InDro on the road: Four major conferences in a month

InDro on the road: Four major conferences in a month

Jun 5, 2025 | Events, InDro Cortex, InDro News, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

We’ve been busy.

Our Head of R&D Sales, Luke Corbeth, has been on the road – hitting up four conferences in three countries in less than a month. During that time, he’s met with potential clients, seen cutting-edge research, and even officially launched the new InDro Cortex.

It’s always a challenge, selecting which conferences to attend. But we try to be strategic, attending those which combine a chance to meet with new and existing clients while learning as much about new trends and research as possible.

For Corbeth, who has just returned from a show in the UK, it’s all about opportunities.

“Some of these conferences are truly the place to meet with people who are at the forefront of R&D and new use-case scenarios,” says Corbeth. “These people are often leveraging either our technology or tech from other manufacturers and integrators. These events are a great way to stay on top of things.”

Below: Luke at the big AUTOMATE 2025 show in Detroit

Luke Corbeth Automate

AUTOMATE 2025

 

This was the first stop on our tour.

In early May, Corbeth headed to the AUTOMATE 2025 show in Detroit – one of the premiere annual automation events. We were guests at the big Ericsson booth, where the company was highlighting its Ericsson 5G Private network, or EP5G. Large companies with smart factories and high degrees of automation are increasingly opting for private 5G networks for their security, high bandwidth and low-latency. Literally thousands of smart or embedded devices can share data in real-time on a private 5G network.

To show off the potential of private 5G, companies like Ericsson (which is the world’s largest provider of cellular network hardware) need to showcase tangible use-cases. And so Corbeth was there with Captis, a cycle-counting and precision scanning autonomous robot built for warehouse environments. InDro Robotics is the incubator of Cypher Robotics and helped do the R&D work on Captis. 

“We make private 5G sexy,” laughs Corbeth. “Captis is a prime example of a technology that effectively leverages private 5G networks.”

 

ICRA

 

Next, it was off to Atlanta for the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, or ICRA. Once again, there was plenty of automation and robotics on display, but the real emphasis at ICRA is on research. Posters and papers are a big part of the event, which draws some of the leading global researchers and thought leaders.

“ICRA is more of a forward-looking conference when compared with Automate,” explains Corbeth. “You’re really getting a peek at technologies, algorithms and use-cases that are coming down the pipeline.”

ICRA attracts a *lot* of researchers from the academic world, and a significant portion of InDro’s clients are from universities. At this event, InDro displayed its new Cortex – an exceedingly powerful module for robot integration and teleoperation – for the first time in public.

“Cortex is a platform- and sensor-agnostic brain box,” he says. “It can be attached to any platform – wheeled, tracked, quadruped, humanoid or drone. Because it’s plug and play, anyone who already has some combination of platforms and sensors can quickly build a robot around it.”

InDro also displayed its ROS2-based drone, developed by InDro for R&D use-cases. You’ll be hearing more about that in the future.

 

IDEaS

 

From Atlanta, it was back to Ottawa for the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) event. Put on by the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Air Force, there was definitely some emphasis on military applications such as Counter-UAS technology. InDro is prioritised on positive use-case scenarios, such as logistics, mapping, Search and Rescue, cargo delivery etc.

“We have really maintained our focus on drones and robots for good,” says Corbeth.

 

UK

 

And last, but not least, Luke jet-setted to the UK for the big Smart Manufacturing Expo in Birmingham. It could be described as the UK’s equivalent of Automate, with the focus on automation and robotics in the manufacturing sector. At the June 4-5 event, Corbeth was representing the Captis cycle-counting solution.

“Really, we were exploring whether potential clients in the UK are experiencing some of the same problems with cycle counting that existing clients in Canada, New Zealand and the UAE have. There was a tremendous amount of interest in Captis.”

Below: Another show, another booth for Luke Corbeth. Second photo shows Luke with senior Ericsson staff Jan Diekmann, Alan Minney and John Tomik. InDro shared the stage with Ericsson in Birmingham to discuss the future of smart factories and private 5G networks

Luke Corbeth
Luke Birmingham Ericsson Jan Diekmann, Alan Minney and John Tomik

INDRO’S TAKE

 

As mentioned, we choose conferences carefully in order to maximise our spend, exposure, and client outreach. Corbeth was able to meet with many existing clients and develop new relationships that could lead to strategic partnerships and/or sales. Perhaps most importantly, he was able to showcase Cortex, our new ROS2 R&D drone, as well as promote the Captis cycle-counting/precision scan solution.

