We have news. Or, more accurately, we *made* the news.
Pleased to see this coverage from Global on our partnership with the City of Kelowna. We’ll be monitoring apple, pear and cherry trees to assess crop health and anticipate fruit yields – using both hyperspectral drones and ground robots.
More details HERE
By Scott Simmie
It’s nearly here.
On June 21, Canada’s first ever Drone and Advanced Robot Training and Testing Zone (DARTT) will open.
It’s all happening at Area X.O – the Ottawa Research and Development complex operated by Invest Ottawa. It’s where companies like InDro Robotics invent, test and perfect new technological smart mobility solutions before commercialising them.
The zone will offer challenges built to demanding criteria set out by NIST – the US-based National Institute of Standards and Technology. NIST courses are frequently sought out by operators wanting to reach the highest level of skills in drone and robot deployment. First Responders and high-level Enterprise operators in the US frequently attend training sessions that follow NIST criteria.
“It’s going to be an incredible asset and the first of its kind in Canada,” says Rebecca Thompson, Senior Manager of Operations at Area X.O. “It will allow for drone and ground robot training and performance testing – and supporting the small-to-medium enterprises and the many other clients that we serve.
“Having the capability to support companies to advance their skills, certify their technologies, and get trained up on specialised operations the market is demanding is critical. So we’re excited about this.”
Below: A CGI look at the facility’s design:
We didn’t know the answer to that when we first began researching this post. The answer? A discussion.
“It was actually a conversation between (InDro CEO) Philip (Reece) and myself,” explains Thompson. “Having InDro here at Area X.O as one of our tenants and partners – and given the amount of focus on drones and robots in the industry – we asked ‘How do we support these partners? What is Area X.O missing? What can we add on?'”
Reece suggested that an advanced facility for training, testing and evaluation would be of benefit. Such a place would fill a definite void – especially given the tremendous growth in both aerial and ground robots.
“When Philip brought forth the idea it was a no-brainer,” says Thompson. “So in collaboration we were able to bring this to my leadership team here at Area X.O. And we brought the opportunity to FedDev Ontario and they agreed. They felt this was a way to enhance the capabilities and assets we already had at Area X.O – and to support the companies that require somewhere to test, validate and trial new technologies.”
One of the interesting features of the new facility is an outdoor, netted space for secure and confined drone testing. The ability to fly within this setting will enable safe testing of new drone technologies – including failsafe systems – within a secure area. What might happen if a drone loses satellites or a 5G signal mid-flight? What if the Inertial Measurement Unit failed? What if a company wants to test a completely new design that’s never flown in the wild before?
Testing these sorts of scenarios in an open space always carries with it a greater degree of risk. And, in some cases, would require a Special Flight Operations Certificate from Transport Canada. Flying within a netted enclosure will allow for such testing without special permissions, since there’s no risk of conflict with crewed aircraft or people and property on the ground.
In addition, ground robots will face challenging terrain at the new site, including multiple test beds featuring different substances. These Uncrewed Ground Vehicles (UGVs) will be tested over sand, gravel, uneven concrete surfaces and even water and mud. There will also be an inclined ramp that can be positioned at various angles. Operators will have to navigate that challenge while also exploring the limitations of the robots.
There will also be the familiar bucket test. Buckets placed at specific locations and angles will challenge drone pilots to precisely position UAVs and gimbals in order to reveal a letter, number or symbol affixed to the bottom of the bucket. Only by getting the drone and camera lined up in *just* the right spot will the operator be able to identify the target. These kinds of skills are particularly useful for Search and Rescue teams, law enforcement and other First Responders.
Once a pilot is able to successfully navigate the course, performance is timed
Below: A preliminary plan for the facility
So how do you design a test facility when it’s the first of its kind?
With a solid background in the field and plenty of research.
The task went to InDro’s Brian Fentiman, who worked with the RCMP for 34 years. Three years were as an RPAS specialist, building out the Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems (sUAS) program – as well as a Counter-sUAS program – for the RCMP in British Columbia. He has trained and supported First Responders, forensic investigators, Search and Rescue teams and tactical units. He has also designed several drone training courses.
“I was asked to put my input into the design of a NIST facility, which would use standard American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) tests, which NIST facilities do, to test both drones and ground robots,” says Fentiman.
