Purdue University received a $6 million grant to develop an autonomous agricultural robot capable of pruning grape vineyards and apple orchards. Let's hope the Purdue robot puts up a fence around the orchard to keep out the Robo-squirrels being developed at the University of California. UC is also advancing the state of the art in split-brain research. Other brain research this week includes an MIT study of what actually happens when the brain passes from consciousness to unconsciousness. A better understanding of the human brain may help researchers finally get artificial intelligence right - Noam Chomsky says they've been getting it wrong all this time. Poly Bug sent us a link to CIROS, a Korean humanoid robot who slices cucumbers and tosses salads. Franke Tobe of the Robot Report let us know about a new article he's posted about Eldercare Robots. And The Swirling Brain spotted an article describing a new method proposed by physicists that may finally settle the question of whether or not our reality is just a computer simulation. Know any other robot news, gossip, or amazing facts we should report? Send 'em our way please. Don't forget to follow us on twitter and Facebook. And now you can add us to your Google+ circles too.

Long-time readers will remember in the early 2000s we had frequent stories of open hardware board designs from a website called FreeIO.org. The FreeIO.org project was started by Diehl Martin, better known as Marty. He named all his boards after breakfast foods, which gave us the opportunity to write fun headlines like "Hot Grits for your Robot". Other boards were called Donut, Toast, Cornbread, Biscuit, Juice, and Flapjack. Schematics, CPLD source, CAD files, Gerber files, were all released under the GNU GPL. Marty's designs were also raised as an example when Jim Turley wrote his famously wrong prediction in 2002 that open source hardware would never become widespread. But in 2004, things slowed down when Marty announced he'd been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He continued to work on new boards until he posted his farewell message in 2006. Marty passed away in October of 2007. After that, the FreeIO.org project ground to a halt for a few years. But today, the FreeIO.org website was relaunched! From the announcement:

"The time has come to get things rolling again and I’m starting with a relaunch of the website. Marty’s free hardware designs are still here and hopefully we’ll find volunteers to work on new hardware projects to add. I’ll also start updating the resource pages to make them more useful again. Meanwhile, I’ve decided to make the site more immediately useful by aggregating all the free hardware and open hardware news, so members of the open hardware community can have one central place to find out what’s going on."

We're not sure where the website is headed in the future but we're glad to see FreeIO.org back online and look forward to using them as a reliable open hardware news source. They're already posting news updates from the major open hardware and free hardware organizations such as the Open Source Hardware User Group, the Open Source Hardware Association, and the Open Source Hardware and Design Alliance. Who knows, if we're lucky, maybe we can drum up support for an open source robot controller board!

The 2013 Robotdalen Innovation Award Competition is now open for nominations. Do you have a robot that's innovative and has commercial potential? Does it have a sound theoretical foundation that has been translated into reality? Does it benefit the environment and society? If so, head on over to the Robotdalen award criteria and application page and fill out the form. If you win, you'll receive "hands-on help from the Swedish robotics initiative, Robotdalen, to further develop and commercialize [your] innovative robotics solutions". This is an international competition open to entrepreneurs, researchers, inventors, start-ups, robot developers, even students. Oh, and did we mention the winner also gets a €6,000 cash prize? You've got until January 13 to submit your application. Pictured above are the 2012 award winners. Photo by Terése Andersson. Read on to see videos of the 2012 event and the call for entries in 2013.

After a contentious election, the US Government will be returning to business as usual soon and one thing both sides agree on is that the cost of government needs to be reduced. A recent report by the US Geological Survey illustrates how robots are helping out with this problem. Airborne scientific observation missions can cost as much as $30,000 per hour. The USGS is replacing these expensive airborne data gathering missions with remotely piloted vehicles, or drones, which can complete an entire mission for $3,000. So far the USGS is using the Honeywell T-Hawk Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) and AeroVironment Raven RQ-11B. The Raven in particular has other advantages over manned missions besides cost. From the report:

The initial USGS mission in March 2011 studied the annual north-south migration of endangered sandhill cranes from Arizona through Colorado to Montana and Wyoming. The cranes fly north in the first part of February and spend much of each spring in Colorado’s San Luis Valley at the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. Thermal cameras capturing images of the cranes at roost were used to determine population trends in collaboration with the FWS. “Because the Raven is small and quiet, it could fly low enough – 75 feet – to photograph the birds without disturbing them. Moreover, the mission cost only one-tenth of a conventional airborne survey"

Having proved that using robotic aircraft can dramatically reduce costs, the USGS is looking for other missions that can take advantage of the drones. They'll soon be replacing conventional aircraft in climate change studies, geophysical fault and fracture mapping missions, and other tasks. The USGS will team with NASA Ames Research Center to use the SIERRA UAS. They also hope to increase the autonomy of the planes, further reducing the need for expensive human interaction. Read on to see photos and video of the USGS drones in action.

