InDro Commander module streamlines robotics R&D

InDro Commander module streamlines robotics R&D

Sep 21, 2023 | InDro Commander, InDro News, Innovation, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

Building robots is hard.

Even if you start with a manufactured platform for locomotion (very common in the case of ground robots), the work ahead can be challenging and time-consuming. How many sensors will require a power supply and data routing? What EDGE processing is needed? How will a remote operator interface with the machine? What coding will allow everything to work in unison and ensure the best data and performance possible? How will data be transmitted or stored?

That’s the hard stuff, which inevitably requires a fair bit of time and effort.

It’s that hurdle – one faced by pretty much everyone in the robotics R&D world – that led to the creation of InDro Commander.

InDro Commander

WHAT INDRO COMMANDER DOES

 

InDro Commander is a platform-agnostic module that can bolt on to pretty much any means of locomotion. In the photo above, it’s the box mounted on top of the AgileX bunker (just above the InDro logo).

Commander is, as this webpage explains, “a single box with critical software and hardware designed to simplify payload integration and enable turn-key teleoperations.” Whether you’re adding LiDAR, thermal sensors, RTK, Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras – or pretty much any other kind of sensor – Commander takes the pain out of integration.

The module offers multiple USB inputs for sensors, allowing developers to decide on a mounting location and then simply plug them in. A powerful Jetson EDGE computer handles onboard compute functions. The complete Robot Operating System software libraries (ROS1 and ROS2) are bundled in, allowing developers to quickly access the code needed for various sensors and functions.

“Our engineering team came up with the concept of the InDro Commander after integrating and customizing our own robots,” says Philip Reece, CEO of InDro Robotics. “We realized there were hurdles common to all of them – so we designed and produced a solution. Commander vastly simplifies turning a platform into a fully functioning robot.”

Account Executive Luke Corbeth takes it further:

“The Commander serves as a “brain-box” for any UGV,” he says. “It safely houses the compute, connectivity, cameras, sensors and other hardware in an IP54 enclosure.”

It also comes in several options, depending on the client’s requirements.

“There are three ‘standard versions’ which are bundles to either be Compute Ready, Teleoperations Ready or Autonomy Ready,” adds Corbeth.

“I’ve realized over time that the value of Commander is our ability to customize it to include, or more importantly, not include specific components depending on the needs of the project and what the client already has available. In reality, most Commanders I sell include some, but not usually all, of what’s in the Commander Navigate. We’re also able to customize to specific needs or payloads.”

Below: Commander comes in multiple configurations

InDro Commander

COMMANDER DOES THE WORK

 

With InDro Commander, developers can spend more time on their actual project or research – and far less time on the build.

“For end-users wanting a fully customized robot, Commander saves a huge amount of time and hassle,” says InDro Engineering Lead Arron Griffiths. “Customers using this module see immediate benefits for sensor integration, and the web-based console for remote operations provides streaming, real-time data. Commander also supports wireless charging, which is a huge bonus for remote operations.”

Commander serves as the brains for several InDro ground robots, including Sentinel. This machine was recently put through its paces over 5G in a test for EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute.

 

5G OPERATIONS

 

Depending on the model, Commander can also serve as a Plug & Play device for operations over 4G or 5G networks. In fact, InDro was invited by US carrier T-Mobile to a 2022 event in Washington State. There, we demonstrated the live, remote tele-operation of a Sentinel inspection robot.

Using a simple Xbox controller plugged into a laptop at T-Mobile HQ in Bellevue WA, we operated a Sentinel in Ottawa – more than 4,000 kilometres away. There was no perceptible lag, and even untrained operators were able to easily control remote operations and cycle between the Pan Tilt Zoom camera, a thermal sensor, and a wide-angle camera used for situational awareness by the operator. Data from all sensors was displayed on the dashboard, with the ability for the operator to easily cycle between them.

Below: T-Mobile’s John Saw, Executive Vice President, Advanced & Emerging Technologies, talks about InDro Commander-enabled robots teleoperating over 5G networks 

 

FUTURE-PROOF

 

Platforms change. Needs evolve. New sensors hit the market.

With Commander on board, developers don’t need to start from scratch. The modular design enables end-users to seamlessly upgrade platforms down the road by simply unbolting Commander and affixing it to the new set of wheels (or treads).

Below: Any sensor, including LiDAR, can be quickly integrated with InDro Commander

Teleoperated Robots

INDRO’S TAKE

 

You likely know the saying: “Necessity if the mother of invention.”

InDro developed this product because we could see its utility – both for our own R&D, and for clients. We’ve put Commander to use on multiple custom InDro robots, with many more to come. (We have even created a version of this for Enterprise drones.)

“On the commercial side, our clients have really benefited from the inherent modularity that the Commander provides,” says Luke Corbeth.

“Since the ‘brains’ are separate from the ‘body,’ this simplifies their ability to make the inevitable repairs or upgrades they’ll require. These clients generally care about having a high functioning robot reliably completing a repetitive task, and Commander allows us to operate and program our robots to do this.”

It can also save developers money.

“On the R&D side, the customizable nature of the Commander means they only purchase what they don’t already have,” adds Corbeth.

“For instance, many clients are fortunate enough to have some hardware already available to them whether it’s a special camera, LiDAR or a Jetson so we can support the integration of their existing systems remotely or they can send this hardware directly to us. This cuts down lead times and helps us work within our clients’ budgets as we build towards the dream robot for their project.”

Still have questions or want to learn more? You can get in touch with Luke Corbeth here.

2022 InDro Highlights

2022 InDro Highlights

Jan 16, 2023 | Autonomy, InDro Commander, InDro News, InDro Pilot, InDro Sentinel, ROLL-E

Wow. Another year has passed.

