Now Lego and ROS can play together.

Those little Lego robots you’ve been building just became much more powerful. Willow Garage recently announced that it designed code to link the popular Lego Mindstorms NXT to the formidable Robot Operating System (ROS). ROS is an open source collection of robotics software that has been used on everything from autonomous cars to humanoid bipeds. We’re talking world class robotics research here. Now that versatile library can be accessed by amateur and beginning robotics engineers using Lego NXT. To demonstrate the new capabilities, Willow Garage plugged models from Lego Digital Designer into ROS’s 3D visualization display. Using ROS code, the NXT robot can build maps of its surroundings, and it can use those to navigate around. That’s just a tiny sample of all the cool code that is now available. Check out the video below to see beginning of the ROS/Lego alliance.

Singularity Hub has seen its fair share of amazing Lego NXT robots. They can solve Rubik’s Cubes (in so many different ways), model Segways, play Tetris – it’s an impressive catalog. Yet every time I see these amateur accomplishments I lament the fact that so much time and talent has been spent in efforts that, while cool looking, aren’t really advancing research in the robotics community. What we really need is a way of getting hard working Lego NXT enthusiasts building more advanced and useful systems. Willow Garage’s work to bring Lego into the ROS fold is a great step in that direction. Sure, in the beginning the flow of innovation will be one sided. Lego NXT builders will be simply taking ROS code and seeing what kind of amazing new things they can do with it. Eventually however we’ll see some insights trickling in the other direction. Lessons learned in Lego may help design new ROS code. And once it’s in ROS it’s available to everyone in the robotics community.

I’m really happy with this development. Willow Garage has built a bridge to connect the power of ROS with the democracy of Lego. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

[screen capture and video credits: Willow Garage]
[source: ROS]

Lego robots play chess - incredible!

The latest project for Lego robots is a clear indication that your toys are ready to defeat you in a battle of wits. Dubbed ‘Monster Chess‘ the 156 square foot board and game set contains more than 100,000 Lego pieces. Every chess figure, from pawns to kings, is a 3D robot created using Lego Mindstorms. The project was sponsored by Lego but accomplished by a team of enthusiasts led by Steve Hassenplug who took about one year to finish! Monster Chess will be on display at BrickWorld, a Lego conference, currently underway in Chicago. You can get a sneak peek at the setup in the videos from Hassenplug below. Is there anything Lego robots can’t do?

We’ve seen Lego Mindstorms robots twisted to fit almost any task. Amateur engineers are building bots that can solve any Rubik’s cube with lightning speed. In academia, students have taught Lego robots how to mimic human locomotion. Now, sponsored builds like Monster Chess are pushing the limits of what can be accomplished.

Watch the first video below to see the 3D robots play a quick match. I love how the knights kick their legs as they move. Checkmate is at 4:22, and you can probably skip everything after that. The second video gives an even better understanding of the system, showing a quick game using just the wheeled bases for each bot. Get an appreciation for the scale of the board at 2:31 when a child makes an appearance. The control system (a touchscreen) is revealed around 3:07.

As you’ll notice in the videos, the various robot chess figures will routinely move out of the way of other pieces as they traverse the board. These complex movements are coordinated by the touchscreen/laptop which communicates with the bots via Bluetooth. The system is capable of allowing either humans or computers to play against other human or computer opponents. It can even replay famous matches!

Up close with the Lego robot rook. Really wish they had footage of this thing putting the king in check with a cannon.

Each robot knows where it is thanks to color sensors which detect the boundaries between squares and a colored marker in the center of each. Besides the knight moving its legs, there are two other animations. The rulers (kings and queens) will gesture with their scepters, and the rooks will fire a cannon at the king to signal check. Wish we had video of that, sounds awesome.

There are 38 NXT bricks (the Lego Mindstorm ‘brains’) used in the setup, one for each piece, plus two spare pieces and an extra brick in each ruler. The system contains 136 color sensors, 16 touch sensors, 102 motors, and includes more than 100,000 Lego pieces. The retail cost, for parts but not labor, would be around $30,000.

While all the materials are Lego, the individual robots are programmed using National Instruments’ LabView. This allows the robots to monitor their own battery life (each typically lasts for an average of 4 games) and swap out if they are running low. I’m frankly impressed that Lego Mindstorms is stable enough to interface with another software bundle like LabView. Another point in its favor.

There’s no doubt that Lego robots are cool, and they continue to awe fans with a range of fun builds (have you seen the Lego Segway?) We’ve discussed tons of these projects, and I have no doubt that we’ll see more in the future that continue to push the envelope. I wonder were all this robot enthusiasm might be building towards. Given the right platform (maybe Mindstorms is enough?) Lego engineers may be able to design some really innovative approaches to problems. Will they ever match the accomplishments of research robotics? Hmm…let’s ask a better question. Will research robotics learn to harness the creativity and cognitive surplus of all these Lego lovers? I hope so. Otherwise these robots are going to keep conquering new gaming territory. It’s absurd enough as it is. What’s next, a Lego-bot that can kick my butt in bowling?