“First Responder agencies are always looking for a way to measure up against industry standards. They’re usually cutting-edge, but they’re not always up on the technical side of things as for how to select the correct hardware, and how to train or set standards for their operators in using those items. This facility will allow people can test without having to build all this infrastructure themselves.”
So: Who will benefit from such a facility?
It’s been very deliberately designed to offer both training and testing/evaluation, meaning it will likely appeal to two very different client sets. And that includes the world of R&D.
“There are going to be manufacturers that want their product tested during development,” says Fentiman. “(Plus) Police departments, fire departments, First Responders – as well as any professional agency that’s using drones.”
He adds that while some of the tests are particularly suited for First Responders and Search and Rescue units, “I believe a lot of the tests are applicable to any agency that’s using drones.”
Area X.O’s Rebecca Thompson believes the facility will also appeal to other sectors, including “academia, defence, precision agriculture, high-level Enterprise operators… We’ve considered the needs of all potential users in the end design.”
Below: Ground robots of all shapes and sizes will be able to test their mettle (and operator skills) at the new Area X.O facility
We posed that question to Kate Klassen, a commercial pilot and flight instructor – who is also one of the most recognized and respected online drone trainers in Canada. Klassen is also the architect and instructor of FLYY, which offers aspiring drone pilots everything they need to obtain their Basic or Advanced RPAS certificate – along with much more.
“As the RPAS industry matures, there’s an evolving need for specialized training in some of the niche areas that have developed,” she says.
“Applications are ever-expanding and the need for qualified operators to fill those roles is so great we don’t have time to wait for skills to develop over years of experience. We need those capable operators now! This new facility will enable operators to build skills in real, but safe, scenarios.”
Klassen, co-chair of Transport Canada’s CanaDAC Drone Advisory Committee, is also among the advocates for micro-credentials in the drone and ground robot world. Standardized, focussed courses in specialties like photogrammetry, thermal and night missions, and payload operations would give operators high-value skills within a course setting, rather than trying to learn on the job. (Plus, in a Catch-22, many are denied job opportunities because they don’t yet possess those specialized skills. We recently took a deeper dive into the case for micro-credentials here.)
Klassen, like others, eagerly anticipates the opening of the facility. We asked her why she’s excited.
“Oh man, so many reasons. For the first time we’re seeing a ground and air robot (drone) training and testing space and I think we’ll see those technologies work more closely together in the future, too,” she says.
“As an educator, I’m excited for the course offerings we’ll be able to put together. So much thought has gone into the details and facilities in this space – and I can’t wait to see how it’s received.”
If you’re interested in obtaining your Basic or Advanced RPAS Certificate, Klassen’s FLYY is one-stop shopping. Full Disclosure: Klassen works with InDro, and InDro has a financial stake in FLYY. But also Full Disclosure: Klassen truly is a pioneer and respected expert in the world of online training. The first course she created trained more than 10,000 drone pilots in Canada. Plus, as a traditional crewed aircraft instructor, she knows the regulations inside and out.
But why pay for a course when you can find videos on YouTube?
“YouTube can be a great resource, but the challenge is knowing the accuracy and validity of the information,” says Klassen.
“You want to trust the training provider, know their credentials and that they have the experience and expertise to be the one providing the training! In addition to video modules, FLYY also provides downloadable resources, interactive lessons and the ability to download for offline viewing.”
What’s more, FLYY offers a number of specialized courses and mini-courses.
“In addition to Basic through Advanced knowledge requirements, FLYY offers a guide to developing your own SOP, how to prep for your flight review – even online flight training with animations. Each course offers digestible segments that you can do as you have time. If you leave midway, it remembers where you left off. There’s also a community forum to ask questions and chat with experts and other students.”
If you want to get your drone training off to a solid and recognized start, FLYY is offering 10 per cent off for its online courses. Use code “springisintheair” at checkout.
Below: The new training and testing facility, under construction, in early April. DARTT will officially open June 21, 2023
It’s no surprise that we’re thrilled about this facility.
InDro will be using it to put our own technology (and operators) to the test – and will also be running the training, testing and evaluation at the site. Courses are currently in the final stages of being designed to maximize exploiting the new facility’s many features (and challenges).