“It’s been a very busy month for Luke and InDro Robotics,” observes InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “We are very excited about both Cortex and our R&D drone and are on a trajectory to manufacture these at scale later this year. We’re pleased to see the level of interest in these products – and have no doubt the investment we’ve made in attending these events will pay off.”

Interested in learning more about either of those products? You can get in touch with Luke (who may still be jet-lagged) right here.

InDro in Atlanta at ICRA – IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation

InDro in Atlanta at ICRA – IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation

May 21, 2025 | InDro Cortex, InDro News, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

We are at ICRA 2025 – billed as “the premiere conference in robotics and automation.”

With about 40,000 attendees, there are some conferences out there that are even larger. But few are more influential when it comes to R&D. Some 3,000 research papers have been submitted for the show, with massive poster displays showing off cutting-edge research and new use-cases.

InDro is represented at this show by our Head of R&D Sales, Luke Corbeth. We spoke with Luke about why this conference is so important in this edition of our Sound Byte micro-podcast.

PAPERS, POSTERS, BREAKTHROUGHS

 

All of that research may not be as immediately appealing as the latest humanoid robot, but some of it might well improve the next generation of humanoids or reveal new use-cases. Research unveiled at shows like these – and particularly at ICRA – often finds a pathway from R&D into real-world applications..

“It’s really about creating that knowledge transfer,” explains Corbeth. “Others can build on top of what was discovered instead of having to do that work over again. And, that ultimately lays the groundwork (not only) for improvement in our field but also collaboration as well between academia, industry and others.”

And while Corbeth will be checking out the poster presentations (and robots!) when he has a moment to slip away from the booth, most of his time will be spent talking with potential clients about recent InDro innovations.

Those on display at the show include InDro Controller – our user-friendly interface for remote teleoperations and autonomous missions. Controller is the result of an immense amount of Front and Back-End development. It allows for the rapid plotting of repeatable autonomous missions with a few clicks of a mouse. Actions, such as zooming in on a point of interest or scanning a particular item for thermal anomalies, can be set up in a flash. And the software immediately detects any new sensors added to a robot (or drone) and allows for a fully customisable dashboard to display and save the data they acquire.

We’re also showing off our new R&D research drone. We developed this product, which runs on ROS2, over the past two years. Because it’s fully Open Source and has powerful onboard compute, it’s the perfect tool for researchers who want to test new applications and code. There are very few drones that have been developed specifically for R&D purposes, so we’re pleased to be offering this (and have already sold units to US researchers).

 

THE BIG REVEAL

 

We’re most excited, however, to be showing our new Cortex module in public for the first time.

“It’s a brain box for virtually any robot or drone,” says Corbeth. “So the idea behind Cortex is it’s extremely lightweight. It has really capable compute in the (NVIDIA) Orin NX in addition to 5G connectivity and power distribution. So we can turn virtually any Uncrewed Ground Vehicle or Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle into a robot capable of teleoperation and autonomy with a little bit of software and some sensor integrations.”

We’re not releasing full specs yet, but we’re incredibly excited about the capabilities offered by Cortex. It allows not only for remote teleoperation, but for the near-instant integration of additional sensors on UGVs and UAVs without all the coding. We can also bundle Cortex with additional software stacks like InDro Autonomy. And, of course, it plays nice with InDro Controller.

If you follow InDro, you’ll be aware we previously developed the popular InDro Commander, which carries out similar functions. Cortex is the logical descendant of that R&D, putting even greater power into the smallest package possible.

Though commercial release is scheduled for later this year, we’ve already had inquiries and pre-orders. Here’s a peek at Cortex on display at ICRA 2025:

InDro Cortex ICRA 2025

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We choose our conferences carefully. ICRA is truly at the centre of cutting-edge R&D and is a must-attend for us. Not only is it a great opportunity to expand our client base, but also a chance to see the latest and best research in the sector.

“The show has come a long way since we were last here,” says Corbeth. “There has been an incredible amount of innovation in such a short period from the companies that exhibit and the researchers that are presenting. Notably, a lot of advancement in humanoids, grippers and solutions like Cortex that make it easier to develop, create and deploy robotics systems.”

