Space Robotics Society (SPROS)’s Post

What a fantastic three days at Oceanology International in London.  Having started the ecoSUB Robotics Ltd AUV (www.ecosub.uk) project nearly 10 years ago, it is clear that the market for small AUV platforms is maturing at pace. The rate of progress in the technology has been rapid. So pleased that the vision back in 2014 is now a commercial reality. No longer considered a novelty. These systems are challenging the established thinking in this space offering advanced, very capable solutions with disruptive price points and new business models. Our Micro-AUV technology is now integrating seamlessly into Multi-vehicle networks, of platforms both surface and sub surface from different manufacturers and using industry standard communications and navigation. Blending together with advanced sensor combinations and AI based mission planning with the ability to launch from UAV, XLUUV USV as well as traditional methods opens up possibilities not previously an option for commercial, scientific and defence users. Knowing as I do what’s in the pipeline, there are exciting times ahead. I can envisage what OI-26 will look like!

🚀 Mars is unforgiving. Every wheel turn is critical. Every decision matters 🤯 Imagine the day when the rover's handle broken wheels on Mars? I did too—and decided to find out. Having this in mind, my research led me to a Stanford University paper that proposes a unified framework integrating #ModelPredictiveControl ( It leverages transformer-based #neuralnetworks to enhance trajectory generation. This approach is particularly exciting as it addresses a key challenge: robotic systems, much like NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration's #Opportunity rover dealing with a damaged wheel. But it is a long path for me to learn and prototype this paper. First step is to to simulate rover paths using the #BicycleModel and Pure Pursuit Control—a stepping stone in a multi-phase project to replicate the paper.  Umm, so what did I do? I developed a simulation to model how a #rover adapts to mobility constraints. By combining the Bicycle Model with Pure Pursuit Control, my system dynamically tracks a #targetpath, adjusting steering and speed based on real-time conditions.  Key highlights:   - Simplified vehicle dynamics with the Bicycle Model.   - Real-time path tracking with Pure Pursuit Control.   - Simulated challenging terrains and obstacles to test robustness.  💡 Next Steps: Implementing Model Predictive Control (#MPC) and exploring transformer-based models for #advancedpathplanning and obstacle avoidance.  This project bridges the gap between theoretical algorithms and practical applications like self-driving cars and autonomous robotics. 🌍  📹 I created a detailed video demonstrating the simulation and its real-world implications (attached below!) 📝 My article on the Project: https://lnkd.in/eWqJ2FWb Let's connect to discuss innovations in autonomous systems and robotics. I know I have a lot to learn in this field. But I tried my best to learn the basics and implemented it.:) I'd love to hear feedback from all of you! cc. Daniele Gammelli Tommaso Guffanti Simone D'Amico Marco Pavone Elisa Capello Politecnico di Torino Davide Celestini The Knowledge Society (TKS) Andrés R. M. Velarde Raha Francis Limitless Space Institute Josh Roy Kaci Heins Chaka Jaliwa Linda Preece Magalie Renaud #AutonomousVehicles #Robotics #MarsRover #PurePursuit #Simulation #STEM #girslwhocode

Remember when IBM’s Deep Blue won against Gary Kasparov at chess in 1996, or Google’s AlphaGo crushed the top champion Lee Sedol at Go, a much more complex game, in 2016? 🏆In a milestone for artificial intelligence, the AI system “Swift”, designed by Universität Zürich researchers, has beaten the world champions in drone racing – a result that seemed unattainable just a few years ago. The AI-piloted drone was trained in a simulated environment.  Read more in the prestigious Journal Nature here: https://lnkd.in/eCECGHx4 As we gear up for 2024, everybody is waiting for the imminent UZH Space Hub in the newly renovated Hangar 4 – a major milestone on the innovation journey of Switzerland Innovation Park Zurich !🚀 🤖 The UZH Space Hub explores diverse research areas, including #Robotics, #Drones, and #Aviation, spearheaded by the Robotics and Perception Group led by Prof. Davide Scaramuzza. 🎥 In this interview, Prof. Scaramuzza unveils future goals and current successes. Their mission? Developing #autonomous machines for independent navigation, utilizing onboard cameras and computation – all in the service of humanity's ultimate purpose. Click here to view: https://lnkd.in/eHaKvb5v #SwitzerlandInnovation #WhySwitzerland #ComputerVision #AutonomousDrones #SearchAndRescue #SpaceDrones #PlanetaryExploration #SpaceExploration UZH Innovation Hub Innovation Zurich Amt für Wirtschaft, Kanton Zürich Kanton Zürich Stadt Zürich Stadt Dübendorf

