InDro News Archives - Page 2 of 22

From India to Area X.O: The ‘Long Journey’ of two InDro technologists

Sep 6, 2024 | InDro News, InDro Profile, Scott Simmie

The average annual temperature in India’s Gujarat state is 29° C – and that’s during the winter. In summer, it’s not uncommon to hit highs of 49°.

So you can imagine the shock when two teenagers from that state stepped off separate jets in Ottawa six years ago, just as a Canadian winter was setting in, to pursue careers in engineering.

Neither Ujas Patel nor Tirth Gajera, now valued members of InDro’s core team at Area X.O, had ever been abroad before, let alone out of their own state. And neither were highly proficient in English yet – though they had both studied in preparation to attend Algonquin College. Their native tongue was Gujarati.

For Ujas, his father – a mechanical engineer – had been the inspiration. Ujas was fascinated with what his father did, and spent several months working with him on projects to learn more about the field. His father, meanwhile, encouraged his son to study abroad, and specifically in Canada. The year was 2018 and Ujas started preparations – applications, studying English, student visas and other documentation – and figuring out which city to choose.

“I could have gone to Toronto or any other part of Canada, but I realized that in Ottawa there are not so many international students, and I wanted to live with Canadian people,” he recalls. “I wanted to learn what they do, how they live life.”

Tirth Gajera, meanwhile (who we’ll refer to as T going forward), was going through all the same preparations. T knew he was interested in aerospace or a related field, and had been encouraged by others to start with a mechanical engineering course abroad. Going to either the US or Canada were the best options. Things in the US were a little dicey at the time, so the choice became Canada – and specifically, the same institution that Ujas had chosen: Algonquin College in Ottawa. The two had never met.

And so, in November and December of 2018, each landed in the nation’s capital. And a challenging, at times gruelling, life-changing journey began for both of them.

Below: T and Ujas, on the days they left India for an uncertain future in Canada

A WORLD APART

If you’re not an immigrant, try to imagine the challenges of landing in a new country where you have virtually no connections – and not even a place to stay. You speak the basics of the language, but you’re by no means proficient. Absolutely everything is different: From the weather right down to the unfamiliar products in a grocery store. Picture also that you’re 17 or 18, and that this is your first-ever trip abroad – and that you are alone. To further complicate things, tuition, rent and the overall cost of living are high and you don’t want to burden your family back home (where the annual income is much lower than in Canada).

This is the reality Ujas and T faced on arrival in Ottawa.

T recalls meeting another young man from Gujarat at the Ottawa airport. The new friend was in transit, waiting for a friend to pick him up who would drive him to Montreal. T had no idea where he’d be spending the night. When the ride for his friend arrived, T told them “I don’t know where to go.”

Luckily, the driver knew of another friend who might be able to help. He called him, and a stranger came and picked T up at the airport.

“He showed me around, and said ‘You can just stay with us for a week until you figure out something.”

Ujas, meanwhile, was also alone and trying to figure things out. Someone from Algonquin College had arranged a place for him to stay for just a few short days, but he was also on his own.

“I was the first in my whole family to come here to Canada,” he says (his sister has since moved to Kitchener and recently graduated as a Registered Nurse).

Ujas also knew, like T, that the cost of living was going to be a quantum leap from living at home in Gujarat. He’d have to find an apartment, pay utilities and public transport, buy groceries. All in a strange new world. Plus, both young men knew they’d have to find work to pay for their studies. The cost was high, and it was a burden neither wanted to shift back to relatives at home.

“I could not ask my parents to pay for my tuition fees because as international students, we were paying like $8000-$9000 for each semester,” says Ujas. So they would have to find work.

SECOND THOUGHTS

Not surprisingly, there were frequent calls home in those early days. Both felt alone, and connection with their families was a crucial thread that helped keep them going at the beginning.

“I used to talk to my parents and close relatives every day or every other day,” says T.

In addition to the stress of feeling like strangers in a strange land, there was also the weather to cope with. T had bought what was billed as a winter jacket back in India. But the winters in India were so mild that the jacket afforded barely any protection. One night, early into his stay and feeling low, T donned his jacket and prepared for a walk. While the temperature wasn’t bad by Ottawa standards, maybe -1°C, in that jacket he was freezing. He felt bleak.

“I stepped out of my house,” he recalls. “And I walked for about 500 metres and I started crying. I was like: I want to go back to India. This is too cold. I might just die here. The experience was definitely kind of hard, I can’t even explain it in words.”

Understandably so. But T and Ujas would push on, finding work and preparing separately for their first semester studying at Algonquin College.

“And then,” says T, “it all started coming together. I started going out, started meeting people, things like that.”

Below: T (l) and Ujas after meeting at Algonquin College.

SCHOOL-WORK BALANCE

Ujas and T would meet for the first time on the first day at Algonquin College during orientation. Both were enrolled in the three-year Mechanical Engineering Technology course. They hit it off immediately and would become not only fast friends, but part of each other’s mutual support system.

The courses were challenging and very much hands-on. There were about 26 hours of lectures and labs per week, plus assignments that had to be completed daily. As anyone who has taken engineering knows, the workload is punishing. But there was also that crushing cost of living, which could not be ignored. So both Ujas and T took part-time jobs on top of their classes. Both became, initially, “junior sandwich artists,” making subs at Subway and Firehouse Sub franchises.

“That was my first job,” says T. “And all of my colleagues were Canadians.”

During breaks between semesters, both would cram in as many hours as possible to earn money.

“I used to work 60-70 hours a week just to just to get my fees done so that I didn’t have to ask my parents to send me money here,” says Ujas.

ALGONQUIN COLLEGE

When classes were on, school had to be the priority. The pair hadn’t come halfway around the world just to work; that was simply a financial necessity.

“I had to manage my all assignments, had to make sure I was doing well in my studies. But at the same time I had to make the money to pay for my place, my rent, my food, everything.”

Both T and Ujas immersed themselves at Algonquin College, and were soon working on complex projects together. They built a basic semi-autonomous vehicle, which with limited sensors could explore an unfamiliar room. They created a pneumatic system that duplicated how the doors on Ottawa’s public transit buses worked. They learned hands-on work with electrical and mechanical components, coding, and more. Both excelled in their studies.

The program was supposed to include a co-op section, where students would build on their skills (and earn money) working with a real company. And then, of course, COVID hit.

“This was a tragedy,” says T. “We were doing interviews for the co-op placements and then the pandemic came along. The school said: ‘You’re not doing co-ops or anything. You’ll all just have to stay home.'”

T found a job with a call centre; a job he could carry out from home. He worked there for eight months, a position that really helped him improve his English. Ujas worked at a gas station. Then, finally, it was back to courses at Algonquin for the completion of their degrees.

Below: Ujas on graduation day, followed by a trip to Quebec City. His dog’s name is Loki. T enjoys playing guitar when he’s not at the office

TEAM INDRO

A few months after graduating, Ujas happened to see a job posted by Invest Ottawa. It was with InDro Robotics. He came in for an interview with Engineering Manager and Robotics Engineer Arron Griffiths (MSc).

Arron saw a potential fit, and offered Ujas the position. He would also become a mentor, helping to fill in knowledge gaps and supporting him with learning many new skills. This was his first-ever job in his chosen field, and soon – with support from Arron – he was working on complex robots. He also obtained his Advanced RPAS Certificate, and was selected to be the second pilot (working with Eric Saczuk) on a highly complex mission in Montreal for the National Research Council.

The mission was to measure urban wind tunnels – and involved flying a heavy industrial drone equipped with dual anemometers between buildings, Beyond Visual Line of Sight, and over people.

“Flying a drone is easy,” says Ujas. “But when it comes to flying a drone over people and between the buildings of Montreal, that’s really hard.”

Ujas has had a hand in pretty much all the high-level projects at InDro, including custom robots for clients and many of the InDro innovations. He’s also InDro’s go-to for building when orders come in (as they frequently do) for InDro Commander. He’s also worked on several InDro projects that involved manipulator arms.

Two and half years after joining InDro, it’s been a terrific fit.

“Arron tells me I’m like a completely different person when it comes to skills from the person who started here,” says Ujas. “He has played a major role for me. The experience I have, the amount of knowledge I now have, it’s all because of him. Plus, CEO Philip Reece and Vice President Peter King have always been supportive mentors.