Interested in more information about Cortex? You can hit us up here.

The rise of the humanoid robots

The rise of the humanoid robots

May 12, 2025 | Humanoids, Industry 4.0, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

Did you catch the recent news?

A few cool things have popped up on the humanoid front. The first is that Hyundai Motor Group – which owns a majority share in Boston Dynamics – announced it will purchase “tens of thousands” of robots for use in its factories in coming years. It’s part of a $21B US investment in United States operations, which includes $6B “to drive innovation and expand strategic partnerships with U.S. companies” according to this news release.

Hyundai has already deployed the Boston Dynamics quadruped Spot at some facilities, but the release makes it appear that the future is humanoid.

“Physical AI and humanoid robots will transform our business landscape to the next level. Through our collaboration, we will expedite the process to achieve leadership in the robotics industry,” said Jaehoon Chang, Vice Chair of Hyundai Motor Group.

The other news of note? Both Boston Dynamics and Agility Robotics (the makers of humanoid Digit) will join A3 (the Association for Advancing Automation) to develop a new safety standard for robots in the workplace. It’s said that the recent advances in humanoid robots were a key catalyst for the project.

How widespread will the adoption of humanoids be? Well, recent analysis by Morgan Stanley predicts eight million units will be on the job by 2040, and 63 million by 2050. Think about that for a minute.

Below: Atlas in a factory setting trial. Note the mistake – followed by an AI-driven correction

WHY HUMANOIDS?

 

There are plenty of robots on the market with a variety of form factors. There are wheeled AMRs, quadrupeds, fixed robotic arms – and more. So what is it about humanoids that differentiates them?

“Humanoid robots assume a human-like form factor,” explains InDro’s Head of R&D Sales Luke Corbeth. “It means it has bipedal or two-legged locomotion. They also tend to include dexterous hands – the ability to pick and place objects. They also ideally have some kind of autonomous functionality and the ability to interact with the environment in smart ways.”

Because of their bipedal form factor, humanoids tend to remind us of human beings (which is obviously how they get their name). Nearly all humanoids currently on the market are about the size of a human – and there’s a reason for that: Workplaces are largely built for people.

“What makes the humanoid form factor really exciting is, unlike traditional robots, the infrastructure doesn’t need to change to accommodate it. As a result, it can adapt to navigating different environments using existing equipment. This means we don’t need to retrofit factories, offices, and homes. So there’s much faster deployment for companies looking to adopt this technology,” he adds.

 

HANG ON A SECOND

 

You’ve no doubt seen videos by now of humanoids carrying out tasks. Often, these videos have been sped up. Humanoids, with rare exceptions, don’t yet move at the speed of human beings – and often have to pause to understand and perceive their environment.

But does that matter?

“The answer is kind of no,” says Corbeth. “In a lot of cases, humanoids can work around the clock. So if they’re slightly slower than humans are today, their overall productivity can still be higher. Plus, we’re still in the early phases of humanoids, so we do expect their speed and dexterity to continue improving over time.”

That being said, you can’t simply drop a humanoid into a factory setting and expect it to carry out work – at least not yet. Like a human employee, robots need training – often via remote teleoperation, coding, and additional autonomy stacks before they’re capable of punching the clock.

At InDro, we’re a North American distributor for Unitree, a leading global robotics manufacturer. In addition to its G1 and H1 (and H1-2) humanoid robots, the company has put considerable resources into its Dex5 dexterous hand. You’ll see in the video below it’s getting close to human-like capabilities – and that the G1 has impressive speed and agility even on challenging terrain.

INDRO’S TAKE

 

It’s still early days. But we’re excited about the potential for humanoids in an Industry 4.0 setting – and have some plans on this front.

“As an R&D company, we know that integrating any robot into a real-world setting takes work,” says Indro Robotics Founder/CEO Philip Reece. “With products like InDro Controller and our InDro Autonomy software stack – plus another innovation we’ll be releasing later this year – we have the ability to significantly enhance stock humanoids and dial them in for specific work settings. Humanoids are here to stay.”

Interested in learning more? Get in touch with us here.

