InDro joins Canadian Advanced Air Mobility trade mission to San Francisco

InDro joins Canadian Advanced Air Mobility trade mission to San Francisco

Jan 23, 2025 | Advanced Air Mobility, CAAM, InDro News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

InDro Robotics is pleased to announce it is part of a delegation heading to the US next week in a trade delegation organised by Canadian Advanced Air Mobility, or CAAM. As Canada’s federal industry association for AAM, CAAM is the nation’s unified voice in the sector, working with industry and regulators to advance the path toward the coming world of Advanced Air Mobility.

You’ve likely heard about AAM by now. But just in case, here’s a quick and high-level refresher: Technology advances of the past decade have led to what are often referred to as transformational aircraft. These run the gamut from large and autonomous cargo drones through to what are commonly called air taxis – electrically powered eVTOL (including standard multi-rotor, fixed-wing VTOL, tilt-rotor and other innovative designs) intended to carry humans and cargo. Nearly all of these aircraft are electrically powered and sustainable, while some involve hybrid designs with fuel-powered generators supplying or topping up electrical power for the motors. You can also throw smaller drones into the mix, as they will be sharing airspace and taking on newer use-case scenarios involving autonomous, Beyond Visual Line of Sight flight in urban settings.

 

VALUE PROP

 

These aircraft will fulfil a number of important use-case scenarios. For example, they will transport people or cargo to areas that currently do not have airports. They will also move goods and humans quickly across large urban areas. Minimal infrastructure is needed for these VTOL aircraft. Rather than an airport, these devices will take off and land from “vertiports” similar to helicopter pads.

People or critical supplies can be transported efficiently and sustainably to places that were previously not an option for traditional aircraft – and where the cost or availability could not justify helicopter flights. They will transport critical medical supplies between hospitals in a fraction of the time ground transport would require. Smaller drones might deliver devices like Automated External Defibrillators, Epipens or life-saving medications in emergencies.

Plus, of course, air taxis will carry people across major urban centres or to nearby satellite regions. Eventually, it’s envisioned you’ll be able to hail one of these machines the same way you call an Uber – and your pickup spot will be a vertiport.

This future isn’t coming immediately, as Federal Aviation Administration Type certifications are still underway. But it most definitely is coming. Several companies – which the CAAM delegation will visit – are leaders in the air taxi space, with fully functional aircraft they plan to put into operation once FAA certification is complete.

As for the FAA? The US regulator is fully onboard with this new era but obviously wants to ensure the integration between traditional aviation and these transformational vehicles is safely achieved. To that end, it has already released a blueprint for how it envisions this mixed air traffic will play out:

THE US LEADERS

 

A number of US companies are at the vanguard of this new era, designing and testing aircraft that are very close to being production models. And CAAM, led by Executive Director JR Hammond, has pulled together a trip that will allow delegates to meet with several of the key players based in San Francisco. The mission will have onsite visits and – pending weather – observe demo flights at the following AAM leaders:

 

WISK

 

This company has built what it describes as the “world’s first self-flying, all-electric, four-seat air taxi.” Its current model, called Generation 6, “is the world’s first all-electric, autonomous, four-seat eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) air taxi designed for passenger transport. Our larger, spacious new aircraft provides more space for passengers and their luggage, and ensures that our service is accessible for those with disabilities.”

The unique design incorporates both eVTOL and a fixed wing for range. Its eight tiltable robots enable vertical take-off and landing. Once in the air, those rotors tilt forward for the transition into more efficient fixed-wing flight. Range is 144 kilometres (90 miles), traveling at speeds up to 120 knots. Generation 6 can recharge in a scant 15 minutes, allowing for rapid turnaround. This is a fully autonomous aircraft with multiple redundant safety features, and with human oversight from the ground. WISK is a fully owned subsidiary of Boeing, and has been in operation since 2010.

Below: The WISK Generation 6

WISK Generation 6

JOBY

 

The CAAM delegation will visit another leader in this space, Joby Aviation. Its six-rotor piloted aircraft is designed to carry four people, and also employs tilt rotors and a fixed wing. It’s also fast – capable of speeds up to 320 km/hour (200 mph). Despite the six large rotors, Joby has put considerable engineering effort into one of the downsides of multi-rotors: Noise.

According to Joby, its aircraft is as “quiet as a conversation.” And they’re not the only ones saying it. The company websites quotes Aviation Week’s Guy Norris as saying: “The aircraft made only a partially perceptible sound that, in this editor’s view, would almost certainly be undetectable against the everyday noise background of an urban environment.” So that’s a big bonus.

Though there will undoubtedly be many useful routes once this aircraft is certified and integrated into US airspace, its website envisions flights such as from a downtown vertiport in New York City to JFK airport. Driving by car, says Joby, takes 49 minutes; flying gets you there in seven minutes.

The company is in the midst of testing and certification with the FAA, and has completed the first three of five stages in that process. Joby has flown more than 50,000 km on its full-scale prototype and Toyota has announced it will be investing US $500M into the company in 2025.

Below: Joby takes flight

ARCHER

 

The third air taxi company on the agenda is Archer. In 2024, the company received its Part 135 Air Carrier & Operator Certificate from the FAA – one of just two air taxi manufacturers globally to have announced receipt of that certificate. Its “Midnight” aircraft is currently undergoing FAA Type certification. The company has delivered an aircraft to the United States Air Force – the first of a potential six in a contract worth up to US $142M. It is planning to begin trials in India shortly, with other venues on tap.

All of these air taxis have interesting designs, but Midnight is particularly intriguing. It has six tilt-rotors forward of its fixed wing, and an additional six fixed rotors aft of that wing. So a total of 12 rotors lift and land Midnight vertically, while the six tilt-rotors make the transition to and provide thrust for forward flight. The tips of the tilt-rotor propellors are flexed backwards to reduce noise.