And for InDro Robotics, it was a year marked by new products, new deployments, and multiple milestones.

We did a deep dive on the year with our Year in Review story, which you can find here. But we realise some people might prefer a condensed version. So here we go, starting with the image above.

That’s Sentinel, our rugged teleoperated robot for remote inspections. We launched that product at the very beginning of 2022. It’s been designed for remote inspections, carried out over 4G and 5G networks. We customise Sentinel’s sensors based on client needs, but the standard model comes with a 30x optical Pan-Tilt-Zoom camera, thermal sensor, and a high-res wide-angle camera that gives the operator a clear view of surroundings.

Operations are a snap, using an Xbox controller plugged into a laptop with a comprehensive dashboard. Even dense data can be streamed and downloaded in real-time over 5G. In fact, we’ve proven Sentinel’s minimal-latency capabilities from more than 4,000 kilometres away. (That took place from Bellevue, Washington State, where we were invited to demo our system by T-Mobile.)

It didn’t take long for word to get around. A couple of months after Sentinel’s launch, we were invited to put it through its paces at the Electric Power Research Institute, or EPRI. Check out this next image – it’s a frame grab from the Sentinel dashboard, and was captured during a mission at an EPRI testbed electrical substation in Lenox, Massachussetts.

InDro Robotics

There’s a lot we could tell you about Sentinel but we’re trying to keep this tight. If you’d like more in-depth details you can read this story, or reach out to superstar Account Executive Luke Corbeth here. 

InDro Commander

INDRO COMMANDER

A significant part of what gives Sentinel its various superpowers is an innovation we call InDro Commander. It’s a bolt-on box that contains a camera, EDGE computer, a 4G- and 5G-compatible modem and the ROS1 and ROS2 software libraries. That means it’s a snap for clients to add any additional sensors they’d like without the hassle of coding. 

You can operate any InDro Commander-enabled platform using an Xbox controller over a highly intuitive dashboard on your desktop or laptop. FYI, that box you see just above the InDro Logo (and just below the camera) in the image below? That’s InDro Commander.

DRONES

Though InDro has a stellar reputation for ground robotics, the company was founded on the Unmanned Aerial System side of things. So we’ve been busy in that arena, as well.

The most significant development of the year is a software and hardware package we call InDro Pilot. In a nutshell, it’s a bolt-on module that’s similar to Commander. It enables remote BVLOS operations over 4G or 5G, dense data throughput, simplified sensor integration – plus the ability to broadcast to nearby traditional crewed aircraft that drone operations are taking place in the vicinity. 

That hexagonal box in the image is Version 1.0 of the hardware side. We’ve since created a much smaller and lighter version, capable of transforming any Enterprise drone using the Pixhawk flight controller into a low-latency, BVLOS super-RPAS.

InDro Pilot

GROUND (BREAKING) DELIVERIES

In 2022, InDro teamed up with London Drugs to test out ground deliveries via our ROLL-E robot. 

There were two separate trials. The first, in Victoria, involved ROLL-E taking goods ordered online to a parking lot for touchless, curbside delivery. The second, in Surrey BC, involved the second generation of ROLL-E delivering goods from a London Drugs outlet to a consumer’s home. ROLL-E features 4G and 5G teleoperation, and is equipped with a total of six cameras (including two depth-perception cameras), giving the operator tremendous spatial awareness.

That’s ROLL-E 2.0, in the image below. Its secure cargo bay – which unlocks when the robot reaches its destination – can carry up to 50 kilograms.

Delivery Robot

GOOD DOG

Also in 2022, InDro Robotics became a North American distributor for the Unitree line of quadruped robots. These rugged, agile robots are well-suited to a variety of tasks, including remote inspection. In the video below, Luke Corbeth puts the entry-level GO 1 through its paces.

InDro backpack

Remember InDro Commander, the box that enables remote teleoperations and easy sensor integration? We figured a module like that could really expand the capabilities of the Unitree quadrupeds. 

And so – you guessed it – we built it. We call this device InDro Backpack, and you can see it on the robot below.

InDro Backpack

meet limo

InDro Robotics is also a North American distributor of the excellent AgileX robot line. This past year saw the introduction of a very cool machine for education and R&D called LIMO. It comes with an impressive number of features straight out of the box, including:

  • An NVIDIA Jetson Nano, capable of remote teleoperation over 4G
  • An EAI X2L LiDAR unit
  • Stereo camera
  • Four steering modes (tracked, Ackerman, four-wheel differential, and omni-directional)

It’s a powerful, SLAM-capable machine. Best of all? It’s really affordable.

LIMO

montreal marathon

Three InDro employees took part in the Montreal Marathon – but they were largely standing still.

In fact, they were operating sub-250 gram drones as part of a medical research pilot project. The drones – two were constantly in the air throughout the run – were positioned at a point near the end of the course where runners sometimes encounter medical distress. Live feeds from the drones were monitored in a tent by researchers for two reasons: To see if the aerial view could help them quickly identify someone needing help, and to help pinpoint their location so assistance could be rapidly dispatched.

The results? The drone feeds helped quickly identify and locate two runners in need of help. 

“The view from above when monitoring moving crowds is just incomparable,” says Dr. Valérie Homier, an Emergency Physician at McGill University Health Centre and the lead researcher on the project. 

Below: InDro pilots Kaiwen Xu, Ella Hayashi and Liam Dwyer.

Montreal Marathon

TCXpo

One of the highlights of the year was the TCXpo event at Area X.O in Ottawa. Sponsored by Transport Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, it was a full day of demonstrations from Canadian leaders in the world of Smart Mobility. 