“I can say I’m really proud of the work I’ve done here. “

AND T?

T found work with two large companies after graduating. But the work, which involved overseeing manufacturing lines and doing technical troubleshooting, wasn’t that satisfying. He was more interested in software – and greater challenges. Ujas, meanwhile, saw an opening at InDro and T was introduced to Arron. Once again, Griffiths spotted potential synergy. So did T.

“The job was an amalgamation of electrical, mechanical and software. And I thought, yes, this is going to be a good fit.”

And it was. Soon, again with Arron’s guidance, T was taking on more and more complex projects. He also started offering ideas of his own, such as how to make a slimmed-down version of the original InDro Commander, which was a bit large on some platforms. He also came up with the idea of writing some code for networking that would enable InDro robots to operate over WiFi in addition to teleoperations. Pushing dense data through a SIM card can quickly add up costwise, and many of InDro’s academic clients are on limited budgets.

“All the robots that we had, all of them could only be connected to cellular,” says T. “But using a SIM card for data is expensive.” T thought the problem might be solved with writing code and flashing off-the-shelf routers to enable them to transfer data via WiFi.

“This eliminated the need of always having to go into a robot for development through a cable,” says T.

He also started the initial work on InDro Controller – the secure dashboard for remote operations and autonomous missions. And one robot, which had two manipulator arms, was pretty much a solo project for T.

“I did all the software, all the networking, all the hardware,” he says. “That was my first robot that I built from scratch.”

As with Ujas, T has played a significant role in multiple projects over his two years with the company and has become an integral member of the team.

“Ujas and T have come a long way since they walked in the door at InDro,” says Arron Griffiths.

“From the start, they’ve always been team players, eager to learn more skills and think of new solutions. They both have strong and positive work ethics and have really developed broader skillsets in multiple disciplines since arriving.

“They are both valued members of our team and a delight to work with. My gut sense about both of them at the time of hiring proved to be right.”

As for the young men from Gujarat?

T says it’s been a phenomenal workplace, always filled with new challenges and the opportunity to take on projects that appeal to him.

“Arron has never been: ‘Oh, you’re just a mechanical engineer so focus only on hardware.’ He’s never stopped me from working on things that appeal to me – and that has really helped expand my skillset and satisfaction working with InDro.

And Ujas?

“It’s been a long journey,” he says. “But a great one.”

Below: Ujas (bottom left) and T during a lighter moment with Stephan Tozlov, now Production Manager at InDro Forge

INDRO’S TAKE

It has, indeed, been a long and fruitful journey for Ujas and T. We could not be happier that they chose Canada – and that InDro chose them.

“Both T and Ujas are truly valued members of Team InDro,” says Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “They’ve grown with the company and made valuable contributions to many projects. The same kind of work ethic that drove them both during those early and difficult days in Canada is seen every day on the job at Area X.O. We couldn’t be prouder of them, and the journey they’ve made.”

We look forward to continuing our occasional series of profiles of InDro Robotics staff. Up next? Engineering Manager Arron Griffiths.

Stay tuned.

InDro Update: We’ve been busy, busy, busy

Aug 16, 2024 | InDro Forge, InDro News, InDro Solutions, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

It’s been a busy summer at InDro Robotics and InDro Forge.

Sure, people have had holidays. But in the R&D world, we don’t have the typical summer slowdown often enjoyed in other sectors. We’ve been busy building new robots, coding new software, carrying out demonstrations for VIPs, signing new contracts and continuing to push innovation boundaries at both our Area X.O and InDro Forge locations.

Area X.O, of course, is our engineering headquarters and the workplace for the bulk of our engineering team. But since we began operating InDro Forge last September, we have significantly expanded capabilities – including new hires. Formerly known as the Bayview Yards Prototyping Lab, InDro Forge (in collaboration with Invest Ottawa) is InDro’s prototype fabrication and integration centre. We take on both custom projects for clients, and also use the equipment and expertise to ‘forge’ much of what goes into InDro products.

And between them both? We’ve been busy, busy, busy.

There are a few projects that we unfortunately cannot reveal due to NDAs. But we can tell you we had a very successful demonstration recently of a quadruped with some amazing autonomy, AI and manipulative capabilities. Wish we could tell you more about that, but we just can’t. Yet.

So let’s get on with what we can talk about. And we’re going to start…with some incredible software we’ve built: InDro Controller.

INDRO CONTROLLER

We are very excited about this new software, completely coded in-house. It’s a complete solution to carrying out remote robotic missions, whether they’re manually teleoperated or fully autonomous.

“It’s an all-in-one data visualization, robot management and robot control software,” Front End Developer RJ Bundy explained earlier. “Whether you’re a student first learning how to use a robot or you’re a commercial giant, you’d be able to manage and maintain all of your robots.”

And yes, by that he means this product is completely robot-agnostic.

The InDro Controller software can be uploaded onto any robot. It can then be remotely and securely accessed by laptop or desktop, with all data encrypted. It automatically detects all sensors on board any UGV, and gives the operator complete control over customisation. Want to display thermal? LiDAR data? Need to zoom in on an object of interest? All of these functions – and many more – can be easily carried out remotely.

One of the features we particularly like is InDro Controller’s ability to remember things. Let’s say, for example, you wanted to plot an autonomous mission. With the display showing you a map of surroundings, you simply drive to a desired spot and perform a function. Suppose (as we’ve done), you wanted to stop, pan, tilt and zoom the camera to a specific object for inspection – something like a pressure gauge or other critical piece of infrastructure. Capture that image just once, and InDro Controller will remember exactly what you did and precisely where you did it. Then you move on to the next inspection point, where perhaps you’d like to capture thermal data.

During that first manual mission, every single action and location were saved. So when the time comes for your next run, you simply click the name of the saved mission and the robot (assuming you have GPS or SLAM autonomy onboard) will automatically carry out precisely what you did the first time. All you have to do is look over the data, or use change detection software to carry out that task on your behalf. You can save as many missions as you can come up with.

Speaking of autonomy, some of our clients carry out their own research and write their own software. For those who don’t, we have two InDro Autonomy stacks available:

“We have a GPS-based autonomy – which is better for outdoors – and then we have a SLAM- (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) based autonomy which is ideal for indoors,” says Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth.

There is also an Academic version available for those who wish to work with their own autonomy stacks. The entire interface is so easy to use, you can literally be up and running and minutes.

INDRO BUILDS, DELIVERS SWARM

There’s long been an interest in swarm robotics, but we’ve noticed an uptick of late.

The concept behind swarms is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A group of individual robots, carrying out tasks on their own while talking to each other, can accomplish far more in a given amount of time than a group of robots operating independently.

“The idea behind swarm robotics is the robots are able to communicate with each other and thus improve their decision-making and data acquisition in a given environment from a real world application standpoint,” explained Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth in this earlier post (which goes into considerable detail about the genesis and purpose of swarm robotics research).

For example, it would be vastly more efficient to scan the interior of a large building with four robots that are communicating with each other – ensuring no two robots cover any of the same space. In an aerial Search and Rescue operation, drones can more efficiently cover a large area as a coordinated team than four people piloting independently.

For research institutions, swarm research can be carried out very economically. As we posted earlier, Boston University has a large fleet of economical LIMO robots carrying out a wide variety of swarm-type research.

Below: The four swarm robots InDro recently built and shipped to a client.

ARMED AND READY TO GO

Don’t worry. When we say “armed” we’re talking about a robot with an arm. InDro is not – and never will be – involved in the weaponisation of its products.

In this case, an academic client wanted a robot that could carry out tasks requiring manipulation in a very specific setting. The client needed a platform that was easy to operate – and that would have a little extra height for the tasks it has in mind. Working closely with Luke Corbeth and the InDro engineering team, we built a custom robot to their specs. That included metal work carried out at InDro Forge in order to elevate the position of the arm.

“This was our latest mobile manipulation build – designed to do manipulation tasks inside greenhouses. The build is on Hunter SE platform with InDro Commander on board for easy sensor integration,” says Corbeth.