Remember back in 2008, when we helped send RobotGrrl to Stanford's EPGY AI program by buying Styrobots? If you've followed her progress since then, you probably know that she went on to become the host of the eccentrically entertaining Robot Party, a weekly podcast/Google Hangout about robots. She's also been busy developing an educational robot called RoboBrrd.

"We have shown RoboBrrd at various Maker Faires, and kids are instantly attracted to its soft and friendly appearance. They observe how it works, ask questions about how it functions, and they can envision themselves building one. The hands-on learning experience of building RoboBrrd is important to establish problem solving skills that can help in future robotic projects and STEM related studies. RoboBrrd is a great project to bridge the real-world lessons to the theoretical side."

This is where you come in - RoboBrrd is ready to go into production as a kit and you can help RoboGrrl and STEM education by contributing to the RoboBrrd Indiegogo campaign. The money will go towards manufacturing RoboBrrd kits. The design is completely Open Source hardware and software You can check out the RoboBrrd Instructable if you'd like to build your own using popsicle sticks and an Arduino! Read on to see some video of RoboBrrds in action!

Dmitry Grishin is co-founder and chairman of the Mail.Ru Group, the largest Internet company in the Russian-speaking world and one of the biggest in Europe. He joined the company in 2001 after graduating from the Faculty of Robotics and Complex Automation at Moscow State Technical University. To help drive mass-market penetration of new robotics products, Grishin founded Grishin Robotics in 2012 with an initial personal investment of $25 million. His firm, located in New York, funds start-up companies that are ready to ramp-up production of already proven robotic prototypes.

Read On | Tune In | Transcript

This week's roundup starts with news from Joanne Pransky about a new tandem robot arm system from ST Robotics. Juxi from IDSIA let us know about a new promo video they've made called "Towards Intelligent Humanoids" - it's about their "ongoing efforts to apply AI algorithms to create autonomous, adaptive, intelligent behaviors". The Swirling Brain sent a few stories our way including news that a human driver narrowly won over an autonomous robot car in an auto race where speeds reached 185kph. It seems robots may soon beat the world's best ping-pong players too. And the Brain also sent a link to a cool, crowd-funded, open-source software created, CC-licensed movie about robots and cyborgs called Tears of Steel. We also heard from Andrew of PhoenixGarage.org, who saw our recent interview with David L. Heiserman and thought readers might like to check out his interview with Dave back in 2008. Finally, Kra5h sent a link to his instructable demonstrating clever uses for a 555 timer in astable mode. Know any other robot news, gossip, or amazing facts we should report? Send 'em our way please. Don't forget to follow us on twitter and Facebook. And now you can add us to your Google+ circles too.

A University College of London news release has announced the completion of the first ever Micro-structure Atlas of the human brain by a consortium of EU organizations known as the CONNECT Project. The release notes that "the project’s final results have the potential to change the face of neuroscience and medicine over the coming decade." The brain atlas combines 3D images from MRI brain scans of 100 volunteers. Along the way, the CONNECT project developed new MRI methods to give unprecedented detail and improved accuracy. From the CONNECT project's final report:

"This unprecedented insight into white matter will open up new realms of possibilities in terms of both diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, as well as providing fundamental new insights to the connectivity and workings of the brain. By being able to probe white matter to this new level of detail, and combined with detailed assessment of brain function, we will obtain
an unparalleled holistic view of the brain."

For a much more in-depth description along with graphics and other data, see the CONNECT project's Executive Summary (PDF format). The proliferation of new brain mapping projects in recent years gives the feel of the early days of the Human Genome project and may well prove to have an equally large impact on all fields science including AI and robotics. See also our recent coverage of the Brain Architecture Project, which completed a 500 Tera-byte whole-brain wiring diagram. Unlike the Brain Architecture Project, the CONNECT Project is mapping in-vivo, or living brains.

An autonomous Wave Glider robot named Mercury floated alone in the path of Hurricane Sandy about 100 miles east of Toms River, New Jersey. The robot survived 70 knot winds on the ocean's surface while its sensors gathered weather data and transmitted it in real time. The robot recorded a drop in barometric pressure of more than 54 mbars with a low of 946 mbars. The robot also carries cameras, wave sensors, fish trackers, hydrophones, temperature sensors, conductivity sensors, dissolved oxygen sensors, magnetometer, GPS, and a flurometer. For more details on what this robot does, see the article Air-Sea Interface Monitoring of Hurricanes at the Liquid Robots website. For some technical details of the robot itself, see the Wave Glider Technology Brief (PDF format) and Wave Glider Specifications document (PDF format). We've covered a variety of ocean glider robots in the past including a Robots Podcast interview with Oscar Schofield of Rutgers on underwater gliders, and older articles on the Rutgers Gliders and Slocum Gliders. Read on to see more photos and video of Wave Gliders in action.

