of other pint-sized rovers apart from the one developed by Astrobotic. For the lunar mission, ispace, a Japanese company is planning on supplying the lander with its own rover, similar to the Mexican space agency. These mobile platforms form one of the most crucial parts of Astrobotic’s Moon mission. Terrain mapping and reconnaissance around the lander on the moon will be provided by such tiny mobile robots while being tested for endurance.

The tiny robot will face numerous hurdles on its mission with many factors that can render it useless on the Moon’s surface. Some of the probable problems include rough surfaces, power generation, and temperature regulations. The small size implies that solar panels, radiators and outfitting scientific sensors will be limited. The gravity, however, plays in favour of the drones, making it easier for the 4-pound (approx. 1.8 kilograms) rover to traverse the lunar terrain.

Also Read: Dell Unveils Latitude 7400 Laptop With New ExpressSign-In Feature

The success of this mission will open up lunar exploration for other groups that seek to employ their own tiny drones, with cheaper cost of entry and easy building methods. The entire mission only has a small window of operational value due to the 2-week long night and day cycle on the Moon. All drones are expected to perish in the frigid dark conditions on the Moon 2 weeks into the mission. However, with their ‘sacrifice’, a new method of space and surface exploration can potentially be available for similar endeavours in the future.

June 6, 2019
DJI Unveils The DJI Storm Drone Alongside Its Own Van And Crew

DJI, one of the most highly celebrated brands in the field of drone and cinematography has yet again outdone themselves with its latest professional-grade filming drone. The drone is as flagship as they get, so much so that the model is not even available for purchase. DJI has rather decided to employ its service of this drone alongside a van that is equipped with various tech and parts of the drone being manned by a team of professionals trained crew for filming.

Aptly named, DJI Storm received a rather uneventful reveal with the company discreetly uploading a video of the drone on YouTube. The drone is heavily equipped to tackle various scenarios and function at the optimum levels(operational parameters ranging from -10°C to 40°C). Carrying with it an eight-rotor blade, the drone has a maximum payload capacity of 18.5kg.

This opens up the potential for drones to carry various mid-sized and professional filming cameras like the Arri Alexa LF camera that was equipped with its lens as seen in the YouTube reveal video. The camera was also outfitted with one of DJI’s wireless focus system (that follows the subject in focus) along with DJI’s Ronin 2 gimbal for stabilization.

The video showcased a myriad of expensive hardware that is not exactly consumer grade but rather used for professional work or filming. Even DJI’s latest drone model available for sale, the Matrice 600 for professionals, costs $5000 (approx. Rs. 3,47,000). The Matrice 600 however, is only capable of carrying a load of upto 6kg. DJI Storm is also reportedly faster than the Matrice variant by 10mph, having a top speed of 80kmph. DJI has listed the capabilities of the drone to sustain flight for 15 minutes with a payload of 12kg, this depends on the batteries used to power the drone systems.

DJI Storm is working out to be one of the most expensive filming drone systems ever seen. The DJI Ronin 2 gimbal for stabilization carries a hefty price tag of $8000 (approx. Rs. 5,56,000) and the heavy duty drones like xFold Dragon X12 will put buyers down by $30,000 (approx. Rs. 20,87,000).

However, the company seems to be reserving the equipment for its DJI Studio Custom Aerial Cinematography Service, which is seen in the video with the special van, professionally trained crew, and many of the DJI’s top gears like Master Wheels and Force Pro remote control systems. These systems allow the cinematographers to move the drone’s camera as they would do in person.

Also Read: Mysterious Mid Range HTC Smartphone Certified By Bluetooth SIG, Launch Imminent

DJI Studio is not a relatively new department within DJI, having been working with Asian markets for a while now. What can be gathered by the company’s Chinese website show offerings for only the DJI Matrice 600 paired with the Sony A7S II camera or the DJI Inspire 2. It is unclear as to which markets would be hit with this service as no official announcements have been made so far.

June 1, 2019
Facebook Patent Reveals A Drone Powered By Kites

A freshly revealed patent shows that Facebook is working on a drone which is quite unconventional. The drone will not use its own power source for flight, instead it would make use of kites to stay afloat. Named the “dual-kite aerial vehicle”, each drone consists of two separate kites that can be directed independently. Moreover, the drone can utilize the force of the wind to extend its flight time, essentially making it self-sufficient.