InDro, UBC partner on medical drone deliveries to remote communities

InDro, UBC partner on medical drone deliveries to remote communities

May 6, 2025 | Drone Delivery, Indigenous Peoples/First Nations, InDro News, Industry News, Scott Simmie, UBC

By Scott Simmie

 

InDro Robotics is pleased to partner with the University of British Columbia on a pilot project that will use drones to deliver critical medical supplies to remote communities in that province.

It’s a use-case InDro has long supported. In fact, during previous trials we have securely delivered prescription medications to Gulf Islands in conjunction with Canada Post and London Drugs. It was Canada’s first-ever BVLOS RPAS delivery of its kind. That, however, was a short-term demonstration. The UBC partnership is long-term and has broader goals.

“There are multiple aspects to this project,” explains InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “In addition to delivering critical medical supplies, we’ll be evaluating what kinds of cargo can be delivered, how drones perform in year-round weather, and ultimately how beneficial this service is for communities and local health-care providers.”

Initially, the project will focus on transporting personal protective and laboratory test swabs before expanding to include prescription medications and other supplies – including blood products. InDro has expertise in this field as well, carrying out trials in Montreal in 2019 to deliver simulated blood products by drone between hospitals. The work required strict temperature controls to ensure viability.

All of this is very much up our alley. In fact, InDro carried out deliveries of COVID test supplies during the height of the pandemic to a remote First Nations community:

LOGICAL, EFFICIENT

 

You don’t need to look very hard to find examples of where drone delivery of medical supplies has been hugely successful. The most well-known is Zipline, which has logged more than 100 million miles (160M km) delivering vaccines, blood products and other medical supplies in Africa and has recently expanded into some US locations.

The philosophy here is simple: It’s much faster and more efficient to move products to patients – rather than vice-versa.

“For generations, we’ve had a medical system where we tend to move patients to resources, as opposed to resources to patients,” explains Dr. John Pawlovich, the Rural Doctors’ UBC Chair on Rural Health, in this UBC post on the project.

“It’s the same problem around rural Canada and around the world—resources that patients need are either in short supply or they don’t exist in rural, remote or Indigenous communities.”

Dr. Pawlovich and his team are working closely with the Village of Fraser Lake, located west of Prince George, as well as with the Stellat’en First Nation. Both of these qualify as isolated communities, where it’s not always easy to get critical supplies quickly.

“Based on the isolated location of our community and the needs of our residents, drone transport may enhance our access to COVID-19 testing and medication without travelling and endangering other members of our community,” says Chief Robert Michell of the Stellat’en First Nation.

 

NOT JUST PATIENTS

 

It’s not simply about making things easier for patients. As we learned with shuttling COVID test supplies to and from Penelakut Island, it can also help healthcare providers. In that example, it meant a community clinic worker no longer had to pick up and deliver these supplies in person – a nearly full-day endeavour that took them away from helping patients in their community. Instead, in coordination with InDro Ops, they simply loaded or unloaded a drone that landed outside their clinic.

And, says Dr. Pawlovich, there’s no question the selected communities could benefit from a boost in healthcare access.

“Residents of rural, remote and Indigenous communities face much greater health-care disparities than other residents of BC,” he says. The UBC article states that life expectancy is lower and that people in these communities have reduced access to specialty care, imaging and laboratory investigations.

“These inequities predate COVID-19. They’ve been amplified during the pandemic and continue to exist. We’re looking at how technology can start to shrink and close that inequity gap.”

Below: Stellat’en First Nation, which is close to the Village of Fraser Lake. The drone deliveries will be coming from Prince George.

UBC Drone Delivery Village of Fraser Lake

INDRO’S TAKE

 

This isn’t our first foray into the world of healthcare and drone delivery. But it is our first long-term project in the field.

“There’s a lot we’re going to learn with this research,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “As it progresses, we hope to expand the range and payload of these missions to best benefit patients and healthcare providers. Over time, it’s our hope to be able to respond even to emergencies, getting supplies to those who need them most in a timely fashion.”

Flights for the new project will commence in 2026 – and we’ll be sure to update you!

Research at U of Alberta focuses on robotics for medical applications

Research at U of Alberta focuses on robotics for medical applications

Apr 2, 2025 | Case Studies, Industry News, Innovation, Scott Simmie, Success Stories

By Scott Simmie

 

You’ve probably heard of the “Three Ds” by now: Robots are perfect for tasks that are Dirty, Dull and Dangerous. In fact, we recently took a pretty comprehensive look at why inspection robots can tick all of these boxes – while saving companies from unplanned downtime.

