Blog

AVNET SmartEdge IIOT Gateway: Display Industrial I/O on Node-RED Dashboard

Jan Cumps

The SmartEdge IIOT GatewaySmartEdge IIOT Gateway is a Raspberry Pi 3 Compute based industrial Linux box.It runs Raspbian with some additions. There's a set of industrial hardware extensions. In this 2nd Node-RED blog I show the industrial I/O status ...
- 5 Feb 2021
Makers of Sophia robot to mass produce robots this year

Catwell

Hanson Robotics aim to sell thousands of robots, including their new model Grace, this year. Prepare to see a lot more of this humanoid robot this year. (Image credit: Hanson Robotics) Remember Sophia, the eerie humanoid robot who looked like an...
- 29 Jan 2021
AVNET SmartEdge IIOT Gateway: Control Industrial I/O directly from Node-RED

Jan Cumps

The SmartEdge IIOT GatewaySmartEdge IIOT Gateway is a Raspberry Pi 3 Compute based industrial Linux box.It runs Raspbian with some additions. There's a set of industrial hardware extensions. In this blog I revisit the industrial I/O. I create a Node-...
- 24 Jan 2021
AVNET SmartEdge IIOT Gateway: the 2020 Linux Image - Understand the Custom Scripts and Services (Pt. 3: IoT Connect service)

Jan Cumps

The 2020 Raspbian distribution for the AVNET SmartEdge IIOT Gateway uses systemd services to manage the hardware customisations.In this series, I review what they do, how they interact.Part 3 the IotConnect service, the core of the integration with A...
- 20 Jan 2021
Robotic fish mimic behaviors of real fish swarms

Catwell

The Bluebots can autonomously synchronize their movements and can signal when to disperse, aggregate, and form a circle. The Bluebots are equipped with three LED lights and two cameras to have them navigate. (Image credit: Self-organizing Systems Res...
- 19 Jan 2021
AVNET SmartEdge IIOT Gateway: the 2020 Linux Image - Understand the Custom Scripts and Services (Pt. 2: led service)

Jan Cumps

The 2020 Raspbian distribution for the AVNET SmartEdge IIOT Gateway uses systemd services to manage the hardware customisations.In this series, I review what they do, how they interact.Part 2: the led service, part of the functionality to control the...
- 18 Jan 2021
AVNET SmartEdge IIOT Gateway: the 2020 Linux Image - Understand the Custom Scripts and Services (Pt. 1: intro and reset button service)

Jan Cumps

The 2020 Raspbian distribution for the AVNET SmartEdge IIOT Gateway uses systemd services to manage the hardware customisations.In this post, I review what they do, how they interact.I'm trying to get some functional flow in this review: reveal the n...
- 17 Jan 2021
AVNET SmartEdge IIOT Gateway: C Program for the Industrial I/O

Jan Cumps

The SmartEdge IIOT GatewaySmartEdge IIOT Gateway is a Raspberry Pi 3 Compute based industrial Linux box.It runs Raspbian with some additions. There's a set of industrial hardware extensions. In this blog I revisit the industrial I/O. I create a C pro...
- 15 Jan 2021
Japanese researchers are developing wooden satellites to help curb space junk

Catwell

Wooden satellites could help curb space junk currently orbiting around Earth. (Image Credit: Sumitomo Forestry) I love this effort. The Earth’s orbit is littered with thousands of satellites. This becomes an issue when they are no longer operabl...
- 12 Jan 2021
Self-repairing ice robots could be the next to explore planets

Catwell

Researchers have created a robot made ice to be durable and efficient in environments where ice is plentiful. The robot’s body is actually made from blocks of ice. (Image credit: GRASP Lab) NASA and JPL put a lot of work into their planetary exp...
- 11 Jan 2021
Summary: Experimenting with Eaton Power Defense Circuit Breaker

rscasny

Early last year, element14 published a spotlight article ( Are You Ready To Use an IoT Enabled Power Circuit Breaker? ) on an interesting product by Eaton called the Power Defense Circuit Breaker. In the article, we said it was an IOT-enabled CB beca...
- 10 Jan 2021
AVNET SmartEdge IIOT Gateway: Control Industrial I/O directly from GPIO Pins

Jan Cumps

The SmartEdge IIOT GatewaySmartEdge IIOT Gateway is a Raspberry Pi 3 Compute based industrial Linux box.It runs Raspbian with some additions. There's a set of industrial hardware extensions. In this blog I revisit the industrial I/O. I try to control...
- 9 Jan 2021
Flexoskeleton robots are cheaper and quicker to print

Catwell

Ph.D. student James Jian demonstrates one of the 3D printed flexoskeleton robots. They only take 10 minutes to print the parts, and they cost just under $1. (Image Credit: UC San Diego) Engineers from the University of California San Diego have ...
- 5 Jan 2021
Boston Dynamics’ robots dance away the year in style!