“This training and testing site will be hugely beneficial to a wide range of clients,” says InDro CEO Philip Reece. “Many in the industry have heard about it, and we’ve already been receiving inquiries – a sign that there’s going to be real demand.
“We particularly grateful to Area X.O’s Rebecca Thompson, who immediately understood the value of this concept and helped share that vision with Invest Ottawa. The industry also owes a nod to FedDev Ontario, which also recognized this project’s value with financial backing.”
We’ll report back to you when the facility opens. If you’re interested in booking for training, testing or evaluation purposes, please contact us here.
Oh – and if you’ll be (or can be) in Ottawa June 21, a small number of free tickets for the afternoon event remain. You can register here.
By Scott Simmie
Here’s a quick quiz for you: How many drones are registered with Transport Canada?
Take your best guess.
The answer? According to the latest Transport Canada RPAS Team Newsletter, the number is 86,131. That’s a lot of drones. Many of these – we’re confident the majority – are recreational/hobbyist machines. But the growing service provider sector is also a big contributor.
Quiz Number Two: How many Special Flight Operations Certificates were issued by Transport Canada in 2022? The answer here is 814, with the following breakdown:
The math-inclined might notice those numbers don’t add up to 814. The final category – with 435 SFOCs issued in 2022 – is for Foreign Operators.
“It’s pretty obvious, but there’s been an incredible growth in the use of drones across all sectors,” says Kate Klassen, a licensed traditional aircraft pilot and flight instructor. She’s also InDro’s Strategy and Implementation Specialist.
“And based on what I’ve seen – including my work with the Canada Drone Advisory Committee (CanaDAC), these numbers will continue to grow for many years to come.”
Below: A professional drone operation
Along with the growth in registered drones, there’s been a commensurate growth in the number of licensed RPAS pilots in Canada. Transport Canada has issued 86,709 Basic Pilot Certificates, and 10,060 Advanced Pilot Certificates. Advanced RPAS Certificates allow a pilot to fly in controlled airspace, closer than 30 metres to bystanders, and nearer than 3 NM (5.6 km) to airports and 1 NM (1.9 km) to heliports.
And of that number? Roughly one in eight received their training from InDro’s Kate Klassen.
Klassen was a pioneer in the training world, developing an online course that was both educational and entertaining. She did that prior to joining InDro, and some 10,000 people took her online course. That’s a phenomenal number.
And she’s at it again, with a series of online courses at FLYY.
We’ll get into FLYY – and the importance of training – in a moment. But first, let us more fully introduce you to Klassen.
She’s a commercial pilot and a flight instructor for both airplanes and RPAS. She’s been involved with aviation for the past 16 years and holds a Management of Technology MBA from Simon Fraser University. Klassen serves as a Director with the Aerial Evolution Society of Canada (formerly Unmanned Systems Canada/Systèmes Télécommandé Canada) and was a Director for BC/YK with COPA (Canadian Owners and Pilots Association). She was also Co-Chair of Canada’s Drone Advisory Committee (CanaDAC), working closely with Transport Canada. She’s an expert in regulations and training.
Plus, she’s an amazing educator.
Below: A screen grab of Klassen from one of the FLYY instructional videos
That’s a good question. Especially when there are options like YouTube, where you can find plenty of videos of people in their basements offering what they say are the knowledge requirements to obtain your Basic or Advanced RPAS Certificate.
We put that question to Kate.
“YouTube can be a great resource, but the challenge is knowing the accuracy and validity of the information,” she says.
“You want to trust the training provider, know their credentials and that they have the experience and expertise to be the one providing the training. In addition to video modules, FLYY also provides downloadable resources, interactive lessons and the ability to download for offline viewing.”
What differentiates FLYY from some of the other online offerings?
For starters, Kate has deep expertise as both a commercial and RPAS pilot, as well as being an instructor. So you can have confidence you’re getting the Transport Canada knowledge requirements that ensure you’ve getting the fundamentals you need.
But FLYY offers more than just the tools to earn your Basic or Advanced RPAS Certificate. The website has a module (and templates) to help you create your own Standard Operating Procedures, including a comprehensive pre-flight checklist. Another popular offering is the Flight Review preparation package. That package, which includes typical questions an Advanced RPAS Certificate candidate would receive at their in-person Flight Review, is designed to help ensure you pass that final step your first time. (And, given that most in-person Flight Reviews cost $200-$300, you really do want to pass your first time around.