Generally, that maxim holds true. But a recent conversation with two researchers from the University of Alberta got us thinking that some innovative robotics applications don’t truly fit this description. Specifically, certain medical or healthcare use-cases.

The people we spoke to carry out their research under the umbrella of a body that intersects the robotics and healthcare sectors. It’s called the Telerobotic and Biorobotic Systems Group in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the U of A. It’s under the direction of Prof. Mahdi Tavakoli, who is kind of a big name in this sector. Within that group, there are three separate labs:

  • CREATE Lab (Collaborative, Rehabilitation, Assistive robotics research
  • HANDS Lab (Haptics and Surgery research
  • SIMULAT-OR Lab (A simulated operating room featuring a da Vinci Surgical System)

Broadly, the research can be thought of as belonging to one of two realms: Rehabilitation/assistive and surgical. But what does that actually mean? And how has a robot from InDro been modified to become a smart device that can assist people with certain disabilities?

Let’s dive in.

Below: Could a robotic platform like the Ranger Mini be put to use helping someone with mobility issues? We’ll find out…

Ranger Mini 3.0

HELPING PEOPLE (AND EVEN SURGEONS)

 

We spoke with researchers Sadra Zargarzadeh and Mahdi Chalaki. Sadra is a Master’s student in Electrical and Computer Engineering and previously studied Mechanical Engineering at Iran’s Sharif University of Technology. Mahdi is also a Master’s student in the same department, and studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tehran.

Sadra’s research has focused on healthcare robotics with an emphasis on autonomous systems leveraging Large Language Model AI.

“I’ve always had a passion for helping people that have disabilities,” he explains. “And in the rehab sector we often deal with patients that have some sort of fine motor skill issue or challenge in executing tasks the way they’d like to. Robotics has the potential to mitigate some of these issues and essentially be a means to remove some of the barriers patients are dealing with – so I think there’s a very big potential for engineering and robotics to increase the quality of life for these people.”

That’s not dirty, dull or dangerous. But it is a very worthwhile use-case.

 

SMART WALKER

 

People with mobility and/or balance issues often require the help of walkers. Some of these devices are completely manual, and some have their own form of locomotion that keeps pace with the user’s desired speed. The direction of these is generally controlled with two hands on some form of steering device. Usually, equal pressure from each hand and arm are required in order to go in a straight line and by pushing harder on one side or another steering is achieved.

But what about someone who has had a stroke that has left them with partial paralysis on one side? They might well not be able to compensate, meaning despite their intent to carry out a straight path forward the device would turn. That’s where Mahdi’s research comes in.

“Robotic walkers or Smart Walkers have been studied for more than 20 years,” he says. “But in almost all of them, their controllers assume you have the same amount of force in both of your hands. And people with strokes often don’t have the same strength in one side of their body as they have on the other side.”

So how can robotics compensate for that? Well, using an AgileX Ranger Mini with InDro Commander from InDro Robotics as the base, Mahdi and others got to work. They built a steering structure and integrated a force sensor, depth perception camera, and some clever algorithms. That camera zones in on the user’s shoulders and translates movement into user intent.

“We know, for example, if you are just trying to use your right hand to turn left, the shoulder angle increases. If you’re trying to turn right, the shoulder angle on the right arm decreases.”

By interpreting those shoulder movements in conjunction with the force being applied by each hand, this Smart Walker translates that data into desired steering action. As a result, the user doesn’t have to push so hard with that compromised side and it also reduces cognitive load. The wrist torque required by the user drops by up to 80 per cent.

Of course, there’s much more to this device than we’ve outlined here. Enough, in fact, that a scientific paper on it can be found here. You can also check out the video below:

 

ROBOTS IN THE O-R

 

While the Smart Walker is a great example of robotics being put to use on the assistive and rehabilitation side of things, let’s not forget that the Telerobotic and Biosystems Research Group also carries out work on the surgical side. Sadra explains that robotic devices – particularly in conjunction with AI – could prove of great benefit assisting a surgeon.

“My research centres around the use of Generative AI. With the growth of Large Language Models (LLM) such as ChatGPT, we want to see how these AI tools can translate into the physical world in robots. A big section of my projects have focused on Generative AI for surgical autonomy.”

