Port Coquitlam drone grant leads to new Fire and Emergency Services capabilities

Port Coquitlam drone grant leads to new Fire and Emergency Services capabilities

Jun 8, 2023 | First Responders, InDro News, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

There’s no question that drones have become an essential part of the toolkit for First Responders.

Drones have proven themselves in Search and Rescue operations (including at night), for Situational Awareness in firefighting and disaster response, and as important tools in accident documentation that can allow police to more rapidly clear the scene and get traffic moving quickly again.

Now, the city of Port Coquitlam’s Fire and Emergency Services department has upped its capabilities thanks to two new drones and training – the result of a $30,000 grant from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM). The money was earmarked as “Community Emergency Preparedness Funding.”

Below: An image from Port Coquitlam’s Fire and Emergency Services web page

Port Coquitlam Drone Grant

EYES IN THE SKY

 

Drones have proven particularly useful tools to firefighters. They not only provide the Big Picture from above, but drones with thermal sensors can see beyond the visible flames – identifying other hotspots not visible to the naked eye. A section of roof that might appear fine could, in fact, be close to combustion.

On May 6, 2019, drones played a huge role at one of the worst fires in the City of Victoria’s history. What would come to be known as the Pandora Street Fire would ravage an historical buiding and take a week to fully extinguish. On the morning it broke out, there was so much roiling brown smoke that firefighters couldn’t even see where the flames were. They immediately put an InDro drone, equipped with thermal sensors, in the air.

“If you’ve ever been to one of these big fires, the smoke is thick and completely impenetrable,” explained InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece in this story.

“You’re pointing the hose at where you think the fire is. Now you switch to thermal and it basically cuts the smoke – the smoke disappears. Now you see the heat coming up off the fire. You can actually follow it down through the different radiometric temperature colours to where the real core of the fire is.”

The image below was taken at the Pandora Street Fire and is courtesy the City of Victoria’s Fire Department. You can see, thanks to thermal, where the hottest spots are. It’s a clear example of how important an airborne thermal sensor is:

 

Pandora Street Fire FLIR thermal drone

DRONES AND MORE

 

The drones, purchased via InDro Robotics, are two DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise Thermal units. The camera provides up to a 56x combined optical/digital zoom, and the thermal sensor has 640 x 512 resolution. With flight times of up to 45 minutes, the pair of drones can be easily rotated for continuous situational awareness. The controller allows to displaying both visual and thermal imagery side-by-side.

“This is a great example of our city using creative technology tools to better serve and protect our community, residents and keeping our firefighters safe,” said Mayor Brad West in this news release. 

“Providing immediate access to real-time video footage, helps our firefighters make better on-scene decisions. We are grateful to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) for providing us with this grant that will positively impact our community.”

TRAINING

 

The grant also provides for training of those who will operate the drones – as well as to develop planning exercise scenarios for the City’s Emergency Operations Centre. Five Fire Department pilots currently hold their Transport Canada Advanced RPAS Certificates, and additional training with InDro Robotics will take place to in order to fully exploit the capabilities of the thermal drones and interpret the data.

The news release states that drones will be able to provide real-time information via live-streaming to the City’s Emergency Operations Center during incidents:

“A review of the current EOC practices, used to obtain information, suggests that more timely and reliable information can be obtained through the use of technology, such as drones. Using a drone to survey the site of an incident can reduce the risk of injury to first responders as well as give crucial information to the incident commander for planning response activities which can be livestreamed to the EOC.”

MULTIPLE USE-CASES

It goes on to outline some of the many benefits of drone use, including:

  • “Provides fast and efficient reconnaissance of the incident from a safe distance prior to sending first responders in to perform search and rescue operations;
  • “The use of drone mounted thermal imaging cameras assist first responders in identifying heat signatures of trapped or injured civilians who may not be easily seen or heard;
  • “Support City staff in pre-disaster planning efforts, e.g. geographic surveys and inspections of bridges, dams, and diking systems; and
  • “Provides staff with updated, accurate, high definition images for the City’s data collection.”

Councillor Steve Darling, the City Council’s designate for community safety matters, is quoted outlining why these drones are an important addition:

“The drone(s) will be used to support fire ground operations, relaying important information regarding fire growth and heat. This will also increase firefighter safety, allowing the department to keep an eye on firefighters working in hazardous areas.”

Below: A DJI video outlining the features of its Mavic 3 Enterprise drones

 

INDRO’S TAKE

 

It’s been less than a decade since DJI released the original Phantom, which required a separate GoPro and was not capable of video streaming unless you really wanted to buy hobby parts and hack the camera to transmit. Drones were anomalies then, largely purchased by hobbyists.

