Elroy Air’s Chaparral brings long-range, heavy lift cargo solution

Elroy Air’s Chaparral brings long-range, heavy lift cargo solution

Nov 16, 2023 | Advanced Air Mobility, Autonomy, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

Some history has just been made in the world of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

On November 12, Elroy Air successfully flew its Chaparral C1 – the first flight of a turbogenerator-hybrid electric vertical take-off and landing (hVTOL) aircraft. The hover test of the full-scale aircraft took place at the company’s test-flight facility in Byron, California.

It’s an important milestone as the world moves toward the AAM era, when new and transformative aircraft will move goods and people to destinations that would have been impractical or too expensive using traditional aircraft.

“This is an exhilarating day for our team and the industry as a whole,” says Elroy Air co-founder and CEO Dave Merrill.

There are plenty of companies competing for this new space with innovative autonomous designs. Some are designed to carry people, cargo, or both. There are several excellent designs out there, but Elroy Air’s Chaparral C1 has been on our radar for reasons you’re about to discover.

Before we get into the history, though, let’s get straight to the news. Here’s a video of the test flight:

AND DOWN ON THE GROUND

 

Check out the Chaparral C1 on the ground. Take a good look, as we’ll be discussing these features.

Elroy Air Chaparral AAM

THE CHAPARRAL

 

Let’s get into why this aircraft will fill a niche.

It’s been designed to move large payloads long distances – and do so efficiently. Humanitarian aid, military resupply and middle-mile logistics are all perfect use-cases for the Chaparral. Its sole purpose is to move significant amounts of cargo efficiently – and be ready for the return trip in minutes.

Here’s the one-floor elevator pitch:

“We’re building an aircraft that will be able to fly 300 miles (483 km) and carry 300 pounds (136 kg) of cargo,” explains Jason Chow, the company’s Director of Strategy and Business Development.

“It’s VTOL, so we don’t need runways. It’s also hybrid electric, so in many situations where there are remote areas, we’re still able to fly where electric power is unavailable.”

Hybrid electric makes sense when you’re after this kind of range, since the craft benefits from the energy density of jet fuel.

“A turboshaft engine powers the batteries, and the batteries power flight,” says Chow.

“One of the most intensive parts of flight is the takeoff portion, where you’re vertically flying upwards. And once you get into forward flight, the turbine is able to throttle back to meet the reduced demand while maintaining battery charge.”

As you can see from the photo, there are eight motors for vertical lift and four for forward propulsion. Once the craft transitions into forward flight, its fixed-wing design brings greater efficiency and range than would be possible with a traditional multi-rotor (which don’t generally have lifting surfaces aside from the rotors themselves).

But while all this looks great, Chaparral’s real secret sauce is its cargo capabilities – which have been designed, literally, from the ground up.

Take a look again at the photo above. Note the design of the wheel struts, as well as the ample space between the bottom of the fuselage and the ground. That’s all for a very specific reason: Chaparral has been designed to carry an aerodynamic, quickly-swappable cargo pod.

Have a look:

 

Elroy Air Chaparral AAM

THE POD

 

Chow says the system is comparable to a tractor-trailer. On a road, the tractor provides the power to move the goods. In the air, “the trailer is the equivalent of the cargo pod. We imagine customers will have multiple cargo pods.”

Those pods can be quickly interchanged on the ground – because the Chaparral’s autonomy abilities aren’t limited to flight. The aircraft can taxi to a predetermined location, lower and disengage a cargo pod, then reposition itself and pick up the next one. You can imagine the advantage of such a system when transporting food or critical medical supplies in an emergency situation. This isn’t simply an aircraft: It’s a delivery system.

It’s also worth noting that the pod has been designed to be compatible with existing infrastructure and tools such as forklifts. As the Elroy Air website explains:

“The Palletized Pod uses a fairing-on-pallet design to ease loading of heavy cargo. This configuration features a standardized L-Track system for securing shipments, ensuring simple loading and safe travel for hefty items.”

Below: The Chaparral C1 with the pod snugged up and ready for business…

Elroy Air Chaparral AAM

BUSINESS MODEL

 

So, will Elroy Air be a service provider, overseeing autonomous flights for clients? Or will it be producing the Chaparral to be sold to clients who will operate it themselves?

“The current thinking is that we would do both,” explains Chow. “There are a lot of our partners that are very good at operating aircraft: FedEx, Bristow, the United States Air Force. The main thing they do is operate aircraft really well. So in those situations we would sell to them only as the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer).”

“But we also have customers who are interested in what we can provide. So in those situations we could provide the service ourselves or rely on very experienced operators.”

Elroy Air Chaparral Test Flight

MANUFACTURING

 

Producing an aircraft of this scale – it has a wingspan of 26.3 feet (8.01 metres) and a length of 19.3 feet (5.88 metres) – is no small task. Elroy Air made the decision early on that the most efficient approach would be as a highly selective and meticulous integrator. So its composite fuselage, for example, is outsourced.

“There are folks in the general Advanced Air Mobility industry that are building everything in-house. That’s great, you can own the IP (Intellectual Property) for everything,” says Chow.

“That being said, it takes longer. So our approach has been to be an integrator. We source the best parts to help us get to market – including the generator.”

Elroy Air Chaparral Test Flight

TRAJECTORY

 

There are a lot of startups in this space, including plenty of newcomers. Elroy Air was formed back in 2016 in San Francisco by Dave Merrill (now CEO) and Clint Cope (Chief Product Officer).

By 2018 the company flight-tested sub-scale Chaparral aircraft and user-tested its automated cargo‑handling systems. The following year it had established a relationship (and contract) with the United States Air Force “enabling Elroy Air to understand and inform the USAF’s operational needs for distributed aerial logistics in contested environments. We developed our custom simulation environment for Chaparral aircraft and ran a successful flight test campaign on an early 1200‑pound, full-scale Chaparral prototype outfitted with an all-electric powertrain.”