 

NASA

 

In addition to visiting the three above companies, the CAAM delegation will also spend a day at the NASA AMES Research Center. That visit will include seeing NASA’s Vertical Motion Simulator, an Advanced Air Mobility simulation, a live demonstration of an eVTOL AAM vehicle, and plenty of discussion around the implications and challenges of this new phase in global aviation.

In addition to CAAM, there will be 33 companies, regulators and research institutes on the trip. These include Transport Canada, NAV Canada, the National Research Council – as well as such established companies as CAE, Kongsberg Geospatial, and NGC Aerospace.

“This trip represents a tremendous opportunity for Canadian entities in this sector to meet with some of the leaders in the AAM world and see their technologies up close,” says CAAM Executive Director JR Hammond.

“But just as importantly, it gives these leading AAM companies a chance to learn about the incredible Canadian companies that are in or adjacent to this space and explore potential partnerships down the road. We are incredibly excited about this trip.”

Below: The Archer Midnight hits a major milestone in June of 2024, with its first transition flight. It’s a longer video, but a cool one

INDRO’S TAKE

 

The world of Advanced Air Mobility is coming. And InDro is pleased to be taking part in this CAAM-organized event.

InDro has long worked to advance the concept of integrated airspace, carrying out a broad variety of research in concert with Transport Canada and the National Research Council in areas ranging from Detect and Avoid technologies through to testing urban wind tunnels to help with prediction models and future standards for urban RPAS flight. We’ve even tested and mapped the strength of 5G signals at various altitudes in urban environments to ensure robust connections for future autonomous flights over cities and potential UTM systems.

We have concrete plans for deliveries of critical supplies, including deploying heavy-lift and long-range drones – which will be part of the AAM space. And, with our expertise in designing and building autonomous mobile robots, we foresee other opportunities.

“The future of AAM is all about automation, including autonomous flight and an eventual automated Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) system that will ensure safe flights within corridors and minimise any potential for conflict with traditional aviation,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece.

“As part of that automated future, InDro is currently exploring AMRs that will autonomously assist with tasks like cargo loading and offloading, repositioning aircraft on the ground, and more. We look forward to working with AAM clients to build robust solutions in this space.”

We’d also like to mention that this trade mission was made possible through the CanExport Program by the Government of Canada’s Trade Commissioner Service.

Interested in this sector? Stay tuned; we’lll be sending reports from the field.

InDro launches online robotics store

InDro launches online robotics store

Jan 20, 2025 | InDro News, InDro Online Store, Industry News, Robot parts, Robotics, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

In the market for a robot? A LiDAR sensor? Perhaps a Six Degree of Freedom manipulator?

You’ve come to the right place. InDro Robotics is pleased to announce its new online store – your one-stop portal for high quality robotic components. Whether it’s a $2500 US LIMO (an amazing tiny R&D powerhouse) or a $80,000 Robosense LiDAR, we’ve got you covered.

“We’re incredibly excited about this addition to our offerings,” says Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth. “For clients who need a specific component and know what they want, this will streamline the process and get products into their hands more quickly.”

We’re not talking here about custom builds – something InDro has built a stellar reputation on. But precisely because we’ve done so many custom builds, we’ve been able to identify best-in-class components. And while the majority of our clients come to InDro so that we can do the integration for them, there are some who want to either perform that integration themselves, or simply add a sensor or compute upgrade to an existing robot.

“Through building all of these robots, we’ve had a front row seat into what works, what doesn’t work, what’s best – and what is most cost-effective,” adds Corbeth. “Over time, we’ve settled on a select few components we use in the vast majority of our builds. So the purpose of the store is that if you want a component that goes into an InDro Robotics build – up to a fully functional quadruped – you can simply order it online from us.”

Below: Manipulator? LiDAR? InDro’s new online store offers a broad but highly curated selection of quality robotics components

 

Online store manipulator LiDAR

SIMPLIFYING THE CLIENT JOURNEY

 

Through scores of custom builds, including robots for some of the largest tech companies in the world, we’ve identified the most robust and cost-effective components. We’ve also learned that some clients with existing robots want to simply add a sensor or upgrade their compute.

For those clients who know specifically what they’re after, the online store streamlines the purchasing process. And if you’re unsure precisely which component would be optimal for your application? There are plenty of choices with LiDAR and compute, for example. No worries. Corbeth is still happy to walk you through the options and help you decide on the best choice for your application.

“In a lot of cases, people will have done their research and know precisely what they want. But, absolutely, I’m always available to have a discussion and ensure they’re choosing exactly what they need,” he says.

 

THIS IS NOT TEMU

 

InDro has zero interest in selling clients something they don’t need, or a component that won’t get the job done. That’s why the offerings in our store have been carefully curated. These are the components our engineers work with every single day – and which go into the custom robots we integrate for clients. Each and every item available online is a product we have confidence in, and which has been proven in the field. Our online store includes multiple options in the following categories:

  • Components: Cameras, compute, LiDAR, mobile manipulators, wireless charging
  • Robots: GO2 quadruped, LIMO Pro, LIMO
  • Drones: Multiple offerings and add-ons from DJI

But why not simply shop around and buy these somewhere else online? Sure, you could do that. However, you’d be missing out on the InDro after-sales support we are known for. If you have an issue with integrating a component purchased from InDro, Luke is just a phone call away. And, in the rare event he doesn’t have the answer, you have access to our brain trust of engineers at Area X.O to solve your problem. That’s not something you’ll get purchasing online from some faceless, distant distributor.

Plus, clients get access to InDro’s extensive documentation on these products and their integration.

“We’re going to share every resource that we use ourselves when building robots to help enable their development,” says Corbeth.

And, because InDro is an authorised distributor for every component we sell, you don’t run the very real risk of purchasing a grey market product – where manufacturers tend to not honour warranties.