But it wasn’t long before First Responders started seeing the potential. Some early adopters embraced the emerging technology, and it wasn’t long before word started to spread. It’s now routine, at pretty much any drone or First Responders convention, for presentations to be made showing real-world examples of how useful – critical, even – drones have become.

“The growth of drone technology has truly been exponential – and so have the use-cases,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece.

“We’ve long been involved with drone training with Port Coquitlam Fire, and applaud the Union of British Columbia Municipalities for this forward-thinking grant. We look forward to hearing about the many ways these drones benefit Port Coquitlam Fire and the City’s Emergency Operations Centre.”

InDro has, for many years, trained First Responders and supplied specialized drones for their work. If your local First Responders would like to learn more about the capabilities of InDro drones or ground robots – including training at the forthcoming Area X.O advanced drone and ground robot facility in Ottawa – feel free to contact us here. 

 

 

A Q&A with Real Life Robotics CEO Cameron Waite

A Q&A with Real Life Robotics CEO Cameron Waite

May 17, 2023 | InDro News, RealLife Robotics, Robotics

By Scott Simmie

 

There’s a new robot – and a new robotics company – in town.

Real Life Robotics, founded by CEO Cameron Waite, is a cargo and last-mile robotics delivery firm. Its deployments utilise products developed by InDro Robotics intended for both autonomous and tele-operated missions over 4G and 5G networks. These robots, customisable for client-specific applications, are designed for long-range and large payloads.

Its first workhorse, currently doing demos for potential clients, is a unit Real Life calls BUBS. Developed by InDro, the robot is a second-generation delivery machine with impressive payload capability and a lockable payload door that opens upon reaching its destination. It’s suitable for a wide variety of use-cases and can be modified for client-specific needs.

BUBS is packed with features, including:

  • A total of six cameras, including two sets of depth perception cameras at the front and rear for greater situational awareness for the operator
  • LED running lights, signal lights, brake lights
  • Large cargo bay (50kg capacity) that can be opened and closed remotely
  • Greater all-weather protection and a touchscreen interface for customers

Just as the Artist Formerly Known as Prince had a name change, so too has BUBS. InDro’s and Real Life Robotics’ earlier development name for the machine was ROLL-E 2.0. It went through successful trials with London Drugs in Surrey, BC, for home deliveries.

 

Below: Bubs in action during trials in BC for London Drugs

THE INDRO-REAL LIFE CONNECTION

 

Like most business relationships, this one began with a conversation. Specifically, a chat between InDro CEO Philip Reece and Cameron Waite in 2021. Just as InDro has deep expertise in robotics R&D, Waite has a high-level background in robotics sales and customer success. With more than two decades of experience in hardware sales, Waite was an early hire at Canadian success story Aeryon Labs, a pioneering UAV firm that was acquired by FLIR for $200M.

Waite was responsible for global sales with Aeryon, engaging with clients ranging from police and First Responders to defence, commercial inspection, “and everything in-between,” he says. He learned a lot about different use-case scenarios for the product – as well as the ability of engineers to customise capabilities of the core product line to meet the needs of clients.

From there, he went on to a similar position at Avidbots. He was, again, a very early-stage hire with significant responsibilities for helping grow the company.

“There was no revenue there prior to my joining,” he says. “I was the first sales hire at Aeryon; I was the first sales hire at Avidbots.”

So, what did he do at Avidbots?

“I was able to engage with some of the largest companies in the world – everyone from DHL to Walmart. I spent five years there, growing that organization, hiring and managing staff, sales people, but also being involved in customer success and support and product and product development. Making sure that the feedback from the clients in the field was making its way to the team to build and develop and modify and tweak that robot to better fit the needs of our clients so that our clients would continue to want to scale.”

We interviewed Waite (obviously) about his plans for Real Life Robotics, and the kind of clients that might be a solid fit for BUBS.

Below: Real Life Robotics CEO/Founder Cameron Waite in conversation with Scott Simmie

Cameron Waite RealLife Robotics

QUESTIONS. AND ANSWERS

 

So let’s get into the Q & As.

Q: Tell us about BUBS

A: BUBS is a second-generation delivery robot. It is a large unit relative to what we typically would see out in the market. It uses a suite of sensors onboard to give it spacial and environmental awareness. We use systems like the NVIDIA Nano to process data that the robot sees in real time, which allows it to make its own autonomous decisions to navigate through the world.