“The client plans on integrating its own existing sensors. We added a custom A-Frame to increase the effective height of the manipulator; the arm is the uFactory xArm6 – a highly capable and cost-effective ROS-based manipulator. They’ll be adding their own end effector suited for their research.”

Those into steering mechanisms might find this bit of interest:

“Typically we do these builds on the Ranger Mini – since omni-directional movement means fine adjustments to get into effective manipulation range – but they were keen on Ackermann for improved stability over long distances,” he adds.

It’s a one-off kind of project, something InDro often does for clients. And it’s definitely one-of-a-kind.

Here it is: Out, standing in its field.

SENTINEL V2

Team InDro (along with Team Forge) also designed and built a powerful new iteration of our flagship remote inspection robot, Sentinel. This is a heavy-duty machine intended for the demands of remote infrastructure inspection and monitoring/surveillance.

This was no small task. We integrated multiple powerful sensors, including ZED depth cameras, a 30x optical pan-tilt-zoom, along with multiple LiDAR units for both SLAM and avoiding obstacles and people. And its brains? We’re not sure what the equivalent IQ is, but this UGV is very smart. We integrated the most powerful compute power available from NVIDIA, the Jetson AGX Orin – a powerful 64GB developer kit. You want speed? It can carry out 275 trillion operations per second (TOPS). InDro Autonomy is embedded in Commander, and there’s a Realtime Kinematic (RTK) sensor for centimetre-level positioning accuracy. Oh, we also threw in a ZED BOX (NVIDIA Orin NX), which operates at 100 TOPS.

And the icing on top? It (of couse) works with InDro Controller, enabling users to easily plot and repeat highly detailed autonomous missions.

A CUSTOM, GROUND-UP BUILD

RealLife Robotics, a startup focusing on zero-carbon cargo and last-mile delivery, came to InDro with plans from its own engineering team for a new version of its core delivery UGV, BUBS. InDro Forge is its manufacturing contractor, and – in concert with the additional expertise of our Area X.O staff and in constant communication with the engineers at RLR – got to work.

Though the plans came from RealLife Robotics, every single component from the platform up was fabricated at InDro Forge and integrated by the InDro team – including custom frame, specialised brackets and mounting hardware, sensor integration, cargo bay and sleek exterior shell. That included using the BigRep ONE, a massive 3D printer capable of creating objects up to one cubic metre.

“We’ve built a full skeleton electronic system based on RLR’s designs and a suite of sensors to be able to do the autonomy, as well as an exterior shell that allows them to do remote, last-mile delivery,” says Joel Koscielski, Lead Manufacturing Engineer.

RealLife is currently on a stellar trajectory and is gaining a lot of investor traction. It was recently rewarded with significant funding from the Canadian Food Innovation Network through its FoodTech Next program. It had previously been demonstrating BUBS V1 across the country, and just unveiled the extremely capable new version at a high-profile event at the Toronto Zoo.

“Knowing that the fabricators at Forge have the same depth of engineering experience as our own team builds the trust you need to move fast and meet budgets for a project like this….. The fact they are also a Canadian tech startup and not far away is a bonus,” says RLR Founder and CEO Cameron Waite.

Below: The new BUBS, complete with Zebra wrap for the Toronto Zoo event

PEARS, CHERRIES, DRONES AND ROBOTS

While the bulk or our operations take place at Area X.O and InDro Forge, we’ve also been busy elsewhere. In this case, in British Columbia. There, we’ve been carrying out precision agriculture work in peach and cherry orchards. It’s part of an ambitious and innovative two-year project – a collaboration between InDro Robotics and the City of Kelowna (enabled with funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agriculture Clean Technology Program).

But this isn’t just any precision agriculture project. Yes, we’re flying multi-spectral missions every two weeks over these farms, then drilling deep into the data to explore all parameters of crop health (chlorophyll levels, nutrients, any indicators of pests or disease etc.). That data provides valuable insights, explains Chief of Flight Operations Dr. Eric Saczuk (who holds a PhD in remote sensing and runs BCIT’s RPAS Hub).

“Is it healthy? Is it not healthy? Is it being productive? Is there chlorophyll? If so, how active is it?” he says.

“These are the kinds of questions we can answer when we do what we call ‘multispectral band combinations.’ And it gives us a really clear picture that cannot be detected by the human eye.”

What truly sets this mission apart is that it’s not just drones involved. InDro will be deploying ground robots, carrying out autonomous missions with their own multispectral sensors. We will then compare the view (and data) from the top-down and the bottom-up.

“This is a way of doing ground-based validation of what we’re seeing from the air,” says Dr. Saczuk.

Once that validation is complete, if there are any areas that require attention then precision spraying will be carried out by an Agras industrial spraying drone, and possibly by ground robots as well.

“Anything in agriculture, the more information you get, you’re not going to be worse off,” says Riley Johnson, a manager at Byrnes Farms – one of the two locations where the project is being carried out.

“Especially for new farmers coming into the industry, any new kind of information can help out ten-fold – particularly if you’re on new land. Any information outside of the Old Farmer’s Almanac is always appreciated.”

Below: Data from the Kelowna project, followed by an image of Dr. Saczuk with the Agras drone

WAIT, THERE’S MORE

We’ve also built a very sophisticated system involving a jacked-up industrial quadruped (where we’ve installed the InDro Backpack (a smaller version of InDro Commander), along with a manipulator arm and some very special capabilities. Unfortunately we can’t tell you much more about that one, due to NDA. But we can say we had a very successful demonstration for VIPs in late July. We also have another project, currently under wraps, that will set a new bar for autonomous exploration, scanning and mapping. More on that to come.

We also continued to elevate the capabilities of our Street Smart Robot, designed to detect anomalies along bike paths in winter. If the SSR’s AI senses potholes, ice, unexpected obstacles or generally anything that might impede safe cycling, that data can be relayed instantly to municipal maintenance crews. We completed the project and successfully demonstrated its capabilities at Area X.O this summer as well.

In addition, InDro’s Dr. Eric Saczuk and Pilot Jon Chubb helped support SkyScoutAI, an innovative company that’s set to be a game-changer in the detection of wildfires and the protection of critical infrastructure in cities threatened by this growing danger. The company has exclusive rights to an amazing fire suppressant product which can be sprayed with a drone tanker onto the roofs of buildings that may be at risk. What SkyScout is doing is pretty amazing, and it’s worth checking out this read. Dr. Saczuk was also busy this summer carrying out methane detection on behalf of Aerometrix in Michigan.

Come to think of it, I’ve been busy too. In addition to covering all the developments above, we’ve also started to profile some of the members of Team InDro and Team Forge who help us achieve the many things we do. You can take a dive into how we work with clients with this profile of Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth (who set up and ran his own auto-detailing business while in Highschool before making the leap to robots, drones and sales). And, ICYMI, we just published a feature on Forge Project Manager Stephan Tzolov. He nearly became a doctor, but was just too creative for that field. It’s really quite the story.

Below: Luke Corbeth and Stephan Tzolov

INDRO’S TAKE

As we said in the headline, it’s been busy, busy, busy. InDro people work hard, regardless of the season (but we do give them time off and reward their hard work). Looking at all of these builds and milestones and projects, we cannot help but be proud.

“The teams at InDro Robotics and InDro Forge are truly world-class,” says Founder and CEO Philip Reece.

“We are fortunate to have an incredible sense of shared spirit and collaboration – along with an amazing collective skillset. I couldn’t be more pleased with their accomplishments – along with the pride they take in their work. And, by the way, I work hard too,” he says with a grin.

We hope you’ve been enjoying your summer. And that you haven’t been quite as busy as we are.

InDro’s Stephan Tzolov: Next-level creativity

Aug 14, 2024 | InDro Forge, InDro News, InDro Profile, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

At InDro Robotics, our engineering team is known for being creative. That’s how we come up with innovative solutions – whether they’re inventions like InDro Commander or InDro Controller, or designing and integrating a ground-up robotic solution based on a client’s needs. That’s technical creativity – and every member of the InDro team has that skill in spades.

But there’s another type of creativity – one that involves a truly artistic sense of design; the ability to visualise a beautiful but functional form, design it, and bring it to life. When it comes to those kinds of tasks, we inevitably turn to InDro Forge Project Manager Stephan Tzolov. He’s truly gifted in this realm.