InDro was there, of course, displaying our InDro Pilot-enabled Wayfinder drone, as well a *lot* of ground robots. CEO Philip Reece moderated a panel – and was also in charge of airspace for multiple drone demonstrations. That’s Philip, below, talking about aerial and ground robotics to attendees.

InDro Robotics
Drone Training

training

Speaking of drones, we also launched drone training and resource portal FLYY. Online lessons are carried out by our own Kate Klassen, widely recognised as one of the best (and most qualified) drone instructors in North America. Whether you’re looking to obtain your Basic or Advanced RPAS certificate, or want to further expand your skills, Kate’s got the goods.

If you’re looking for training for multiple people, Kate offers discounts for companies and educational institutes. You can reach her here.

it's a secret...

The other big thing happening in 2022 (and continuing in 2023) was InDro’s work with major global clients. We can’t disclose that work due to non-disclosure agreements, but we can tell you we’re busy with multiple, exciting, ongoing projects!

Finally, we closed out 2022 with another successful InDro Hack-a-Thon. Employees were given a day and a half to work on a project or process that could benefit InDro down the road. Once again, Team InDro delivered, with some amazing projects completed within the deadline. You can read all about it here. 

a final word...

As you can see, it’s been quite a year – and CEO Philip Reece couldn’t be happier.

“I’m incredibly proud of the work InDro accomplished in 2022,” he says. “Our engineering and sales staff consistently punch above their weight, with multiple significant milestones – including excellent revenue growth – achieved in the past year. Just as gratifying is the fact our employees love what they do.”

Very true. Now stay tuned for an even more amazing 2023.

And if you’d like to reach InDro, just give that little orange button a click. Though we’ve got plenty of robots, we’ll make sure a real human being gets back to you shortly.

2022: A great year for InDro Robotics

2022: A great year for InDro Robotics

Dec 21, 2022 | InDro News, Philip Reece, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie

 

We thought, as we embark on a New Year, it might be fun to look back on the year that was. Specifically, to document some of the highlights that occurred within InDro Robotics.

Most of you are familiar with the company by now. For those who aren’t, InDro is a Research and Development company. We identify market needs and create new solutions we sell to clients. Sometimes companies (including very big ones) approach InDro and ask us to help them solve a problem. We also do service provision, deploying ground and aerial robots (drones) globally for complex tasks and data acquisition. In addition, we collaborate on many research projects, looking at new ways that technology can be put to positive use-cases.

You can get the Big Picture in this What InDro Does feature, but that’s it in a nutshell.

But what does that look R&D look like in the real world? Let’s recap our 2022 successes, starting with the launch of our Sentinel remote inspection robot.

InDro Robotics Sentinel

Remote inspection workhorse

 

Sentinel has been built, from the ground up, with one purpose in mind: To carry out remote inspections of facilities such as electrical substations or solar farms. These inspections are carried out over 4G or 5G, meaning the facility could be hundreds – even thousands – of kilometres away.

Sentinel’s rugged mobility has its roots in the workhorse Bunker platform. Featuring tread locomotion, it’s ideal for locations where the environment can at times be hostile. Mud, snow, ice are no deterrent. So that’s the brawn.

The brains come from InDro Robotics. Specifically, the addition of our InDro Commander module; the black and orange box sitting on top of the Bunker.

 

InDro Commander

InDro Commander

 

This module plays a significant role with Sentinel and other 2022 products. Commander is a bolt-on solution that enables remote teleoperations over 4G or 5G, as well as rapid sensor integration and other robot modifications. It contains a powerful Edge computer for onboard processing, as well as the complete Robot Operating System software libraries (ROS1 and ROS2). It’s literally Plug & Play – eliminating the time and hassle of manual sensor integration. You can get the full scoop on Commander here.

With Commander connected to the Bunker base, our engineers were ready to start customizing Sentinel. They added a 30x optical Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) camera – complete with a lens ‘windshield wiper’ for inclement weather – a thermal sensor and LiDAR. They also enabled wireless charging, and programmed optical recognition so that Sentinel can autonomously back up to its charging dock.

Plus, we made Sentinel super simple to operate. Running a dashboard on your laptop or desktop, you simply plug in an Xbox controller to control direction, speed and the camera’s PTZ functions. And the data? It comes into the dashboard with an easy-to-understand display. You can even customise it so that, for example, detection of a component with temperatures exceeding a predefined limit will set off an alert.

Below: A screengrab of the detailed Sentinel dashboard, during a mission you’ll hear about in a moment…

InDro Robotics

A substation solution

 

InDro developed Sentinel with remote teleoperation in mind. Specifically, for facilities like electrical substations, solar farms, etc. These installations are typically in rural locations, far from the nearest major city. They also tend to be unstaffed, requiring frequent inspection trips by human beings. In addition to scheduled monitoring, people are frequently dispatched following severe weather events to assess whether there’s been damage.

Wouldn’t it be easier to have a remotely teleoperated robot do the job on demand? We believe so.

In fact, we’re not the only ones with this kind of vision for remote inspection. One of the highlights of 2022 was being invited to Lenox, Massachusetts, by the Electric Power Research Institute, or EPRI. The non-profit institute is constantly carrying out research to look at how new technologies can be put to use to improve the generation and distribution of electrical power. Or, as it puts it, “driving innovation to ensure the public has clean, safe, reliable, affordable, and equitable access to electricity across the globe.”