The robot is large-capacity and has a locking, remotely operated lid that allows it to securely hold and transport whatever it is our customers are interested in moving. It’s a large-enough system that it can hold food, beverages, product from a store, pharmaceuticals or lab samples from a hospital, dirty linens in a long-term care facility, product on a golf course – really anything that needs to be transported from Point A to Point B.

It has indoor and outdoor capabilities, so it is weather-resistant. It can handle some pretty significant slopes and terrain. The robot, in addition to its autonomy and sensor package, utilises a radio system that allows us to have remote assistance or piloting as necessary through a WiFI connection, a 4G/5G connection, or private network. We currently use the Rogers 5G network as our backbone, and from a teleoperation or semi-autonomous perspective, we can have an operator located anywhere on planet earth and have that person remotely assist or operate the robot as necessary with under a 1/10th of a second latency. So it’s near real-time using EDGE computing.

 

IS BUBS DESIGNED FOR AUTONOMOUS OPS OR TELE-OPERATION?

 

That was the question. Here’s the answer.

A: The answer depends on the application itself. So some environments where we have a high degree of predictability and can pre-map and understand that environment, those are environments that are more conducive to fully autonomous operations. The robot can be trained using Computer Vision and AI to autonomously navigate through an entire space if that space is predictable.

Alternatively, if there is a high degree of variability, or there are safety or regulatory concerns that require a human in the loop, we have that option as well. So, for example, if a robot was to be traveling in a city environment and it needed to cross a road – that’s a complex procedure for any robot to do. And there’s likely a degree of human interface that would be beneficial to have that robot determine when and where it’s safe to cross the road. Or if a path was blocked by a large-enough obstacle, and the robot needed to exit a geofence that is pre-programmed into that operation, in order to safely manoeuevre around that obstacle, it’s likely a good idea to have a human in the loop to make that complex decision.

The more repetitive times that type of an application happens, the more a robot can be trained to autonomously execute those types of scenarios. As that robot’s deployment increases over time, the human interface required decreases. But there will always be some level of human in the loop.

 

WHAT ABOUT REGULATORY ENVIRONMENTS AND ADOPTION?

 

A: Over the next 10 years, we will see an enormous increase in the reliance on robotics to do basic things like delivery inside municipal environments. One of the things I learned at Aeryon years ago was the importance of engaging with government early on, because government can otherwise potentially shut down your operations at a really inopportune time. And so Real Life Robotics has already engaged with a number of Canadian cities and had early approvals to allow our robots to drive around in certain automation projects in city environments.

Municipalities typically have concerns around full automation and Level 4, Level 5 autonomy. If Elon Musk and his team are not able to get approvals to drive around in downtown Toronto, how do we think we’re going to get the same approvals to drive around autonomously? We’re not. So the cities have actually really embraced the fact that our robots can have a human in the loop to make some of those difficult decisions. That helps alleviate some of the concerns around full autonomy. But we have spent the time building the groundwork to allow us to operate in their environments and we, in return, intend to work very closely with those cities to actually build the playbook, and build the ruleset and the framework around successful and safe deployment of robots in urban environments.

 

CAN BUBS BE MODIFIED FOR CLIENTS?

 

A: Absolutely. Our mandate is to commercialise robots. And as part of any startup growth plan, sometimes there are pivots along the way that you need to make. But in general, a client that has a real ROI potential where robots can facilitate that, and a client that has the potential for scale, that’s our expertise. With the combined benefit of having InDro, we can not only develop a very specific robot solution to solve a customer’s immediate concerns or challenges, we can also scale that robot.

Q: Why did you feel InDro was the best fit for a partner?

A: In general, InDro would be considered a world-class R&D company – hands down, bar none. And that’s why we partnered with them. The firm has an enormous skillset, including expertise with autonomy, sensor fusion and integration. Because the company has all off that, plus a large engineering staff, we’re lucky to call InDro a true partner. InDro’s capabilities and agility will help speed the path of Real Life – and our clients – to commercialisation.

Below: BUBS in action during a pilot project in Surrey, BC

Delivery Robot

SPREADING THE NEWS

 

Real Life Robotics issued a news release on its partnership with InDro, which you can find here. But we’ll take the liberty to borrow a section from it:

“The ground robotic delivery market is still very new,” explains Waite. “We engage with both commercial/industrial and government clients who want to lead the charge in adoption of this exciting technology we’ve created.”

“Using a combination of hardware, software, and artificial intelligence, Real Life Robotics’ flagship product, called BUBS™, provides cargo and delivery automation at scale. The company’s unique Robot-As-A-Service model approach provides clients with a white-labelled, customized robot at an accessible cost, allowing businesses to realize immediate top line and bottom line impact.