Plus, there are some smaller items – like that tiny but powerful LIMO R&D robot – where the client knows that’s exactly what they want. (We have one client who has purchased dozens of these robots.) In scenarios like that, there’s no question the online store will speed the process.

“These smaller ticket items don’t need to go through the same administrative process as our larger custom robots. They can be purchased on a procurement credit card, which completely bypasses the traditional procurement process,” says Corbeth.

“So, absolutely, this will be an easier way for people to do rapid transactions and get the hardware quickly.”

Below: Can we give you (or sell you) a hand?

Online Store

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We’re pretty excited about the new online store. The components we offer, whether it’s a Robosense LiDAR or a DJI drone, all come with the manufacturer’s warranty – along with InDro’s exhaustive documentation and legendary post-sales support.

“We’re confident the store will help clients get the quality components they need as quickly as possible,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “I wouldn’t call it the Amazon of robotics – at least not yet – but it will definitely simplify the purchasing process for those clients who know specifically what they want, and get those products in their hands more quickly.”

The look and feel of the store was conceived by Head of Marketing Carli Parkinson – who worked closely with Luke Corbeth and our engineering staff to select the absolute best range of robotic components (and even robots) for its inventory.

There’s already a robust selection online. But, of course, as newer specialised products become available and we integrate and test them in our own robots, they’ll be added to the lineup.

We encourage you to take a spin through the store now. And, if you’re ready to purchase but have any questions, contact us here. Happy shopping!

New InDro Sentinel has wireless charging enclosure for remote operations

New InDro Sentinel has wireless charging enclosure for remote operations

Jan 13, 2025 | InDro Autonomy, InDro Controller, InDro News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

If you follow our news, you’re likely familiar with our Sentinel inspection robot. It’s been built specifically for monitoring critical assets like electrical substations etc. – places where you need regular eyes on assets without the cost and inconvenience of having a human being on site.

We are pleased to announce that InDro Robotics has perfected an outdoor enclosure that keeps Sentinel protected from harsh weather, while allowing for wireless recharging.

“If you imagine a robot in any sort of demanding outdoor environment to improve the longevity of the equipment, you want to keep it away from the elements as much as possible – which is why the enclosure exists,” explains Luke Corbeth, InDro’s Head of R&D Sales.

“For any demanding outdoor application such as substation inspection, solar farm inspection, etcetera, you’re going to want to keep the robot out of the rain, away from the wind, out of direct heat. These elements are why the enclosure exists.”

And the best part? Sentinel can autonomously return to that enclosure to rest and recharge completely on its own. And that makes it perfect for even the most distant of assets. If there’s a cellular connection, Sentinel can be a totally remote employee.

Below: The new Sentinel enclosure, on site at our R&D headquarters at Ottawa’s Area X.O

Sentinel enclosure Ottawa Hydro

JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH…

 

And what comes next? April, of course. And the reason we’re going down this road is because Sentinel finds its roost using a code known as AprilTags. They’re similar to QR codes, but have been designed for 3D orientation. Sentinel’s enclosure uses AprilTags – which are detected by onboard cameras – for the robot to find its way home, and snug up nice and close to its wireless recharging system.

“The robot is trained to know exactly what these tags look like from every angle,” says Corbeth. “And by looking at these tags, it’s able to determine: ‘Oh, I’m a little bit off in this direction, so I need to make this adjustment.’ That ensures that we have a smooth and reliable docking and undocking sequence every single time the robot goes in and out of the enclosure.”

There’s a slightly inclined ramp for Sentinel to access this tiny recharging home. And the floor is deliberately a bit slippery in order for Sentinel to fine-tune its docking procedure by, for lack of a better word, drifting inside the enclosure to get its bearings.. And the charging system? Amazing.

The Wibotic charger is incredibly efficient. One hour of wireless charging is enough for Sentinel to fully recharge and deploy on a five-hour mission. Let’s repeat that: One hour of wireless charging gives Sentinel five hours on the ground.

The other advantage is that, because it’s wireless, there are no mechanical interfaces. These can be a potential point of failure, which is the last thing you’d want on a remote, autonomous installation. The whole point of these installations is for a robot to take care of things on its own.

“Anytime you have a mechanical interface, there are usually prongs involved. These can get bent or damaged – which is the last thing you’d want on a remote installation. So wireless charging completely eliminates that potential point of failure,” says Corbeth.

Below: Sentinel in its enclosure. You can see one of the AprilTags, which are used for Sentinel to perfectly align with the Wibotic charger

 

Sentinel enclosure Ottawa Hydro

REAL WORLD DEMO

 

Sentinel has been through multiple iterations as platforms, sensors and  compute improve. The newest version uses a wheeled platform (though a separate version with treads is available). Compute is a powerful AI-enabled processor capable of many Trillions of Operations per Second (TOPS). And because we deploy with InDro Controller, our in-house user interface, Sentinel can be easily programmed to repeat highly complex tasks.

Say, for example, you are particularly interested in the reading on a gauge. The first time you deploy Sentinel using InDro Controller, you would manually adjust the Pan-Tilt-Zoom camera to capture an image of that asset. But once you’ve done it once? InDro Controller remembers the settings – so you can deploy Sentinel on an autonomous mission and it will remember all parameters. It will capture the same image, on its own, during any subsequent deployment. This applies to any sensor, capturing any data.

 

HYDRO OTTAWA DEMO

 

Recently, InDro got in touch with Hydro Ottawa. We were looking to deploy Sentinel in a real-world situation, and Hydro Ottawa has an electrical substation in the city. We were interested in testing Sentinel in that scenario, and Hydro Ottawa was interested in seeing what Sentinel could do.

We deployed over the Rogers 5G network, using InDro Controller to quickly plot its route and some specific Points of Interest (which did indeed include a gauge). Then we let Sentinel go about its business completely on its own with an autonomous mission.