The patent was originally filed in the month of November 2018. It depicts a drone that is connected to the kites via a kiometre-long tether. It is designed along the lines of a helicopter-style aircraft, and by cutting down the size and weight of the drone, it can attain extra-long flight durations. Facebook also mentions that a fleet of such drones can be controlled wirelessly from the surface. Since higher altitudes imply more sunlight, they can be employed to generate power through solar panels as well.

The social media giant was previously reported to be working on Aquila, which was a project that involved beaming down an LTE network from high-flying droneships in the stratosphere. The drones in Aquila were supposed to run on solar energy, providing sustainable flight over long durations of time. However, the project didn’t really take ‘flight’, and was abandoned by the company in the year 2018.

Also Read: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Trailer Reverts The Series Back To Its Roots

The drone in the freshly filed patent, however, is nothing like Aquila. It resembles the balloons that Google previously showcased for its Loon project. Nonetheless, the reveal should be taken with a grain of salt, since it could be long before we could get to witness such an offering from the company. With the privacy and security concerns looming over Facebook, it may not want to launch large drones into the sky anytime soon. However, considering that the organization previously teamed up with aviation giant Airbus to provide high altitude connectivity, a prototype may be under development as well.

May 31, 2019
Stanford Students Develop An Inexpensive Robo Dog That Can Perform Acrobatics

The advancements in Robotics have made the field more accessible to enthusiasts. As per fresh news, students at Stanford University have designed a four-legged robotic dog that can perform acrobatic tricks and overcome challenging terrains. But the most interesting part is the fact that the robot can easily be reproduced with readily available parts. The dog has been named the “Stanford Doggo” and has been made freely available online, albeit in a different way.

Cost Of Developing The Robotic Doggo

As per the Stanford Student Robotics Club’s Extreme Mobility Team, the cost of developing conventional robots can range anywhere between tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. On the other hand, the Stanford Doggo can be manufactured under US$ 3000, and this includes manufacturing and shipping costs. Almost all the components required for manufacturing the Doggo can be purchased online. The students expect that this will enable researchers and robotics enthusiasts to develop innovative projects the way they want.

The Stanford Doggo is similar to a regular-sized Beagle in terms of size, and it can walk, trot and dance with ease. More complex actions include jumping, hopping and performing backflips. Since the students built up the robotic dog from scratch, a lot of time had to be devoted in order to test each part of the Doggo. Moreover, the students did not rely on any form of simulations during the development of the robot, making it even more difficult to predict results.

Also Read: United States Issues Warning Against China Made Drones, DJI May Be Banned

The Doggo has motors that can sense external forces and then calculate how much force should be exerted by each leg. As per reports, the motors recompute input data at over 8000 times a second. The motors work together in the form of virtual springs, which allows the Doggo to jump up to 3.5 feet above the ground. The team of students will present the Stanford Doggo at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation on May 21 in Montreal, Canada.

May 21, 2019
United States Issues Warning Against China Made Drones, DJI May Be Banned

The Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) of the United States has issued an alert against the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drones manufactured in China. In a report provided to a renowned media house, the department claims the drone sends flight data to the manufacturers. And given the latest stance by the country over spyware, it is expected that DJI, a major Chinese drone maker who sells about eighty percent of the total drones in the US and Canada; may be banned from the country as well.

This news arrives after the latest trade ban imposed by the country on Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei. While the ban has been suspended for 90 days, the increasing trade war between the US and China is expected to further rise because of the fresh statement.

About The Alert

As mentioned above, the Department of Homeland Security has alerted the users of drones manufactured in China that their flight data is being sent back to the manufacturers. This data can be accessed by the Chinese government which it can further use for spying purposes. According to the Department, the drones pose a potential risk to an organisation’s information. This is because the products contain components that can be used to compromise the user’s data and share their information on a server accessed by the Chinese government. And while a brand or a product is not mentioned specifically mentioned in the report, popular drone maker DJI seems to be that can be affected if the US decides to ban China made drones in the country.

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DJI is a Chinese manufacturer headquartered in Shenzhen and is really popular globally for its drones. As is previously mentioned, they have over 80 percent of the market in the US and Canada. So in a case where the country decides to ban their products, the revenue of the company can take a hit substantially. It has clarified to its customers in a statement which notes that its products provide full and complete control over the security of their data. The users can decide how their data is stored, collected and transmitted.