“Businesses in manufacturing, retail, healthcare, agriculture and food services sectors among others can utilize BUBS™ for a variety of last-mile delivery applications with BUBS™ providing immediate solutions to labor shortages, as well as cost savings, labor efficiencies optimization while driving additional new revenue streams.

“InDro and Real Life Robotics will work closely together to enhance robot offerings, as well as identify new ways of collaborating in a fast-growing marketplace.”

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We’re obviously equally pleased with this partnership – and are eager to build and customise ground robot solutions for the clients of Real Life Robotics.

“Cameron Waite has deep expertise in sales and support of aerial and ground robotics, along with customer success,” says InDro CEO Philip Reece. “We look forward to creating custom solutions at scale for Cam’s clients. Real Life Robotics is the right company, with the right leader, at the right time.”

You can learn more about Real Life Robotics here. And you can reach CEO Cameron Waite here.

CONTACT

INDRO ROBOTICS
305, 31 Bastion Square,
Victoria, BC, V8W 1J1

P: 1-844-GOINDRO
(1-844-464-6376)

E: Info@InDroRobotics.com

copyright 2022 © InDro Robotics all rights reserved

InDro attends Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston

InDro attends Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston

May 12, 2023 | Events, InDro News, Industry News, Robotics, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

There’s nothing like a little trip to Boston at this time of year. Especially when the annual Robotics Summit and Expo is on.

InDro dispatched Account Executive Luke Corbeth and Head of Strategic Innovations Stacey Connors to the show, along with a number of devices either manufactured or distributed by InDro Robotics.

And it was busy. So busy, that it produced a quote we never anticipated.

“I only had time for one pee break all day and didn’t stop talking,” laughs Corbeth.

Between demonstrating a dog-like robot and other devices, speaking with attendees and potential clients, Corbeth says the tempo was absolutely surreal – with a steady stream of people at the InDro booth wanting to learn more about the company and its solutions.

“Honestly our booth was too busy,” adds Connors. “We needed two of us there, manning it nonstop.”

But that’s a good problem to have.

There was a large number of startups in attendance, as well as engineering students, professors, and others from the world of robotics, robotic medicine/surgery and academia. In conversations, Corbeth says many were keen to learn of InDro’s expertise as an integrator.

“A lot of people told us they were having difficulty building their own hardware. They really tinker with hardware and struggle with integration. For someone trying to build an autonomous inspection solution, for example, it can be challenging to focus on what you actually want to do achieve if you’re spending so much time on the hardware.”

Below: Team InDro during a microsecond when the booth wasn’t swamped:

Robotics Summit

PLENTY OF GEAR

 

InDro took a number of products the company has developed or distributes to the show. The Unitree GO1 EDU, seen in the photo above, was a big hit. But there was plenty of interest in InDro products including our new indoor drone – which has capabilities not available with standard commercial drones.

“It’s a ROS-based drone,” explains Corbeth. “It has compute onboard, a depth camera, a 4K camera, and 5G connectivity for remote teleoperations. With a standard DJI drone you don’t have the same ability to develop autonomous and custom applications. But ours can be programmed in ROS (Robot Operating System), which enables different sorts of projects that off-the-shelf drones just can’t do.”

There were plenty of engineering students – many specialising in robotics and mechatronics – at the Expo. It’s a sign, if any were needed, indicative of the massive growth in the industry.

“The students really see that,” says Corbeth. “So they put their efforts into learning how to design and build and improve these types of robots and want to be part of that going forward.”

 

MASSROBOTICS

 

Massachusetts has a thriving robotics community, including more than 400 companies that build or utilise robotic solutions. And there was a big presence at the show from MassRobotics, a non-profit innovation hub, accelerator and incubator for robotics and connected devices startups. It offers support and expertise as entrepreneurs move from envisioning a solution through to eventual production and commercialisation. The organisation also frequently teams with industry partners to issue robotics challenges, where university teams try to fulfil specific challenges in order to win cash prizes.

“We help bridge the gap and connect our startups to potential customers and investors, offering facilities and platforms to showcase their technology,” says its website.  “MassRobotics’ mission is to help create and scale the next generation of successful robotics technology and connected devices companies by providing innovative entrepreneurs and startups with the workspace and resources they need to develop, prototype, test and commercialize their products and solutions.”

Because of that mission, there was real interest in InDro’s capabilities, says Corbeth:

“They showcased a number of student-led projects, so it was nice to see what the academic world is building. They also seemed intrigued at the idea of jump-starting their projects with InDro’s integration abilities.”

InDro also told MassRobotics staff about the forthcoming drone and robot advanced training, testing and evaluation site coming soon to Area X.O.