It shares its findings with some 450 utilities and companies around the globe. And when it heard about Sentinel, InDro was invited down to its test facility. We spent a week there, putting Sentinel through its paces inspecting an EPRI test lab electrical substation. The facility can be energised or de-energised to determine whether electrical-magnetic fields interfere with test devices. It can simulate heavy rain through a set of overhead water pipes capable of drenching the facility. Plus, we ran the tests during the day and overnight, using both teleoperations and autonomous missions.

We were pleased with how Sentinel performed, and also learned a few things to even further tweak its capabilities. So Sentinel – which has been deployed as far away as a California solar farm – is definitely one of our 2022 highlights. You can learn more about our EPRI testing here.

Below: A video that offers a snapshot of key Sentinel features. This was Sentinel 1.0; we’ve since lowered the PTZ camera and made other enhancements.

The aerial side of things

 

While we’ve been looking at ground robots, InDro is very much involved in the world of drones. In fact, the company’s early years were pretty much exclusively devoted to R&D and service provision in the drone world. That’s still a large part of what we do.

An early 2022 highlight (and one of several) was our work with the Ottawa International Airport’s (YOW) Drone Detection Pilot Project. The program involves long-range drone detection hardware and software from InDro Robotics and micro-doppler radar detection from QinetiQ. Collectively, this technology provides a comprehensive look at any drone operations taking place in the vicinity of the airport – and beyond.

YOW, in conjunction with NAV Canada, is interested in getting a better picture of drone traffic in order to ensure the safety of crewed aircraft and to develop protocols should a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System pose a threat to traditional aircraft.

But data collected in early 2022 was an eye-opener. During the anti-vaccine mandate protests in Ottawa, InDro’s longer-range system detected drones flying in a restricted flight zone over Parliament Hill and elsewhere in the downtown Ottawa core, with a spike during police operations to clear the protests. A total of 27 different drones carried out 59 flights over a period of four days. Of those, 25 flights exceeded 400’ above ground level (Transport Canada’s limit, except in special circumstances). These flights all took place in restricted airspace. A small number were carried out by law enforcement, but the vast majority were not. Fifteen unique drone IDs were detected, and one flight took place at 1583′ AGL – nearly four times the legal altitude limit.

You’ll get a look at some of the data in the images below; you can also read an in-depth story here. The Ottawa Citizen also wrote about this. Finally, on the drone detection front, it’s worth noting that a sister company, Bravo Zulu Secure, specialises in both drone detection and mitigation.

 

Drone Detection

Expanding the capabilities of drones

 

InDro Robotics was a pioneer in remote operations, obtaining Canada’s first Special Flight Operations Certificates for Beyond Visual Line of Sight flights carried out over 4G and 5G networks. And we continue to push the envelope.

At our Area X.O facility, 2022 saw us successfully complete a technology challenge in conjunction with Ericsson, the Ontario Centre of Innovation, and the ENCQOR 5G network. The challenge involved building a drone with very specific capabilities, including enhanced BVLOS safety features and dense data transmission capabilities.

It was called the NERDs project – Network Enhanced Realtime Drone project. Here are some of the milestones it achieved:

  • Drone Command & Control (C2) over 5G
  • Transmission of telemetry back to the control station: altitude, speed, compass heading, high-precision GPS, battery level, ambient temperature, barometric pressure, etc.
  • Transmit ultra low-latency, uncompressed 4K video stream via 5G
  • Use a Software Defined Radio to transmit to nearby traditional aircraft that a drone operation in the area is underway

 

And how did we do it?

 

Area X.O took the lead on this project, building a module we call InDro Capsule. That capsule contained – among other things – a high-speed 5G modem, an Edge computer, and a software defined radio capable of informing crewed aircraft that a drone operation was taking place in the vicinity. Streaming, uncompressed 4K video also enhanced situational awareness for the pilot.

InDro Capsule has been designed to work with Enterprise drones using the Pixhawk flight controller. And so, just as the InDro Commander enables remote and secure teleoperations for ground robots, InDro Capsule is an add-on that can transform an Enterprise drone into a sophisticated BVLOS machine. If you’re interested in taking a deep dive on the NERDs project, InDro has produced a White Paper. You’ll find that here.

The first-generation InDro Capsule is that black hexagonal box seen below. InDro has now reduced its size and weight, and is currently deploying Capsule-enabled drones for remote industrial operations in South America. Those missions will be remotely tele-operated by Indro Robotics pilots in Canada.

Canada Drones

InDro Pilot

 

We knew the InDro Capsule module had the potential to truly transform the capabilities of Enterprise drones with Pixhawk flight controllers. And so we didn’t stop there. We built an entire platform to make the most of it. We call it InDro Pilot.

In a nutshell, it brings about both enhanced capabilities for the drone itself (ie 4G, 5G, dense data realtime uploads etc.) as well as enhanced options for the drone operator to further customize drone sensors and peripherals for any given mission via dashboard. All of that data is encrypted for secure download, direct-to-cloud upload, and Command & Control communication between the drone and our InDro Base ground station.

Because InDro Capsule enables the swift integration of additional sensors, we wanted to make that easy for the operator as well. InDro Pilot allows the pilot to customize their drone by simply adding software widgets for specific sensors. 

You can find more details in this post about InDro Pilot. But we’ll leave you with a glimpse of our winch widget. Others are available for LiDAR, thermal and other sensors. It’s simply drag and drop. We’ll be rolling out more about this in 2023, including the much smaller, commercial version of InDro Capsule.

InDro Robotics

ROLL-E and London Drugs

 

It was also quite a year for InDro delivery robots. Specifically, the deployment of our teleoperated ROLL-E and ROLL-E 2.0 in two separate pilot projects in conjunction with London Drugs.