The milestones have kept coming. The year 2020 brought refinements to its simulation system, allowing the team to carry out thousands of virtual flights and ground/cargo mission experiments. Development began in earnest that same year on the hybrid-electric powertrain, including multiple turboshaft engine runs.

A Series A financing in 2021 brought in partners Lockheed Martin, Prosperity7 and Marlinspike, who came to the table with $40M. In 2022 an additional $36M in capital arrived, and the company unveiled its C1-1 Chaparral to the public. (The aircraft also made it to the cover of Aviation Week.)

It’s been a careful, methodical journey that has brought the company this far – and it clearly has ambitious plans for the future. If you’d like to read about these milestones in greater detail, you’ll find a company timeline here. 

But the biggest milestone so far? The flight that opened this story.

“This marks a major moment for the industry as hybrid-electric aircraft enable the dual benefits of runway-independent safe redundant propulsion, and long-range flight well in excess of battery power alone,” says co-founder and CEO Dave Merrill. 

“Our accomplishment puts Elroy Air one step closer to delivering a transformative logistics capability to our customers and partners.”

Elroy Air Chaparral Test Flight

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We at InDro obviously have a stake in the future of Advanced Air Mobility. We know from our own work in this field of the pent-up demand for efficient VTOL aircraft that can safely shuttle critical cargo – whether across major cities or to isolated communities lacking runways.

We’ve also been watching, with interest, the companies that are vying for space in this coming market.

“From everything we’ve seen, Chaparral is going to be a perfect fit,” says InDro Robotics President Philip Reece. “It’s cargo capacity and range will really fill a void, and the pod system – complete with its autonomous coupling and decoupling feature – will be hugely advantageous. We congratulate Elroy Air on this milestone, and look forward to seeing a transition flight before long.”

As with all new aircraft, it will take time before certification takes place and the FAA gives Elroy Air its full blessings. We’re confident that not only will that day come – but that Elroy Air and Chaparral will play a significant role in the era of Advanced Air Mobility.

All images supplied with permission by Elroy Air

New LIMO Pro, ROS2 models bring advanced abilities to R&D

New LIMO Pro, ROS2 models bring advanced abilities to R&D

Nov 6, 2023 | AgileX, InDro News, LIMO, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

There’s a new robot in town. Actually, there are two of them.

They’re small but mighty. In fact, numerous universities and robotics labs already use their predecessor for high-level research. That original robot, the AgileX LIMO, was a game-changer when it came to an affordable and flexible platform. Boston University currently has a fleet of LIMOs running custom algorithms and simulations related to how real-world autonomous vehicles will interact in the Smart Cities of the future. (It’s really cool research, and you can read all about it here.)

That first LIMO was truly a ground-breaker – and remains an excellent R&D research platform. But now, AgileX has taken things further. Two new versions of LIMO offer advanced hardware, software, runtime – and capabilities.

Below: The original LIMO that started it all…

AgileX Limo Robot

MAIN FEATURES

 

Before we get into the significant changes incorporated into the new models, it’s worth looking at some of the strong features common to all members of the LIMO family. For starters, each LIMO has four steering modes: Omnidirectional steering, tracked steering, Ackerman and four-wheel differential.

All LIMOs are equipped with obstacle detection. Multiple onboard sensors can pick up on the size, distance and location of obstacles, allowing the robot to navigate its environment without conflict. The newer LIMO models have significant enhancements here, which we’ll explore in a moment.

Despite their relatively small size – so small an untrained eye might potentially mistake them for a toy – the LIMOs feature a robust, all-metal build and powerful motor. They also feature powerful onboard EDGE computing suitable to pretty much any R&D requirements.

 

WHO USES LIMO?

 

There are really two main categories of users, with the first being those in the educational field.

“This is a great tool for anyone looking to learn ROS, because they can do all of the advanced concepts – obstacle detection, SLAM, teleoperation, to name a few,” explains Luke Corbeth, Head of InDro’s R&D Sales Division.

“And we make that really simple through our improved documentation. We’ve basically built a course around it, so it can be used for teaching students.”

The other main group of users, of course, are on the research side of things.

“It’s almost always used in labs for multi-agent systems or multiple robot projects. Because it’s multi-modal, when you’re doing a multi-agent system it can be homogenous or heterogeneous, meaning you use different steering in different robots simultaneously.”

Dimensions of all versions of LIMO are identical, as seen below.

AgileX LIMO Robot

MEET THE NEW LIMOS

 

The original LIMO is still a great robot – and is currently in use by many universities. But AgileX didn’t rest on its laurels. In response to the availability of new technologies – along with a wish-list from existing clients – the company has taken things further with its new LIMO PRO and the LIMO ROS2.

“Obviously as research in autonomy advances, so do the computational requirements,” explains Corbeth. “So it’s very important as a robotics manufacturer to stay ahead of the curve so that the hardware meets up with the current research requirements of the day.”

To that end, the new versions feature upgrades on computational power, sensors and run-time.

“The big difference is in compute – we’re moving from the Jetson Xavier to the Jetson Orin Nano on the LIMO PRO and the INTEL NUC on the LIMO ROS2. Both of these are actually massive upgrades.”

The Orin Nano is a very powerful EDGE computer. That power translates into more stable multi-sensor data fusion and speed with SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) processing.

Speaking of SLAM, the LIMO PRO and LIMO ROS2 come with a new LiDAR unit. While the original LIMO used the very capable EAI X2L unit, the new versions come with the EAI T-mini Pro.

“Plus, the battery in the new unit goes from an hour of run-time to 2-1/2 hours – with a standby of four hours,” adds Corbeth.

 

SOFTWARE

 

Not surprisingly, the two new versions also feature some software upgrades. The LIMO PRO and ROS2 versions come with Ubuntu 20.04 (the original LIMO runs version 18.04). In terms of ROS (Robot Operating System) libraries, the first generation LIMO is outfitted with ROS1 Melodic. The LIMO PRO features both ROS1 Noetic and ROS2 Foxy. The LIMO ROS2 has ROS2 Humble onboard.