Expect to see a lot of robots helping in rescue, repair, and cleanup efforts after Hurricane Sandy. These days, even smaller organizations have access to robots. For example, Vernon, CT Emergency Management Department will be flying a Parrot AR Drone to provide live HD video feeds for damage inspection. Larger cities now have multiple emergency robots at their disposal. Consultant Mark Merritt expects power utility companies in the area will be deploying drones to speed inspection of infrastructure damage, though he notes there may be "sensitivity" about using drones due to their recent politicization. A recent New York Times article describes power utility drones such as the Aeryon Scout pictured above. No word yet on whether Robin R. Murphy or CRASAR's Roboticists Without Borders program will be sending in search and rescue robots but we'll keep you updated. While not ready in time to help with Hurricane Sandy, NASA has been prepping a pair of Global Hawk UAVs for hurricane tracking duties. The autonomous Global Hawk has a flight time of 30 hours and can reach much further than NOAA's WP-3D Orion manned flights. The robot planes are part of NASA's Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel (HS3) program If you see more stories about local robots being used to help after Hurricane Sandy, send 'em our way!

According to a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems news release, the Guardian remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) has successfully demonstrated the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system that allows drones to fly cooperatively within the national airspace system. The ADS-B gear allows Air Traffic Controllers to know the precise location and flight plan of the drone.

During the test, held in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and the FAA, Guardian’s ADS-B IN-capable transponder detected other ADS-B-equipped aircraft in the vicinity and displayed the aircraft on a display within the Ground Control Station (GCS). Concurrently, Guardian’s ADS-B OUT transponder notified other aircraft and ATC of its location and velocity.

The FAA has mandated that all aircraft, including remotely piloted and autonomous robot aircraft, must be equipped with ADS-B systems by 2020. The Guardian RPA is based on the Predator B, modified for maritime operations.

An electrostatic heliostat cleaning robot won first prize in Circuit Cellar's recent Renesas RL78 Green Energy Challenge. Contestants were asked to use a Renesas RL78 microprocessor in a renewable power application. Scott Potter designed a robot that cleans heliostats, the solar tracking mirrors, used in Concentrating Solar Power Plants. The simple rectangular robot is powered by photovoltaic cells and rolls back and forth over a mirror using a high voltage AC field to clean dust and debris from the mirror. For more see the Circuit Cellar announcement. For the technical details, see Scott's contest abstract (PDF format) and his entry archive (ZIP format) which contains drawings, schematic, and source code.

Joe let us know about his new blog, Bot Scene, which focuses on humanoid robots. Olivier Garcia sent a link to his YouTube channel, where he documents his work on SLAM, sonar imaging, 3D reconstruction, and other navigational techniques. Speaking of YouTube, have you seen the latest Boston Dynamic video of the LS3 Legged Squad Support robot? Another cool visual treat is this poster of famous robots. We also have a few cogsci stories in the queue this week: a new paper, titled Sequencing the Connectome, proposes a method by which single neuron resolution connectivity maps of the brain might be generated with existing high-throughput DNA sequencing machines. Another interesting paper is Discovering Relations Between Mind, Brain, and Mental Disorders Using Topic Mapping. What they've done is datamine existing neuroimaging studies to map mental functions to brain activity. The result includes lots of cool graphics. Finally, new MIT research shows Broca's area has two distinct sub-units, one specifically for language processing while the other acts as a central processing unit for general cognition. Know any other robot news, gossip, or amazing facts we should report? Send 'em our way please. Don't forget to follow us on twitter and Facebook. And now you can add us to your Google+ circles too.

DARPA has announced the start of the next DARPA Robotics Challenge. This time, the goal is to develop ground robots that perform complex tasks in "dangerous, degraded human-engineered environments". That means robots that perform humanitarian, disaster relief operations. The robots must use standard human hand tools and vehicles to navigate a debris field, open doors, climb ladders, and break through a concrete wall. Most but not all of the robots will be humanoid in design. The challenge is divided into two parts with a Virtual Robotics Challenge scheduled for 10 - 24 June, 2013 to test simulated robots and the actual DARPA Robotics Challenge scheduled for 21 December, 2013. DARPA has adopted the free software Gazebo simulator, which supports ROS. There are two competition "tracks" - competitors in Track A will develop their own humanoid robot and control software, while competitors in Track B will develop control software that runs on a DARPA-supplied Atlas robot built by Boston Dynamics. Already University teams are making announcements of participation. Read on for more info about some of the teams, as well as some awesome photos and videos of the robots in action.

