3rd GMV Robotics Day
GMV, technology business group, presented today its 3rd GMV Robotics Day (III Jornada GMV de Robótica), showcasing the latest mobile robot research and the many applications of this technology. This event was carried out as part of European Robotics Week (25 November– 1 December, 2013) with over 100 robotics-related events planned throughout the whole of Europe.
Robotics worldwide is now advancing at breakneck speed, driven by a host of new developments in micromotors, microprocessors and batteries on the strength of smartphones, 3D printing, etc. This new technological revolution calls for a huge initial effort in terms of research, development and innovation. For the third year running GMV is putting on this exhibition to promote and drive robotics at European level and encourage across-the-board participation in today’s technological revolution.
Robotics Day, divided into several parts, kicked off with the GMV Grand Prix “Sands of Mars”, a speed competition for robots created by independent developers. The GMV Grand Prix “Sands of Mars” marked the start of the National Robotics League (Liga Nacional de Robótica: LNRC) 2013-2014, a championship that will take the form of various competitions held throughout Spain. The Grand Prix was the league’s first robot race, held outdoors under natural light. After a very tight competition Filigursero came out the winner, with Jools and eNano in second and third place, respectively.
After this competition came a demonstration of GMV’s platform-art©, Europe’s most advanced robotics testbed for pre-launch ground testing of space missions and systems. A display was given of the type of validation tests that can be carried out on this advanced testbed, including simulation of a real space-mission dynamic.
This was followed by demonstrations on GMV’s Terrarium of robots designed by industry and universities. The first one to be put through their paces was Avatar ONE EODTM, mobile robot designed by Robomotion for carrying out military tactical missions of reconnaissance, surveillance and manipulation of hazardous objects in high-risk environments.
Then came the turn of Robotnik’s X-WAM, a mobile robot designed mainly for carrying out manipulation tasks indoors though it can also work outdoors.
Rosphere was the next to take the stage, a spherical robot designed by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid for exploring rugged, non-compacted terrain.
Next up was MoonHound, an unmanned electrical vehicle custom-designed by GMV and the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid for space exploration missions. Using a 3D laser sensor it is able to recce the terrain and navigate autonomously by means of robust predictive control techniques that directly control the wheel motors, applying at each moment just the right torque to follow the planned obstacle-free route.
The first robotics session of the industrial and academic worlds ended with a demo of Teodor, the GMV-created bomb-disposal robot. This state-of-the-art antipersonnel mine disposal device, capable of carrying up to 350 Kg, can also be fitted with many accessories. One of its prime components is an X-ray system connected up to a computer screen. It can be maneuvered from a distance of up to 1 Km and also by cable to guarantee frequency inhibition.
Robotics is highly appealing to the up-and-coming generation, which includes the budding scientists and leaders of tomorrow’s society. GMV sponsors many educational and/or training initiatives, programs and activities to inspire this budding talent, and this 3rd GMV Robotics Day highlighted two of its longest-standing sponsorship associates: First Lego League and COMPLUBOT.
COMPLUBOT is a nonprofit association created in 2011 to drive educational robotics for pupils and students aged 6 to 18. Initially, this name designated the students of the robotics workshop, created in 2003, of the Parent Teacher Association of the state school Miguel Hernández in Alcalá de Henares. As well as presenting its educational platform, it also exhibited its football robots of the NEXUS series, showing how to score a goal or pull off a stunning save.
They were followed by the “TeknoChisp” (aged 11-14) and “TeknoChispis” (aged 6-9) teams, taking part for the second time in the First Lego League (FLL) tournament. The First Lego League is an international robot-building competition for schoolchildren. Underway since 1988, it challenges the schoolchildren, working under a coach, to build and program a robot from the LEGO Mindstorms robot set and an unlimited number of LEGO® parts, and also to draw up and present a science project. The challenge for 2013-2014 was “Nature's Fury: Prepare, Stay Safe, Rebuild” in which the competing teams had to look for groundbreaking solutions to deal with natural disasters.
The day ended with demonstrations of other low-cost robotic platforms designed with fun-learning in mind: the NAO humanoid of the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, the SUMO robots of the Universidad Alcalá de Henares, which also presented its Alcabot 2014 Robotics Week, the Qbo Pro Evo robot development platform by the Spanish company TheCorpora and the Lego MOCUP platform (GMV) for research into the ION/DTN architecture of interplanetary robot services.
In the words of Alberto Medina, GMV’s robotics manager: “the success of these robotics days spurs us on to continue supporting this event. For the third year running it has served as a meeting point for the various stakeholders of this new emerging sector of robotics, which is ushering in the 3rd Industrial Revolution.”