TELOS, a Mars rover prototype and ICARUS, the companion aerial subsystem, developed by the UIU Mars rover team, have recently secured first place in Asia in the University Rover Challenge 2023. This is the second consecutive year UIU has become 1st among Asian teams in Universal Rover Challenge (URC), with their rover named MAVEN also ranking 1st in Asia in last year's URC. This year, the UIU team has also reached 9th overall out of 37 global finalists. Last year, they were 13th out of 36 global finalists. The University Rover Challenge is an international rover showcase competition hosted by the Mars Society, a nonprofit organisation that encourages the exploration of Mars for research and development. This year, 104 teams from 15 different countries participated in the international competition, with the final round taking place at the Mars Desert Research Station in Hanksville, Utah, USA from June 1 to 3. The UIU Mars rover team consists of over 25 students from different disciplines, including computer science, electrical science and business operating its various activities in space robotics since June 2021. The team members, divided into six sub-teams pertaining to different areas of rover designing, have hands-on experience in robotics and automation, as well as fields such as 3D simulation, detection of life in space, drones, and autonomous navigation. The team is directed by Akib Zaman, Lecturer at the Department of Computer Science & Engineering, United International University. The student team leader was Md Abid Hossain from EEE, UIU. The other members of the visiting team were Ahmed Junaed (CSE), T M Al Anam (CSE), Suraiya Afroz Maria (CSE), Sheikh Sakib Hossain (CSE), Shah Mehrab Hossain Fahim (CSE), Md Yasin (CSE), Abdullah Al Masud (CSE), Shorower Hossain (CSE), and Md Bodiuzzaman Shikder (EEE). Five other universities from Bangladesh - BRAC, AUST, MIST, AIUB and BUET - also took part in this year's University Rover Challenge. Source : The Daily Star . . . . . #sozoo #sozootoday #bangladesh #news #bdnews

💥 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐨𝐟 #𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 #𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭? 💥 💎 The #Brain Drone Race is a one-of-a-kind tournament in which contestants control drones solely with their thoughts. This event, held at the University of Florida, demonstrates brain-computer interface (BCI). 💎 Competitors wear EEG headsets to #monitor brain activity. 💎 The race is a straight-line drag race in which #pilots control their drones by moving an object on a screen. 💎 #BCI technology has the potential to alter #industries such as entertainment while also assisting individuals with disabilities. 💎 The Brain Drone Race demonstrates the potential for mind-controlled technologies to #better our lives. 🌐𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬: PRIMAFELICITAS #Innovation #Technology #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureTech #MindControl #Neuroscience #TechInnovation #DisruptiveTech #WearableTech #FutureOfWork

Let's take a look at the selected teams one by one, starting with FullThrottle-SDCN: The FullThrottle-SDCN team consists of master's and doctoral students and summer project undergraduates from the SDCNLab in the Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering at York University, Canada. SDCNLab, established in July 2006 by Professor Jinjun Shan, leads the way in cutting-edge research in space engineering, multi-agent systems, autonomous driving, drone formations, and transportation. The team's main research focus is on #intelligent decision-making for #autonomousvehicles and drone swarms. Specifically, they aim to predict the future behaviors of dynamic targets in partially observable unknown environments for motion planning of the ego vehicle. The team has successfully developed multimodal driving behavior modeling using #deepreinforcementlearning and #gametheory, adaptive driving strategies based on MPC, ROS2-based UAV simulator, and motion prediction of surrounding dynamic vehicles using the world model. Good luck, Team FullThrottle-SDCN. https://lnkd.in/gsrXRbgB #quanser #engineeringeducation #engineeringexcellence #studentcompetition #selfdrivingcars