FLYY also offers Flight Reviews, regardless of your location in the country. Plus, once you’re registered with the site and taking a course, you’ll have access to an internal social hub where you can ask questions, post photos, and interact with other students and graduates of the FLYY program.
“I’m always happy to answer questions from students – and we get some good ones,” says Klassen. “This is something else you won’t get if you rely on a free online course. The courses have been carefully designed to ensure student success, and that’s also something I’m personally very much invested in. In fact, I like being a phone-a-friend lifeline for operators. It keeps me on my toes and problem solving at the pace of the industry.”
Drones have come a long way in the past decade. Like, a *really* long way. Think about it: DJI released its first Phantom in 2013 – a machine that required a separate GoPro in order to capture images. Now you can purchase a sub-250 gram drone with amazing range, connectivity and video/still qualities for less than $1,000.
But – particularly for those planning to become service providers or seeking professional employment – the knowledge base required has become more demanding. Gone are the days when having 50 hours of recreational drone flights might open the door to a job. Increasingly, employers are looking for people with highly specialised skills. They want candidates with experience flying thermal missions, capable of creating a LiDAR 3D digital twin – and much more.
Below: An Aerometrix methane-sniffing drone. Increasingly complex drones and drone operations require highly skilled pilots
The future of training, at least from Klassen’s perspective, will involve obtaining credentials for operations requiring specific skillsets. These would be short, focussed courses – online or in-person – that would provide pilots with the skills they’ll need to carry out more complex flights (and with more complex sensors). Upon successful completion, a pilot would receive a certification that will become recognized as the standard for that industry.
Geospatial Information Systems (GIS), photogrammetry, mapping, volumetric calculations, BVLOS flights are just a few examples where Klassen envisions Micro-Credential courses would be the most effective route to obtaining skills.
“These are definitely skills that are pre-requisites for many drone jobs and require specialized training,” says Klassen. “Upon successful completion, a pilot would receive a certification or badge that’s recognized by the industry.”
Klassen is currently planning Micro-Credential courses for FLYY.
“Micro-Credentials will one day be just as important in this field as obtaining your Advanced RPAS Certificate,” says Klassen. “And with the new facility that’s coming in Ottawa at Area X.O, we’ll have a location where training, testing and evaluation for highly complex operations can take place in a controlled environment.”
(FYI, we took a deeper dive into the case for Micro-Credentials here.)
That new site, which we’ve written about here, is designed for both drones and ground robots. Drone pilots will face a demanding NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) course, built to the exacting specifications created by ASTM (the American Society for Testing and Materials). It will also feature a large enclosed, netted area where specialised drone training and testing can be carried out. Complex testing or failsafe evaluation – missions that might normally require a Special Flight Operations Certificate – can be safely carried out within that netted enclosure without the need for special permissions.
The facility, which will open in June, has been funded by Invest Ottawa as a strategic investment in Area X.O. The facility will be operated by InDro Robotics. It is the first of its kind in Canada.
“For the first time we’re seeing a ground and air robot (drone) training and testing space and I think we’ll see those technologies work more closely together in the future, too,” says Klassen. “As an educator, I’m excited for the course offerings we’ll be able to put together. So much thought has gone into the details and facilities in this space and I can’t wait to see how it’s received.”
Below: A look at the new facility during construction in late May.
InDro Robotics was one of the first companies in Canada to offer specialized drone training – working with law enforcement and First Responders onsite and at Salt Spring Island. InDro takes training very seriously, which is why we partnered with Kate Klassen to create FLYY.
“We share Kate’s belief that demand for complex drone training and testing will only increase. We also agree that Micro-Credential courses and badges will be an important offering for those wishing to take their skills to the next level,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece.
“Between Kate’s excellent FLYY program and the forthcoming Area X.O facility, we’ll be creating and delivering cutting-edge training customized to meet growing industry demands.”
Want to get started with training now? Head on over to FLYY, then use the code “springisintheair” at checkout for 10 per cent off.
By Scott Simmie
There’s a new robot – and a new robotics company – in town.
Real Life Robotics, founded by CEO Cameron Waite, is a cargo and last-mile robotics delivery firm. Its deployments utilise products developed by InDro Robotics intended for both autonomous and tele-operated missions over 4G and 5G networks. These robots, customisable for client-specific applications, are designed for long-range and large payloads.