May 21, 2019
DJI Uncovers Employee Fraud, May Cost The Company $ 150 Million

DJI, a drone manufacturing company recently uncovered an employee fraud that could very well have cost the organization $150 Million. The company released a statement that said that DJI holds their employees to strict ethical standards and takes any violation of their code of conduct very seriously.

Statement By DJI

During a recent investigation, DJI found out that some employees inflated the cost of parts and materials for certain products. They, according to DJI, pocketed the profits themselves. The company estimates the damages to be around RMB 1 billion which is around $150 Million. DJI, to address this issue, dismissed a number of employees who violated company policies. Law enforcement officials were also contacted to report the fraud. The company in their statement also said that they continue to investigate the situation. They are cooperating fully with law enforcement’s own investigation.

The drone manufacturer, who made a mark in CES with their range of new products just a few weeks back, also said that such actions do not represent the company. The statement further said that the 14,000 employees working for the company work hard every day to serve customers and develop cutting-edge technologies. DJI has become one of the biggest players in the drone market. Forbes recently named the company’s CEO Frank Wang the first “drone billionaire”.

DJI is taking steps to strengthen internal controls after the incident. They have established new channels for employees to submit confidential reports. The reports relating to any violations of the company’s workplace conduct policies will be completely anonymous.

Also Read: DJI Announces A $650 Smart Controller At CES

The company has in recent years faced various issues including different drone flying regulations in different countries and battery problems in their drones. Their latest product, a Smart Remote Controller With Built-In Display was widely appreciated in CES. However, DJI said in their statement that despite of the heavy losses, the company did not incur a full year loss in 2018.

January 22, 2019
UK Readies Itself With Military-Grade Protection From Drones
After a few disastrous incidents of flight delays, cancellations and near misses, UK is all set to put regulations in place for drone flights near airports. It is also reported that all major UK airports now have or will soon have military grade anti-drone equipment.

UK’s Drone Regulations

Very recently the military were called in to help when drone sightings causing massive delays at Heathrow Airport. Another such incident involved Gatwick airport when drone flights caused major disruption affecting 140,000 passengers just before Christmas. UK government wishes to or already has technology installed at other critical infrastructure such as prisons, power stations and military sites. Gatwick Airport in a statement said that it had spent £5m to prevent future attacks.

The current drone regulations in UK suggests:
- Drone must be in line of sight at all times
- Not within 50m of people, vehicles or buildings
- No higher than 120m
The government in UK are also said to expand technology to detect and repel drones from sites like airports and prisons. A new legislation will reportedly give police additional powers to land drones. They will also be granted the power to require users to produce the appropriate documentation if they deem it necessary.

India’s Drone Regulations

On the other hand, India lifted the blanket ban that it had put in place for a long time, in December 2018. However, this has been lifted partially and will now allow commercial activities and drone flights. Drone Regulation 1.0 is a step to open up the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPAs) for commercial activities.

The regulation is formulated by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and it has created a huge base for a drone ecosystem in the country. Under this regulation the airspace has been partitioned into Red Zone (flying not permitted), Yellow Zone (controlled) and Green Zone (automatic permission). Permission to fly a drone can be taken using an App. The app is called Digital Sky.

The current regulations for a drone flight in India are:
- During day light (except those flying in enclosed spaces)
- Within visual line of sight (VLoS)
- A maximum height of 400 feet above ground limit (AGL)
Drones will not be able to take flight in “no drone zones”. These include areas close to airports, international borders, State Secretariat Complex in state capitals, strategic locations/vital and military installations. If your drone flight causes damage or injury, you might face penalties under the Aircraft Act 1934, and charged under the IPC sections 287, 336, 337, and 338 which can include anything between Rs 250 fine to two years in jail.
January 12, 2019
DJI Announces A $650 Smart Controller At CES

DJI has been making new and innovative products in the drone and videography business for a long time now. This year, at CES they showcased a smart controller with a screen that can see what your drone sees, in realtime!