What makes his story particularly interesting is that he initially had plans to become a doctor – and studied biochemistry at Carleton University en route to that goal. He found the topic fascinating, but it was also somewhat dry. It involved (as you can imagine) a lot of memorisation of cold, hard facts – followed by more cold, hard facts. By the time he was in his third year, he was starting to wonder if this truly was his passion.

“I was pretty close to graduating, and I thought: ‘Oh my gosh, this isn’t it.’ It was fascinating, but it wasn’t fulfilling,” he recalls.

That’s when he started doing some soul-searching, and sat down with a good friend. In a nutshell, that friend told him something Tzolov intuitively knew: “‘You’re not built for medicine – you’re too creative for that.’ And then he showed me Industrial Design, and it really was a perfect fit, kind of mixing engineering with creativity.

“I thought: I’d rather be a little unhappy now than unhappy forever. So I pulled the plug.”

He switched to Industrial Design, learning everything from the basics (like how to sketch out an idea) through to a full complement of rendering skills and manufacturing techniques. He loved it, immersing himself in acquiring every possible skill to take something from an idea to a real-world product.

His eight-month capstone project in the course (completed during the peak of the pandemic) was designing and then manufacturing a fully functional propulsion system for SCUBA divers. These images are taken from his graduate presentation. (No, that’s not Stephan in the underwater shot – though people commonly make that assumption. In fact, Stephan deliberately chose someone who kind of looked like him for the image.)

DESIGN CAREER COMMENCES

Stephan’s work at Carleton was impressive. So impressive, that one of his professors (who had also become a mentor) told him he had a job waiting the moment he was done school. And so Stephan jumped in at Ottawa’s Studio 63, a small but award-winning design studio that, says its website, “helps businesses and entrepreneurs make some of the most futuristic and innovative products on the planet.”

If you think about it, virtually every single consumer product in the world (and, potentially, on other planets) involves Industrial Design. Whether it’s a coffee mug or a passenger jet, someone with Industrial Design chops is involved. At Studio 63, Stephan was involved in helping to design everything from high-end audio equipment and automobile features right through to – wait for it – sex toys. Most of these tasks involved not only working with clients on the form factor, where he could unleash his creativity with spectacular designs and renders, right through to electronics and integration.

Then, luckily for InDro, there was a fortuitous bit of synchronicity. InDro Engineering Lead Arron Griffiths knew the head of Studio 63. He had a design project for them which required a high-end shell for a very large ground robot. That robot was being produced for one of the world’s biggest tech companies, so it had to be *perfect.* (We’d love to tell you more, but can’t due to NDA).

Long story short, Stephan produced a shell so sleek and curvaceous and beautiful that it would look right at home in a Batman movie.

“The client loved it,” says Stephan. (In fact, this project turned into a multi-year contract with many of these robots produced, each one covered in that slippery, stealthy grey shell.)

HARD BODY VS SURFACE

In the engineering world, there are basically two styles of design: hard body and surface.

“So hard body – think of cubes and hard shapes,” explains Tzolov. “Surface modelling is more like organic, it’s more sculptural, it’s more soft. Think of the exterior of a car – it flows, it has a shape, there’s rarely a right angle. It’s all curvature.”

And that shell? Its design flows like a liquid.

Stephan’s abilities and personality impressed Griffiths. Right around that time, things had slowed a bit at Studio 63, partly due to the ongoing pandemic. Stephan’s boss gave him his blessings if he wanted to look around. Soon there was a conversation directly with Griffiths – who saw an ideal fit.

“Stephan was exactly the person we were looking for,” he says. “His shell design was outstanding, and he had exceptional knowledge of production techniques. Plus, he’s just a great person to work with.”

And so, two years ago, Stephan made the jump to InDro, hired as Production Engineer. His skillset quickly became apparent to the entire team. He was not only stellar at rendering, but knew how to take those renders to reality.

Below: A couple of Stephan’s renders – A B1 robot with the InDro Backpack, and an InDro holiday greeting card

THE FORGE CONNECTION

When InDro took over operations of what was known as the Bayview Yards Prototyping Lab (in collaboration with Invest Ottawa), our manufacturing capabilities took a quantum leap. InDro Forge is stocked with state-of-the-art tools for additive and subtractive manufacturing. We have a CNC machine, an OMAX water jet table, the BigRep ONE large format 3D printer – and a host of other machines and capabilities. Whether it’s producing prototypes or parts for clients, or manufacturing components for InDro Robotics projects, this facility has it all.

It was a perfect fit for Stephan. He already had expertise in multiple manufacturing techniques, and was eager to learn more. He moved over to the Forge facility with the new job title of Applications Engineer, and has since been promoted to Project Manager. He’s now overseeing the Big Picture, often working on the design and fabrication of parts and the integration of electronics and sensors, frequently hand-in-hand with the engineering team at Area X.O.

“The project management side covers things like organizing tasks, keeping keeping track of people’s capacity and who’s available for what at what time. So basically integration is what I’m covering. And when I delegate, I’m often delegating to myself.”

All, while working closely with Lead Engineer Arron Griffiths.

“There’s a lot of cross-pollination,” says Stephan.

But don’t worry, despite his promotion he still gets his hands dirty with all of the tools at Forge (though his hands stay pretty clean while carrying out renders).

ONE ROBOT STANDS OUT

Stephan has been integral to a lot of projects. That shell for the tech robot remains his highlight.

But one other project also stands out. Prior to Tzolov’s transition to InDro Forge, a client (another global tech company), wanted InDro to produce a robot capable of navigating in spaces crowded with people. It would be deployed in crowded spaces like boardwalks, malls – anywhere there were people around. It was part of a long-term project at that company about autonomous navigation and the human-robot interface. It also had to be tall, with sensors at roughly head height.

Stephan immediately got to work on the renders, as the client was under a tight deadline. But then something happened that made that deadline even more pressing: Engineering Lead Griffiths was taking a couple of weeks off to get married. And he had a tiny request before leaving: Could you please have the robot finished by the time I return?

The task would fall to Stephan, who would be lead on the project, working in conjunction with technologist Ujas Patel. The pair had worked closely together on the aforementioned large ground robot, and the synergy between the two of them was spectacular.

“We had worked shoulder-to-shoulder on that project and were very familiar with each other’s workflow,” says Stephan. “It’s almost like we communicate telepathically.”

Though he’s not a software expert, Stephan had the manufacturing and electro-mechanical chops for the task. In conjunction with Patel’s considerable skills, the two worked long (and we mean long) hours while Arron was away. The project had to be done. And, when the newlywed arrived back at the office, it was. What’s more, the client was unbelievable happy when it received the end product. Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth, who had put the deal together, received an absolutely glowing email from the client: They loved the design, the form factor, the functionality. It was, they said, perfect.

“That was just the cherry on top,” says Tzolov.

Below: Stephan working on the robot, under the gun. Image two: Stephan with Area X.O colleagues Ujas Patel (left) and technologist Tirth Gajera (also known in the shop as “T”)

A PERFECT FIT

Stephan Tzolov has had quite the journey. (If we want to go way back, he was born in Canada but spent his early years in Bulgaria. When he started school in Canada he spoke only Bulgarian.)

But we’re talking here more about his recent journey – that soul-searching decision to leave medicine and enter Industrial Design. It was exactly the right choice for Tzolov. His enthusiasm for seeing his creations come to life gives him tremendous satisfaction. He literally beams when describing how much he loves what he does.

“It’s freaking awesome,” he says.

“It’s so interesting when you have an idea – it almost becomes its own weirdly living thing. Creating something robotic on a design, mechanical and electrical level that lives and breathes wasn’t something I thought of doing before coming on board with InDro. I absolutely love making things. So this job is really cool. Actually, it’s the coolest ever.”

And those long hours that some projects involve? Not a problem. InDro recognises – and rewards – hard work.

“Arron has always taken care of me when it comes to work. It’s like, you work hard – and you get to rest hard. You put in crazy overtime and it gets noted, and you’re compensated in one way or another. There’s a mutual respect and appreciation for one another at InDro. I have never complained to my partner about work politics or interpersonal stuff, because there’s never any issue. Everyone here is on the same page.”

