Smashing Robotics

Flybrix lets you build aerial drones with LEGO bricks

Throughout history many great inventions have been created by accident, and this might just be one of them. Flybrix DIY drone kits include all required parts to build your very own multicopter with LEGO bricks. Specially designed bricks can accommodate micro motors, while an assortment of standard bricks can be used for building the airframe. Everything is connected to an Arduino compatible controller board which draws power from a small battery. Creations can be remote controlled over Bluetooth from a mobile app, or with a dedicated 2.4GHz radio controller and receiver.

Flybrix LEGO drone | Image credit: Flybrix

Flybrix is a self-funded North American startup created by Amir Hirsch, Robb Waters and Holly Kasun in 2015. The idea came up as they were researching autonomous flight using computer vision and other technologies. They were using LEGO bricks for rapidly prototyping their microdrones, until they had one of those eureka moments.

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GoPro Karma foldable action camera drone has high expectations to meet

This week GoPro introduced Karma, a quad rotor foldable aerial drone compatible with the company’s latest action cameras. Announced over a year ago, this drone has to meet pretty high expectations in terms of quality, versatility and ease of use. It also has some pretty tough competition from well established players in the entry level drone segment, however interesting features and seamless integration with the class leading Hero5 cameras could set it apart from the rest.

Karma in action | Image credit: GoPro

In good old GoPro fashion the drone kit comes bundled with everything needed for you to start flying. It will be available for ordering as of October 23rd at a price US $800 or 870 EUR. Hero5 cameras will be made available at the start of October.

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World’s first giant robot duel will happen eventually

I guess you remember about the highly anticipated giant robot duel announced last year. It was set to take place sometime in June this year, however Summer is already over and nothing even remotely related has happened. For a while we all thought this was it and moved on, but it seems that not all hope is lost as apparently both teams are still committed to this challenge.

Kuratas vs. Megabot mark II

In an interview for The Verge Gui Cavalcanti of MegaBots announces that as of September 28 they will release a 10-episode series following their progress and challenges involved in building a real life giant fighting robot.

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Prodrone introduces the PD6B-AW-ARM aerial heavyweight lifter

The very inspiringly named PD6B-AW-ARM is large format 6-rotor drone equipped with two robotic arms capable of grasping, maneuvering and lifting payloads up to 10 kg or 22 pounds. It was announced at the InterDrone conference held in Las Vegas last week, and is designed for professional applications, featuring a weather sealed body, relatively high wind resistance and high altitude operation. It measures no less than 57 inches, or 1.4 meters, from rotor to rotor and can fly for up to 30 minutes on a single charge.

PD6B-AW-ARM drone | Image credit: Prodrone

Each robotic arm has 5 degrees of freedom (DOF), suggesting that these could be used for carrying virtually any type of payload, and also for tasks requiring a bit of finesse. According to the manufacturer such examples include cutting cables, retrieving dangerous materials, flicking switches and more. Let’s take a look at this massive hexacopter in action.

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DJI unveils Osmo Mobile handheld stabilizer for your smartphone

This week DJI introduced the new Osmo Mobile at IFA Berlin electronics fair, a smart handheld stabilizer for your smartphone which promises to make shaky footage and blurry low-light exposures history. Very similar to the original Osmo camera, the device takes advantage of the already proven 3-axis stabilization and tracking technology found in DJI’s Phantom series drones. The Osmo Mobile is for sale at a price of US $299.

DJI Osmo Mobile handheld smartphone stabilizer

Osmo Mobile handheld stabilizer | Image credit: DJI

The device greatly augments imaging capabilities of your phone. From within the DJI Go app, available for iOS and Android, several shooting modes become available and numerous settings are exposed. On its handle there are also physical buttons and a joystick which can be customized for greater control.

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Parrot Disco fixed wing drone gets ready to fly next month

Introduced at CES in January this year, the Parrot Disco marks the French company’s debut in the fixed-wing UAV niche. The camera drone is set to hit the stores in September for a price tag just shy of US $1,300. In good old Parrot tradition the drone is fully connected and ready to fly. It is equipped with a more than decent 14 Megapixel camera with digital image stabilization, and a revised Skycontroller as well as new FPV glasses which promise to deliver a very entertaining experience for enthusiasts and first time fliers alike.

Disco camera drone | Image credit: Parrot

Speaking of first time fliers, the newly introduced Control Hub and Universal Computer Kit – also known as C.H.U.C.K – is specifically designed for assisting them with maneuvers, preventing the drone to fly away or keeping it circling above a certain point after it is launched until the user is ready to send commands.

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Evive all-in-one prototyping platform puts your projects on the fast track

Tired of clutter happening at some point throughout your project? Or maybe you want to draft an idea but something is always missing? Enter Evive, an Arduino Mega-based embedded platform that contains all necessary hardware, functions and connections to quickly get you going with your project. There is even an 1.8 inch color LCD for easy configuration. Everything is packed into a neat enclosure which can be easily integrated into your builds.

evive embedded platform | Image credit: evive.cc

Evive was created by Indian startup Agilo Technologies, a team of very enthusiastic engineers who want to make things a lot easier for developers of all levels of expertise. The platform could be an ideal candidate for STEM education environments, while also proving itself to advanced users and professionals.

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