Already have some of the first-generation LIMOs in your lab? No problem.

“The new models can co-exist with the original LIMO,” says Corbeth. “And if the computing demands are higher than previous applications, it makes sense of have a blend of models.”

The graphic below outlines the feature sets of the three models:

LIMO Robot Canada

INDRO’S TAKE

 

InDro Robotics has a lot of clients who have put the original LIMO to use in labs and educational institutes across North America. Boston University has a very large fleet of LIMOs deployed – hard at work on multiple research projects related to Smart Cities and autonomous vehicles. They’ve proven to be a robust, cost-effective tool for high-level research.

And now, with the fresh release of LIMO PRO and LIMO ROS2, there are two more affordable options.

“This is a significant development for anyone looking to expand their current fleet of LIMOS, as well as those who have been waiting in the wings for an upgrade,” says Corbeth. “These are incredibly powerful and versatile robots/research tools, with the added bonus that the entire line is very affordable.”

If you’re interested in learning more, InDro Robotics is the exclusive distributor of AgileX in Canada, as well as a distributor for all of North America. We have built excellent documentation and manuals to assist users ranging from beginning to expert – and all of that added value and support comes with every purchase made through InDro.

For more information from someone who really knows their stuff, contact Luke Corbeth here.

BC’s Helijet announces purchase of eVTOL in Advanced Air Mobility milestone

BC’s Helijet announces purchase of eVTOL in Advanced Air Mobility milestone

Nov 1, 2023 | Advanced Air Mobility, eVTOL, InDro News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

Canada has just taken a major step forward into the coming world of Advanced Air Mobility, or AAM.

Vancouver-based Helijet International, Inc. has announced the purchase of an eVTOL aircraft for crewed operations in British Columbia. The ALIA 250 eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) is manufactured by US-based BETA Technologies and will bring a critical step toward sustainable passenger flight to Helijet, as well as service to additional locations.

The announcement took place at Helijet’s facility in Vancouver on October 31 and was attended by BC Premier David Eby, Helijet CEO Danny Sitnam, BETA’s Skye Carapetyan, as well as JR Hammond, the Executive Director of the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium (CAAM). Indro Robotics CEO Philip Reece was also there for the announcement, as InDro is an Industry Partner in CAAM and has partnered with Helijet on other AAM initiatives (more on that later).

“This provincial government recognizes the potential of advanced air mobility to decarbonize the aviation sector, improve regional connectivity, improve emergency response times and introduce new manufacturing opportunities in our province,” said Premier Eby. “We congratulate Helijet on their exciting news and look forward to British Columbia becoming a leader in the Advanced Air Mobility sector.”

Though the aircraft is not yet certified, flight testing in the US is well underway. BETA intends to certify the aircraft for Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations. Eventually, the aircraft will supplement the existing Helijet fleet – offering additional services to locations where the higher cost of traditional helicopter operations have traditionally made flights impractical.

“The introduction of eVTOL aircraft will not only enhance the passenger experience but also elevate Helijet’s capacity to provide essential services such as emergency response, air ambulance, and organ transfers,” says a news release issued by CAAM.

“This innovation is a crucial step forward in enhancing the overall well-being of communities in the Lower Mainland and remote regions.”

As an example of how the new eVTOL will help, Helijet CEO Danny Sitnam looked ahead to urgent medical deliveries between Vancouver hospitals “at a much lower cost, with no carbon footprint, and a quieter environment for the people below.”

Before we dive in, here’s a look at the aircraft. And while this graphic was created for the news release, don’t worry – the BETA ALIA 250 is very much a real machine.

 

Helijet BETA AAM

ABOUT AAM

 

You’ve perhaps heard of Advanced Air Mobility. If you haven’t, here’s a little primer.

You can think of AAM as the next evolution in air transport. We like this high-level definition from BAE Systems:

“Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is an air transport system concept that integrates new, transformational aircraft designs and flight technologies into existing and modified airspace operations.”

Those new innovative aircraft designs will have a low carbon footprint, and generally fall within these three design categories:

  • Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL). You can think here of air taxis, patient transfers, cross-town trips in dense urban areas, and more. These machines will take off and land from Vertiports, which have a small footprint advantageous to urban centres
  • Electric Conventional Take-Off & Landing (eCTOL). These would be electrified or hybrid fixed-wing aircraft that still require runways but are more efficient to operate (and much greener) than conventional aircraft. Likely used for short trips, carrying passengers and cargo from regional and rural locations.
  • Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). You can think here of drones, or Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). These will be commonplace delivering critical goods and medical supplies, both within urban centres and to nearby communities. They will share controlled airspace with other traditional aircraft, though their operations will likely be restricted to designated flight corridors to avoid any conflict.

Initially, the transition to the world of AAM will involve crewed aircraft in the eVTOL and eCTOL space. In other words, there will be a human being piloting those aircraft. As the system and technologies advance, however, automation will take on a greater role, Pilots will be on board monitoring those autonomous flights, until a stage is reached where the flights are fully autonomous.

That’s a ways down the road. But the gears of this machinery are very much in motion. The FAA already has a blueprint for AAM and flight corridors. A large number of companies are working on new and innovative aircraft designs utilising electric, hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion. And the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium (CAAM) is working closely with regulators and the industry to advance the transition.

Speaking of CAAM, we also like its AAM definition:

“Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is the evolution of air transportation created by an ecosystem of new technologies allowing people, goods, and services to move within urban and regional areas safely.”

And let’s not forget about the low carbon footprint. That’s also a big part of this revolution. Canada (and many other countries) have committed to Net Zero carbon emissions by the year 2050. That means our economy is expected to achieve that goal either by switching to technologies that emit no greenhouse gas emissions – or activities that offset those emissions (such as tree planting).