What…seriously? I quit.

[image credits: Team Hassenplug]
[video credits: Team Hassenplug]
[source: Lego Mindstorms, Team Hassenplug]

The MultiCuber can handle Rubik's puzzles up to 6x6. I'm going to stick with the 2x2.

Alright robots, I’ve had enough. You weren’t satisfied with defeating all but the fastest humans in the classic Rubik’s cube, you had to go and rub it in. The latest Rubik’s cube solving Lego monstrosity is called the MultiCuber and although it’s constructed out of nothing but Mindstorms components and a laptop, it can solve 2×2, 3×3, 4×4, and 5×5 cubes all in the same build! As if that wasn’t enough, a larger version solves the dreaded 6×6 Rubik’s. We discovered the MultiCuber when its creator, David Gilday (IAssemble), wrote us an email to brag about its puzzle solving might. Consider us impressed, sir. Watch the MultiCuber in a four cube relay followed by a grueling solve of the 6×6 in the videos below.

It’s not that the MultiCuber is the fastest Lego Robot that solves Rubik’s cubes, that’s still the CubeStormer. It’s not even that the MultiCuber has broken any records – as far as I can tell it hasn’t. It’s that the MultiCuber solves so many different kinds of Rubik’s cubes, each at a competitive level. This robot isn’t a sprinter, it’s a decathlete:

As always I’m impressed by the versatility and capability of the Lego Mindstorms system. Yet, while robots like the MultiCuber are nice accomplishments, none have what I would consider serious applications. Were not going to be seeing a Lego surgical robot, or a Lego spy drone. Even if we did, they wouldn’t perform their tasks well enough that you’d actually want to use them. But doesn’t the talent demonstrated by these enthusiasts suggest that they are ready for some more serious hardware?

There are, of course, varying levels of robot kits that offer more specialized (and costly) parts capable of more professional quality builds. We’ve certainly seen our share of cool robots built from these products. What I’d really love to see, though, is high level robot companies (iRobot, Willow Garage, ABB, etc) harness the power of these not-so-amateur engineers. They obviously have the time and the ingenuity (not to mention some disposable income) to take advantage of whatever products you throw their way. Why not develop a special line of robot supplies for the amateur engineer ready to turn semi-pro? If experience is any guide, we’d get some really fun, and insane, results.

*Note: David Gilday and Mike Dobson (creator of the CubeStormer) are friends, and it’s Dobson’s music you hear in the background of the MultiCuber videos.
[screen capture credit: David Gilday]
[video credits: David Gilday, Kasper Lynge]
[source: David Gilday, RecordHolders.org]

A FlexPicker made out of Legos? Someone had too much time on their hands.

Okay, I love Legos, I love robots, I even love robotic Legos, but I can’t decide if the tribute FlexPicker Lego-bot is awesome or just ridiculous. FlexPickers are lightning fast movers and sorters from ABB robotics that put most other industrial robots to shame. A user on Lego Mindstorms, with the handle ‘LegoShep’, recreated a FlexPicker using only Legos and an air compressor. Pretty amazing stuff. We’ve placed the video from our original Flexpicker story next to the Lego version below.

As a novelty the LegoFP (I’m coining the name now) is cool, but as a functioning robot it doesn’t even compare to the original. Where’s the lightning speed, the amazing agility, and the uncanny precision? The truth is that the LegoFP shouldn’t impress you with its abilities, it should impress you with its very existence. Does LegoShep just have too much time on his/her hands? Sure. But the real issue is that an amateur roboticist is straining beyond the limits of consumer products. We need to harness the dedication, and the abundant free time, of do-it-yourselfers like Shep to help build the robotic future.

We’ve seen Willow Garage and others push for open source robotics, and even an universal robotics operating system. The goal, however, has always been to facilitate research, or establish new academic programs at universities. I think the work of Shep and others, just look at the Mindstorms website, proves that the robotics DIY community needs consideration as well. As amazing and versatile as Lego robotics can be (did you see the Lego ATM?), they are limited.

It would be great to see what amateurs could do with specially designed low cost components from Willow Garage, MIT, Tokyo University, or Honda. Hardware from any one of those groups may be able to push the likes of Shep from DIY to third party developer. These leaders of robotics could stand to gain just as the iPhone has benefited from an influx of entrepreneurs looking to design the next hot App.

I’ve been using the terms ‘DIY’ and ‘amateur’, but work like this is blurring boundaries. Heck, for all I know LegoShep is Helen Greiner on her days off work. Designing and building robots holds a lot of interest for people who aren’t robotic engineers. Their enthusiasm and ingenuity will eventually make waves whether or not they are confined to hardware defined as a toy. In the meantime, I wonder if LegoShep takes request. Two words: Lego Motoman.