Features

The controller supports its Mavic 2 Zoom and Mavic 2 Pro drones and it features a screen with which you can see the visuals captured by the drone in realtime. The said screen is a 5.5-inch 1080p touchscreen that runs Android. DJI knows the problems that drone pilots face and thus, has included features to prevent those issues. It has protection from harsh temperatures ranging from -20 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius which allows the pilot to fly drones in extreme temperatures. The smart controller also has a bright 1,000 cd/m2 screen thus allowing for a clear viewing experience even in harsh and direct sunlight.

It has Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi, and DJI’s own OcuSync 2.0 video transmission technology. This technology for video transmission automatically switches between 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz to reduce interference. This allows the pilot assurance of a reliable long-range transmission. The Android loaded on the controller is a customised version with apps for sharing and editing. This includes DJI’s own Go Share app as well.

Additionally, it has a microphone and a speaker if anyone wishes to livestream the drone flight as well! If you want to playback your video directly on a bigger screen in 4K you can do that using the HDMI port on the controller. The in- built storage on it however, is just 16GB. The controller does however support a maximum of 128GB UHS-1 Speed Grade 3 card. Even at lower temperatures, the 5,000mAh battery with support for fast charging ensures that the controller lasts long enough for a flight. It can be fully charged in just 2 hours using a 12V/2A adapter and it lasts up to 2.5 hours on a single full charge.

The controller is priced at a hefty $650 and is available on the company’s website.

January 10, 2019
Chinese Rover Shares First Photo Of The Far Side Of The Moon

China has sent two robots to the moon! The term ‘Over the moon’ has a new meaning now because no human has ever been to the far side. Despite several pop culture references, it isn’t actually dark. And we know that because the rovers are now sending us images!

What is Far Side Of The Moon?

For the uninitiated, we only see one side of the moon from earth. This side is called the near side. This is because the moon takes roughly the same time to orbit the Earth as it takes to spin around it’s axis. It is the first time that a rocket has landed on the far side as well. However, it isn’t the first time that the far side has been photographed. Luna 3, a Soviet spacecraft did photograph the far side of the Moon in 1959. Sometimes the far side is referred to as the dark side because we know very little about that area, hence the term ‘dark’. The problem with sending machines to the dark side is that it is so far away that it becomes extremely difficult to communicate with the robots.

China has overcome this problem by sending a satellite named Queqiao, which communicates with the rover and relays information to and from the rover back to earth. China has sent a rover along with a lander as part of Chang’e-4 mission. The robotic lander and rover is called Yutu-2. The rover and lander was launched 7 December 2018 and entered orbit around the Moon on 12 December 2018. It landed at 10:26AM Thursday, Beijing time.

Lunar rover of Chang'e 4 probe given the name 'Yutu 2' pic.twitter.com/lUw2CcSNBK
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) January 4, 2019

Mission Objectives

The photos that it has sent shows a barren, desert-like surface with craters. The mission of the rover and lander, apart from documenting the area, also involves scientific research as well. It will be studying the geophysics of the landing zone, researching solar bursts, gather radiation dosimetry for future human exploration of the Moon among other important things. However, the most important payload it carries is a 3 kg sealed “biosphere” with seeds and insect eggs to test whether plants and insects could hatch and grow. If successful, this might mean that there is a bright future for humankind’s survival on this barren satellite.

January 4, 2019
DJI Drones Restricted Temporarily In The UK

The Civil Aviation Authority in the UK has restricted DJI drones due to certain issues of the drones failing mid- air. The authorities have issued a safety notice (SN) for operators of the DJI Matrice 200 series multi-rotor small unmanned aircraft. This notice came about after several in-flight battery problems which have led to a complete power loss. The DJI Matrice 200 and Inspire 2 use TB50 and TB55 DJI batteries that are failing specifically. Detection of the power loss was made when there was sufficient battery time still left on the device.

DJI’s Response

In a press release, the company has said that DJI is investigating the reports regarding the batteries showing incorrect power levels that have led to loss of power mid-flight. They have also issued a statement regarding the battery problem. Stating that flight safety and product reliability are their top priorities. They have advised customers to fly with caution when operating their drones equipped with these batteries. In addition, DJI is working on a firmware update that will provide improvements to flight safety for the affected drones. DJI is reportedly urgently working on a mitigation plan to allow customers to confidently use these batteries again.

According to DJI, the best way forward is to constantly keep checking the voltage of the battery before and during the flight. This is a temporary solution till they resolve the problem. A firmware update push to all the drones is underway that use these two batteries. This update will ‘provide improvements to flight safety’. The company has urged customers who have experienced these problems to contact DJI immediately. This is so that they can understand and work on the battery problem.