The western Canadian retailer was initially interested in seeing how consumers might react to receiving curbside deliveries from a robot – and how such deliveries might fit into the company’s future plans. InDro had previously partnered with London Drugs to demonstrate the secure delivery of prescription drugs to remote locations via drone, so it was logical to partner up on this effort as well.

Because of the global pandemic, some consumers are more comfortable with curbside pickups rather than entering a store. So the first pilot project, at a single London Drugs location in Victoria, focussed on that. Customers would place their orders online; ROLL-E would deliver their order to a pickup point in the parking lot outside.

The results? People seemed to like the robot. And a local CTV reporter even had a little fun with ROLL-E.

A London Drugs store in Victoria is the first to test out a new remote controlled delivery robot for curbside service. https://t.co/aFOVT0iE1n— CTV News Vancouver Island (@CTVNewsVI) April 9, 2022

London Drugs, Part II

 

Those first curbside pickups were a success. And so we pushed ahead with a more sophisticated version of ROLL-E, coming up with a second-generation version. It has a secure and large cargo bay with a whopping 50kg capacity. And London Drugs was eager to try it out, this time for home deliveries in Surrey, BC.

ROLL-E 2.0 (which some employees have affectionately named “EVA”), featured some significant upgrades from the original, 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
  • Greater all-weather protection and a touchscreen interface for customers

And how did it perform? Well, like this:

Good dog

 

The year 2022 also brought us a new product line, and a new partnership. Specifically, we’re talking about Unitree Robotics – a Chinese manufacturer of highly capable and affordable quadruped robots.

We’ve already been modifying these robots, adding on something we call the InDro Backpack. That’s the equivalent of the InDro Commander, which allows for teleoperations and additional sensor integration. We’ve even mounted a LiDAR sensor on one of the Unitree robots, with excellent results. We see a lot of potential for remote inspections with these machines in 2023. Indro Robotics is proud to be a North American distributor of the Unitree line.

Plus, these robots are just a lot of fun. Here’s InDro account executive Luke Corbeth with the entry-level GO-1:

Meet LIMO

 

2022 also saw the release of the LIMO robot, intended for educational purposes, R&D and more. As a distributor in North America, we’ve delivered LIMO to many clients who have been doing their own R&D work with this very versatile and smart machine. It comes, out-of-the-box, with the following:

  • An NVIDIA Jetson Nano, capable of remote teleoperation over 4G
  • An EAI X2L LiDAR unit
  • Stereo camera
  • Four steering modes (tracked, Ackerman, four-wheel differential, and omni-directional)

Customers love this thing – and so do we. If you’d like to learn more about LIMO, check this out.

LIMO

TCXpo

 

One of our highlights of the year was the TCXpo, a major public event put on by Transport Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and Area X.O. InDro Robotics was one of the sponsors. Many Canadian technology companies were displaying their products, with an emphasis on Smart Mobility and other IoT devices.

InDro had its robots out in full swing; CEO Philip Reece was in charge of the airspace for the drone demonstrations – and a moderator for one of the excellent panel discussions. It was amazing to see the range of technologies on display and a clear sign that Smart Mobility is well on its way. Even the rain didn’t dampen the excitement.

You’ll hear a bit from Philip at the 2:18 mark of this video, and see him at 2:49.

Wait, there’s more!

 

Thanks for getting this far. We know you’ve got other things to do in 2023, so we’ll put a bow on this quickly with a few additional things we were up to in 2022.

Sister company Aerometrix continued its work doing methane detection and monitoring, using InDro Robotics pilots to carry out the work. The company has mapped methane emissions at petrochemical plants, gas wells, landfills – and even on agricultural sites. More on that work here.

We embarked on major long-term research at the University of British Columbia, in conjunction with Rogers, Honeywell and others. The project will use AI to help predict energy requirements for drone flights, taking into account payload, weather conditions, etc. It will also examine the capacity for 5G to carry out multiple simulataneous drone missions with minimal latency and interference. It will even compare the relative energy requirements of hydrogen-powered drones versus traditional LiPo batteries. Many more details can be found here.

We also launched FLYY, an online drone learning portal featuring one of Canada’s most recognized and respected instructors – InDro’s own Kate Klassen. If you’re looking to obtain your Basic or Advanced RPAS Certificate, schedule a Flight Review – or take a deeper dive into many other other drone course offerings – you’ll find it at FLYY. And if you’re part of an educational or company program, we offer group discounts. Email Kate for more info here.

Drone Training

Ssshhhhhh… it’s secret!

 

Finally, InDro continued work – and embarked on new work – with some very high-profile global clients in 2022. We can’t name names here due to NDAs, but we’re very pleased to be working on such interesting projects with such amazing companies. Trust us on this one; cool stuff is happening.

InDro’s Take

 

A company is, ultimately, only as good as its team. The accomplishments of 2022 reflect the skills, dedication and hard work of InDro employees in Vancouver, Victoria and at our Area X.O office in Ottawa.

“I’m incredibly proud of the work InDro accomplished in 2022,” says InDro CEO Philip Reece. “Our engineering and sales staff consistently punch above their weight, with multiple significant milestones – including excellent revenue growth – achieved in the past year. Just as gratifying is the fact our employees love what they do.”

That’s very true. On behalf of InDro Robotics, we wish you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2023.

We look forward to sharing more as the year unfolds.

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

What InDro does

What InDro does

Sep 7, 2022 | InDro Commander, InDro News, InDro Pilot, InDro Sentinel, Innovation

By Scott Simmie

 

Have you ever wondered: What exactly InDro Robotics does?

The answer might surprise you.

InDro is often described as a research and development company. While accurate, that isn’t very explanatory. So we’ll give the first word to CEO Philip Reece.