Excited to share that our team has been recognized as one of the top 85 teams in the state by Smart India Hackathon! 🚀 As a programmer, I contributed significantly to our project, utilizing ROS and other technologies to tackle complex challenges. This experience has enhanced my skills and deepened my understanding of innovative solutions in the tech space.🎖️ #SmartIndiaHackathon #Innovation #Drones #Teamwork #ProudMoment #VadodaraHackathon #SIH2024 #InnovationForIndia #ParulUniversity"

"What I cannot create, I do not understand." – Richard Feynman Inspired by this quote, I set out to implement MPC from scratch to gain a deeper understanding of how it balances reaching the goal vs energy efficiency. And as well as how the horizon period helps in achieving optimality.  This is my MPC in action on one of our UAVs. #MAARSLab, where applied robotics research happens!

Here is our Swarm Drone system in action!!! 📸 📸 I’m thrilled to share our latest milestone—the Nimbus Development Platform here at Cloudone AI Robotics Lab. This system is designed to empower researchers and innovators with advanced drone capabilities, taking swarm technology to new heights. In our latest demonstration, you'll see the Nimbus drones executing fully autonomous Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) maneuvers in a decentralized swarm. They operate independently, both with and without tugged payloads, showcasing precision, adaptive control, and seamless coordination—all without centralized command. Here’s what makes Nimbus stand out: 🔹 Decentralized Swarm Control: Each drone autonomously collaborates with others, a perfect solution for dynamic, large-scale operations. 🔹 BVLOS Capabilities: Extended range for wide-area applications, pushing the boundaries of drone deployment. 🔹 Payload Versatility: The swarm maintains stability across diverse payloads, designed for real-world adaptability. This is just the beginning, and we're looking forward to seeing Nimbus unlock new potentials in drone technology. A heartfelt thank you to our amazing team, the guidance of Priyadarshan Hari Sir and Aravind Vaidyanathan Sir, and the support of Small-Spacecraft Systems and Payload Centre | SSPACE - IIST-ISRO, STIIC Cell, and Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology for bringing this mission to life. Additionally, I would like to thank research fellows of SSPACE lab Samridh Patial, Aman Kumar Rai and Yoga Hariharan for there assistance in overseeing the mission test. #BVLOS #DecentralizedSwarm #DroneTechnology #AutonomousSystems #Innovation #researchanddevelopment #aerospace #ai #makeinindia #atamnirbharbharat

Drones. Winter. And a spark of curiosity.✨ We would like to thank Dr. Sanjay Cherian, Vice Chairman of Study L'École Internationale, for providing us with the wonderful opportunity to organize the Winter Drone Bootcamp and for his vision and support in nurturing young innovators. This November, Cloudone AI Robotics Lab partnered with The Study L’école Internationale - Puducherry to host an exciting Winter Boot Camp on Drones.🚁 The result? Sessions full of discoveries. Challenges. And plenty of “Wow, I didn’t know that!” moments. From diving deep into the science of aerial robotics to mastering the art of drone piloting, students explored the limitless possibilities of drone technology. This immersive program combined theory and practical sessions, igniting young minds to dream big and innovate. Here’s a glimpse of the unforgettable moments, teamwork, and tech-powered fun!🌟 💡 Key Highlights: - Learning the basics of drone flight controls and principles. - Hands-on learning on drone assembly and maintenance. - Understanding the various real world applications of drones and their impact in industries like delivery, surveillance, inspection and monitoring. - Conducting drone flight sessions. This wasn’t just a camp. It was a launchpad—for ideas, for confidence, and for a new generation of thinkers ready to tackle the future. Stay tuned and connect with us for more initiatives that make learning technology exciting and impactful. 🚀 #DroneBootCamp #FutureInnovators #DroneTechnology #C1AI #InspireYoungMinds #InnovationThroughLearning #STEMEducation #HandsOnExperience