Its first workhorse, currently doing demos for potential clients, is a unit Real Life calls BUBS. Developed by InDro, the robot is a second-generation delivery machine with impressive payload capability and a lockable payload door that opens upon reaching its destination. It’s suitable for a wide variety of use-cases and can be modified for client-specific needs.
BUBS is packed with features, including:
Just as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince had a name change, so too has BUBS. InDro’s and Real Life Robotics’ earlier development name for the machine was ROLL-E 2.0. It went through successful trials with London Drugs in Surrey, BC, for home deliveries.
Below: Bubs in action during trials in BC for London Drugs
Like most business relationships, this one began with a conversation. Specifically, a chat between InDro CEO Philip Reece and Cameron Waite in 2021. Just as InDro has deep expertise in robotics R&D, Waite has a high-level background in robotics sales and customer success. With more than two decades of experience in hardware sales, Waite was an early hire at Canadian success story Aeryon Labs, a pioneering UAV firm that was acquired by FLIR for $200M.
Waite was responsible for global sales with Aeryon, engaging with clients ranging from police and First Responders to defence, commercial inspection, “and everything in-between,” he says. He learned a lot about different use-case scenarios for the product – as well as the ability of engineers to customise capabilities of the core product line to meet the needs of clients.
From there, he went on to a similar position at Avidbots. He was, again, a very early-stage hire with significant responsibilities for helping grow the company.
“There was no revenue there prior to my joining,” he says. “I was the first sales hire at Aeryon; I was the first sales hire at Avidbots.”
So, what did he do at Avidbots?
“I was able to engage with some of the largest companies in the world – everyone from DHL to Walmart. I spent five years there, growing that organization, hiring and managing staff, sales people, but also being involved in customer success and support and product and product development. Making sure that the feedback from the clients in the field was making its way to the team to build and develop and modify and tweak that robot to better fit the needs of our clients so that our clients would continue to want to scale.”
We interviewed Waite (obviously) about his plans for Real Life Robotics, and the kind of clients that might be a solid fit for BUBS.
Below: Real Life Robotics CEO/Founder Cameron Waite in conversation with Scott Simmie
So let’s get into the Q & As.
Q: Tell us about BUBS
A: BUBS is a second-generation delivery robot. It is a large unit relative to what we typically would see out in the market. It uses a suite of sensors onboard to give it spacial and environmental awareness. We use systems like the NVIDIA Nano to process data that the robot sees in real time, which allows it to make its own autonomous decisions to navigate through the world.
The robot is large-capacity and has a locking, remotely operated lid that allows it to securely hold and transport whatever it is our customers are interested in moving. It’s a large-enough system that it can hold food, beverages, product from a store, pharmaceuticals or lab samples from a hospital, dirty linens in a long-term care facility, product on a golf course – really anything that needs to be transported from Point A to Point B.
It has indoor and outdoor capabilities, so it is weather-resistant. It can handle some pretty significant slopes and terrain. The robot, in addition to its autonomy and sensor package, utilises a radio system that allows us to have remote assistance or piloting as necessary through a WiFI connection, a 4G/5G connection, or private network. We currently use the Rogers 5G network as our backbone, and from a teleoperation or semi-autonomous perspective, we can have an operator located anywhere on planet earth and have that person remotely assist or operate the robot as necessary with under a 1/10th of a second latency. So it’s near real-time using EDGE computing.
That was the question. Here’s the answer.
A: The answer depends on the application itself. So some environments where we have a high degree of predictability and can pre-map and understand that environment, those are environments that are more conducive to fully autonomous operations. The robot can be trained using Computer Vision and AI to autonomously navigate through an entire space if that space is predictable.
Alternatively, if there is a high degree of variability, or there are safety or regulatory concerns that require a human in the loop, we have that option as well. So, for example, if a robot was to be traveling in a city environment and it needed to cross a road – that’s a complex procedure for any robot to do. And there’s likely a degree of human interface that would be beneficial to have that robot determine when and where it’s safe to cross the road. Or if a path was blocked by a large-enough obstacle, and the robot needed to exit a geofence that is pre-programmed into that operation, in order to safely manoeuevre around that obstacle, it’s likely a good idea to have a human in the loop to make that complex decision.