Below: That crowd-avoiding robot, completed to an exceedingly tight timeline

INDRO’S TAKE

Like all InDro employees, Stephan Tzolov is a valued team member. And like his colleagues, he has specific skills that contribute immensely to what InDro produces. We plan on profiling other members of Team InDro in the future, but wanted to take a moment to acknowledge Stephan’s particularly creative skillset.

“Everyone at InDro has specific strengths and knows how to work well in a team environment toward our common goals,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “That’s one of the things I believe truly sets InDro apart. Stephan’s creativity, along with his manufacturing knowledge and electrical and mechanical capabilities are a valuable asset to InDro Forge and InDro Robotics as a whole. I’m sure he would have made a great doctor, but we’re definitely pleased he opted for that career change.”

Every single InDro employee brings something special to the company. This time, it was Stephan’s turn to be highlighted. We look forward to introducing you to other members of Team InDro down the road.

InDro Robotics launches powerful new Sentinel UGV

Aug 14, 2024 | InDro Autonomy, InDro News, Scott Simmie, Sentinel

By Scott Simmie

InDro has taken the wraps off its latest innovation – the all-new Sentinel Uncrewed Ground Vehicle.

Sentinel has been built for inspection, remote teleoperation and surveillance over 5G and 4G networks. Its robust build has been designed to take demanding weather and ground conditions in stride, while capturing virtually any kind of data across a broad range of use-cases.

“That’s what really excites me about Sentinel,” says Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth. “It can be used across multiple verticals, ranging from remotely inspecting assets like electrical sub-stations, through to agriculture, mining and more. It’s a workhorse.”

We could list all the sensors and processors onboard (and we will), but it’s the synergy here that counts.

“Sentinel has been very purposely designed and integrated so that virtually anyone can carry out highly complex missions with ease,” explains InDro Vice President Peter King. “And with our InDro Autonomy stack onboard, Sentinel can carry out tasks completely on its own for up to four hours before returning to wirelessly recharge at its base.”

That workhorse is the result of a lot of R&D by our Area X.O engineering team – and also the logical step forward from our original Sentinel V1. That was our original design for remote teleoperated inspection.

But, as you likely know by now, at InDro the innovation never stops.

Below: The new InDro Sentinel, carrying out an autonomous mission

INDRO COMMANDER: SMARt AND VERsAtile

What truly sets Sentinel apart from the competition is the synergy of two innovations we’re quite proud of: InDro Commander and InDro Controller. And while Sentinel takes full advantage of these products, they are both robot-agnostic.

InDro Commander is a module that houses Sentinel’s brain – and allows for the seamless integration and power management of other sensors. With multiple USB slots and ROS1 and ROS2 libraries onboard, it makes modifying Sentinel a pleasure rather than a pain. You can, quite simply, plug in a new sensor and it will be detected; no complex coding or wiring required.

“Having Commander on board allows clients to easily modify their robots with different sensors for different applications. This is particularly appealing to those in the R&D community,” says Engineering Lead Arron Griffiths.

Commander also connects with 5G at near-zero latency for remote teleoperations or monitoring dense data during autonomous missions.

“Whether it’s 4G, 5G or WiFi, it does it all,” he adds.

With two state-of-the-art EDGE processors onboard, Commander also has the compute power and AI to take on anything. For autonomy, we’ve integrated the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin – a powerful 64GB developer kit. It’s capable of AI calculations at the astounding speed of 275 trillion operations per second (TOPS). Our InDro Autonomy Stack is embedded in Commander for precision autonomous missions. We’ve also outfitted Sentinel with a Realtime Kinematic (RTK) sensor for centimetre-level positioning accuracy.

The other EDGE processor is the ZED Box, which contains an NVIDIA Orin NX (100 TOPS). This carries out multiple tasks, but is specially built to work with depth-perception ZED cameras. There are two of these cameras on board Sentinel, used for AI obstacle detection and avoidance.

Below: A LiDAR-equipped InDro Commander module

INDRO CONTROLLER AT THE HELM

InDro Controller is our custom-built dashboard, and it’s been designed to match perfectly with InDro Commander for an exceedingly powerful but user-friendly means of programming and monitoring missions, robot health, sensor data and more. Operators can easily customize to get precisely the layout they want.

“The dashboard, the cameras, the heads-up display on the autonomous missions – those all can be customised,” says Front End Developer RJ Bundy. “We’re also adding other personal user customisations, like a light and dark mode, metric conversion, schedule missions – all the kinds of features you could want.”

The software resides in Commander and is accessed remotely via an encrypted login system. No one will ever see your missions and data except you – and those you grant the same secure access. (Yes, multiple users can simultaneously monitor a remote operation from locations across the country or across the globe.)

“We’ve created an interface that makes it very hard for a third party to intercept any of those commands or the data coming from the robot to you,” says Bundy.

And while it’s a perfect fit with Sentinel, InDro Controller can be used with any robot.

“It’s an all-in-one data visualization, robot management and robot control software,” he adds. “Whether you’re a student first learning how to use a robot or you’re a commercial giant, you’d be able to manage and maintain all of your robots.”

He’s not kidding. You can intuitively control Sentinel – or any other robot – using an Xbox controller. We’ve done demonstrations more than 4,000 km away from Area X.O where we’ve simply put a controller in someone’s hands. With imperceptible lag, they’re able to operate the robot. (Plus, you can customise the buttons for specific sensor features like pan, tilt, zoom, etc.)

Autonomous missions – including complex actions like stopping at a precise location, tilting a camera to a gauge and then zooming in and capturing the readout – are easily plotted using Controller. Once your mission has been set with multiple waypoints and actions, it’s a single click to repeat it. (And, of course, you can save as many different missions as required.)

The InDro Autonomy stacks are pre-loaded, meaning location doesn’t really matter.

There are actually two versions of InDro Controller available; a simpler version is still full-featured but does not ship with InDro Autonomy, meaning it’s ideal for those in the R&D space who want to test their own autonomy software. Several academic institutions have already been using this version, and feedback has been excellent.

And the best news? Both versions will only become even more sophisticated over time.

“We’re heavily invested in continuously improving the software,” says Corbeth. “So regardless of which version you’re shipped, know that this is something that InDro Robotics is constantly developing and improving with client feedback in mind to ultimately provide the best mission planning, teleoperations and development software tool in the robotics industry.”

Below: A screenshot from InDro Controller, showing the path of an autonomous mission; the second image shows realtime data flowing through its customizable dashboard

LONG DURATION, REPEATABLE MISSIONS

It’s already clear Sentinel has the brains. But it also has the brawn to match. Whether the task is inspection, surveillance or other forms of data acquisition, Sentinel has been designed from the ground up to consistently deliver. Featuring a 1500-watt dual drive system and tracks for locomotion, it’s ready for any terrain – from industrial environments through to farm fields and even snow and ice.

With a 120kg load capacity and 30° climbing angle, Sentinel can power its way over pretty much anything. We’ve even designed and manufactured custom metal guards to prevent stones from getting their way between the drive gears and the treads – a common issue with tracked vehicles.

That strength is supplemented by a comprehensive array of sensors for obstacle detection, Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM), high-resolution photos and video – and more.

ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM

For starters, there’s a 30x optical Point-Tilt-Zoom camera that can be manually operated via the InDro Controller UI. Every time the pilot stops and captures data, all of that information – robot position, camera angle, zoom settings etc. are stored as a Point of Interest. All of those POIs from that initial manual mission are saved, meaning the next time Sentinel is deployed the operator can simply recall the mission and launch Sentinel for an autonomous run.

In fact, we recently did a demo of Sentinel for a government official. We had previously captured photos of five different objects on a path at Area X.O and had saved that mission. During the demo, the robot deployed and autonomously stopped at all five locations, replicating the original shots. This is the kind of feature that’s exceedingly helpful for spotting anomalies, change detection, etc. Of course, the built-in AI can also identify people, cars, trucks, etc. (In fact, we could set Sentinel to trigger an alert if a human is spotted somewhere they’re not supposed to be, a useful feature for both safety and security applications.)