“InDro Robotics does a lot of different things – ranging from product development to service provision to creating and building solutions for global clients,” he says. “But all of these tasks have some things in common:

“This is an engineering-first company – dedicating to inventing, enhancing and deploying technologies and products that make difficult work easier and more efficient. Customers purchase these technologies, and we are also a service provider using these InDro innovations.”

That’s a good starting point. But what does that actually look like? We thought a good way to explain this might be to look at some of the milestones the company has accomplished between September of 2021 and 2022.

There are, unfortunately, some that we’re prohibited from telling you about due to non-disclosure agreements with clients. But even without those, it’s been a very productive year.

InDro Commander

We’ll start with something that has allowed many clients to quickly customise and deploy ground robots. You’ll see this in the image below; it’s the module sitting directly on top of the robot chassis below. Specifically, it’s toward the front of the chassis above the InDro Robotics logo.

InDro Commander

The process

 

There’s an interesting backstory here. One of the things InDro is known for is building custom robots designed for specific tasks. But building robots – especially building multiple robots with different functionalities – is hard work.

We have a head start on this process, because we use the excellent platforms built by AgileX, China’s leading producer of quality robotic platforms and locomotion systems. But – and you can ask any robot builder – the real challenge is building robots that do things besides move.

You need to integrate sensors – everything from optical and thermal sensors to LiDAR and even arms with end effectors. You’ve got to figure out how to power these sensors and pull their data – a task that involves much more than wiring. With most robots, it means finding and integrating the proper software from the Robot Operating System libraries (ROS and ROS2). Then you generally need an onboard computer to process that data – along with coming up with a solution to moving that data from the robot to somewhere else.

Our engineering team thought there had to be a better way. In particular, lead engineer Arron Griffiths envisioned a module that might act like a kit to make this process much, much easier. InDro Robotics then developed and tested a module that could be added to most ground robotic platforms. It contains a powerful Jetson computer for onboard EDGE processing, multiple USB slots for adding peripheral sensors, two wide-angle cameras to give the operator a 360° view of the robot’s surroundings, and more.

That “more” includes the ability to operate the robot, in realtime, over a 5G or 4G cellular connection. The browser-based console provides data from all sensors in a clean and easy to navigate dashboard. And the operation? You can simply use an Xbox controller and operate your newly integrated robot from down the street – or across the country.

You can learn more about InDro Commander in this story. But the point here is that our engineers identified a problem and came up with a solution. Many of our products have a similar origin: Thinking of a new way to do things that’s easier and more efficient.

InDro now regularly manufactures and ships Commanders to clients globally, providing the ability to rapidly customise any ground robot utilising the Robot Operating System – without all the hassle. (If you’re interested in more details, feel free to reach out to Account Executive Luke Corbeth.)

Now that you’ve got the Commander basics, let’s take a brief look at our ground inspection robot Sentinel.

 

InDro Robotics Sentinel

Location, location, location

 

The phrase doesn’t just apply to real estate.

Many companies have valuable assets in remote locations. To inspect such locations generally means dispatching one or two employees to make the often-long trek and then simply walk around and ensure things are working as they should be. They’ll check for any signs of corrosion or wear, perhaps watch and listen for electrical arcing or test for thermal anomalies, even watch out for signs that wildlife has been chewing on wires or building nests in locations that might pose a risk. Inspectors are also frequently dispatched following violent weather events.

InDro started thinking about this problem, with a particular focus on electrical substations – often-remote and uncrewed facilities where the current from high-voltage transmission Iines is stepped-down for delivery to consumers. What if a robot could be placed on site that could carry out these inspections remotely? In fact, what if InDro took the InDro Commander module and customised a new ground robot for the task?

That’s how Sentinel came to be. The tracked robot features a 30x optical tilt-pan-zoom camera, a thermal sensor – along with any additional sensors clients would like incorporated. Sentinel can autonomously return to its wireless charging base and can literally be left on its own for months. An operator can remotely carry out regular inspections, read gauges, capture high-resolution photo and video, check for thermal anomalies – and generally accomplish nearly everything that could be carried out by a human inspector without the time and expense. Plus, Sentinel can be dispatched within minutes when necessary.

You can read more about Sentinel here. The robot also recently took part in exhaustive testing at the Electrical Power Research Institute’s (EPRI) substation test facility in Lenox, Massechusetts.

This is a great example of where one InDro innovation – the Commander module – helped pave the way for a second innovation: Sentinel.

It also contributed to a third: The ROLL-E delivery robot:

 

Delivery Robot

ROLL-E

 

ROLL-E is another beneficiary of the InDro Commander invention. This delivery robot is capable of remotely teleoperated urban deliveries, such as from a retail outlet to a home.

InDro has already completed trials with London Drugs at a Victoria location, delivering goods purchased online for curbside pickup.

InDro now has a second-generation ROLL-E, which the company will be unveiling shortly. ROLL-E 2.0 has been purpose-built to maximize integration into an urban environment with features like signals, brake and running lights – and a series of cameras (including depth perception cameras) to provide the operator with a 360° view of ROLL-E’s surroundings. Goods are contained in a secure cargo bay that opens only when the recipient interacts with a touch-screen.

And that’s not all.

InDro is currently building the InDro Backpack – a smaller version of Commander. Its purpose? To offer the same capabilities for teleoperation and high speed data transmission on the Unitree GO1 and its other quadrupeds.

Here’s a brief video demonstrating teleoperation of the GO1 as the backpack was under development; InDro anticipates the bolt-on 4G/5G system will be ready for clients later this fall.

 

What about drones?