The more repetitive times that type of an application happens, the more a robot can be trained to autonomously execute those types of scenarios. As that robot’s deployment increases over time, the human interface required decreases. But there will always be some level of human in the loop.
A: Over the next 10 years, we will see an enormous increase in the reliance on robotics to do basic things like delivery inside municipal environments. One of the things I learned at Aeryon years ago was the importance of engaging with government early on, because government can otherwise potentially shut down your operations at a really inopportune time. And so Real Life Robotics has already engaged with a number of Canadian cities and had early approvals to allow our robots to drive around in certain automation projects in city environments.
Municipalities typically have concerns around full automation and Level 4, Level 5 autonomy. If Elon Musk and his team are not able to get approvals to drive around in downtown Toronto, how do we think we’re going to get the same approvals to drive around autonomously? We’re not. So the cities have actually really embraced the fact that our robots can have a human in the loop to make some of those difficult decisions. That helps alleviate some of the concerns around full autonomy. But we have spent the time building the groundwork to allow us to operate in their environments and we, in return, intend to work very closely with those cities to actually build the playbook, and build the ruleset and the framework around successful and safe deployment of robots in urban environments.
A: Absolutely. Our mandate is to commercialise robots. And as part of any startup growth plan, sometimes there are pivots along the way that you need to make. But in general, a client that has a real ROI potential where robots can facilitate that, and a client that has the potential for scale, that’s our expertise. With the combined benefit of having InDro, we can not only develop a very specific robot solution to solve a customer’s immediate concerns or challenges, we can also scale that robot.
Q: Why did you feel InDro was the best fit for a partner?
A: In general, InDro would be considered a world-class R&D company – hands down, bar none. And that’s why we partnered with them. The firm has an enormous skillset, including expertise with autonomy, sensor fusion and integration. Because the company has all off that, plus a large engineering staff, we’re lucky to call InDro a true partner. InDro’s capabilities and agility will help speed the path of Real Life – and our clients – to commercialisation.
Below: BUBS in action during a pilot project in Surrey, BC
Real Life Robotics issued a news release on its partnership with InDro, which you can find here. But we’ll take the liberty to borrow a section from it:
“The ground robotic delivery market is still very new,” explains Waite. “We engage with both commercial/industrial and government clients who want to lead the charge in adoption of this exciting technology we’ve created.”
“Using a combination of hardware, software, and artificial intelligence, Real Life Robotics’ flagship product, called BUBS™, provides cargo and delivery automation at scale. The company’s unique Robot-As-A-Service model approach provides clients with a white-labelled, customized robot at an accessible cost, allowing businesses to realize immediate top line and bottom line impact.
“Businesses in manufacturing, retail, healthcare, agriculture and food services sectors among others can utilize BUBS™ for a variety of last-mile delivery applications with BUBS™ providing immediate solutions to labor shortages, as well as cost savings, labor efficiencies optimization while driving additional new revenue streams.
“InDro and Real Life Robotics will work closely together to enhance robot offerings, as well as identify new ways of collaborating in a fast-growing marketplace.”
We’re obviously equally pleased with this partnership – and are eager to build and customise ground robot solutions for the clients of Real Life Robotics.
“Cameron Waite has deep expertise in sales and support of aerial and ground robotics, along with customer success,” says InDro CEO Philip Reece. “We look forward to creating custom solutions at scale for Cam’s clients. Real Life Robotics is the right company, with the right leader, at the right time.”
You can learn more about Real Life Robotics here. And you can reach CEO Cameron Waite here.
copyright 2022 © InDro Robotics all rights reserved
By Scott Simmie
There’s nothing like a little trip to Boston at this time of year. Especially when the annual Robotics Summit and Expo is on.
InDro dispatched Account Executive Luke Corbeth and Head of Strategic Innovations Stacey Connors to the show, along with a number of devices either manufactured or distributed by InDro Robotics.
And it was busy. So busy, that it produced a quote we never anticipated.
“I only had time for one pee break all day and didn’t stop talking,” laughs Corbeth.
Between demonstrating a dog-like robot and other devices, speaking with attendees and potential clients, Corbeth says the tempo was absolutely surreal – with a steady stream of people at the InDro booth wanting to learn more about the company and its solutions.
