🚗 DIY EV Robotic Charger for Tesla with Raspberry Pi 4
The home garage charger slowly but surely plugs itself all on its own into the Tesla, and works its magic to power up the vehicle overnight.
The system is still a prototype, and its owner is fully aware of its current limitations — mainly speed — but it doesn't require much space as it nestles along the garage wall, and, when prompted, uses its cameras and systems to connect itself with the Tesla.
The owner explains in his video that he uses a Raspberry Pi 4 as the brain of the robot, which is linked to a camera that can gauge where the charging port is.
Computer vision and machine learning help the camera search for the lighted blue Tesla logo by the charging port, and the charging port door reflector as it lines the charging cable up to the port. The Tesla API is used to open the EV's charge port door, so no physical human interaction on the car is needed.
More information...
#robots #automotive #articles #raspberry
The home garage charger slowly but surely plugs itself all on its own into the Tesla, and works its magic to power up the vehicle overnight.
The system is still a prototype, and its owner is fully aware of its current limitations — mainly speed — but it doesn't require much space as it nestles along the garage wall, and, when prompted, uses its cameras and systems to connect itself with the Tesla.
The owner explains in his video that he uses a Raspberry Pi 4 as the brain of the robot, which is linked to a camera that can gauge where the charging port is.
Computer vision and machine learning help the camera search for the lighted blue Tesla logo by the charging port, and the charging port door reflector as it lines the charging cable up to the port. The Tesla API is used to open the EV's charge port door, so no physical human interaction on the car is needed.
More information...
#robots #automotive #articles #raspberry
🔌 Building the Solar Farm installation
A very interesting series of articles with lots of photos about building a modern private Solar Farm and connecting it to the local grid.
Russell Graves, electronics enthusiast from Idaho, describes the whole process of building Solar Farm including wiring, controlling plant, etc.
How well does his solar farm work out? Sometimes the panels produce a lot of power, sometimes nearly nothing, but it has been up and running for all of winter and into spring.
Over the winter, Russel pulled a total of 3.1 MWh from the grid, mainly because his home is heated with electric power. But once spring hit, he started pushing considerably more into the grid than he was pulling; on some days his setup produces around 95 kWh, of which about 70 kWh gets exported.
More information:
Part 1
Part 2
...
Part 11
Part 12
#articles #energy
A very interesting series of articles with lots of photos about building a modern private Solar Farm and connecting it to the local grid.
Russell Graves, electronics enthusiast from Idaho, describes the whole process of building Solar Farm including wiring, controlling plant, etc.
How well does his solar farm work out? Sometimes the panels produce a lot of power, sometimes nearly nothing, but it has been up and running for all of winter and into spring.
Over the winter, Russel pulled a total of 3.1 MWh from the grid, mainly because his home is heated with electric power. But once spring hit, he started pushing considerably more into the grid than he was pulling; on some days his setup produces around 95 kWh, of which about 70 kWh gets exported.
More information:
Part 1
Part 2
...
Part 11
Part 12
#articles #energy
🎛 Is There Life without the PLC? How to Build a Better Embedded Controller
While Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are an industry norm, demands for data, memory, and processing power are intensifying. Soon enough, the PLCs may no longer be the go-to industrial computer.
By embedded control architecture, we mean a controller that is located inside the machine that will be controlled. Such an embedded controller is almost always a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), but in theory, it could be something else.
By PLC-based control architecture, we mean PLCs mounted in a box located outside of the machine somewhere, connected to the machine by cables.
Comparing the remote PLC-based approach to a local embedded approach the benefits are:
▫️ Simplification of machine installation and operation
▫️ Improved motion performance and sensor data
▫️ Smaller, simpler controller
▫️ Simplified machine assembly
▫️ Lower per-unit cost
More information...
#articles #control #design
While Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) are an industry norm, demands for data, memory, and processing power are intensifying. Soon enough, the PLCs may no longer be the go-to industrial computer.
By embedded control architecture, we mean a controller that is located inside the machine that will be controlled. Such an embedded controller is almost always a Printed Circuit Board (PCB), but in theory, it could be something else.
By PLC-based control architecture, we mean PLCs mounted in a box located outside of the machine somewhere, connected to the machine by cables.
Comparing the remote PLC-based approach to a local embedded approach the benefits are:
▫️ Simplification of machine installation and operation
▫️ Improved motion performance and sensor data
▫️ Smaller, simpler controller
▫️ Simplified machine assembly
▫️ Lower per-unit cost
More information...
#articles #control #design
📰 Developments in the field of flexible electronics: Samsung and Stanford Ease Manufacturing
This article will discuss two academic developments to see where this industry could be headed and what challenges lie ahead.
In a new paper from Stanford University, researchers propose a new method of manufacturing these flexible 2D electronics.
The technique consists of taking a non-flexible, solid block of silicon coated with glass and using chemical vapor deposition to grow MoS₂ one layer of atoms at a time until it reaches a three atom thickness. The end structure, including the polyimide, is just 5 microns thick, about 10x thinner than a human hair.
Additionally, this month, Samsung published a new paper in which they detail how they were able to create a new flexible wearable device, which states that it can be integrated into preexisting semiconductor processes. This innovation might help push the concept of flexible electronics closer towards mass production.
More information...
#news #electronics
This article will discuss two academic developments to see where this industry could be headed and what challenges lie ahead.
In a new paper from Stanford University, researchers propose a new method of manufacturing these flexible 2D electronics.
The technique consists of taking a non-flexible, solid block of silicon coated with glass and using chemical vapor deposition to grow MoS₂ one layer of atoms at a time until it reaches a three atom thickness. The end structure, including the polyimide, is just 5 microns thick, about 10x thinner than a human hair.