For example, a robotic device with plenty of AI onboard might be able to handle tasks such as suctioning blood. Machine Vision and Machine Learning could help that device determine where and how much suction needs to be applied. And, if you push this far enough, a surgeon might be able to initiate that process with a simple voice command like: “Suction.”

“How can we have task planners and motion planners through generative AI such that the surgeon would communicate with the robot with natural language – so they could ask the robot to complete a task and it would execute?” asks Sadra. “This would allow robots to become more friendly to the average individual who doesn’t have robotics knowledge.”

On the flip side of the coin, there’s also the potential for robotic devices to inform the surgeon of something that might require attention. In breast cancer surgery, for example, an AI-enhanced robot with realtime data from an imaging device might notice remaining tumour tissue and give the all-clear to close the incision only after all cancerous material has been excised.

In other words, some of the algorithms Sadra works on involve working on that human-robotic interface while leveraging powerful Large Language Model systems.

“Exactly. And we look at this process in three stages: We think about high-level reasoning and task planning, then mid-level motion planning, then lower-level motion control. This is not only for surgery; it’s a similar workflow for assistive robotics.”

The head of the lab, Professor & Senior University of Alberta Engineering
Research Chair in Healthcare Robotics Dr. Mahdi Tavakoli, describes AI in this field as “a game-changer,” enabling the next level of human-robotics interface.

“Our focus is clear: We’re building robots that collaborate with humans — robots that can understand our language, interpret context, and assist with the kinds of repetitive or physically demanding tasks that free people up to focus on what they do best: The creative, the social, the human. We see the future in ‘collaborative intelligence,’ where people stay in control and robots amplify human capabilities.”

Fun fact: The most powerful LLMs are known as Generative Pretrained Transformers – which is where ChatGPT gets its name.

 

WHAT’S NEXT?

 

We asked the researchers if the plan is to ultimately explore commercialisation. Apparently it’s a little more complex when it comes to surgery due to regulatory issues, but this is definitely on the roadmap. Sadra has been doing research through a program called Lab2Market and says there’s been very positive feedback from clinicians, physical and occupational therapists and manufacturers.

Program head Dr. Tavakoli says the lab is “thinking big” about how such innovations can help diversify the Canadian economy. In Alberta specifically, which has traditionally been a resource-dominated economy, he says robotics presents a huge opportunity for growth.

“That’s part of why we’ve launched Alberta Robotics: To build a regional ecosystem for robotics research, education, and innovation. So, the University of Alberta is open for business when it comes to robotics; people should be watching for what will come out of Alberta in robotics!”

Below: A promotional video for the da Vinci Surgical System. Will research at the U of A someday enable machines like this to take verbal commands from a surgeon?

INDRO’S TAKE

 

The research being carried out at the University of Alberta is both fascinating and carries with it huge potential in both the surgery and rehabilitation/assistive spheres. We’re pleased to know that three Ranger Mini platforms with InDro Commander are being put to work for this purpose – which is unlike any other use-case we’ve seen for our robots.

“I’m incredibly impressed with what they’re doing,” says InDro Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “It’s researchers like these, quietly carrying out advanced and focussed work, who make breakthroughs that ultimately become real-world devices and applications. We’re pleased to put a well-deserved spotlight on their work.”

You can check out a list of researchers and alumni – and see a photo of Sadra and Mahdi – right here.

What makes an effective research and development robot?

What makes an effective research and development robot?

Mar 18, 2025 | Engineering, InDro Solutions, Industry News, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

At InDro Robotics, we sell a lot of robots and drones for the purpose of research and development.

Those devices range all the way from small and highly affordable out-of-the-box solutions like the LIMO PRO right through to highly complex builds for some of the largest technology companies in the world. And that image above? A recent build with a manipulator arm (and many other capabilities) for a client.

But what makes for an effective R&D robot? We put that question to Luke Corbeth, Head of R&D sales. Broadly speaking, he identifies four pillars of research when it comes to R&D. They are:

  • Control
  • Planning
  • Perception
  • Interaction

In fact, Corbeth recently pulled together a graphic explaining these pillars:

R&D Research Pillars Luke Corbeth

CROSSOVER AND CUSTOMIZATION

 

While the four pillars are all distinct, they’re not mutually exclusive. R&D might include both planning and perception, or any other combination of the above. And the focus of the R&D will obviously inform what sensors – even what locomotion – are ultimately required. Does the robot need autonomy, or will the client be coding their own autonomy stack? Is Simultaneous Localisation And Mapping (SLAM) required? Does the robot need to be able to navigate stairs? For our clients, these questions are all discussed in great detail during an initial discovery call with Corbeth.