And while long-range passenger jets pose a greater technological challenge when it comes to electrification or hybrid power sources, there’s a lot of air traffic in urban areas. Plus, the use of green aircraft for goods delivery reduces the reliance on internal combustion-based ground vehicles. InDro Robotics, for example, has flown COVID test supplies from remote island communities by drone, as well as prescription medications to isolated communities. These deliveries would have traditionally relied on ground transport and ferries.

If you’re interested in learning more about AAM, we’ve written a pretty extensive primer here.

Now let’s get back to Helijet.

Below: The BETA ALIA 250 in a hover test:

BETA ALIA

THE BETA ALIA 250

 

BETA is building two aircraft: The eVTOL purchased by Helijet, as well as a cTOL – an electric, fixed-wing aircraft that requires a runway. Both employ a patented electric propulsion system and utilise batteries with a high energy density. They also each have a wingspan of just over 15 metres (50 feet) and can carry five passengers (or equivalent cargo) plus a pilot.

BETA started with a small but highly committed team. In less than 10 months, its first full-scale prototype, AVA, went from the drawing board to crewed test flights. Since then, BETA has grown considerably and received significant investment. In 2019, it began work on the ALIA aircraft. The company says its design was inspired by the Arctic Tern; engineers say biomimicry played a role in the design of the aircraft’s wings and long sweeping tail.

While BETA partnered with many suppliers for components of the aircraft, the company developed its own proprietary electric motor (no small feat). In 2021, ALIA flew its maiden crewed flight.

It wasn’t long before the design started catching the attention of others. UPS ordered 10 ALIA aircraft – and reserved 140 more. The US Air Force was impressed enough that it issued a special Military Flight Release. This allowed the company to carry out experimental flights with the Air Force. BETA also closed a $368M Series A funding round; Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund was one of the investors. So the company has been on an impressive trajectory.

The company builds its own charging cubes, which will be installed much like Tesla chargers. In fact, the ALIA cTOL flew 2400 miles (3840 km) over seven states in 2022, with the longest leg just shy of 300 miles (480 km). It stopped to charge on the company’s own infrastructure charging network. Down the road, you can picture some of these charging cubes at destinations the eVTOL will serve for Helijet. Those destinations won’t require runways or traditional aviation fuel.

Below: An ALIA cTOL gets some juice from the BETA charging cube:

 

 

 

BETA ALIA Helijet

THE NEXT GENERATION

 

The BETA ALIA eVTOL won’t be making its appearance with Helijet next week, next month – or even next year. There’s still the lengthy certification process to go before the aircraft can be put into commercial use.

But the announcement is still highly significant. It signals a commitment on the part of Helijet, CAAM, and the Government of British Columbia toward a low-carbon AAM world. It will open the door to servicing communities that currently do not have an affordable option for air transportation or deliveries.

And, according to BC Premier Eby, it’s a perfect fit for the province.

“British Columbia – we’re a quiet champion when it comes to the aerospace industry. One of Kelowna’s biggest employers, KF Aerospace, is obviously in the industry. We also have Cascade Aerospace out in Abbotsford – the biggest employer in the valley. And we have companies like InDro Robotics – and the CEO is here today – using large drones to deliver to remote and rural First Nations Communities out of Vancouver.”

And while Helijet’s new purchase won’t be in service for the immediate future – it’s definitely going to happen. And that’s a very big deal.

“We will soon gather again to celebrate the inaugural flight of the ALIA 250 eVTOL aircraft with Helijet,” said JR Hammond, Executive Director of CAAM. “And that day will make another historic milestone on our journey towards an interconnected aviation ecosystem.” 

Helijet started 37 years ago with a single helicopter and a handful of employees; it’s now North America’s largest scheduled helicopter airline. Company President and CEO Danny Sitman says this is a natural evolution.

“We were disrupting aviation 37 years ago…Today marks another significant milestone, not just for us but for all British Columbians… We have made a firm order for four aircraft at this time, with an option for four more. It’s an exciting time for aviation right now.”

And it is.

Below: The BETA ALIA cTOL in flight

BETA ALIA Helijet

INDRO’S TAKE

 

InDro Robotics has a vested interest in the coming world of Advanced Air Mobility. We have carried out multiple missions, pilot projects and research tests related to this next phase in aviation. In fact, one of them has been in conjunction with Helijet.

InDro recently flew from Helijet’s Vancouver Harbour facility, piloting our drone through a flight corridor designed to virtually eliminate any potential conflict with crewed aviation – while still flying in a dense urban centre with regular air traffic.

We also used that flight to map the strength of 5G cellular signals at different altitudes – data that will be useful in the coming AAM world of automated BVLOS drone flights. We have also long been committed to sustainable, low-carbon footprint technologies.

“We’re pleased to see Helijet take the lead by committing to a sustainable, passenger-carrying eVTOL,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece. “We are truly on the cusp of a transformative phase in aviation, and we applaud Helijet, CAAM and BETA on today’s important announcement. I look forward to a flight in the ALIA when it enters service here in BC.”

Indro Robotics builds Street Smart Inspection Robot for safe cycling in winter

Indro Robotics builds Street Smart Inspection Robot for safe cycling in winter

Oct 27, 2023 | InDro News, Scott Simmie, Smart Mobility, Street Smart Robot

By Scott Simmie

 

The safety of pedestrians and cyclists is important in any major city.

Bike lanes and crosswalks are the most obvious signs that we create infrastructure for this purpose. But there are limits to what that infrastructure can do.

Winter, for example, creates additional threats. Ice and snow are the most obvious problems, but potholes and deep puddles can also cause havoc – particularly for cyclists. Snow can accumulate quickly in a storm – and it’s not uncommon for snow plowed from the roadway to sometimes spill over into bike lanes (and even on sidewalks).