The result? Phenomenal. Sentinel captured all the salient data, demonstrating its immense capabilities as a ‘set and forget’ robot. Now that the data is in InDro Controller, Sentinel can carry out the same mission on a schedule with zero human intervention. Data will be automatically uploaded – and Sentinel is even capable of sending alerts if, say, that gauge was sending a reading of concern.

“We were able to plot a full preventative maintenance mission – and then run it autonomously several times within a two-hour window,” says Corbeth.

What’s more? It was freezing cold, putting Sentinel to the test in a harsh environment. This is what this robot was built to carry out – and can operate in environments from -20C to +30C.

And the Hydro Ottawa people?

“They were blown away,” says Corbeth. “They even told me: ‘Luke, your team should be very proud.'”

We are.

Below: Sentinel at a Hydro Ottawa substation

 

Sentinel enclosure Ottawa Hydro

INDRO’S TAKE

 

Sentinel has been an ongoing project for InDro for several years. We have continually upgraded the product as newer sensors and AI compute capabilities have become available. In conjunction with InDro Controller, this is now a fully commercial product. In fact, we recently shipped three of these to a US client and look forward to reporting on this when they are first deployed (which is happening shortly).

“Sentinel is one of our core products,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “Our team, both at Area X.O and InDro Forge, have worked very hard on the design and integration of this product. And InDro Controller, under the hands of Head of Software RJ Bundy, is an extremely intuitive and powerful user interface. We look forward to manufacturing many more Sentinels in 2025.”

Oh. We almost forgot to tell you that Sentinel is available as a quadruped, so it can tackle stairs and more demanding environments. So cool.

Interested in learning more – including a remote demo where you can take control of Sentinel? Contact us here.

InDro Robotics positions itself for the next phase of growth trajectory

InDro Robotics positions itself for the next phase of growth trajectory

Dec 4, 2024 | InDro Forge, InDro News, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

We’ve just hired more bright people at InDro Robotics: Four engineers in total, with another one coming soon.

That’s a significant investment in our staff, and in our company. And while we’ll introduce a few of them here, this post isn’t really a “get to know you” story. It’s a broader narrative about growth, strategy and trajectory.

If you follow InDro Robotics (and presumably that’s why you’re here), you’ll know we’ve grown from a startup to a what’s known as an SME – a Small to Medium Enterprise. You’ll also know that our motto is: Invent, Enhance, Deploy.

That is, and will continue to be, our ethos. We invent our own products and market them – and build custom robots and drones for clients (including for some of the biggest technology companies on the planet). We also do highly specialised service provision and run the Drone and Advanced Robotics Testing and Training Zone (DARTT) at Area X.O, where clients can test robots on a course that meets the demanding criteria set out by NIST, the US-based National Institute of Standards and Technology. The drone section features a large netted enclosure, allowing operators to carry out training or even test drones with new technologies without the need for a Special Flight Operations Certificate from Transport Canada. It’s a very cool facility.

At our Area X.O engineering headquarters, we’ve grown from three engineers a little over three years ago to a staff of 20 (in addition to other operations elsewhere in Canada). Because so many components come into our shop – and so many robots go out – we have a full-time Supply Chain Manager and Logistics Coordinator. We have a Head of R&D Sales. And, of course, we have InDro Forge – a full-service rapid prototyping and limited production run facility that has every high-end fabrication tool you could think of (including a 3D printer capable of printing at volumes of up to one cubic metre).

It has been a steady and calculated growth trajectory so far, says Engineering Manager Aaron Griffiths:

“It’s been very strategical,” he explains. “We’ve been looking for robustness and longevity rather than speed.”

And – up until now – that growth has been reflective of our core tasks: Building custom products for clients and inventing our own products.

We’ve done that very well – and will continue to do so. But the long-term InDro roadmap has always included more. And we have now reached that stage.

Below: Team InDro at the opening of DAART in June of 2023

Area XO DARTT

INVENT, ENHANCE, MANUFACTURE

 

InDro has created some landmark products in recent years – with more to come. We can’t discuss all of them due to NDAs. But some public highlights that immediately come to mind include InDro Commander, InDro Pilot, InDro Controller, our Sentinel remote inspection robot, and much more.

Most of what was just mentioned are InDro innovations – meaning we have invented or developed these products with clients in mind, but not specifically as one-off projects. In other words, they have been built with an eye to actually producing and selling these products at scale.

Don’t get us wrong, we have certainly sold each of these products. But we’ve now reached a stage where demand – as planned – dictates that we expand in order to be able to run as a manufacturing facility while still retaining our ability to build custom robots and drones.

“If you want to turn out 10-20 robots over a few months, that requires a whole production team,” explains Griffiths. “That would be an additional five to 10 people just to do that kind of work.”

And not just a production team. As we continue to deploy more robots in the field, InDro now sees the need to start expanding our team to include Field Engineers.

“So you need a production team to make the things – and then a field engineering team to maintain and run them on client sites,” he adds.

 

FIELD ENGINEER

 

Our first Field Engineer hire is a familiar face to InDro. Liam Dwyer, who graduated from Queen’s University Canada in June of this year with a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, previously carried out a 16-month co-op placement with InDro at Area X.O. But he’s heading into a very different role, suited to InDro’s growth.

“I’m going to be an on-site support and integration person to either get the client set up with the robot, supported with the robot, or to repair robots that may have been either damaged or just need maintenance,” he says.

He also recognizes the significance of his role in the bigger picture.

“I think the fact this title now exists at InDro really shows a lot of growth as a company. The fact there is now a full-time role to move and support these robots really means that the reach of InDro has gone pretty far – the name has gotten out.”

It’s also – both for Dwyer and InDro – a perfect fit.

“I’m a big fan of travel and I like field work, so I’m very excited for it,” he says. “It really puts a lot of emphasis on your individual ability to solve the problem and produce a solution. I was able to do some field work during my placement here, and I really like this kind of challenge.”