“They lit up when I talked about the testing site at Area X.O,” says Connors, who is hoping to arrange potential collaboration between MassRobotics, Area X.O and Invest Ottawa. “It’s all about opening doors.”

Below: An image from the MassRobotics website, showing some of the 400 companies manufacturing or utilizing robotics in Massachusetts.

 

MassRobotics Boston robot companies

CLIENT VISITS

 

For Luke Corbeth, who drove down with a car absolutely jammed with robots and a drone, the Robotics Summit & Expo was just part of a very busy week. He also visited clients at the University of Massachusetts, as well as Boston University’s College of Engineering – which has purchased a fleet of Limo R&D robots. (The department is apparently doing research involving using the robots in collaborative swarms.)

It was an opportunity he welcomed.

“In the post-Covid era, a lot of interactions are online so it’s nice to actually meet the clients face-to-face, hear about their problems and successes and use that feedback to better service them and improve our products.”

And a personal highlight for Luke? A booth visit from Aaron Prather, Director of the Robotics & Autonomous Systems Program at ASTM International. Prather is followed by nearly 40,000 people on LinkedIn, where he posts prolifically on developments in the field of robotics.

“I feel like I met the Michael Jackson of robotics,” says Corbeth.

Robotics Summit Luke Corbeth Aaron Prather

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We were pleased to make some connections – and likely some sales – at the Robotics Summit & Expo. We were also pleased to see the immense interest in what InDro does (something we covered at length in a post here).

“While conferences often bring sales, sometimes exposure and making new connections are just as valuable – or more,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece.

“We’ve developed many partnerships that began as simple conversations at events like these, and we look forward to building more.”

We generally give advance notice when we’re attending conferences via LinkedIn and Twitter. Give us a follow and stay up to date on InDro developments.

The case for micro-credentials in the RPAS world

The case for micro-credentials in the RPAS world

Apr 18, 2023 | Area X.O, Education, InDro News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

The world of drones, as you likely know, changes rapidly.

In less than a decade, we’ve gone from the first DJI Phantom (which required an optional GoPro if you wanted images) – to highly sophisticated machines capable of BVLOS flights over 4G and 5G networks. Drones today have sophisticated obstacle avoidance, multiple sensors, and can be programmed to carry out missions autonomously. They routinely create digital twins, carry out volumetric calculations, and use specialised software for anomaly and change detection.

There are even devices designed for highly specific use-case scenarios, such as the innovative Voliro – built for non-destructive testing. Drones like this require highly specific training to operate.

In other words, drones are doing a lot more than capturing RGB images these days. Newer operations often involve complex planning, operations and data analysis. And that can mean pilot training above and beyond what’s currently required for a Transport Canada Advanced RPAS Certificate.

And so we pose the question: Has the time come for micro-credentials in the world of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)?

Below: A drone operated by Aerometrix. Its specialised sensor sniffs the air for methane and other gases. It requires specialised piloting and software skills.

Aerometrix

The status quo

 

At the moment, there are two nationally-recognised certifications for drone pilots in Canada. They are the Basic and Advanced RPAS Certificates, issued by Transport Canada.

“Right now the only government certification that’s offered in the drone space is for certification – and there are about 7,000 other pilots out there with that same certificate,” says Kate Klassen, a traditional aircraft pilot and instructor, as well as InDro’s Chief Flight Instructor.

In other words, there’s not much out there to differentiate a pilot’s skills; an RPAS Certificate, though useful, only tells us so much.

“It doesn’t cover the more specialized use-cases and skill sets that are needed to be hired for those really complex jobs. Until there are other recognised drone-specific knowledge certifications that you could point back to to beef up your resume, it will be challenging for those doing the hiring – and those wanting to be hired – to know what they’re getting and what’s needed.”

As a result, some pilots seeking more advanced skills (and jobs), can find themselves in what Klassen calls a “Catch-22.” How can you land jobs where you might learn some of those critical new skills if the employer won’t hire you because you don’t currently have them?

“The solution there,” says Klassen, “is additional training and credentials.”

 

The case for micro-credentials

 

The kind of training and credentials referred to above can be taught with brief but highly focussed courses – leading to “micro-credentials.” These badges of approval would be recognised by others in the industry.

And in fact, this is organically taking place already. At the British Columbia Institute for Technology, RPAS Operations Head Dr. Eric Saczuk has created and instructed two different micro-credential courses. Right now, he’s teaching “Drone Applications for an Environmental Risk Assessment.” Knowledge includes how to conduct a site survey and plan a mission, along with how to process colour, multi-spectral, and thermal drone images into data sets.