That’s part of the reason why Indro Robotics has built an innovative solution that will be put to the test this winter. It’s called the Street Smart Robot, or SSR – and it’s been designed from the ground up to help ensure safe winter cycling.

Below: A Wikimedia Commons image, taken in Whitehorse by Anthony DeLorenzo. Cyclists in Canada are a hardy bunch.

SSR Winter cyclist

STREET SMART ROBOT

 

The catalyst for the SSR is a research and development partnership fund called the Wintertech Development Program. According to the program website, Wintertech “supports Ontario small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and their partners to validate, test, prototype, and demonstrate new products and technologies designed to meet the unique demands of winter weather conditions.”

Wintertech is run by OVIN, the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network. That’s a province of Ontario initiative which “capitalizes on the economic potential of advanced automotive technologies and smart mobility solutions such as connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), and electric and low-carbon vehicle technologies, while enabling the province’s transportation and infrastructure networks to plan for and adapt to this evolution.”

And while bicycles aren’t connected and autonomous vehicles (at least yet), we felt robotics could play a role in helping to ensure the safety of cyclists in the Smart City of the future. Specifically, we thought an autonomous robot equipped with the right sensors and processing might help to detect safety issues in bike lanes in the winter.

“The idea behind the robot is we want to prolong the use of bike lanes in Ottawa, but also ensure the safety of bike lanes in Ottawa,” explains Indro Robotics Account Executive Luke Corbeth.

“There’s really two parts to this: The first is a machine vision element to see if conditions are good enough for biking – no ice, not too many leaves, etc. On the safety side, the Street Smart Robot is more concerned with detecting things like potholes and cracks. And the idea is if you’re able to identify those things, the right resources can be deployed faster and more efficiently to solve the problem in a timely manner.”

So that’s the idea behind the SSR. Now, let’s take a look at the technology.

Below: A look at the specs of the AgileX Bunker Pro platform. We’ve upgraded the battery for a four-hour run time:

Bunker Pro Robot

BUILT TOUGH

 

If you’re going to be out and about in an Ottawa winter – where temperatures have reached as low as -33°C – you need a platform suitable for the environment. InDro selected the AgileX Bunker Pro as the starting point.

With an IP67 Ingress Protection rating, the Bunker Pro is highly impervious to water and particulate matter – which it will encounter in abundance on Ottawa streets. The treads give an edge over wheels when it comes to navigating over ice, snow and potholes. With a full charge, the platform can run for some four hours – even when it’s cold out.

But the platform is just the start. InDro engineers had to put considerable thought into the kinds of sensors that would help the Street Smart Robot carry out its task while safely avoiding cyclists, pedestrians, or other obstacles it might encounter. And that began with four wide-angle pinhole cameras.

“The pinholes are just to give the operator a better understanding of their environment and situational awareness,” explains Corbeth. And while we say “operator” here, it might be more appropriate to say “observer.” Though initial deployments will involve teleoperation, the SSR has been built to carry out its tasks autonomously. We anticipate that down the road (or bike path), a person will simply be involved in monitoring missions in case human intervention is required.

That autonomy will be carried out by a combination of computing power, our InDro Autonomy software stack, and a plethora of sensors.

 

SENSORS, SENSORS, SENSORS

 

The Street Smart Robot is equipped with front- and rear-facing depth cameras. These cameras have two visual sensors each, placed roughly the same distance apart as human eyes. That separation – as in human vision – allows the SSR to perceive the world in depth. Onboard computation (we’ll get to that) calculates how far obstacles might be in the robot’s immediate surroundings, and whether it needs to slow down, stop or change course to avoid obstacles.

The depth cameras are supplemented by two 270° 2D LiDAR sensors – which are devoted almost exclusively to obstacle avoidance and safety. There are two additional 3D LiDARS, placed to assist with Simultaneous Localization and Mapping, as well as a GPS and IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). There’s even a Range Finder that can detect how far an object is off the ground.

“If you have an overhanging tree branch, for example, you could see where it is and see if it obscures the bike lane,” says Corbeth. “We’ve never used a Range Finder before, but could see it would be useful in this application.”

In addition, there’s a thermal/30X optical Pan-Tilt-Zoom camera, complete with a windshield wiper for those sloppy days.

Below: Check out what the SSR has on board.

Inspection Robot

SENSING, AND MAKING SENSE OF, ITS ENVIRONMENT

 

All of those sensors are great. But they don’t do a lot on their own. They require software and computational power to give their data meaning. Here, the SSR has a Jetson ORIN AGX for EDGE computing. The ROS2 operating system software lives onboard in InDro Commander – a module we’ve created for rapid integration of sensors and 5G remote operations. Commander can be thought of as the glue that holds everything together.

But still, there’s the issue of making sense of the data. How will the Street Smart Robot identify ice, water, leaves, snow, potholes, debris etc? And how will it determine whether they are significant enough to require a City of Ottawa maintenance crew to take action?

Here, the SSR will be going to school. And by that, we mean a combination of Machine Vision and Machine Learning will teach it what’s worth reporting and what isn’t. One way is to take actual images you expect to see on the bike path and identify which ones are significant and which can be ignored.

“For example, you could mount a camera on an actual bicycle and then use that dataset to train the robot,” says Corbeth. “But there are a couple of approaches. There’s also obviously the simulation element. You can use specific engines that have high-fidelity graphics to simulate possible different environments in high resolution. And you can use that simulated data for training.”

 

THEN WHAT?

 

In the early stages, there will be a human operator at the helm. They’ll likely see some of those obstacles with the pinhole cameras, but from the start we anticipate that the onboard AI will trigger an alert for the operator. Once the operator confirms that the image is worthy of the attention of a maintenance crew, they will contact the city directly.

That’s how things will start. Once we’ve established a high confidence level that the Machine Vision is correctly identifying anomalies, that process can be automated. The SSR will be programmed to automatically send an alert to the city, complete with a captured image of the potential problem and GPS coordinates.