For the operator, whether they’re manually piloting or simply monitoring an autonomous mission, four pinhole cameras provide a 360° view of surroundings for situational awareness. Two ZED 3D depth cameras (one at the front, one at the rear) are on the constant lookout for obstacles. As an additional layer of safety, engineers added two 2D safety-rated LiDAR sensors specifically for detecting people or other objects that might unexpectedly move into Sentinel’s path. If that happens, the robot will automatically stop, then seek an alternate path around the person or object. (It can also be set to simply go to a dead stop.)

Sentinel is also outfitted with two powerful Robosense 3D LiDAR units, enabling it to operate in GPS-denied environments, capture precision scans – and basically understand even a completely unfamiliar environment. Robosense has become our LiDAR of choice, for the reasons outlined in this recent post.

Below: InDro recently built and shipped this fleet for swarm robotics research; all are equipped with Robosense LiDAR units

WIRELESS SELF-CHARGING

Using Sentinel for remote ops? Many of our clients will be. And there’s not much point in deploying a robot at a remote location if someone has to go and plug it in to charge or run diagnostics.

Sentinel returns autonomously to its home base, where a wireless charger awaits. The robot understands where it needs to position itself for optimal charging, snugging up close to (but not touching) the induction charging system. Many remotely operated robots rely on making a mechanical connection with charging equipment, which introduces wear-and-tear and additional points of failure.

“Mechanical charging systems fail a lot, and we wanted to avoid that,” explains InDro VP Peter King.

InDro Controller also carries out diagnostics remotely, reporting back on parameters such as latency, battery strength, sensor connection and other indicators of overall robot health. The operator can literally be hundreds (or even thousands) of kilometres from the robot and see its condition with a quick glance at the UI.

“Sentinel can be customised for any client directly by us,” says Engineering Lead Arron Griffiths. “But having Commander on board allows clients to easily modify their robots with different sensors for different applications. This is particularly appealing to those in the R&D community.”

Below: On the shoulders of giants – the original Sentinel V 1.0. InDro has incorporated new AI compute power, sensors and other learnings to take a massive leap forward

INDRO’S TAKE

The new Sentinel is more powerful, and more suitable to broader use-cases, than our first version of this robot. Don’t get us wrong; the original Sentinel was (and still is) a great machine. But this version is equipped with more powerful EDGE processing, and AI with greater capabilities. It’s also laden with additional and newer sensors, RTK positioning, and a more powerful base platform.

“The new Sentinel is a perfect fusion of industry-leading hardware and software – including InDro Commander, and the new InDro Controller and InDro Autonomy stacks,” says Indro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “Our engineering team has put a lot of thought into making this robot capable of highly complex missions – yet easy to use and modify. Sentinel will be a perfect fit for multiple verticals and use-cases, and we look forward to our first deployments.”

Want to learn more about Sentinel – or even arrange to take it for a remote test drive? You can contact Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth here.

InDro deploys drones, ground robots in Kelowna precision agriculture project

Aug 1, 2024 | InDro News, Industry News, Photogrammetry, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

There’s a buzz around Kelowna these days.

Well, actually, there are two kinds of buzz. The first is the occasional faint sound of a small but smart drone, carrying out flights every two weeks over two separate orchards. These orchards grow peaches, pears, cherries and more.

And the other buzz? Well, that’s the discussion this special two-year project – a collaboration between InDro Robotics and the City of Kelowna (enabled with funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agriculture Clean Technology Program) – is generating among farmers in the region.

“Technology is always getting bigger and better,” says Riley Johnson, a manager at Byrnes Farms – one of the two locations where the project is being carried out. Johnson is an experienced farmer, and the land has been in the hands of his wife’s family for five generations. He knows the land and crops well, but is curious to see what additional data can be gathered.

“Anything in agriculture, the more information you get, you’re not going to be worse off. Especially for new farmers coming into the industry, any new kind of information can help out ten-fold – particularly if you’re on new land. Any information outside of the Old Farmer’s Almanac is always appreciated.”

What InDro is doing, to the best of our knowledge, is a type of precision agriculture that hasn’t been carried out before. It combines data acquisition from both drones and ground robots to ensure the most robust and reliable data possible.

This data is then used to assess overall vegetation health. Are there indications of pests in certain areas? Are any plants indicating low levels of chlorophyl? Does it look like that patch needs some pesticide – or maybe additional watering?

These are important questions for farmers whose livelihoods depend on maximizing the yield and health of their crops.

And this project? It’s all about finding the answers – and implementing solutions. Those solutions will include precision spraying of nutrients or other compounds in the precise location where they are required. The end result should be maximum yields with minimal – or no – areas of unhealthy crops.

Below: Healthy pears growing at Byrnes Farm. Photo courtesy Riley Johnson

Healthy pears in Kelowna. Photo courtesy Riley Johnson

AN INTRODUCTION

Before we get into all the details, it’s worth introducing you to Dr. Eric Saczuk (assuming you haven’t already met). He’s our Chief of Flight Operations – and comes with some serious chops.

Eric holds a PhD in Remote Sensing. He’s been assessing vegetation health (among many other things) using satellite data since the early days – long before drones came on the scene. But when drones did come on the scene, he quickly recognized their potential for the acquisition and interpretation of multiple kinds of data. He has flown missions all over the world on behalf of InDro, all involving complex data and analysis.

But that’s not all. He’s been an instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology since 2003 and has been the director of the institute’s RPAS Hub since 2016. He’s divided his time between BCIT and InDro since 2018 and is our go-to for highly complex operations. He’s also carried out multiple missions to acquire data for projects undertaken by Canada’s National Research Council – including this fascinating research on urban wind tunnels. There’s likely not a more qualified person in the country when it comes to drones and data.

Below: Dr. Eric Saczuk on an InDro mission. Image by Scott Simmie

THE PROJECT

Okay. You’ve most likely heard of precision agriculture by now. When it comes to drones, most of us picture something like this: A drone with a multispectral camera flies over a field of wheat or some other crop. That multispectral camera captures spectrums of light both visible and invisible to the human eye. When that data is crunched, it provides a detailed picture of crop health (we’ll explore more of this shortly).

In collaboration with the City of Kelowna and local farmers, we’ve been flying a mission every two weeks over two separate fruit orchards. We use a drone with a special type of camera. It has five lenses. One of those lenses simply captures RGB (or simply, colour) images. But the other four have filters that are tuned to pick up light only within specific spectrums that can be collectively analyzed to indicate the health of vegetation.

“So in addition to the RGB camera, you’d have one camera capturing just red reflected light, one capturing just green reflected light using filters, and then the other two are what we call red edge and near-infrared,” says Dr. Saczuk.

Red edge is particularly useful in the early detection of disease or stress in plants – as it is highly reflected by healthy chlorophyl. But the real magic happens when you take the data captured in these different light wavelengths of light and run some calculations on them. That’s what gives you the bigger picture.

“Think of each of these images as a number. Capturing these multiple spectral bands allows you to combine them using complex equations in a type of calculator to give you various indicators of vegetation health,” he says.

That data can answer a lot of questions.

“Is it healthy? Is it not healthy? Is it being productive? Is there chlorophyll? If so, how active is it?” he says.

“These are the kinds of questions we can answer when we do what we call ‘multispectral band combinations.’ And it gives us a really clear picture that cannot be detected by the human eye.”

A CLOSER LOOK

We’re going to take a look at an image in a moment.

Before we get there, though, it’s worth exploring something Eric said earlier. He mentioned complex math. He’s right. The math happens at the individual pixel level between each of the input bands and there are millions of pixels per band. The most common calculation is used to produce a result called NDVI (not be be confused with NVIDIA, the producer of AI chipsets). The acronym stands for Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. And once the math is done, it gives you an accurate picture of vegetation health.

NDVI is calculated by using near infrared (NIR) and red bands (you’ll see the formula below).

The resulting pixel number in an NDVI image, will always be between -1 and +1. The higher the number, the better the health. If the number is low, it means there’s something worth looking at. The NDVI provides a detailed look at crop health and while it is regarded as the gold standard, there are also other calculations that can drill down to more specific indicators of vegetation health.