 

Good question. While we were developing Commander, a similar but separate project was underway for aerial robots.

Canada Drones

InDro Capsule

 

See that guy on the right? That’s Ahmad Tamimi, an engineer at InDro’s Area X.O location in Ottawa.

When this photo was taken in the fall of 2021, he was deep into something called NERDS (Network Enhanced Realtime Drone project). It was a technology challenge in conjunction with the Ontario Centre of Innovation, Ericsson and the ENCQOR 5G network – a testbed corridor that runs through Quebec and Ontario.

You can find full details of that project here – and a link to InDro’s White Paper on NERDS here. But in a nutshell, Tamimi created a module similar to Commander, only for Enterprise drones using the Pixhawk flight controller. It enables operations over cellular, including real-time dense-data uploads directly to the cloud during flight. It also broadcasts to nearby traditional aircraft that a drone is operating – a tremendous boost to BVLOS flights.

Here’s a picture of that module on top of our Wayfinder drone:

Canada Drones

InDro Pilot

 

InDro didn’t stop there. The company created an entire software suite – InDro Pilot – for Enterprise drones (and, specifically, drones using the InDro Capsule).

That software makes it a snap to add and integrate other sensors onto drones and carry out low-latency flights over cellular networks. As with Commander, sensors can simply be plugged in to InDro Capsule, and the dashboard allows for drag-and-drop sensors modules to be added to the software suite. Want a winch? Simply add on the winch module and all operational controls and parameters are added to the InDro Pilot software. A robust and encrypted link between the InDro Ground Station and the drone ensures that any data collected remains secure. 

This project was completed in that 2021-2022 window we established earlier. InDro is currently creating a smaller and lighter InDro Capsule for commercialization of the entire InDro Pilot system. 

Here’s a screen grab of the winch software module:

Canada Drone

One more time

 

And here’s a look at the complete system…

Again, if you’d like a more thorough look at that system you’ll find far more details here.

Drones Canada

That’s not all…

 

As mentioned, it’s been a highly productive year at InDro. We’ve flown drones in the NRC Wind Tunnel in Ottawa for research on urban wind tunnels. The company has partnered with UBC, Honeywell and others on a major research project involving flights over 5G and using AI software to precisely predict energy demands and costs of any planned drone mission.

As drones begin deliveries at scale in the future, the data being obtained about the capabilities of 5G networks to handle multiple drones simultaneously – as well as costs – will be tremendously useful to the industry-at-large.

All this, while carrying out service provision for clients on a global scale, including this mission in Saudi Arabia. (That’s our photogrammetry/GIS specialist Eric Saczuk in the photo).

Drones Canada

Before we forget…

 

InDro was also in the news this year for its role in the Drone Detection Pilot Project at the Ottawa International Airport.

During the protests in the nation’s capital, data obtained by the system revealed that scores of unauthorized drone flights were taking place in restricted airspace – including above Parliament Hill, over 24 Sussex Drive, and even near embassies and other sensitive locations.

InDro takes part in this project – and supplies the drone detection equipment for free – because there’s valuable data being obtained that contributes to both safety at YOW and informed policy and procedures.

In fact, the news even made the cover of WINGS magazine:

Drone detection

Wait, there’s more!

 

Hard to believe, but there is (and congrats for sticking through this long-ish read!).

InDro reached several other milestones between the fall of 2021 and 2022. The company can’t, unfortunately, share details of these due to non-disclosure agreements. But innovative solutions have been created for global clients. In one example, a prototype robot was so successful that InDro received orders for many more.

On top of that, the company has worked closely with industry and regulatory partners during this period, including delivering InDro Pilot-enabled drones to Transport Canada and assisting RPAS parachute manufacturer AVSS with testing of its latest product. 

Drones Canada

InDro’s Take

 

With an agile and motivated team, InDro Robotics has created multiple new and innovative products in the course of a single year. Some of these were created specifically for clients, while others were organic in nature. The development of InDro Commander has paved the way for multiple robots (Sentinel, ROLL-E, ROLL-E 2.0). In addition, the company has shipped custom Commander-enabled robots to clients – including one fully customized for Solar Farm inspection. Many clients are now order Commander modules to make the customization of their own ground robotics platforms a vastly easier process.

In addition, the development of the InDro Capsule and InDro Pilot system for Enterprise drones will soon allow clients to easily customize their RPAS with additional sensors, along with secure high-data bandwidth (direct to Cloud) and remote teleoperations via console over cellular networks. Stay tuned for more on that.

CEO Philip Reece got the first word in this summary; he also gets the last:

“I’m justifiably proud of our team for the multiple milestones we’ve surpassed during the past year,” he says. “InDro has created numerous products – and participated in multiple projects – where we’ve been able to push the envelope. Every single one of these products and processes uses technological innovations to make hard jobs easier, or to significantly expand the capabilities of drones and robots. The team has really hit its stride.”

Hopefully, this gives you a much better idea of What InDro Robotics Does. And why we proudly call ourselves an R&D company.

 

InDro Robotics “Sentinel”

InDro Robotics “Sentinel”

Jan 5, 2022 | InDro Commander, InDro News, InDro Sentinel, InDro Solutions, Scott Simmie

By Scott Simmie, InDro Robotics

Imagine, for a moment, the challenges of owning and maintaining a remote asset. Further picture that it’s, say, an unstaffed electrical substation located some 800 kilometres from your base of operations. The area is prone to fog, rain and snow. To top things off, the last 200 kilometres consist of a washboard gravel road. There are no hotels or other accommodation nearby.

Keeping a watchful eye on such a facility poses challenges.