There are already plans for a second Field Engineer hire. And that’s on top of three other recent hires at InDro, including the highly experienced Steve Weaver in the senior position of Embedded System Engineer. He’s been in this space for some 25 years.

“Steve has been hired as a senior engineer for his wisdom,” says Griffiths. “He knows what to do and – just as important – knows what not to do.”

He’s joined by Nathan Sun, who has less long-term experience but has been working with all of the latest and greatest tools in AI and brings a fresh approach to things. Sun is also an Embedded Systems engineer, and should make the perfect work partner for Weaver.

“Nathan is the other side of the coin to Steve,” says Griffiths. “Together they’ll make a great team because they complement each other very well.”

That’s not all. Just prior to these three new hires, InDro also brought Sebastian Mocny on board in the role of Robotics Software Engineer. He’s currently busy taking Cypher Robotics‘ Captis cycle-counting AMR to the next level. InDro has an incubation agreement with Cypher Robotics, which also taps into the expertise and gear at InDro Forge. So that’s four engineers in short order, with more to come.

Below: New hire Liam Dwyer (R) during his co-op at Area X.O, with Tirth Gajera

Liam Dwyer and Tirth Gajera

BUILDING A TEAM

 

It’s been quite a voyage at Area X.O, with a lot of growth over the past few years. All of the hires go through Founder and CEO Philip Reece, as well as Vice President Peter King. But it’s generally Arron Griffiths who has to ultimately determine if prospective employees will be a fit for the Area X.O team culture InDro has worked so hard to foster (and where Griffiths works daily).

With a very low attrition rate and high job satisfaction, InDro is clearly selecting the right people – and building the right environment.

“It’s really all about personality,” say Griffiths. “It boils down to people’s mental state, their values. I would argue that if they’re driven, if they’re kind, if they’re a proactive learner, if they have empathy…the qualities you look for in a nice person are typically what you’ll find in a good and productive employee.”

One of the big projects for next year will be the push to manufacture the recently-announced InDro Cortex. It’s a small but exceedingly powerful brain box for computer customisation that allows for rapid sensor integration and contains power management for multiple sensors along with ROS2 files. The Plug & Play (or Plug & Work) device follows on the incredible success of InDro Commander – and there’s already impressive demand. It also enables teleoperation and is the perfect match with InDro Controller – our intuitive dashboard for even highly complex autonomous missions.

And while we’re proud of the engineering work that has gone into Cortex, Griffiths says products like this “stand on the shoulder of giants” in the engineering world. And here, he’s referring to the tremendous advances in AI compute and other technologies that allow Area X.O engineers to truly work with the most advanced tools available.

“We have good and talented engineers,” explains Griffiths. “but we are definitely aware that other engineers out there have helped enable us to be on the leading edge of things. We’re hitting that very sweet spot in terms of technology maturity that’s enabling us to do this right.”

Below: InDro Cortex

 

InDro Control Module ICM Cortex

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We’re obviously pleased to announce these four new hires – and to welcome these talented individuals to our team. We are equally proud to have reached a stage where we’re in the position and have the name recognition to forge ahead into manufacturing at greater scale. It’s a testament to the dedication of all of our employees – including administration, sales, logistics, marketing and management. (Oh yes, and content, too.)

“As we prepare to push into manufacturing and dedicated employees for onsite customer field support, I’m grateful to everyone for their hard work – and to our clients as well,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece.

“And to those clients who have relied on us in the past for custom solutions? Don’t worry. We’ll still be doing that with the same care and attention to detail. This simply marks a new expansion into manufacturing for InDro, which will continue to put significant resources into custom builds and R&D. Onward.”

Interested in exploring a solution from InDro? You can contact Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth right here. He’s incredibly knowledgeable and loves nothing more than helping clients find the perfect solution.

YouTube’s Hacksmith Industries creates “cyborg” with Indro Robotics arms

YouTube’s Hacksmith Industries creates “cyborg” with Indro Robotics arms

Nov 29, 2024 | Dave's Armoury, Hacksmith Industries, InDro News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

You’ll have fun with this story – we promise.

That’s because it involves engineering, entertainment – and a use-case you’ll have to see to believe. Specifically, it involves integrating a set of robotic arms onto a human being. A cyborg, if you will.

This is not the kind of work we do at Indro Robotics (though in the distant future, who knows?). But it is precisely the kind of work the engineers at Hacksmith Industries carry out all the time.

If you’re into engineering, wild builds and superheroes, odds are you’re familiar with their outrageously successful YouTube channel. Perhaps you’re even one of its 15.1 million – and counting – subscribers. As its website explains, “We make it real. We take ideas from the worlds of movies, TV, games, and comics to make real working prototypes! We make the impossible into reality every day.”

And they do.

Think of things like Thor’s hammer, from the Marvel Entertainment franchise. Or maybe Captain America’s shield. These are objects that the geniuses at Hacksmith create using solid engineering – combined with wry humour. The entire projects, from beginning to end, are documented on video and posted to YouTube, where they are tremendously popular. So popular, in fact, that Hacksmith Industries has grown from a small garage-based outfit to a full-fledged enterprise – with its own expansive facility and studio and now 20 employees. Not bad for content creators.

And to help with that content (not that Hacksmith needs the push), here’s an example of what they do: In this case, summoning Thor’s hammer. (And if you like this one, and we’re sure you will, there’s an entire series of other Thor’s hammers to keep you entertained).

THE BACKSTORY

 

Every Marvel or DC superhero has an origin story. And so too does Hacksmith industries.

It began with two guys – James Hobson and Ian Hillier. They were both builders/makers when they were younger. And in high school, the pair mused about someday working together. That would have to wait, however. Both attended Conestoga College in Ontario’s Kitchener, where they each graduated with a B. Eng. in Mechanical Systems Engineering in 2012.