“It’s the idea of anomaly detection – detecting and flagging anomalies. The SSR will also likely be able to identify the severity of the anomaly on a one-to-five scale. And because you have the GPS onboard, the exact location of the problem can be relayed to the city.”

Below: The SSR, during its public unveiling at the TCXpo exhibition in June. Front and rear view, to show off all its bits…

 

Street Smart Robot

ON THE SHOULDERS OF SENTINEL

 

Every technical achievement owes something to its predecessors. And that’s no different with the Street Smart Robot.

InDro Robotics previously built Sentinel, a workhorse for remote asset inspection. That robot incorporated an AgileX Bunker platform, an InDro Commander integration module for sensors and remote teleoperations, and several other sensors. It’s a great robot that has proven itself in the most demanding conditions.

The Street Smart Robot builds on the success and learnings of Sentinel with additional compute power, many more sensors, a more robust design and extended operational range. And that opens the SSR up to many other tasks beyond bicycle paths.

“That’s what really excites me about this project – the idea that this technology is transferable across other inspection verticals,” says Corbeth. “This particular robot could be used in agriculture, and the track platform is really good in mining. I could envision this exact same robot in those two verticals, and others.”

 

THE 5G CONNECTION

 

When dealing with multiple sensors in real-time, a solid data bandwidth is crucial. Here, SSR is outfitted with a high-speed modem and special antennaes for optimizing 5G and 4G signals. And while the Street Smart Robot can be operated over 4G, it’s 5G that offers the pipeline necessary for the data to really flow. InDro’s continuing partnership with Rogers will ensure that the SSR has access to Canada’s largest and most reliable 5G network.

Both InDro and Rogers are contributing a significant amount of development money as part of the OVIN Wintertech program. The total value of the project is estimated at $1,395,000. InDro Robotics and Rogers Communications are contributing two–thirds of the total project value ($780,000 and $150,000). Support from the Government of Ontario, through OVIN, totals $465,000 or one-third of the project. 

Below: Innovations in the InDro Sentinel paved the way for the Street Smart Robot. This image was taken at the opening of the Drone and Advanced Robot Training and Testing facility (DARTT) in June of 2023. That’s Luke Corbeth holding the microphone.

Sentinel water DARTT

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We’re pretty excited about the SSR. As Luke Corbeth says: “It’s a bad-ass robot.”

And it is. But we’re also excited about the project itself.

The Smart City of the future will have connected, embedded sensors (including on robots) helping with everything from traffic flow to updated weather and road conditions. Cyclists are a big part of any major urban centre, and the prospect of helping to ensure their safety appeals to us. It’s also an opportunity to really hone in on Machine Vision and Machine Learning as InDro trains the SSR for its task.

“Smart Cities are on their way, and it’s great to be involved in yet another project as we build the capacity for the future,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece.

“The Street Smart Robot has an important role to play, and could well be the template for anomaly detection and road maintenance at scale in the future. We’re grateful to OVIN and its Wintertech program for selecting this project for development; we’re excited to see what the SSR can do.”

InDro plans to start testing the SSR during the winter, with the project stretching to June of 2024. We’ll be writing more once the robot hits the bike paths.

Assistive devices on the rise at Korea’s Robot World Conference

Assistive devices on the rise at Korea’s Robot World Conference

Oct 12, 2023 | Medical, Robotics, Robots, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

A major robotics conference is underway in Seoul, South Korea.

Robot World 2023 features some 200 exhibitors and 700 booths, ranging all the way from heavy hitters like Hyundai (which makes robots for industrial purposes) through to companies that manufacture the various widgets that make up the robot supply chain. There are manufacturers of wheels, servos, end effectors, lubricants, cable management systems – you name it, you’ll find it.

Need a hand? There’s no shortage of robotic arms. While many are suited for factory and warehouse work, others are destined for the food services industry. Turn a corner and you’re more likely than not to see an arm smoothly pouring a coffee, grabbing a soft drink or snack and presenting it to an attendee.

Below: A Hyundai robot that can lift and reposition autonomobiles. It’s part of the Hyundai WIA (World Industrial Ace) division.

USE-CASES

 

The robots at this show illustrate the many use-cases. There are welding robots, pick-and-place machines, and heavy-lift AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) that can lift more than a ton. Need something stacked, sorted, inspected, delivered? Want a manipulator arm you can program to start preparing French fries the moment a take-out order has been placed by an app? Need a robot to move a car?

At Robot World 2023, you’ll find all of the above – and more.

 

ASSISTIVE DEVICES

 

But there was another category of robot on display at the exhibition: Assistive medical devices. Specifically, very smart machines that can be used for patients requiring rehabilitation.

InDro Robotics, which was invited to attend Robot World 2023, was struck by the number of companies with products in this sector. There were ground robots – friendly-looking devices that keep an eye on vulnerable people and can call for assistance if there’s a fall or some other crisis. But more intriguing to us were machines that can play a role – both physiologically and psychologically – in helping to rehabilitate someone from a serious injury or other challenging condition.

Below: A shape-shifting wheelchair wheel can climb stairs

Robot World Microsurgery

RE-LEARNING TO WALK

 

Like any major convention, exhibitors range from established global companies like Hyundai all the way to smaller startups with a great idea. And one that caught our attention is a company called Astrek Innovations. Its CEO and co-Founder is Robin Kanattu, a young engineer from Kerala in southern India.

“We are mainly focussing on building and designing products for the 20 per cent of people who are suffering from disability and accessibility issues,” says Robin. “One of the products is the lower limb exoskeleton, for people who are suffering form lower limb disabilities.”

As the company’s website explains:

“Established in 2018, we develop cutting edge solutions to some of our most complex problems – Disability and Rehabilitation. Leveraging our knowledge and expertise in robotics, machine learning and motion capture, we design devices that would transform the current state-of-the-art in the rehabilitation and assistive technology arena.