“Micro-credentials are focused, relatively short courses designed to give students access to specific, job-ready skills related to a particular industry,” says Dr. Saczuk, who has a PhD in Remote Sensing. He also sees a growing need for these courses as use-cases, technology and software become ever more specialised.

Obtaining a micro-credential (MC), says Dr. Saczuk, is beneficial both to drone operators and those doing the hiring for complex jobs.

“Having a micro-credential on your resume has the advantage of indicating to your potential employer that you are serious about continuing to upgrade and update your skills, learn new techniques, and invest in your professional development,” he says.

“It shows that you’re actively staying on top of the latest advances in your field and not just resting on your previous credentials. Speaking of which, one of the best advantages of MCs is that they are designed to ladder to other credentials such as Certificates, Diplomas and Degrees.”

Below: Dr. Eric Saczuk, who is also the Flight Operations Lead at InDro Robotics, carries out a complex drone operation for a client in Saudi Arabia. Specialised jobs require specialised skills.

 

 

Wayfinder Drone

EARNING MICRO-CREDENTIALS CAN BE FAST

 

Here’s the thing. Many drone operators who would like to up their skills are already working and it would be difficult – if not impossible – to attend a full-time or time-consuming course. In the case of BCIT, the course is designed specifically for those kind of people. The bulk of the instruction is online, with three 90-minute sessions during the work week and in-person skills instruction on Saturdays. One Micro-credential badge is earned every week for specific skills; the entire course is completed in four weeks.

“Generally, students LOVE the micro credential course!” says Dr. Saczuk.

“It doesn’t take up much of their busy day – remember, these students are usually working full- or part-time or have many other things on the go, so they don’t want you to waste their time – and we get right into the thick of it.”

Having already created two full courses, Dr. Saczuk is already looking ahead to developing more.

“I can envision developing future courses delving into high-precision photogrammetry using real-time kinematic positioning and ground control points,” he says.

“Another one could be tailored to First-Responders, disaster monitoring and/or search-and-rescue. We could put one together focusing solely on the use of thermal imagery to building envelope inspection or how to use multi-spectral imagery to map invasive species…as you can tell, there’s no limit to where this technology can be useful!”

 

NOT JUST DRONES

 

 

Drones aren’t the only arena where MCs would be useful. A similar technological evolution has been taking place in the world of Uncrewed Ground Vehicles (UGVs), or ground robots. Remote teleoperations, thermal sensing, digital twins and more are now routine tasks for UGVs. In fact, construction is underway for a high-end training and testing facility at Area X.O. It’s designed to current NIST standards for evaluation and training and will be operated by InDro Robotics. (You can read more about the forthcoming facility in this post.)

Below: A CGI video of the new drone and robot advanced testing and training facility. Construction is underway, with a planned opening date of June, 2023

 

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

 

Well, hopefully more micro-credential courses – and a growing number of higher education facilities offering them. But how to ensure that these MC courses produce pilots (and robot operators) with more or less equal skills?

Dr. Saczuk says currently, it’s up to the creator of the course to build the curriculum. He believes this system is working well, and that core skills will be similar from institution to institution.

“I have seen other courses taught by other institutions and organization about the same topic – say thermal image analysis) and they cover very much the same topics I do in that badge,” he says.

“I feel like if the authors and instructors are fully knowledgeable in the subject, the chances of the courses being standardized is pretty high without any external framework. Perhaps this is not the best approach, but it’s just what I’ve observed from my experience.”

InDro’s Kate Klassen, one of Canada’s most experienced online drone trainers and the creator of the online drone training portal FLYY, believes there’s room for some form of standardisation. This would ensure that those earning MC badges all learn a uniform skill set.

“I see it as a set of standards, much like how the pilot certification standards are set out in TP 15263 from Transport Canada, that professionals and academics in that industry niche establish,” she says.

“There could be flexibility in what those standards require. Some might be able to be taught online or in a classroom where others will need to be an in-person skill demonstration or working with a dataset to produce specific results. At the end, graduates would receive a traceable, validated and recognized credential they can use to set themselves apart.”

 

Below: Those operating robots, like drones, could benefit from specialised training

 

InDro Robotics

InDro’s TAKE

 

InDro Robotics was one of the earliest Canadian companies to enter the RPAS space. In addition to our Research and Development, we’ve long been involved with training. Some of that training has been tailored for First Responders and other specialized drone operations. We take training – both internally and externally – *very* seriously.

And we believe the case for more widespread micro-credentials, along with standardisation, is the way forward.