Below: Healthy vegetation absorbs most of the visible light that hits it, reflecting a large portion of the near-infrared spectrum. Unhealthy or sparse vegetation (right) reflects more visible light and less near-infrared light. When you do the math, it yields a lower NDVI number. (Public domain image by Robert Simmon.)

The second image is the equation used to calculate NDVI (which explains what those numbers are at the bottom of the first image).

FROM DATA TO DECISIONS

Using the equation above (as well as other formulas), Dr. Saczuk turns all of that data into something both meaningful and actionable. By looking at the data – and calculating not just NDVI but other indexes, images are generated that provide an at-a-glance look at crop health.

Traditionally, this has been a hugely time-consuming task involving multiple steps (and plenty of processing) on a laptop. Now, new tools are available that streamline the process. Dr. Saczuk is using a cloud-based solution specifically for precision agriculture.

“It really makes the whole process very efficient – because not only does it do the photogrammetry on the images, stitches them into these orthomosaics, but it also gives you the tools with which to analyse them. This would typically be a multi-step process, but this software makes it a one-stop shop, which is really nice.”

That’s without even getting into some of the AI capabilities of the software. It can, for example, count all the trees in a given orchard – and even give you the elevation of a specific tree.

Below: An NDVI image of one of the farms in the Kelowna project.

NOW WHAT?

At this phase of the project, InDro is gathering data by drone alone. But as it progresses, two more things will happen: We will introduce ground robots and precision spraying.

The plan is that a ground robot will initially be fitted with the same kind of multispectral sensor used by the drone. Autonomous missions will be plotted and the robot will capture a series of images from the ground as it drives through the orchard. That data will be crunched and compared with the results captured from the air.

“This is a way of doing ground-based validation of what we’re seeing from the air, from the aerial images of the drones,” says Dr. Saczuk.

Once that validation is complete and if problem areas are detected, the next phase would involve precision spraying – which could be carried out by an AGRAS agricultural drone – or even potentially by ground robot. Because all of the data is georeferenced, that means the fertilizer (or possibly pesticide or herbicide, depending on the issue) can be precisely applied to only the required locations. That, of course, is where the term Precision Agriculture comes from.

VICE-VERSA

This project is data-driven, with aerial and ground acquisition. But at the outset, shortly after our initial flight in April of 2024, farmer Riley Johnson noticed that a couple of trees weren’t doing well. It wasn’t clear what was causing this failure to thrive, but he didn’t want to take any chances that a potential disease might spread further in the orchard. So those trees were taken down.

In this case, because the issue was spotted early and the location was known, Dr. Saczuk is quite interested in doing some deep drilling into the data at that spot. In fact, that’s the very issue he has recently been exploring.

“So we’ve got that data, that information that’s saying, ‘Hey, these trees were actually not doing well.’ And then the next question is: Can we see anything in the multi-spectral images that would indicate that these trees are somehow spectrally or reflecting light differently than the ones that are healthy?”

This is something that is also of particular interest to Johnson. Will the data reflect what years of experience indicated was a problem to his naked eye?

“As the season progresses, it will be really interesting to see what InDro comes up with,” he says. “But I can definitely see the value of this for someone just getting into farming, or for farms up the hills with new plantings, new growth. This could be very useful.”

Below: Another image of a Kelowna orchard from this project, showing elevation

INDRO’S TAKE

We’ve been involved with precision agriculture projects in the past. In fact, we pioneered a “drone-in-a-box‘ solution, where we’ve shipped a drone to farmers. We talk them through the process of being a visual observer, then instruct them on how to power up the drone. InDro then carries out the flight remotely, using 4G or 5G – while in constant contact with the observer. When it’s done, the farmer puts the drone in the box and sends it back. InDro carries out the data analysis and quickly sends an easy-to-understand report indicating what areas require attention – and what kind of attention they require.

But this project is very different, and exciting for multiple reasons.

“The bi-weekly flights by drone will provide a huge amount of timely data, enabling us to detect any potential problems at an early stage,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “But by adding robots to validate from the ground, we’ll have a more robust dataset that can be used to truly pinpoint areas of concern and which may require precision spraying. We are going to learn a lot with this project – and believe our findings will be of great benefit to farmers down the road.”

A final note. When Dr. Saczuk isn’t carrying out these flights, they’re being flown by a new addition to the InDro team, Jon Chubb. He’s already had interest from other farmers in the Okanogan who are eager to maximize their own yields and have an early detection system for any trouble spots. If you’re in that neck of the woods and would like to arrange a demo, you can contact Jon here.

Sales and support: The InDro Experience

Jul 26, 2024 | InDro News, Industry News, Robotics, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

We’ve all had them. Some unfamiliar number shows up on your phone, and the next thing you know someone is trying to pitch duct cleaning, a new cellular plan, or something else you likely don’t want or need.

You’ll never receive a call like that from us. For one thing, we don’t do duct cleaning (though we could probably build a robot capable of that). But there’s a bigger, more important reason. We cater – above all – to building a relationship with and satisfying the needs of the client. That’s both before we agree on a sale, and for long after the product is delivered.

While InDro is known for such ground-breaking stand-alone products as InDro Commander, the new InDro Cortex and InDro Controller, along with other platforms that enable researchers and R&D companies to build their own robots and drones with greater efficiency and simplicity, the bulk of our sales are custom products.

That means designing and building a robot or other device based on the specific needs and use-cases of the customer. Sometimes it’s a single, one-off design. But it could also be, as we recently reported, an entire fleet of custom robots for swarm research.

Regardless of the product or platform, the process nearly always begins with the first of many conversations with Luke Corbeth, our Head of R&D sales.

Below: Luke at a recent conference

CORBY CAR CLEANERS

The story, or part of it, begins with a company called Corby Car Cleaners. “Corby” was Luke’s nickname in high school. An entrepreneur at heart, the prospect of working a traditional job didn’t appeal much. Corbeth wanted to learn about running his own business and was looking for the satisfaction that comes with building something from scratch. So he opened an on-demand car detailing business, where he’d show up at the client’s home and perform the service. How many people do you know that had the drive to start their own company in high school? (I can think of only one other; a friend who installed car stereos. I ran into him, decades later, at a CES show. His company was by then installing high-end systems – $100k+ – into cars owned by pro athletes, actors etc.)

“That was my way of building a basic business – doing sales and then actually executing the business,” he recalls.

With that – and high school – under his belt, Corbeth went to McGill University. Specifically, the prestigious Desautels Faculty of Management for a degree in Management. Corbeth had already shown a real knack for finance, which was part of the course. But he had the option of choosing specialisations. He was tremendously interested in technology – learning about AI, startups, the growing impact of other forms of tech – so he selected Digital Innovation as one of his tracks. But there was still another specialty he could select.

“I had something I was interested in (Digital Innovation), something I was good at (Finance) and something I felt I was missing,” he says. And that third piece of the puzzle?

“I didn’t understand the way operations are conducted. So I felt Operations Management was the missing piece; data science and understanding the optimal way to carry out operations. So that became the third piece of my arsenal.”

FROM CAR CLEANING TO WALL STREET

With his degree fresh in hand in 2019, Corbeth quickly landed two impressive jobs straight out of the gate. He did equity research at a hedge fund in New York, working to identify investment opportunities that the company referred to as having “material dislocation from fair value.” In other words, assets and stock that were undervalued. He also worked at a private real estate investment firm – which only had a single product to sell. He didn’t like that one much.

“When you have only one offering as a sales professional, it occasionally it feels like you’re trying to put a triangle into a circular hole – like you’re trying to force something upon someone.”

That wasn’t a fit for Corbeth. He was still drawn to technology; felt that was the future. Plus, something A McGill professor once said still resonated with him. It was along the lines of: ‘All the best investments in life, you need to be contrarian and right.’

“I was like, ‘Wow, that’s a very profound thought.’ Another way to think of that is: ‘You have to believe in a future that people don’t yet believe in, but will one day also believe in.’ And that’s what really attracted me to robotics,” he says.

“Sci-fi would suggest that it’s the future, but not everyone sees a future where robots are assistants to humans – carrying out useful and valuable tasks and doing the jobs we don’t want our kids to do. But I believe in that future, and I think people are going to want that future. And you know what? It’s becoming increasingly true.”

And then came the perfect fit: An opening for a sales professional at InDro Robotics in 2021.