 

The old way…

 

Companies have traditionally relied on one of two methods – or a combination of both – to monitor remote assets. The most common solution has been to install security cameras and motion sensors and simply keep an eye on monitors. In addition, companies often dispatch employees for occasional inspections.

Unfortunately, fog and rain often mean the security cameras can’t get a clear picture. Even on a decent day, these cameras can’t get up close and personal to truly inspect the assets and determine whether maintenance might be required. Dispatching an employee costs time and money – and isn’t something you can afford to do on a frequent basis.

But you also can’t afford to to not know what’s happening. After all, it’s an expensive and critical asset. If only there was a way to have boots on the ground…without actually dispatching an employee.

It’s precisely this kind of scenario – as well as many others – that has led InDro Robotics to create a solution. It’s a ground-based, all-terrain/all-weather robot designed from the ground-up to allow easy monitoring anywhere, anytime – and all from the comfort of your base of operations.

 

InDro Robotics “Sentinel”

 

That’s it – right there in the picture below. Now let us tell you why we’re so excited about this product.

 

InDro Robotics Sentinel

A workhorse

 

Sentinel is built on the rugged AgileX Bunker platform. The weather-resistant Bunker has a range of 10 kilometres and can take on pretty much any terrain. Its track system features differential rotation, allowing the operator to get up close and personal with any asset – all without leaving the office.

But that’s just the beginning. Sentinel is packed with features that allow for easy collection of meaningful data, including:

 

  • 20x optical zoom for detailed inspection
  • Radiometric thermal imaging to detect anomalies
  • 4G/5G connectivity for remote teleoperation
  • Web-based console and cloud storage for operations and data

Sentinel is also simple to operate. Using an intuitive handheld controller, the operator has full control over Sentinel’s operations while watching a real-time live video stream from the robot’s RGB and thermal sensors. The display includes data on battery reserves, CPU usage, GPS location and more.

We’ve pulled together a brief video to give you a better sense of what it can do:

A deeper technical dive

 

What helps pull all of these abilities together is another InDro innovation. It’s a box that contains the brains and sensor/data interfaces that make Sentinel so easy to use. That box contains an onboard EDGE computing device utilizing a Jetson NVIDIA processor, and also the industry-standard Robot Operating System (ROS) software required for the various sensors. We call this solution InDro Commander, and you can read about it here.

You could think of Commander as kind of like a symphony conducter, bringing all the various elements together in a synergic fashion. And yes, there are plenty of key elements, including a wiper for the 20x optical camera – even a thermal defogging component for the lens.

All of this – and more – in a package that’s nearly impervious to the elements.

“The robot, and its ‘doghouse’ are IP67 rated, meaning they’re protected from contact with harmful dust, sand, ice shards, hail, rain and water sprays,” explains InDro Account Executive Luke Corbeth.

“Once returning home, the ground vehicle comes in contact with the charging pad and is wirelessly fast charged. This means that Sentinel can withstand many environmental conditions with minimal maintenance required. With that said, should it need maintenance it has a modular design so unlike other UGVs, the brains are separate from the body. As a result, if a component malfunctions we can simply replace it with a new one and bring the damaged one in for repairs to reduce on-site downtime.”

The secure, browser-based operations console is a snap to learn and provides live data while Sentinel is being operated. Whether it’s monitoring for intruders or checking the temperature of assets for preventative maintenance, Sentinel has you covered. Check out the zoom capabilities in the screengrabs below: 

Inspection Robot
Inspection Robot

Sentinel is up for the task(s)

Though we’ve focussed on inspection – there are many different kinds of inspection for which Sentinel is well-suited. These include:

Operational rounds

Also known as preventative maintenance, these kind of inspections are designed to identify potential problems before they become serious. Here, both optical and thermal data can plan key roles. The ability to identify anomalies before they become problematic can be accomplished through regularly scheduled tasks and data analytics.

Emergency Response

Emergencies, by their very nature, are unpredictable. They tend to happen quickly and without warning. The ability to respond to emergencies depends both on a response plan and the ability to obtain situational awareness as rapidly as possible. Sentinel is built to withstand hazardous environments and provide treads on the ground immediately – regardless of how remote your operation is. (And yes, this robust device is also suitable for First Responders.)

Security monitoring

“Maintaining the security of critical infrastructure is vital to minimizing downtime, customer attrition, reputation loss and compliance costs,” explains InDro’s Luke Corbeth. 

Sentinel can not only keep a regular watchful eye using its RGB Tilt-Pan-Zoom camera, but also has the added benefit of radiometric thermal imaging. In this example, an intruder is quickly detected by their heat signature. And while this was shot during daylight hours, there’s no such thing as the “cover of night” when using thermal sensors:

 

Inspection Robot

Built for the future

 

While many users will want to dispatch Sentinel using a human operator, the robot can also be programmed for scheduled missions using a pre-planned path. Whether its once a week or twice a day, Sentinel can carry out these missions with no human intervention. And that’s just the beginning.

“With InDro Commander and the Jetson onboard, Sentinel has the ability to learn change detection and obstacle avoidance,” says InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece. “And with the addition of a LiDAR sensor, this machine could even carry out SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) missions in unfamiliar environments.”

It also has some distinct advantages over a UAV, says Reece.

“Drones are great in certain situations, but regulatory permissions for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations are not easy for companies to obtain. Sentinel does not require a permit and is easy to operate. Plus, with its optical zoom and thermal capabilities, this robot makes it simple to acquire detailed data of any asset visible from the ground.”

InDro Robotics is now taking orders for Sentinel – and even arranging remote “test-drives” for prospective clients. You can contact Luke Corbeth for more information here.