“Drones are much more than flying cameras these days,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece. “And ground robots have become equally sophisticated. Micro-credentials can ensure that operators are not only competent, but able to fully exploit the capabilities of these devices.

“With the new facility at Area X.O coming online soon, InDro will be exploring the possibility of offering micro-credentials as part of our specialised training.”

Oh. And if you’re looking to obtain your Transport Canada Basic or Advanced RPAS Certificate, look no farther than Kate Klassen’s excellent FLYY.

CONTACT

INDRO ROBOTICS
305, 31 Bastion Square,
Victoria, BC, V8W 1J1

P: 1-844-GOINDRO
(1-844-464-6376)

E: Info@InDroRobotics.com

copyright 2022 © InDro Robotics all rights reserved

InDro builds, delivers custom robot to global client

InDro builds, delivers custom robot to global client

Apr 10, 2023 | Case Studies, InDro News, InDro Solutions, Scott Simmie, UGV

By Scott Simmie

 

We’ve built a new robot we’d like to tell you about.

It’s for a highly specialised use-case scenario for a global client. (And when we say global client, it’s a household name.)

This isn’t the first project where we’ve been tapped by a heavy-hitting company to design and build custom robots. We have ongoing contracts with others, where unfortunately NDAs prohibit us from disclosing pretty much anything. (We can tell you that one of the ground robots we’re building for one of those clients is pretty big.)

In this case, the client has agreed to let us tell you a fair bit about the product, providing we don’t reveal their name. We think this is a really intriguing robot, so we’re going to share some details – including images of the final product.

Here it is. And, by the way, it’s as tall as the average person. The sensor poking out on the right near the top of the cylindrical portion is positioned at eye-level.

Custom Robot

NOT A PIZZA OVEN

 

With that stretching, stovepipe-like neck, it might look like a pizza oven on wheels. But it’s not. It’s designed that way so that sensors can be roughly at the head height of human beings. The box at the bottom could be thought of as a computer on steroids.

That’s because the client wanted this robot for a very specific purpose: To be able to navigate complex crowds of people.

“The client wants to use Vision SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) to essentially detect humans and pathways through chaotic environments,” says Arron Griffiths, InDro’s Engineering Manager. Arron works out of our Area X.O location, where the robot was fabricated.

“Think malls, shopping centres, and stuff like that where humans are mingling to navigate around. And there’s no really defined path, the robot must organically move around people. Yes, you’d have an overall predetermined path with a desired destination, but once the chaos of humans comes in the robot would safely meander its way through crowds.”

 

LOTS OF TECHNOLOGY

 

That’s not a simple task. The client is going to supply its own autonomy software, but InDro had to work closely with them on the robot’s design and capabilities.

We mentioned earlier that this robot is SLAM-capable. That means it can map its surroundings in real time and make its own decisions – while it’s moving – about where in the ever-changing environment it makes sense to go to next. Two ZED depth cameras provide a detailed look at those surroundings (one close to the ground, the other at human eye level). So it’s constantly scanning, mapping, and making decisions about where to move next in real-time.

This is a data-dense task that requires a *lot* of onboard computing power.

“It’s basically a really powerful desktop computer on wheels,” says InDro Account Executive Luke Corbeth. “It’s outfitted with serious computational power, including the same graphic cards that people use to mine bitcoin.”

And that posed another challenge for our engineering team. The client wanted the robot to be able to operate for several hours at a time. But that advanced computing capability really puts a drain on power. 

“Once you stick these high-end computers into a battery powered robotic system, your run time drops like a stone,” explains Griffiths. “It’s a bit of a beast on power. That’s why we had to put a second battery into the unit. This is an excercise in finding a balance point, and producing a robot that will do a high-end deployment with all of this high end technology.”

Custom Robot Canada

CLIENT-CENTRED PROCESS

 

This wasn’t the first custom-robot that client has requested. The international company has a longer-term research project focussed on enabling a robot to navigate when surrounded by unpredictable human beings. It has developed, and will continue to tweak, its own autonomy software to carry out this task in conjunction with this robot.

InDro worked closely with the client on the design – both the technical requirements in terms of processors, sensors, graphic cards, run time – as well as the physical appearance. Because the client had some very tight timelines, InDro designed and built this robot in a very short period of time: Seven weeks from outset until the product was shipped.

“That’s extremely fast,” says Griffiths. “That’s the fastest custom robot I’ve seen in my working profession. You’ve got to think design cycles, manufacturing, outsourcing, testing. From this being nothing, to being shipped out in less than two months is incredible.”