“I was very excited at the prospect of joining the very field I was most interested in,” he says.

Below: Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth doing a public demo at the opening of Area X.O’s DARTT – the Drone and Advanced Robot Training and Testing facility

THE INDRO EXPERIENCE

With this background, Corbeth had the perfect skill set – and passion – to take on sales with InDro Robotics. His keen interest in technology led him to quickly absorb everything possible when it came to sensors, compute capabilities, autonomy and more. But it was the chance to tailor something very specifically suited to the needs of a customer that truly appealed. He would never again be in a position of trying to put a triangle into a circular hole.

“What’s very unique about InDro Robotics is that because we take such a modular approach and we have so many partners and ways to bring solutions together, It feels like I always have the right shape to put in each hole – regardless of what shape it is.”

As mentioned, InDro most often builds completely custom robots for its clients. Corbeth is truly passionate about working with clients to fully understand their needs before even beginning to explore what options might be developed for them.

“The way I think about my job is this: People present a problem that they envision a solution for that requires uncrewed systems of some kind, whether that’s robots or drones. And I take it upon myself to thoroughly understand that problem and recommend all of the best available hardware and software at our disposal to solve that problem,” he says.

With rare exceptions, this isn’t just a simple phone call. Nor is it a process of simply ticking boxes for sensors, compute, platform etc. For Corbeth (and InDro), it’s the beginning of a relationship where together we explore every conceivable option to ensure that the client’s needs are met and their problem is solved. It generally starts with Corbeth sending a resource package to potential clients prior to any deeper conversation, so that they can fully understand InDro’s offerings, expertise, platforms, etc.

“The whole idea there is: Let’s identify the problem – and let’s identify the desired future. And since they’ve done their homework, ideally with the resources I’ve sent, then we can really dive into exactly what InDro Robotics can do specifically to get them there.”

This is a key part of the process.

“So the initial part of the conversation is always trying to understand the client’s desired future: What is it they’re actually trying to accomplish? And often times, just by talking it out with the client, I make discoveries about what they’re trying to do. They even make discoveries about what they’re trying to do. That’s always the first part: Thoroughly identifying the problem and what the ideal future should be.”

In some cases, for example, clients have come in looking for a wheeled platform, perhaps because they’ve seen a similar robot with wheels. But after further exploration of the use-case and terrain, they might together discover that a quadruped or tracked platform might be more suitable.

“If a client doesn’t know the existence of something, then it’s impossible for them to know that’s actually what they need,” he explains. “So part of my job is informing them of what is available, what is trending, what has been successful. It’s all about clarifying that problem and that vision for the future – and then seeing if we have something in the arsenal that can help get them there quickly.”

Below: Luke being interviewed at Area X.O’s DARTT

FROM PROBLEM TO SOLUTION

So then what happens?

Well, the second phase is seeing if there’s a fit. Can we provide what the client is seeking? Usually, of course, the answer is yes.

“With all that is available to us, can we offer something that meets their budget, meets their timeline, meets all of the project requirements so that we can help them achieve this future they’re seeking?”

This is something we really want to nail down.

“Sometimes in sales, companies will say: ‘Yes, my solution can solve every problem’ – and that’s not always the case. So if it makes sense to refer them to an adjacent providers outside our immediate circle, I’ll do that. But we’re in a fortunate position where we can solve a lot of problems – so that doesn’t happen very often.”

Once the client’s needs are fully understood, Corbeth works closely with them to drill down to the specifics: What type of LiDAR and other sensors best suit the application? How much compute power is needed? What platform and locomotion is best suited to the use-case? Is an autonomy stack required? The list, of course, goes on. And InDro has multiple options in every category to ensure the end product is the right one.

NEXT STEPS

We live, unfortunately, in a world where there’s a lot of hype – particularly when it comes to technology. There’s no shortage of vapourware, renders for products that don’t yet exist, and other techniques to draw clients into a sales funnel. At InDro, we take great pride in the fact our products are real and do exactly what we state.

“We’ve built custom products for everyone from small colleges and research teams right up to the largest technology companies in the world,” says Corbeth.

It’s one thing to say that; it’s quite another to prove it. And so Corbeth frequently arranges for an in-person or remote demonstration, where clients can control an existing robot or drone and take it for a test drive. They can experience the near-zero latency with remote ops, see the intuitiveness of the control system, and view all sensors, robot health (and much more) through the secure InDro Controller dashboard.

“We get them time on the sticks – ideally in person, but very often over Teams – and let them control a robot on our site. They can see how we plan missions, how we execute missions, and just how user-friendly and effective this technology is.”

That demo – controlling and seeing InDro products in action – generally seals the deal.

“Usually we move from there to quotes and service agreements and then, ultimately, a purchase order.”

Below: Luke engages with an attendee at the big IROS conference in Detroit in fall, 2023

FULFILLMENT AND SUPPORT

Even with the PO signed, the job isn’t done. Prior to starting the build, there’s generally a review call with the client along with engineering staff on the call. We want to ensure we have everything right, and understand every single facet of what the client is expecting.

“It’s a way of ensuring that what we end up delivering ultimately meets every expectation – because the worst thing you can do is send something out the door that doesn’t meet expectations. So we do that, and then we execute,” he says.

With the build complete, the product is shipped. Then there’s another call once it arrives. That ‘kickoff’ call points the client to the vast array of resources and continuously updated documentation InDro provides, as well as answering any initial questions the client might have. The whole concept here is to flatten the learning curve and ensure the client can get up and running with their robot or drone as quickly as possible. That support continues with any issues or questions that might arise after the client becomes familiar with their robot or drone or other device. At InDro, we are just as concerned with ensuring the client is satisfied and able to fully exploit their new product as we were with the original sale.

“We really value the client’s experience and the client’s feedback. In some ways, we create a feedback loop. And that feedback loop is what has enabled us to improve and evolve our products and our documentation at such a fast rate.”

KNOWLEDGE BASE

Luke Corbeth is frequently our lead person at robotics conferences and academic gatherings. He’s the guy PhD engineers will often engage with on InDro products and solutions. And the funny thing here? Luke’s comprehensive understanding of the technologies involved frequently lead people to assume he’s an engineer. In fact, that happened just this week at a University of Toronto event.

“That was like the penultimate compliment,” he says. “Despite having no formal education in engineering, I understand every part of our solution in enough detail that I can knowledgeably discuss hardware and solutions with some of the best professors in the world. Granted, I can’t build an autonomy algorithm. But I know what the robot needs to enable that.”

Of course, Luke would not have been able to reach that knowledge level without working closely with InDro’s talented engineering team at Area X.O. Whenever he’s had a question – they’ve had the answer. Many on our team have served as mentors for him.

Now, it’s one thing for us to say all this. But the real credibility comes with feedback from our clients. Luke received this note after the delivery of a custom robot build for, truly, one of the biggest companies in the world:

“Hey Luke – The robot is fantastic; the craftsmanship is superb; the power on the base is enabling; the intricate way in which the computer fits in the base housing is incredible; the compute box + mast feels “just right” (there’s no template for social robot design, but I feel like we got very close); all these things make me really confident that, with the right algorithms (my responsibility) we can safely and efficiently navigate through crowds. It’s a really special robot that I can’t wait to put in the field. Your team deserves a raise!”

(We’ll have to ask our CEO about that last bit.)

Below, our recent swarm robotics build for a US client

INDRO’S TAKE

InDro would not be thriving without satisfying our clients (many of whom are repeat customers, or are referred to us by existing ones). It is part of our very ethos to fully understand the problems they are trying to solve before we ever start discussing a solution. And it’s only then, through a very collaborative process with the client, that we can deliver a product that not only meets – but frequently exceeds – their expectations.

“Luke is a crucial and always enthusiastic part of the InDro Robotics team,” says Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “His understanding of the technology is phenomenal, and his drive to truly help clients achieve the future they envision seems to be hard-wired into him. Yes, meticulous builds are a key part of client satisfaction and InDro’s reputation. Luke plays an absolutely key role in ensuring that what we ultimately build and deliver is a match with their expectations.”

If you’re considering a robotics solution, contact Luke Corbeth here. He’ll be happy to arrange a test drive.

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