Also Read: DJI Launches Mavic 2 Enterprise For Commercial Use

The company urges customers to also keep the flight within visual line of sight to support a safe return to home. Users should not fly the drone over people, moving vehicles, or other property that is susceptible to damage. CAA has suspended permissions to fly these models over or within 150 metres of any congested area. Instructions were given to refrain from flying within 50 metres of any persons, vessel, vehicle or structure which is not under the control of the SUA (Small Unmanned Aircraft) Operator.

November 5, 2018
DJI Launches Mavic 2 Enterprise For Commercial Use

DJI has been innovating in the personal drones and UAV space for a long time and with the latest Mavic 2 drone, they have joined the enterprise space as well. Their new drone, the Mavic 2 Enterprise, focusses on making drones for commercial purposes which can carry payloads. It can be used for everything from search and rescue to reconnaissance. Their advertisement for the drone shows factory workers employing the drone for equipment inspections, search and rescue to getting an expansive view of your work area.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bqh1LleJg_0[/embedyt]

There are several accessories available for the drone as well. These include an anti-collision beacon, loudspeaker and attachable spotlight. The drone has obstacle sensors that provide safety and helps a pilot manoeuvre difficult airspace with ease. It features password protection to secure data and has GPS time stamping to provide the exact location in case of a search and rescue operation. The loudspeakers enable police or the fire department to announce safety procedures or calm a situation down without having to put the task force at risk. It has an on-board storage of 24 GB which allows it to shoot for a long time. The beacon also makes the drone visible from upto three miles away.

Also Read: DJI’s new Drone The Spark is 50% Smaller Than The Mavic

Mavic 2 Enterprise Specifications

The Mavic 2 Enterprise includes a 12-megapixel camera with 2X optical zoom and 3X digital zoom. It can fly for 31 minutes before it has to land. It has a top speed of 45 miles per hour. The drone is small, lightweight and extremely portable. This makes it easy for commercial purposes. The company will release more accessories in the future but for now it is limited to reconnaissance and search and rescue only. The drone costs $ 1,999 and ships with all three accessories in the box. A “Fly More Kit” is also an optional extra. This includes two batteries, a battery charging hub, a car charger, a USB connector, a soft case, and two propellers for $ 419.

October 30, 2018
Sad Security Robot Drowns Itself Outside The Building It Was Supposed to Keep Secure

It might not be the first time when K5 mall security robot made the news. Last summer, the K-5 robot tripped a 16-month-old toddler and drove away. The security patrol robot is a five-foot, 300-pound machine which reportedly hit the toddler on the head and then ran over his leg. Breaking Asimov’s first law of robotics: “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.”, the Knightscope bot might have to work on its people skills. Whereas this time, the K-5 bot seems to have taken the ” be more human” phrase way too seriously. A DC based Knightscope K5 security robot decided to take a dip in a fountain inside the office building it was apparently supposed to keep secure. Though it is unknown as to why the bot chose to drown itself in a fountain inside the office vicinity, two of the bystanders, @bilalfarooqui and @gregpinelo tweeted the following images of the drowning bot.

Our D.C. office building got a security robot. It drowned itself.

We were promised flying cars, instead we got suicidal robots. pic.twitter.com/rGLTAWZMjn — Bilal Farooqui (@bilalfarooqui) July 17, 2017

It’s a fun day here at @gmmb. The super high-tech security robot at our office complex has had a mishap. pic.twitter.com/nhRshrJA9w

— Greg Pinelo (@gregpinelo) July 17, 2017

K5 security robots are designed to patrol areas like office buildings and malls, “gather data with smart eyes and ears,” and “guide themselves” through “complex environments.” The bots are meant to automatically detect “concerns” (definitely failed to detect its own concerns though) and “threats”. The bot’s rocket-like shape and armless design makes it difficult to get up after toppling over, but something tells us that this Knightscope robot wasn’t looking to get back up. The robot’s free fall in the fountain seemed like an act of giving up. So much for free will.

It is 2017 , but, suicidal and toddler knocking robots are all we get for now. Hoping that the future with better robots is here quicker, at least before all our robotics end up in the drink !

July 18, 2017