 

SOLUTION-FOCUSED

 

But there’s a difference between carrying out an expedited task – and doing a rush job. The focus always had to remain on ensuring that the capabilities, design, build and testing of this machine would meet or exceed the client’s rigorous standards. And that meant even the tiniest details counted.

For example, we’d discovered with a previous robot using the same locomotion platform that there could be an issue on rough surfaces. Specifically, if you were turning a tight corner or accelerating while turning, the wheels could shudder and jump. This was especially an issue on asphalt and concrete.

InDro’s engineering team knew that with this robot any such shudders would be amplified due to the height of the machine; a minor shudder at the base would translate into significant wobbling at the robot’s top. That wasn’t something we wanted happening.

And so we created a solution. We covered the individual wheels with a 3D-printed wrap. This provides a barrier between the sticky rubber and ground, allowing the robot to slightly slide during such manoeuvres and avoiding those troubling vibrations.

 

Below: Detail of the wheels, with their new coating

Custom Robot

CLIENT REACTION

 

When we pack up and ship a custom build, the client always gets in touch after they’ve received the product. That’s the moment of truth – and the feedback we eagerly await.

Not long after the robot arrived, an email from the client landed. It included the following:

“The robot is fantastic,” they wrote. “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!”

This robot, though it can’t cook pizzas, is one of the most powerful Uncrewed Ground Vehicles InDro has built, at least in terms of raw onboard computational power. Engineering lead Griffiths believes its capabilities could make a variation of this machine suitable for other clients, as well.

“I think it’s a very good platform for clients who want very high computing power in a small form factor  that actually has some range, some longevity to it,” he says.

Below: Even when they’re under the gun, our engineering team takes it all in stride

Robotics Engineers

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We’re often working on projects like this. In fact, this isn’t the first major global client to tap InDro for custom builds. As our tagline states: “Invent. Enhance. Deploy.” That’s what we do.

“This was an expedited design, build and test of a completely new and computationally powerful robot,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece. “We know that InDro’s reputation rides on every product we ship and every service we provide. So we’re delighted to hear the client is as pleased with this robot as we are – and look forward to building more for them.”

Interested in what a powerhouse machine like this might do for you? Feel free to explore the possibilities by setting up a conversation with Account Executive Luke Corbeth.

 

CBC HIGHLIGHTS YOW DRONE DETECTION SYSTEM

CBC HIGHLIGHTS YOW DRONE DETECTION SYSTEM

Apr 3, 2023 | Case Studies, Drone Detection, Drone News, InDro News, YOW

By Scott Simmie

 

If you follow InDro Robotics, you’ll likely be aware that we were a co-founder and core technology partner of the YOW Drone Detection Pilot Project.

The system has been operating since the fall of 2020, and detects drone intrusions not only at the Ottawa International Airport, but as far as 40 kilometres away in the National Capital Region. Data from the project helps to inform airport protocols and is shared on a regular basis with Transport Canada and law enforcement.

Back during the “Freedom Convoy” protests in downtown Ottawa, the system got onto the mainstream radar after we published this story, which outlined the high number of unauthorised drone flights taking place in downtown Ottawa. The Ottawa Citizen covered that story here and it was also a cover story for WINGS Magazine.

Now, the system is back in the news for a different reason: The recent visit of US President Joe Biden to Ottawa.

President Biden

AIR FORCE ONE

 

Prior to the actual visit, advance teams from the Secret Service and Air Force One wanted to check out security and logistics at the Ottawa International Airport. And one of the first questions? Whether YOW had a drone detection system.

The answer, as you know, is Yes. We interviewed Michael Baudette, YOW’s VP of Security, Emergency Management and Customer Transportation. The resulting post garnered a lot of attention, including a lengthy interview by CBC Ottawa.

To view the segment on the Drone Detection Pilot project, check out the video below.

INDRO’S TAKE

The YOW Drone Detection Pilot Project has been in operation since November of 2020, and has created a wealth of data. It has helped the Ottawa International Airport develop protocols for incursions, and has led to even catching one operator flying a large drone very close to the flight path of jets. NAV Canada is a partner on this project, and Transport Canada receives regular reports.

“This system works well, but it also operates behind-the-scenes in relative obscurity,” says InDro CEO Philip Reece. “It’s great to see this coverage, which gives the general public a better understanding of the value of these systems. Michael Beaudette has been a tremendous backer of this system since the outset, so we were also pleased to see him front and centre.”

InDro is a core technology partner in the YOW Drone Detection Pilot Project. The system has proven itself, and we believe it’s an excellent model for other airports and sensitive facilities. If that interests you and you’d like to learn more, feel free to hit us up  here.