Sometimes, particularly in lab-based work, an out-of-the-box solution may be all that’s necessary. At Boston University, for example, they have a fleet of LIMOs deployed in the lab for research on multi-agent systems (and other areas). R&D in the field, by contrast, generally calls for a larger and more robust type of robot.

“A project in the lab often means you can get away with a smaller platform,” says Corbeth. “And when people are trying to tackle problems in the real world they’re often using larger platforms.”

While this is generally true, there’s no question some indoor R&D can require incredibly sophisticated robots. One of our more complex builds, which we affectionately named Rosie, is a dual-manipulator robot designed for the Industry 4.0 setting. In fact, the entire lab itself is built for 4IR – with a suite of interconnected devices that share data not only within that location itself, but also with other R&D labs. (It’s actually a super interesting project, which we explored in detail here.)

Regardless, the planned R&D will inform what’s needed – including platform, sensors, etc. That’s where InDro has extensive expertise, not only in integration but in having tested and proven the components themselves. And that saves clients a lot of time and energy.

“If every client or research lab had to build a robot from scratch, it would take them a lot longer to get to the point where they need to be,” explains Corbeth. “And that’s largely why we come into the picture. We help jumpstart these projects and get them to their end goal much faster.”

Because InDro has years of experience building both custom robots for clients and our own products, we’ve learned – sometimes painfully – which components and platforms offer the best value and reliability. And, in conjunction with InDro Forge, we have the expertise for seamless integration,

“We’ve tested a wide range of different hardware and configurations,” he says. “We’ve basically swallowed that pill already so that our clients don’t have to.”

Plus, of course, if a customer already has some components they want to use, such as a pricey LiDAR, we can customise a package to exclude that and save the end-user money.

Below: Rosie, a dual-manipulator mobile robot we built for pick-and-place in a lab doing Industry 4.0 research

 

Rosie

PLUS, OF COURSE, OPEN SOURCE

 

Everything we sell, when it comes to robots, is Open Source and nearly always with ROS 2 (Robot Operating System 2). This is a significant upgrade from ROS 1, which relied on a Master-Slave architecture. By making that architecture more distributed (eliminating that central ROS Master), ROS 2 reduces single points of failure and is more scalable. It’s also what those in the R&D space generally want, as Open Source allows them to easily pull in pre-existing code suitable to their research.

“The main thing with Open Source is not having to start at zero. If everything was Closed Source, you’d have to do everything from scratch,” says Corbeth. “That’s the value of Open Source; you’re building off of the discoveries of your peers, and that dramatically expedites progress for everyone who is Open-Sourcing their projects.”

And a final thing worth mentioning? Support. InDro has built a solid reputation for its after-sale support. From warranties and remote troubleshooting through to site visits (on the rare occasions that becomes necessary), we back what we build. We believe in minimising downtime for our clients so they can get on with R&D.

And remember those four R&D pillars? It’s a great top-level view. But Corbeth also took the time to drill down within those themes to take a far more detailed look at research areas and use-cases. It’s amazing the number of areas where research is taking place (and there are likely even more that could be added):

R&D Research Themes Luke Corbeth

INDRO’S TAKE

 

We’re in kind of a unique position when it comes to helping clients requiring robots or drones for Research and Development – because we’re an R&D company ourselves. In addition to finding the best solution for customers (whether it’s out-of-the-box or a complex custom build), we are continuously developing our own products. Some of those products, like InDro Commander and the forthcoming InDro Cortex have been designed for those clients who want to build or modify their own robots with ease. We truly understand the R&D journey – and have something of a special affinity for clients in that space.

“From the very outset, InDro Robotics was formed as a Research and Development company, so we truly get it,” says Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “It’s in the interests of the entire robotics industry to see advances in the R&D space – so we’re always happy to assist with solutions from the simple to the complex. It really is what we do.”

Want to continue the conversation? Feel free to contact us here. He’s always happy to talk robotics with zero pressure.