AIMing for Automated Vehicles
The U.S. armed forces have had smart weapons for a long time now. It is just recently that they realized they need smart supply trucks. Hi, I am Paul F. Grayson, Team Leader of American Industrial Magic (AIM), one of last remaining teams of the 390 teams that worked on vehicles for the DARPA Grand Challenge series of unmanned vehicle races. AIM is working to save soldiers lives by searching for ways to make driverless Army supply trucks affordable. AIM is funded by donations from individuals like you who want to speed up the fielding of this life-saving technology. With this blog, you can look over my shoulder while I and my team work on this important technology. You will get a chance to look into the world of unmanned robotic vehicles, see some of the things that I see, and puzzle over the challenges of making vehicles driverless. Welcome to my world!
Human Driver Error(s); Altered Iron
March 23, 2010
Human driven truck pushes car along highway at 60 mph, sideways. HUMAN DRIVERS ARE MAKING THE CASE FOR AUTOMATION If you missed it on the news the past couple of days, you can see the video on YouTube. In the UK a truck driver missed seeing a car merging from the on ramp and pushed it down the highway sideways at 60 mph claiming he did... » more
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March 23, 2010
Human driven truck pushes car along highway at 60 mph, sideways. HUMAN DRIVERS ARE MAKING THE CASE FOR AUTOMATION If you missed it on the news the past couple of days, you can see the video on YouTube. In the UK a truck driver missed seeing a car merging from the on ramp and pushed it down the highway sideways at 60 mph claiming he did... » more
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WesTrack/AGVs; The Bomb; The Club
March 18, 2010
One of four WesTrack triple-trailer driverless trucks, hauling 128,000 lbs of cargo, making its rounds. In two years WesTrack logged 1.72 million road miles - driverless. Automatic Guided Vehicles and leaning slightly forward Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) traditionally have operated on factory floors or on paved... » more
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March 18, 2010
One of four WesTrack triple-trailer driverless trucks, hauling 128,000 lbs of cargo, making its rounds. In two years WesTrack logged 1.72 million road miles - driverless. Automatic Guided Vehicles and leaning slightly forward Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) traditionally have operated on factory floors or on paved... » more
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WABCO warning; PCCI.EDU
March 16, 2010
WABCO WARNING SYSTEM Vehicles are getting smarter, which I see as the road leading to vehicles that can drive themselves, so here is a look at what I have been discovering. Active safety systems respond to a safety problem or abnormal event. Activated automatically by the electronic control unit (ECU) they provide improved ... » more
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March 16, 2010
WABCO WARNING SYSTEM Vehicles are getting smarter, which I see as the road leading to vehicles that can drive themselves, so here is a look at what I have been discovering. Active safety systems respond to a safety problem or abnormal event. Activated automatically by the electronic control unit (ECU) they provide improved ... » more
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USA 18th in world; Becoming a 501(c)3
March 11, 2010
USA NOW RANKED 18th IN THE WORLD - national news reports Once 1st in education, the USA is now ranked 18th and slipping farther down as students in other countries race past US students. Something is broken with the system. You may say “who cares, it is not my problem” and go back to the reality-TV program you are... » more
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March 11, 2010
USA NOW RANKED 18th IN THE WORLD - national news reports Once 1st in education, the USA is now ranked 18th and slipping farther down as students in other countries race past US students. Something is broken with the system. You may say “who cares, it is not my problem” and go back to the reality-TV program you are... » more
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Robot Skin; FIRST Robotics - Michigan Regional Contest; One Million - the posters
March 02, 2010
Robot Skin by Peratech ROBOT SKIN (sensor net) Several people over the years have told me that their work was being held back by the lack of a good robot skin. What they meant was an economical sensor net that could cover their robot and sense not only the finger tips but also the arm bumping into things, the real world being messy like... » more
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March 02, 2010
Robot Skin by Peratech ROBOT SKIN (sensor net) Several people over the years have told me that their work was being held back by the lack of a good robot skin. What they meant was an economical sensor net that could cover their robot and sense not only the finger tips but also the arm bumping into things, the real world being messy like... » more
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I-Fairy Reception Robot; A 4-H Company
February 25, 2010
I-Fairy Reception Robot by kokoro-dreams.co.jp FINAL VERSION - NO WINGS Designed to lend a whimsical high tech presence to your convention booth or office lobby, I-Fairy Reception Robot is an interactive show bot that can make an impressive first impression on your potential customers. Kokoro, noted for their dinosaurs that thrill ... » more
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February 25, 2010
I-Fairy Reception Robot by kokoro-dreams.co.jp FINAL VERSION - NO WINGS Designed to lend a whimsical high tech presence to your convention booth or office lobby, I-Fairy Reception Robot is an interactive show bot that can make an impressive first impression on your potential customers. Kokoro, noted for their dinosaurs that thrill ... » more
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New Dexterous Robot Hand; A 4-H Company
February 24, 2010
<noscript></noscript> Dexterous Hand with sense of touch by Kinea Design ROBOT HAND FOR HUMANS Kinea Design LLC, has developed new biomechatronic technology that will give arm amputees a dexterous hand with 13 different axes of motion that include a sense of touch. Novel tactile (haptic) fingertip sensor... » more
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February 24, 2010
<noscript></noscript> Dexterous Hand with sense of touch by Kinea Design ROBOT HAND FOR HUMANS Kinea Design LLC, has developed new biomechatronic technology that will give arm amputees a dexterous hand with 13 different axes of motion that include a sense of touch. Novel tactile (haptic) fingertip sensor... » more
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The New Assembly [Line]; Navigation; Kid Stuff
February 18, 2010
Comau SmartCell The Assembly Line 1908 - 2010 Henry Ford adopted the assembly line method for his plant in 1908. Since then it has been refined, updated, automated, speeded up, but the basic 1908 concept has not been challenged … until now. Comau challenges our basic assumptions with... » more
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February 18, 2010
Comau SmartCell The Assembly Line 1908 - 2010 Henry Ford adopted the assembly line method for his plant in 1908. Since then it has been refined, updated, automated, speeded up, but the basic 1908 concept has not been challenged … until now. Comau challenges our basic assumptions with... » more
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DARPA Urban Challenge: the race to save lives
April 17, 2007
AGV WENDY DARLING is a modified M-215 Army supply truck. PEOPLE, THE WEAK LINKThe DARPA Urban Challenge (DARPA URBAN CHALLENGE) really is about saving soldier’s lives in combat zones, and its civilian spin-off has great potential for saving many more lives on U.S. roadways. A 1997 Department of Transportation study found that hyper-intelligent... » more
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April 17, 2007
AGV WENDY DARLING is a modified M-215 Army supply truck. PEOPLE, THE WEAK LINKThe DARPA Urban Challenge (DARPA URBAN CHALLENGE) really is about saving soldier’s lives in combat zones, and its civilian spin-off has great potential for saving many more lives on U.S. roadways. A 1997 Department of Transportation study found that hyper-intelligent... » more
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