And after that? Well, explains Hillier, they both took “standard nine-to-five engineering jobs.”

But while they were doing that, the pair worked together on their own projects for fun. And Hobson started making videos for YouTube. He grew that channel to about 60,000 subscribers and was clearly enjoying what he was doing. So he decided to quit work and produce videos full-time.

“And shortly after, I got jealous and quit my job and then joined him,” says Hillier.

With 60,000 subscribers, this wasn’t sustainable in terms of income – at least not without a huge leap in viewership. But they both had their eyes on that eventual prize and continued to push. They also found that doing builds related to superhero powers and other popular action/sci-fi zeitgeist seemed to really bring in views. The turning point, when they realised this could actually be a thing, was when two videos related to Captain America’s shield went viral.

And the rest, with a lot of hard work, is history.

“As we started posting more and more content…somehow that turned into what it is today,” says Hillier. “When I quit my job back in early 2016, I was just kind of thinking: Hey – I want to do this full-time. I wasn’t thinking: ‘Oh, let’s run one of the largest YouTube channels in Canada and let’s have a giant team, a giant facility.’ We do some incredible things here.”

That’s very true. Here’s one of those first viral videos – which Hillier says was one of two shield vids that opened the door to what Hacksmith Industries has become. You’ll note that in addition to the entertaining nature of the video, there’s also some good technical explanation, including how increasing the voltage ramped up the power of the electromagnet significantly. The tech explanations are part of each and every video, and clearly appeal to the inner geek in all of us.

THE INDRO CONNECTION

 

Many of us at InDro were already familiar with the channel, and Head of Engineering Arron Griffiths is a big fan. But a few members of the Hacksmith team were also somewhat familiar with InDro. In fact, Hacksmith Industries purchased some Unitree quadrupeds from InDro. Plus, InDro had done work with engineer Dave Niewinski, who also works frequently with the Hacksmith team.

But things really got rolling when InDro Vice President Peter King had a tour of the Hacksmith headquarters in Cambridge Ontario. What he saw led to a discussion about possible collaboration. And – fitting with the cool and unusual genre that appeals to Hacksmith team – it was eventually agreed that InDro would supply a pair of robotic arms, which Hacksmith would then attempt to integrate onto a human being.

The concept was somewhat reminiscent of Otto Octavius, also known as Dr. Octopus, from the Spider-Man franchise, along with other multi-armed characters. So that was also a fit. The arms have six degrees of freedom (DOF), which is considered full articulation. That includes three rotational movements (rotating the arm itself, twisting and tilting) and all three linear movements (up/down, left/right, forward/back).

But how do you get robotic arms from the box to functioning on a person? The answer, it turns out, is hard work – including coding, creating a mountable external power supply that looks cool, and a lot of trial and error.

Overseeing the task fell to Charles Holtforster, the team’s Mechatronics Engineering Designer. A graduate of the University of Waterloo in Kitchener, Holtforster did two Co-op placements with Hacksmith while studying engineering and received an offer to be hired upon graduation. He’s been with the outfit since 2020.

“It’s certainly the best job I ever imagined – and it’s not something I ever really dreamed I’d be able to do for a full-time position or a career,” he says. “But, four years later, here we are.”

One of the first things Charles did when this project landed in his lap was to contact Dave Niewinski. Dave is also an engineer who has worked frequently with Hacksmith Industries, and is something of a specialist in robotic arms. He’s also the brains and the face behind Dave’s Armoury, a growing YouTube channel that highlights Niewinski’s own creations.

Dave did the coding to enable control of the arms via an Oculus Quest virtual reality headset and controllers. That meant a second person (Charles) would be responsible for holding those controllers and moving the arms where they needed to go (which resulted in some comedy gold). You’ll see that in a moment. You’ll also see that you can’t simply throw a set of arms on a person; a lot of work went into the right form factor for integration, as well as a power supply that would not only do the job but look Hacksmith-y slick.

 

R&D

 

The Hacksmith videos are all really fun. And while we have fun at our Area X.O headquarters, we’re generally working on either R&D for our own products or creating custom robotic solutions for clients. Hacksmith carries out a very different kind of R&D on its own projects, but totally gets the value of more conventional research and development.

“R&D is definitely essential and very, very important,” says Hacksmith Co-Founder Ian Hillier. “Without R&D, there’s no progress.”

Figuring out how to mount a pair of robotic arms on a human is definitely a form of R&D. But is there potentially a use-case? We put that question to Hillier.

“I think humanoid robots are are coming – so on the humanoid robot front I’d say yes,” he says. In fact, Hacksmith plans to do exactly that on a forthcoming video, integrating InDro’s arms with the bipedal Unitree robot you’ll see at the close of the video.

But what about a person?

“As for augmenting humans, I think that’s possible, but in very specific circumstances,” he says. “As an example, someone who has a limb difference. Having prosthetic hands is a perfect example. Or having an exoskeleton that could help with mobility or lifting heavy things.”

Did he say prosthetics? Limb differences? We’re glad he did. Because it reminded us of our personal favourite Hacksmith video. In this one, the team built a flashy prosthetic hand for a young UK YouTuber who was born without a fully-formed left hand. But it wasn’t just flashy; it was a state-of-the-art and fully functional prosthetic. And the team not only adapted it in the style of that YouTuber’s favourite game – they gave it to the young man.

It’s truly a moving video, and one that tells us something else about the Hacksmith team. We’ll drop that video here – right after the one showcasing the robotic arms supplied by InDro.

 

INDRO’S TAKE

 

While we’re not sure when – if ever – there will be human cyborgs with robotic arms, we enjoyed this collaboration with Hacksmith Industries.

“The entire InDro Robotics team really enjoyed the video – and seeing R&D from a very different perspective,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “Hacksmith Industries clearly has some top-level engineering talent. I’d say they’re the kind of people InDro likes to hire – which is true – but we’d have to significantly up our video game, and start leaning more toward superheroes. That’s not likely to happen, but this was a truly entertaining collaboration for us.”