Additionally, this month, Samsung published a new paper in which they detail how they were able to create a new flexible wearable device, which states that it can be integrated into preexisting semiconductor processes. This innovation might help push the concept of flexible electronics closer towards mass production.
More information...
#news #electronics
📟 3dasd - open-source DIY room-scale 3D scanner
The goal is to make this as accessible as possible! However, at this point you need to have access to a 3D printer, do some very basic soldering and assemble a few cables (JST connectors).
This is not a production-grade scanner, it’s way too slow, loud and just not accurate enough for most real-world applications. It could be a great entry into the world of 3D scanning though.
A very-very rough estimate would be around 350 USD with the bulk of it being the LIDAR sensor.
More information:
Official website
Github page
#projects #3d_modeling
The goal is to make this as accessible as possible! However, at this point you need to have access to a 3D printer, do some very basic soldering and assemble a few cables (JST connectors).
This is not a production-grade scanner, it’s way too slow, loud and just not accurate enough for most real-world applications. It could be a great entry into the world of 3D scanning though.
A very-very rough estimate would be around 350 USD with the bulk of it being the LIDAR sensor.
More information:
Official website
Github page
#projects #3d_modeling
📊 Astonishing Robotics Industry Statistics You Should Know in 2021
Some of the statistics key points:
▫️ There were 12 million robotic units worldwide in 2020.
▫️ Global spending on military robotics will be $16.5 billion in 2025.
▫️ The robotics industry already employes about 150,000 people worldwide in engineering and assembly jobs.
▫️ The number of robotic units sold in 2020 rose to 465,000.
▫️ Between 2020 and 2022, there would be a 12% increase in shipments of robots worldwide.
▫️ Collaborative robots will constitute 34% of all robot sales by 2025.
▫️ 88% of businesses worldwide plan to adopt robotic automation into their infrastructure.
▫️ In 2020, North American businesses ordered 31,044 robotics.
If it is not already in your industry, chances that it would be sooner rather than later are very high. According to robotics industry statistics, the presence of robots in every industry brings about improved results and increased revenue.
More information...
#robots #articles #news
Some of the statistics key points:
▫️ There were 12 million robotic units worldwide in 2020.
▫️ Global spending on military robotics will be $16.5 billion in 2025.
▫️ The robotics industry already employes about 150,000 people worldwide in engineering and assembly jobs.
▫️ The number of robotic units sold in 2020 rose to 465,000.
▫️ Between 2020 and 2022, there would be a 12% increase in shipments of robots worldwide.
▫️ Collaborative robots will constitute 34% of all robot sales by 2025.
▫️ 88% of businesses worldwide plan to adopt robotic automation into their infrastructure.
▫️ In 2020, North American businesses ordered 31,044 robotics.
If it is not already in your industry, chances that it would be sooner rather than later are very high. According to robotics industry statistics, the presence of robots in every industry brings about improved results and increased revenue.
More information...
#robots #articles #news
🍅 FarmBot - open-source farming robot
FarmBot is an open source precision agriculture CNC farming project consisting of a Cartesian coordinate robot farming machine, software and documentation including a farming data repository. This interesting start-up focuses on bringing private automated farms to its clients. Robot uses machine learning algorithms for plants' analysis and takes actions depending on its results.
The FarmBot Genesis is able to plant over 30 different crops including potatoes, peas, squash, artichokes and chard in an area of 2.9 meters × 1.4 meters with a maximum plant height of 0.5 meters.
The Farmbot Genesis can perform almost all processes prior to harvesting including sowing, mechanical weed control and watering. It requires electricity, an internet connection and water supply which can be provided using off grid solutions including a water barrel to collect rain and a solar panel and battery to provide electricity.
More information...
#robots #machine_learning
FarmBot is an open source precision agriculture CNC farming project consisting of a Cartesian coordinate robot farming machine, software and documentation including a farming data repository. This interesting start-up focuses on bringing private automated farms to its clients. Robot uses machine learning algorithms for plants' analysis and takes actions depending on its results.
The FarmBot Genesis is able to plant over 30 different crops including potatoes, peas, squash, artichokes and chard in an area of 2.9 meters × 1.4 meters with a maximum plant height of 0.5 meters.
The Farmbot Genesis can perform almost all processes prior to harvesting including sowing, mechanical weed control and watering. It requires electricity, an internet connection and water supply which can be provided using off grid solutions including a water barrel to collect rain and a solar panel and battery to provide electricity.
More information...
#robots #machine_learning
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🧠 How to Integrate Artificial Intelligence into Your Workflow
MathWorks’ Johanna Pingel talks about how engineers can use artificial intelligence to optimize their workflows
In engineering terms, the concept of AI actually spans four steps within a workflow: data preparation, modeling, simulation and testing, and deployment.
The first step, data preparation, is arguably the most important. Often, when deep-learning models don’t work the way they’re expected to, engineers focus on the second stage—fine-tuning their model, tweaking its parameters, and implementing multiple training iterations.
They fail to realize that to be effective, AI models need to be trained on robust, accurate data. Preprocessing the data and ensuring it’s correctly labeled helps ensure the model will be capable of understanding the data.
More information...
#articles #artificial_intelligence
MathWorks’ Johanna Pingel talks about how engineers can use artificial intelligence to optimize their workflows
In engineering terms, the concept of AI actually spans four steps within a workflow: data preparation, modeling, simulation and testing, and deployment.
The first step, data preparation, is arguably the most important. Often, when deep-learning models don’t work the way they’re expected to, engineers focus on the second stage—fine-tuning their model, tweaking its parameters, and implementing multiple training iterations.
They fail to realize that to be effective, AI models need to be trained on robust, accurate data. Preprocessing the data and ensuring it’s correctly labeled helps ensure the model will be capable of understanding the data.
More information...
#articles #artificial_intelligence