[photo credits: LegoShep]

[video credits: BotJunkie, LegoShep]

UPDATE

LegoShep in real life is Chris Shepherd. Check out the original comment in the comment section below the post. It’s also included here:

Aaron, thanks for the kind words!  I am “LegoShep.”  Lego Mindstorms is an outstanding resource for low cost easily attainable robotic hardware and software and I highly recommend it.  There is a large community of adult Lego Mindstorms enthusiasts out there that will agree.

More about the Flexpicker;  ABB caught wind of the LegoFP and invited me to their ABB Robotics Technology Days 2009 in Auburn Hills.  There I displayed the robot and frankly had more interest than all the other real robots.  Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TznZcsVGJus at 5:50 to see the display.  I know that I interested lots of “real” robotic engineers into Lego Mindstorms while I was there.

By the way, I am working on a Motoman type articulated arm robot!

LegoShep

The new Lego display lets you see how a toy will look when built.

Like mushrooms after a rainy day, Augmented Reality (AR) is appearing everywhere. AR technology, which allows recorded and synthetic images to be blended and viewed in real time, is established in smart phones, marketing strategies, games, and entertainment. There’s way too many for us to discuss them all, but I thought you might like to see some of my favorites. Check out a whole slew of videos after the break!

Maybe the most important trend in AR is that, while it gets a lot of press in the US, it’s not really based on this continent. Total Immersion, one of the leading AR firms, is French. Layar, a Dutch firm that works with AR on mobile phones is mentioned below. If you’re using AR technology you’re more likely to be speaking Dutch or Korean than English. Which just goes to show how global the AR trend really is. Luckily for Americans, these companies are multinational and seeking to bring the insight and success of local developers to the world.

Welcome to the Layar Cake

Layar is set to revolutionize the way that you use your smart phone. The Amsterdam based company created an API to allow developers to create their own “layars”. A layar is basically a layer that can be applied over the image you see through your phone’s camera. That layer will include notes that indicate important things in your field of vision. Click on a note and learn about what you need to know: restaurants, hospitals, transportation, whatever you want. Each layer provides its own insights into your world.

By focusing on facilitating other developers in their layar scheme, Layar has helped create a really diverse catalog of filters that you can now view online. The catalog just went live on Aug 17th and is still a bit slow, but there are some amazing layars to chose from. You can use your phone to see information on real estate, social networking, temp agencies, banks, health care providers, or even the nearest automatic defibrillator. Each layar is geographically specific, so a developer has to be based (or interested) in creating a layar for your area. That may seem like a drawback, but I think it will lead to localized and customized layars that are based on realiable personal experiences. Check out a layar developer, Brightkite, in the following video:

For now, layars are only available on a few phones. The T-mobile G1, HTC Magic, and other Android phones can install the application. The company also plans on bringing the technology to the iPhone 3G S soon. Almost any phone that has a GPS, camera, and compass could support the application, so we may see Layars becoming much more common very soon.

Games, and Marketing, and Magic, Oh my!

Augmented Reality conquers table top gaming.

The gaming industry is huge and continuing to grow. We’ve already seen how one video game is hoping to utilize AR to fight zombies. Frantz Lasorne from L’Ecole de Design in France has another approach: turn your toys into table top gladiators. Similar to popular franchises like Warhammer or Heroscape, Lasorne’s AR game allows you to enjoy a scale battle on almost any flat surface. Simply put on some head mounted displays and you’ll start to see your action figures holding weapons and ready to move in turn-based combat. Check out the video:

AR may allow you to find new life in old toys, but what about selling those new toys in the first place? Lego is rolling out new boxes into retail outlets in the Netherlands. These devices will allow customers to place the box near a camera and see what the fully built toy will look like. AR lends itself to eye-catching marketing schemes, such as the one we saw for the movie Coraline:

But a real innovative space for AR may be in traditional entertainment. While green screens and CGI may seem stuck in movies and weather reports, the versatility of AR may allow it to access TV, and stage performances. I was impressed with Marco Tempest’s approach to an AR magic show. It’s a good twist on a classic form of entertainment and it shows how AR could be a real boon to performers who are willing to experiment with the medium:

Of course, the biggest draw back to AR is that you need to have personal access to a screen in order to experience it. We all don’t travel with a HMD, a computer, or even a smart phone. That’s starting to change though. As viewing technologies become more ubiquitous, the opportunities for AR will grow in kind. Utilities like Layar could replace or augment websites like Yelp or Craig’s/Angie’s List, and the marketing/entertainment portion of AR will have greater potential. Overall, I think we’re moving to a world where everything we look at will have associated digital information. See a car you like in a magazine? Photo the page and you’ll be on your way:

As I said, there’s way too many AR companies and videos for me to mention them all. So you do it! Leave a comment with a link to some of your favorite examples of AR. If you’ve used any of these devices in person give us a micro-review. While you’re at it, maybe someone could explain this one to me? Enjoy:

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