One more thing. We forgot to mention that Hacksmith Industries has developed a very cool line of tech-related toys and tools. You can check out their line here.

And if you happen to be in the market for robotic arms – or anything else robot-related – we have an online store coming early next year. You don’t have to wait for that, however. You can check out our full line of accessories right here. (PS: The NVIDIA Jetson Orin AGX Developer Kit makes for a great stocking stuffer.)

Meet InDro’s Engineering Manager Arron Griffiths: Roboticist & Foodie who’s learned from failure

Meet InDro’s Engineering Manager Arron Griffiths: Roboticist & Foodie who’s learned from failure

Nov 1, 2024 | Engineering, InDro News, InDro Profile, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

Looking for some authentic British fish & chips in the Ottawa area?

Well, come next spring there’s going to be a new food truck in town. “Spuds & Stuff” will offer fish & chips, poutine – plus some surprises not yet on the menu. The truck is being outfitted right now (well, not specifically ‘right’ now) and the plan is for it to be ready to go by then. It will also offer gluten-free fish & chips.

But perhaps the biggest surprise of all? The person behind the counter will be our Engineering Manager, Arron Griffiths.

“There’s actually a British Canadian flag on my food truck to symbolise it’s a British guy in Canada with his Canadian wife making, you know, homestyle fish and chips,” he says.

It’s symbolic not only of his love of cooking and food, but also his approach to life: Pursue your dreams, whether that’s robotics, cooking and meeting people – or a balance of both.

“I’m chasing, I’m following my dream, right,” he smiles.

And so he is. Which is also, coincidentally, what brought him to InDro Robotics.

Below: Arron Griffiths, left of centre (and standing next to InDro Robotics Founder/CEO Philip Reece, who’s wearing the jacket) with members of Team InDro at Area X.O

Area XO DARTT

IN THE BLOOD

 

Born and raised in Birmingham, UK, technology is literally in Arron’s genes. Yes, he had an interest in Japanese animé as a child, which sparked his passion for robots. But he grew up in a household (and from a bloodline) of engineers, makers and builders that the family has traced back to 1740 – 20 years before the start of the Industrial Revolution.

Arron’s father was an engineer who brought the internet to major UK companies in the late 1980s and early 90s; Bill Clinton is even said to have sent him an email to mark the accomplishment. So the boy who would eventually become our Engineering Manager grew up in a house that always had the latest computers, was always plugged-in to the cutting-edge. His was the first family to have internet on its street.

But it wasn’t just his father.

“My father is an internet engineer and my grandfather was a welder by trade, and then his father was an engineer and we think his father was an engineer,” says Griffiths. “There’s a lineage on my dad’s side of engineers and skilled trades we believe going all the way back to being tinkerers or something.”

It’s not surprising that Griffiths knew from an early age that he wanted to someday work with robots. Design them, build them – and contribute toward a future where robots might one day perform mundane tasks at scale to give humans extra time to explore more fulfilling and creative tasks; to enjoy life more.

“I knew I wanted to do robots when I got older but everyone laughed at me. I was very much the weird kid in that sense.”

There would be a few bumps along the way. Though doing well in math and physics, Griffiths “meandered” a bit during one year at college in the UK, which he likens to senior high school. He did more than meander: He failed. And so he pivoted and attended a hands-on vocational school, where he learned about electronics and computers in control. He learned to code in C language and more. He was making things.

“I did well at the college because it’s very much what I was really interested in. And then at 19 I went to the University of Plymouth and started my BSc Bachelor of Science in Robotics,” he says.

He thought he had a pretty good grasp on all things technical, and – like many starting out in university – he enjoyed the party life and didn’t yet fully appreciate the commitment a demanding major requires. The result? He would once again fail – this time, during his second year.

“But it was actually a good thing that I kept failing,” he reflects. “I think, in hindsight, I probably thought I knew more than I did.”

 

SOUL SEARCHING

 

After that second failure, Arron knew he needed to be absolutely certain if he were on the correct path. So he took a trip to the US to reflect, traveling and exploring the east coast for a little over a month.

“And I was trying to find out if I really wanted to do this, if I really wanted to be a robotics engineer, if I had the skill set. Did I really want to do this?” he recalls.

Thankfully for InDro, he did. Arron returned to the UK and completed his degree in 2008 – not exactly the best year to go job-searching. With the help of his mother he stayed on at Plymouth University and completed his Masters degree. He also became deeply involved in the university’s robotic soccer team. In fact, his thesis was about building a robot goaltender.

“And my dissertation was you can never lose a football match if you never let a goal in – you can only ever draw or win. And then essentially I was like: So I’ve got to develop a goalkeeper that never lets a goal in, right?”

His work led him to be hired by the University after graduation to keep on working with the robot football team and be a teaching assistant in the lecture halls. That 1.5-year contract was extended another year, and soon Griffiths was traveling extensively.

“I went to Germany, Korea, Taiwan doing the competitions for this team. I learned a lot about bipedal robots and vision systems and autonomy and localizing. I was still learning – so it was almost like getting another degree.”

Exciting though that was, Griffiths knew he didn’t want to spend his career inside an institution. In some ways, being back in the lecture halls – even if he was the one giving the lecture – felt like still being trapped in school. He wanted more. And so he left Plymouth University and, briefly, found himself unemployed.

“If you’re listening, I fail a lot, right?” he laughs, “I fail and then I pick myself up.”

Below: Arron’s robotic goaltender and action. Like its creator, it too fails on occasion – but is a great example of his early work with machine vision and AI. (Side note: the CBC later did a feature on the University of Plymouth’s robotic football team.)