“Our magnum opus is a wearable robotic device, an exoskeleton, that would help people with lower-limb immobility walk again. A culmination of motorised limb braces, motion capturing & tracking; and machine learning; this device would transform rehabilitation into a precise, immediate treatment protocol.”

Established in 2018, the company has been building and testing versions of this product for four years.

“Now we have a final version, and we wanted to provide independence for people who are suffering form these disabilities,” he says.

A lot of research has gone into this product. Robin says a great deal of groundwork was spent capturing data on healthy people: How they walk, how they sit, how gaits alter during the course of a stride.

“Now we use that same data to predict the walking pattern of users, so they will have much more stable walking and standing while using the device.”

The exoskeleton provides support and strength and moves the legs. Forward-facing crutches are used to aid in stability. The product can be used on someone who is paralysed from the waist down, people recovering from strokes, those with certain genetic issues and people recovering from accidents.

 

HOW THE IDEA WAS BORN

 

Robin is an electrical engineer. But there was a personal motivation to put his skills to use in this arena.

“My grandfather had this issue. After having an accident, he was not able to walk properly. And after doing knee replacement surgery he was not able to walk again,” he explains. “So that’s how our team came togeher.”

Astrek has been recognized for product excellence at Robot World 2023, and Korea has brought the company in on a program called the K Startup Grand Challenge. Robin has been working in Korea on streamlining the manufacturing chain, working with mentors and looking for collaboration.

But the product, he says, is fully functioning. And people who are paralyzed from the waist down have been able to walk with it.

“Psychologically, they are so happy,” he says. “Their sole dream is to walk again, and we are happy to see them doing that.”

Robin did not have the prototype at the show because of red tape involving flying the batteries to Seoul. He’s pictured below with a banner showing the device.

Robin Kanattu Astrek

ROBOT REHABILITATION

 

Another company, RpiO, has already cracked the market. Its R-BoT plus is a device designed for people with central nervous system damage (including stroke, paraplegia, spinal cord injury etc.). It’s more of a rehab device designed for hospital settings, but allows users to exercise lower extremities while lying down or standing upright. The product is approved by a Korean regulatory body (Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safey, formerly the KFDA), and the company has already sold seven units inside Korea.

“We have major hospitals, locals hospitals and private hospitals who are using the machine with people who have damage impacting their lower body,” explains CEO Jay Moh.

“Because KFDA is a standard in Southeast Asia, we are starting to sell in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Many doctors have come to see our robots.”

The R-BoT plus works in three modes: Passive, active and resistive – depending on the patient’s abilities. What sets this device apart is that the person exercising watches a large-screen display during rehabilitation sessions. The display features outdoor scenes, and with every ‘step’ made, a footprint appears on the ground and the patient has a visual cue that they’re making progress. Distance covered, calories burned and heart rate are all displayed as well, providing further incentive.

“Once the machine starts, they look at the display,” he says. “This has been medically tested; this stimulates the brain and releases a chemical that stimulates recovery. People feel better – they enjoy the workout and feel like they’re walking through the grass.”

For those ready to actually move in the real world, the company also has a product called EXOwalk. Here, an exoskeleton is strapped to the patient’s limbs and can help move their legs (again, in multiple modes). But this exoskeleton is fixed to a rolling robotic platform – meaning the patient actually moves forward on the ground, rather than being fixed to a static machine.

“This is driven – so they actually move along the hallway in the facility.”

 

EXO Motion

 

For patients with upper limb motor impairments, the company has developed a product called EXO motion. This is strictly a portable exoskeleton device that attaches to the arm. In active mode, it detects myolectric signals from the user’s arm and – with some sophisticated algorithms and mechatronics – converts those signals into mechanical motion that moves the arm.

In addition to these robotic devices, RpiO also is a leading company in software designed to help people with dementia.

“We have a high population of elderly people who suffer with this,” says Moh. “So the market is growing very fast.”

Below: CEO Jay Moh, followed by the R-BoT plus and display. Note the footprints…

 

Robot World Korea R-BoT plus
R-BoT plus display

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We enjoyed checking out these devices at Robot World 2023 – and were pleased to see yet more evidence of #robotsforgood.

“Robots can be tremendous tools on their own,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece. “But there’s something truly special about products designed to directly help human beings improve their mobility and health. We applaud the inventors and engineers who develop these products, and look forward to even more assistive device breakthroughs in future.”

And a final note: The feature image at the top of this story shows some very, very, tiny arms used for microsurgery. InDro was able to take a run at the controls (pictured below). It took some patience, but we were able to grasp an impossibly small elastic band.

Now picture a highly skilled microsurgeon operating on someone remotely.

It’s happening now, thanks to robotics.

Robot World Microsurgery
Engineers put skills to the test in F1tenth autonomous challenge

Engineers put skills to the test in F1tenth autonomous challenge

Oct 5, 2023 | Autonomy, Industry News, IROS, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

Want to win a scale model car race?

Normally you’d pimp your ride, slam the throttle to the max, and do your best at the steering control to overtake any opponents while staying on the track.

Now imagine a race where no one is controlling the car remotely. Where, in fact, the car is driving itself  – using sensors and algorithms to detect the course, avoid obstacles, and look continuously for the most efficient path to the finish line.

That’s the concept of F1TENTH, a regular competition held at major robotics conferences. The latest contest was carried out in Detroit at IROS 2023, the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems. The contest brings together researchers, engineers, and autonomous systems enthusiasts.

“It’s about Formula racing, but on a smaller scale – and it’s autonomous,” explains Hongrui (Billy) Zheng, a University of Pennsylvania PhD in electrical engineering, and a key organizer of the F1TENTH series.

And what does it take to win?

“I would say 90 per cent software, and 10 per cent hardware,” says Zheng.

And that means it’s more about brainpower than horsepower.