“Honestly our booth was too busy,” adds Connors. “We needed two of us there, manning it nonstop.”
But that’s a good problem to have.
There was a large number of startups in attendance, as well as engineering students, professors, and others from the world of robotics, robotic medicine/surgery and academia. In conversations, Corbeth says many were keen to learn of InDro’s expertise as an integrator.
“A lot of people told us they were having difficulty building their own hardware. They really tinker with hardware and struggle with integration. For someone trying to build an autonomous inspection solution, for example, it can be challenging to focus on what you actually want to do achieve if you’re spending so much time on the hardware.”
Below: Team InDro during a microsecond when the booth wasn’t swamped:
InDro took a number of products the company has developed or distributes to the show. The Unitree GO1 EDU, seen in the photo above, was a big hit. But there was plenty of interest in InDro products including our new indoor drone – which has capabilities not available with standard commercial drones.
“It’s a ROS-based drone,” explains Corbeth. “It has compute onboard, a depth camera, a 4K camera, and 5G connectivity for remote teleoperations. With a standard DJI drone you don’t have the same ability to develop autonomous and custom applications. But ours can be programmed in ROS (Robot Operating System), which enables different sorts of projects that off-the-shelf drones just can’t do.”
There were plenty of engineering students – many specialising in robotics and mechatronics – at the Expo. It’s a sign, if any were needed, indicative of the massive growth in the industry.
“The students really see that,” says Corbeth. “So they put their efforts into learning how to design and build and improve these types of robots and want to be part of that going forward.”
Massachusetts has a thriving robotics community, including more than 400 companies that build or utilise robotic solutions. And there was a big presence at the show from MassRobotics, a non-profit innovation hub, accelerator and incubator for robotics and connected devices startups. It offers support and expertise as entrepreneurs move from envisioning a solution through to eventual production and commercialisation. The organisation also frequently teams with industry partners to issue robotics challenges, where university teams try to fulfil specific challenges in order to win cash prizes.
“We help bridge the gap and connect our startups to potential customers and investors, offering facilities and platforms to showcase their technology,” says its website. “MassRobotics’ mission is to help create and scale the next generation of successful robotics technology and connected devices companies by providing innovative entrepreneurs and startups with the workspace and resources they need to develop, prototype, test and commercialize their products and solutions.”
Because of that mission, there was real interest in InDro’s capabilities, says Corbeth:
“They showcased a number of student-led projects, so it was nice to see what the academic world is building. They also seemed intrigued at the idea of jump-starting their projects with InDro’s integration abilities.”
InDro also told MassRobotics staff about the forthcoming drone and robot advanced training, testing and evaluation site coming soon to Area X.O.
“They lit up when I talked about the testing site at Area X.O,” says Connors, who is hoping to arrange potential collaboration between MassRobotics, Area X.O and Invest Ottawa. “It’s all about opening doors.”
Below: An image from the MassRobotics website, showing some of the 400 companies manufacturing or utilizing robotics in Massachusetts.
For Luke Corbeth, who drove down with a car absolutely jammed with robots and a drone, the Robotics Summit & Expo was just part of a very busy week. He also visited clients at the University of Massachusetts, as well as Boston University’s College of Engineering – which has purchased a fleet of Limo R&D robots. (The department is apparently doing research involving using the robots in collaborative swarms.)
It was an opportunity he welcomed.
“In the post-Covid era, a lot of interactions are online so it’s nice to actually meet the clients face-to-face, hear about their problems and successes and use that feedback to better service them and improve our products.”
And a personal highlight for Luke? A booth visit from Aaron Prather, Director of the Robotics & Autonomous Systems Program at ASTM International. Prather is followed by nearly 40,000 people on LinkedIn, where he posts prolifically on developments in the field of robotics.
“I feel like I met the Michael Jackson of robotics,” says Corbeth.
We were pleased to make some connections – and likely some sales – at the Robotics Summit & Expo. We were also pleased to see the immense interest in what InDro does (something we covered at length in a post here).
“While conferences often bring sales, sometimes exposure and making new connections are just as valuable – or more,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece.
“We’ve developed many partnerships that began as simple conversations at events like these, and we look forward to building more.”
We generally give advance notice when we’re attending conferences via LinkedIn and Twitter. Give us a follow and stay up to date on InDro developments.