The Raspberrry Pi Foundation announced some big news today. They've released full source code for the Broadcom BCM2835 SoC used on the Raspberry Pi board under a GPL-compatible BSD style license, meeting the guidelines of both Open Source Initiative and Free Software Foundation. This includes code for the VideoCore GPU and is the first time ever that a vendor has provided a full set of open source drivers for an ARM-based multimedia SoC. Access to the GPU should provide robot builders with much needed additional processing power for neural networks, vision, and other applications. Read on for a block level view of the software stack and more details.

SeaPerch, the ROV kit and competition for students, is part of the Office of Naval Research's STEM program. The goal is to provide a low-cost underwater robot kit that teaches students basic engineering, math, and science concepts while encouraging an interest in marine engineering. A recent episode of The PBS science program SciGirls, titled Aquabots, took the girls through the process of building, deploying, and using a SeaPerch ROV. The girls were trying to learn more about why the oysters in Chesapeake Bay are dying off and discover whether or not efforts to restore the reefs were working. The girls also take a trip to the Naval Academy to learn more about the SeaPerch and other underwater robots. You can watch the entire episode on the SciGirls website. And if you'd like to buy a SeaPerch kit for yourself or want lesson plans to help bootstrap an ROV team at your school visit the SeaPerch website.

After a long wait, the Arduino Due is finally available. The Due is based on an Atmel ARM Cortex M3 running at 84 Mhz, bringing a 32 bit processor to the Arduino world. Rumors and early sightings have been floating around for a while but the official announcement was made in the Arduino blog today. The only downside to all that new power is that, being ARM-based, a lot of existing AVR code won't be compatible without some work. There are a few other caveats, like getting used to the 3.3 volt levels on the I/O pins. Using 5 volts can damage the board. Like previous Ardunio boards, the design is open source hardware. So download the schematic, Eagle PCB files, and pin mappings and get to work on a robot controller! The price is $49. Read on for full specifications of the new Arduino Due board.

In episode #115 (Oct. 20, 2012), Robots Podcast speaks with Stephen Gorevan from Honeybee Robotics about how he and Chris Chapman started the company and how his childhood dream of working for NASA got them into space robotics. The interview, which was recorded before the landing of Curiosity on Mars, gives us all the details about the equipment they built for the Mars Science Laboratory, including the Sample Manipulation System (SMS) and the Dust Removal Tool (DRT) which will enable the mission to explore and analyze the Martian environment. We also hear about their latest developments in small scale satellites called CubeSats.

Read On | Tune In | Transcript

One of the hurdles faced in the construction of a quantum computer is how to move qubits around inside. According to an NIST news release, NIST's Joint Quantum Institute joined forces with researchers at Princenton to solve this problem by creating a "quantum bus". Physicist Jacob Taylor explains the problem this way:

"In order to couple qubits, we need to be able to move information about one to the other. There are a few ways that this can be done and they usually involve moving around the particles themselves, which is very difficult to do quickly without destabilizing their spins - which are carrying the information - or transferring information about the spins to light. While this is easier than moving the particles themselves, the interaction between light and matter is generally very weak."

Their solution uses the latter method. First, they combined spin-orbit qubits with circuit quantum electrodynamics. The resulting device couples the spins of electrons trapped in an indium-arsenide quantum dot with the electron's positions. This allows the magnetic field of the qubit (which now reflects the spins), to interact with microwave photons moving in a superconducting cavity. In effect, they've got half of a bus - the spin information is moved from the qubit to a photon. So you can't buy that quantum brain for your robot just yet. They still need to get the spin information from the photon into another qubit at the other end of the bus. For a more detailed explanation of the work, with schematics and links to papers, see the JQI news release. A Princeton news release also mentions the work.

Let's start off this week's news roundup by welcoming two new robot websites: first is Robotics.gd, which will include forums, chat, and photo galleries. Next up is Robohub, a robot news site where you'll see some familiar faces from here on robots.net and the robots podcast. We're always happy to see new robot sites and look forward to collaborating! In other news, Wendy Hughson of Intellibot Robotics wrote to let us know about a donation of two robots they made recently to the Upper Merion School District in Pennsylvania. The robots will be used in the STEM program by students at the Upper Merion Middle School. Tim Smith writes, "Just wanted to share some news from the Open Source Robotics Foundation, the spin-off from personal robotics company Willow Garage. Two recent OSRF blog posts have covered their relationship with DARPA and the Disaster Robotics Challenge, as well as the fact that Toyota's Human Support Robot (HSR) will be running on ROS." Finally Aldebaran Robotics sent an announcement saying their URBI robot operating system suite is now being distributed as free software under the BSD license. Know any other robot news, gossip, or amazing facts we should report? Send 'em our way please. And don't forget to follow us on twitter and Facebook. Now you can add us to your Google+ circles too.