Before we dive in, check out one of the cars below:

F1tenth

A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

 

To keep things truly competitive, all teams begin with the same basic platform. They can either build that platform, based on the build guides at F1TENTH.org, or purchase the platform. The price of the vehicle, which this year incorporated a 2D LiDAR unit (which makes up the bulk of the cost), is about $2500-$2800 US.

“I would say 60 per cent is spent on the LiDAR,” says Zheng. “Some teams use a camera only, and that drives it down to around $1000.”

So it’s a lot more accessible – and a lot safer – than real Formula 1. And instead of high octane fuel, the teams are more concerned with powerful algorithms.

Once again, the basic Open-source Robot Operating System autonomy and obstacle avoidance software is part of the basic package that all teams start out with. But just as real F1 teams work together to extract every ounce of performance, so too do the F1TENTH teams, which usually represent universities but are occasionally sponsored by companies. At this year’s competition six of the nine teams were from universities.

The F1TENTH organization says there are four pillars to its overall mission. Here they are, taken directly:

1. Build – We designed and maintain the F1TENTH Autonomous Vehicle System, a powerful and versatile open-source platform for autonomous systems research and education.

2. Learn – We create courses that teach the foundations of autonomy but also emphasize the analytical skills to recognize and reason about situations with moral content in the design of autonomous.

3. Race – We bring our international community together by holding a number of autonomous race car competitions each year where teams from all around the world gather to compete.

4. Research – Our platform is powerful and versatile enough to be used for a variety of research that includes and is not limited to autonomous racing, reinforcement learning, robotics, communication systems, and much more.

In other words, there are real-world applications to all of this. Plus, for engineers, it’s not that difficult to dive in.

“The entire project is Open Source,” explains competitor Po-Jen Wang, a computer engineer from the University of California Santa Cruz. “It uses a Jetson Xavier (for compute). And for perception it uses a Hokuyo 2D LiDAR. Some people will mount a camera for computer vision. You can make it by yourself – it’s very easy to make.”

The following video provides a good introduction to the competition. In actual races, a piece of cardboard – sometimes modified for aerodynamics – is affixed to the rear of the car. These are to aid other vehicles on the track with obstacle avoidance.

 

PIMP THAT RIDE

 

Okay. So you’ve got your basic build, along with the basic ROS software.

Now it’s time to get to work. Engineers will add or modify algorithms for obstacle avoidance, acceleration, braking – as well as for determining the most efficient and optimal path. Depending on their approach, some teams will plot waypoints for the specific course.

Of course, like a real F1 race, a lot of modifications take place once teams are at the track. But in the case of F1tenth, those alterations tend to be code (though we’ll get to mechanical changes in a moment). Of course, scrolling through endless lines of programming isn’t the most efficient way to detect and eliminate bugs or improve efficiency. This is particularly true since multiple types of software are involved.

“There is software for SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) for the mapping part, there’s software for localisation, there’s software for basic tracking if you give it a waypoint,” says organizer Billy Zheng. “Some of the basic drivers are found in a repository on Github.

“Most of the good teams are very consistent, and most of the consistent ones use mappingand localisation. The second place winner this year was using a reactive method – you just drop it and it will work.”

With all those moving parts, many teams use a dashboard that displays multiple parameters in real-time as the car moves down the track. This allows them to more rapidly nail down areas where performance can be optimised.

“The good teams usually have a better visualisation setup, so it’s easier to debug what’s going on,” adds Zheng. “The good teams are using Foxglove – a spinoff from an autonomous driving company that created a dashboard for ROS.”

To get a better idea of what the engineers are seeing trackside, here’s a look at Foxglove in action during F1TENTH.

MECHANICALS

 

Though it’s 90 per cent about code, that’s not all.

“Some modify their vehicles in different ways, maybe make it more aerodynamic, change the wheels,” explains competitor Tejas Agarwal, a graduate of uPenn with a Masters in Robotics. Agarwal and Po-Jen Wang were both contracted by Japanese self-driving software company/foundation Autoware.

(As it turned out, Wang and Agarwal placed second and third, respectively.)

The wheels on the stock vehicles are more suited to pavement and dirt rather than indoors tracks, so wheels are a common modification. But this year’s winning team, from Université Laval, took it further.

“We lowered the centre of mass as much as possible, changed the wheels, and changed our motor for better control,” says Laval team leader Jean-Michel Fortin, a PhD student in computer science specialising in robotics.

Of course, they weren’t allowed to increase the power of the motor in order to keep things on an even playing field. But they wanted one that offered greater control at lower speeds.

“Usually at low speeds the (stock) motor is bad, so we changed that for a sensor equipped motor,” says Fortin.

“We also replaced our suspension because it was too soft. As soon as we were braking our LiDAR wasn’t seeing what it should. For the software part, we tuned everything to the maximum that we could. We also optimised the race line to make sure the race line that we predict is as close to what the car can do as possible.”

And it paid off. The Laval team, pictured below, was clearly in a celebratory mood after winning (Jean-Michel Fortin in centre). Following is second-place winner Po-Jen Wang, third-place winner Tejas Agarwal and organizer Billy Zheng.

 

Laval F1tenth
Po-Jen F1tenth
Billy F1tenth

INDRO’S TAKE

 

Competitions – particularly ones like this one – are highly useful. They foster collaborative teams and encourage innovative thinking. Plus, they’re just plain fun.

“F1TENTH is a tremendous initiative and a really great challenge for young engineers and autonomy enthusiasts,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece. “Those participating today could well be leaders in the autonomy sector tomorrow. We congratulate all who took part, with a special nod to the top three. Well done!”

Is there a similar engineering challenge you think is worth some words from us? Feel free to contact InDro’s Chief of Content Scott Simmie here.

And, if you’re a competitor beginning a job search, feel free to drop us a line with your resume here. InDro Robotics is Canada’s leading R&D aerial and ground robotics company and in a current phase of scaling. We’re always on the lookout to expand our talented and diverse engineering team.