CUMBRIA TO CANADA

 

Determined to not only remain in robotics but find new challenges, he landed a job at the University of Manchester designing and building robots to be used in nuclear facilities, including submersible robots that could carry out fuel-rod inspections. The work took him to a remote location next to Scotland in Cumbria, because that’s where the nuclear facility was. It was there he was faced with the challenge of taking some strangers with high-level skillsets and building not only robots – but a team. It was called the RAIN Hub, where RAIN stands for Robotics and AI in Nuclear.

Arron’s big project there was to design and build a ground vehicle that could autonomously explore massive nuclear facilities and map any radiation contamination: A task that perfectly fits the Dirty Dull and Dangerous. Arron built the Carma for the task, using a Clearpath platform as the base. It also got him interested in the company. (Quick aside: He would also meet his future wife while working in that lonely outpost.)

He had a friend and supporter who worked at Clearpath and who put in a good word when a posting for Applications Engineer came up. Arron applied and received an offer – but there was a catch. The offer had an expiry date to accept, and Arron was still waiting for his visa to be able to work in Canada. It wasn’t clear if the visa would be in place in time to accept the offer.

It was close. With two weeks remaining, he got the paperwork – and prepared to scramble. He had about 10 days to pack up, sell whatever he could, and move to Waterloo.

Though heading to Clearpath, he was getting closer to InDro.

Below: the Carma in action.

CLEARPATH, COVID, CITIZENSHIP

 

In March of 2019, Griffiths arrived and, after finding his feet in Waterloo, started working at Clearpath. As Senior Applications Engineer, there was a lot of “client-facing” engineering.

“I would negotiate essentially what we would deliver and what they would get by when, because people have very grandiose ideas about robots about what they expect robots to be capable of doing. Sometimes I had to readjust those expectations by saying: ‘Do you have one million dollars?'” he laughs. “That’s also where I met Peter.” (He’s referring here to InDro Vice President Peter King.)

Arron’s second year at Clearpath was during COVID lockdowns, and he spent much of the year working from home. He was also reflecting on whether being a Senior Applications Engineer was the right job for him. That’s when Peter (by this point at InDro) called him up and asked Arron if he might be interested in a more senior position with a newer robotics company.

And that…is how Arron came to Area X.O.– where he’ll mark his fourth anniversary early next year, along with an impressive number of successful milestones.

Griffiths has overseen both the design and build of many projects (including a highly complex design and build for one of the world’s largest technology companies) – and scaled a very small engineering team to a large one. It’s been an utter transformation for InDro…and for Arron.

“When I first started, although I was Engineering Manager by title, I wasn’t by practice. I was very much the senior engineer doing operations and engineering. But in the last two years I very much feel like the Engineering Manager. I have a team of people that I delegate to. I do the tasking and the timing and the synching.”

He’s also shown an extraordinary talent in selecting people who gel in a collaborative team setting – and striking the perfect balance between hard work at the office and team celebrations like meals out, bowling, miniature golf. Striking that balance between being a manager and being a colleague/friend is like “walking a tightrope,” he says.

“When you’re celebrating people and the InDro accomplishments they’ve made, I’m very happy and jolly. But when you’re asking someone to get something done, you’re pretty dry and straightforward, right? That gives them an indication that this is not me as Aaron asking you, this is me as Engineering Manager saying, ‘Hey, these are the tasks we need to get done.’ So my mannerisms are different – I’m very matter-of-fact when I’m the boss and a bit more casual and emoji happy when I’m being me.”

 

OUTSIDE INDRO

 

Remember the Canadian woman he met while up doing that nuclear robotics work? Well, physicist Marisa Smith and Griffiths continued to make it work – even when she was living in the US and he was at Clearpath. Every two weeks, Arron would pack up and drive eight hours to and back from South Bend, Indiana, to see her.

They married during COVID – and would hold a more public ceremony where others could help celebrate in Jamaica in February of 2023. Both cat lovers, Arron says “Marisa is the smart one in the house.” He applied for Canadian citizenship and, earlier this year in an online ceremony, took his pledge.

“I did it because I wanted to be a Canadian – I wanted to feel like I belonged. I didn’t want to be a foreigner anymore,” he says. “I wanted to be part of the country.”

We are grateful he is. And we look forward to trying out his food truck (yes, that really is a thing) this coming spring.

If it’s as good as his robots and work ethic – and we’re confident it will be – there should be no shortage of customers.

Below: The day Arron received his Canadian citizenship in a virtual ceremony (note the elaborate pathways for cats on the walls – he and his wife are cat people). Image two: A celebratory graphic, created and posted internally. Image three: The food truck! Image four: Griffiths and his wife, physicist Marisa Smith (whom Arron refers to as “the smart one in the house”).

Arron Citizenship
Arron Citizenship
Arron food truck
Arron and Marisa Smith

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to have an engineering manager both as capable and as personable as Arron. He has contributed hugely to the growth and success of our Area X.O team, overseeing complex projects on tight deadlines while always ensuring he’s celebrating the accomplishments of others. He has created a special “InDro Kudos” chat channel, where every week he praises employees who have excelled at specific tasks.

“Arron is not only an outstanding engineer and roboticist – he’s also a tremendous manager and team leader,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “He is constantly mentoring others, sharing any and all skills to help move the company as a whole forward. I look forward to trying his fish & chips – and wonder how long it will be before he integrates a robotic arm in his operations.”

Vice President Peter King concurs.

“It was really fortuitous for the future of InDro Robotics that Arron and I met at Clearpath,” he says. “The intelligence, energy and enthusiasm that Arron brings to the job are incredible – and he’s behind so many of the InDro successes of the past several years. He’s the perfect person in the perfect position; an exact fit.”

We hope you enjoyed learning more about Griffiths. If you enjoyed this story, you might like this profile of two Area X.O employees who began their journey in India.

And, yes, we’ll tell you when his truck is ready.

Feature image at top of story by Scott Simmie, InDro Robotics