Smart Robots, Inc.

Sunday, September 07, 2008

Upcoming Events

Recent Events

Numenta HTM Workshop, June 24, Palo Alto CA
On the second day of the Numenta Hierarchical Temporal Memory (HTM) Workshop in Palo Alto, on June 24, 2008, Joe Bosworth presented a brief "lightning" discussion regarding a robotic arm that Smart Robots, Inc. (SRI) has developed. Of importance to this gathering is SRI's interest in applying HTM techniques, pioneered by Jeff Hawkins and Numenta, Inc., to the tasks of (1) a vision system mounted on the arm recognizing objects it is targeting, and (2) the vision system then determining the arm's distance from the object plus the size of the object and then guiding the arm to approach and grasp the object.

SPIE Defense and Security Conference 2008, March 18, Orlando FL
Joe Bosworth, CEO of Smart Robots, presented a paper on Software Control of a Video and Sensor Equipped Smart Robotic Arm for Checkpoint Vehicle Inspection in the Unmanned Systems Technology section of the SPIE Defense and Security Conference in Orlando, Florida March 16-20, 2008. The presentation focused on portraying the vehicle checkpoint mission, the potential role of robot devices in these activities, and regarding software, the inverse-kinematics and special trajectory and corridor-control needs of a robot arm searching a vehicle. Also covered were the coordination of the mobile base, the vertical arm shaft, and the robotic arm, all together. Examples of typical target vehicle situations were illustrated and task solutions and principles presented which enable a high level of surveillance and analysis coverage of the vehicle. The many activities going on all at once during the surveillance sweep of a vehicle were discussed, all of which require that the arm be easily accessible for control and monitoring from a simple uncluttered operational dashboard.

Connecticut Java Users Group, March 4, 2008, Hartford CT
At a regular monthly meeting of the Connecticut Java Users Group on Tuesday, March 4, Joe Bosworth presented an overview of Smart Robot's use of Java, LINUX, Apache, XML, and My*SQL in the programming and operation of their SR4 mobile robot, including the applicability of this same software in driving the new VisionArm(TM) robotic arm that the company has designed, prototyped and is readying for manufacturing. A preview was also presented of the upcoming presentation on the VisionArm(TM) to be given at the SPIE Defense and Security conference in Orlando, Florida.

Documentation and Training 2005, October, Boston MA
The 2005 Documentation and Training conference was held at the Boston University Corporate Education Center in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, on October 17-18, 2005. Each year, the conference planners select a single technology to highlight at the conference. The conference does not include commercial exhibits and such. However, the single selected technology is the focus of demonstrations and the attention by conference attendees to provide an in-depth view into an emerging technology that members will find interesting and timely in their professions as technical communicators. Last year’s featured technology was the Segway personal transportation system, developed and introduced by Dean Kamen. This year, in October’s conference, the featured technology was the SR4 Autonomous Mobile Robot of Smart Robots, Inc., Dalton, MA.

OSCON 2005, August, Portland OR
The Open Software Convention, an annual week-long convention sponsored by O’Reilly Books, was held in Portland, Oregon in 2005 from August
1-5. Joe Monti, the chief architect of Smart Robots’ open robot software methodology, and Joe Bosworth, CEO of Smart Robots, presented a session at the conference entitled The Open Source Path to Autonomous Robots. In their session at OSCON 2005, they described an organizing structure for the SR4 Robot's software that is particularly familiar to Linux developers and which, itself, enables robot software developers to apply the emerging tools of the open source community, including Linux, Apache, My*SQL, KXML, OpenSSH, and others in the wings, to the task of developing autonomous robot functionality and applications. In addition, they presented a strong case and invitation for the open source community to join in the evolution of autonomous robot technologies as the shortest and surest path to broad and capable multi-function autonomous devices and systems in the future. (Download the SmartRobots in PDF format).