Catwell

Boston Dynamics recently showcased its robots dancing to close out 2020. (Image Credit: Boston Dynamics) Boston Dynamics’ Atlas and Spot robots can perform a variety of tricks, including gymnastic routines, parkour, backflips, opening doors, was...
- 31 Dec 2020
US Air Force used AI to control a U-2 spy plane

Catwell

The United States Air Force flew a U-2 spy plane with an AI system working as a co-pilot with a human crew member. (Image Credit: Airman 1st Class Luis A. Ruiz-Vazquez/US Air Force) For the first time, artificial intelligence controlled a U.S. Air Fo...
- 31 Dec 2020
Autonomous Robots Used on Construction Sites - and more!

Catwell

Autonomous machines are starting to perform tasks on construction sites. (Image Credit: Built Robotics) The construction industry is very labor-intensive, but due to social distancing rules and labor shortage, it had to adapt to fewer on-site w...
- 23 Dec 2020
Hyundai Motors is acquiring Boston Dynamics for nearly $1bn

Catwell

Hyundai Motor Group is acquiring Boston Dynamics for $917 million. The deal is expected to close in June 2021. (Image Credit: Boston Dynamics) Just search for "Boston Dynamics" here at element14, and you'll find dozens of articles...
- 14 Dec 2020
AVNET SmartEdge IIOT Gateway: the 2020 Linux Image and IoTConnect Scripts

Jan Cumps

AVNET published an updated image for the SmartEdge IIOT GatewaySmartEdge IIOT Gateway.Not a huge leap. It's still Raspbian GNU/Linux 9 (Stretch).There are some improvements and changes worth updating for. The most important reason is the improved sta...
- 11 Dec 2020
England to benefit from the biggest farming overhaul in 50 years - robots?

Catwell

The UK’s newly unveiled farming policy is designed to benefit England’s wildlife and climate for 50 years. It also introduces the biggest cuts for the wealthiest farmers. (Image Credit: Richard Bell/Unsplash) The UK government has unveiled a new...
- 8 Dec 2020
Metal scrapping through wastewater?

Catwell

Researchers have developed a new technology that targets and captures copper in contaminated wastewater. Decontaminating wastewater polluted with heavy metals is complex, expensive, and usually involves a slow-paced process. Scientists at...
- 7 Dec 2020
Yet another space cleanup plan − ClearSpace’s giant claw gets funded

Catwell

The ESA expects to launch the ClearSpace-1 mission in 2025, which uses a four-armed claw to capture the VESPA and bring it down to a lower orbit. Afterward, the claw and space debris are expected to burn-up in the Earth’s atmosphere. (Image Credit: C...
- 4 Dec 2020
Watch the Iconic Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico Collapse

Catwell

The Arecibo Observatory telescope collapsed Tuesday morning weeks after it was set for demolition. The telescope sustained significant damage after an auxiliary cable slipped from its socket and left a gash in the dish weeks prior. (Image credit: NSF...
- 3 Dec 2020
SpaceX’s Resilience spacecraft docks at the International Space Station with 4 crewmembers and Baby Yoda

Catwell

For the first time, SpaceX’s Resilience spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station with four Expedition 64 crewmembers, including a Baby Yoda plush doll. (Image Credit: NASA TV) For the first time, SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, named ...
- 30 Nov 2020
Brainwaves and Eye Movements: The New Way Our Heads are Inspiring Better Robots

Catwell

The field of robotics has come really far, with humanoids robots behaving more and more like humans. Take Sophia 2020, for example; she would impress anyone with the many facial expressions and body language she possesses. Thanks to the renowned Hans...
- 27 Nov 2020
CAN programming in C on Linux: Filter and Mask

Jan Cumps

Linux supports CAN networks. I'm using a CAN-enabled Raspberry Pi to test some examples. Design and code are not my own. This exercise is to investigate the Linux way of doing CAN.The code I'm using is Craig Peacock's CAN example. For the ...
- 22 Nov 2020