ubuntu

Swarm Theory: Lessons from nature in the advancement of robotics

April 22, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

By Rhys Davies, product manager at Canonical, publisher of the Ubuntu open source operating system

As part of a recent entry to Science Robotics, experts argued that “Covid-19 could be a catalyst for developing robotic systems that can be rapidly deployed with remote access […] to front lines”.

It is often in times of great strife that innovation truly comes to the fore – the progress made across both public and private sectors in recent weeks is a tribute to just that, encompassing everything from advanced data analytics to the production of ventilators by the likes of McLaren, Mercedes and other F1 teams.

Robotics is no different. Robots are currently handling room service in isolation centres, patrolling the streets to help countries achieve social distancing policies, and helping to entertain the elderly. [Read more…] about Swarm Theory: Lessons from nature in the advancement of robotics

Bosch Rexroth adopts Ubuntu Core and snaps for app-based ctrlX Automation platform

February 26, 2020 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

Bosch Rexroth has selected Ubuntu Core for its app-based platform ctrlX Automation.

ctrlX Automation leverages Ubuntu Core, designed for embedded devices, and snaps, the universal Linux application containers, to deliver an open source platform to remove the barriers between machine control, operation technology and information technology, or OT-IT.

Industrial manufacturing solutions built on ctrlX Automation with Ubuntu Core and snaps will benefit from an open ecosystem, faster time to production and stronger security across devices’ lifecycle. [Read more…] about Bosch Rexroth adopts Ubuntu Core and snaps for app-based ctrlX Automation platform

The mundane revolution: Unexpected innovations in robotics

December 5, 2019 by David Edwards Leave a Comment

By Rhys Davies, product manager at Canonical, publishers of Ubuntu

Today’s headlines tend to focus on the weird and wonderful robots of this world: the Hollywood Terminators or mechanical dogs developed by Boston Dynamics and other Silicon Valley start-ups.

The greatest innovations, however, can often be found in the more mundane corners of our society, within the industries and environments people least expect.

It’s happened with medicine and the discovery of penicillin, for example, while Archimedes had his eureka moment in the bath. [Read more…] about The mundane revolution: Unexpected innovations in robotics

DJI uses Ubuntu in drone computer

July 5, 2019 by Anna

Ubuntu, the most popular Linux operating system for the Internet of Things, is now available on the Manifold 2, a high-performance embedded computer offered by drone manufacturer, DJI.

The Manifold 2 is designed to fit onto DJI’s drone platforms via the onboard SDK and enables developers to transform aerial platforms into truly smarter drones, performing complex computing tasks and advanced image processing, which in-turn creates rapid flexibility for enterprise usage.

As part of the offering, the Manifold 2 is planning to feature snaps. Snaps are containerised software packages, designed to work perfectly across cloud, desktop, and IoT devices – with this the first instance of the technology’s availability on drones.

Canonical releases new version of Ubuntu operating system

April 18, 2019 by David Edwards

Canonical has launched a new version of the Ubuntu computer operating system, which is increasingly popular in industrial devices and networks.

The company says the updated version, Ubuntu 19.04, provides the necessary tools for open infrastructure applications, includes a developer desktop, internet of things functionality, and cloud to edge software distribution.

Mark Shuttleworth, CEO of Canonical, says: “The open-source-first on Ubuntu movement in telco, finance, and media has spread to other sectors.

“From the public cloud to the private data center to the edge appliance or cluster, open source has become the reference for efficiency and innovation.

“Ubuntu 19.04 includes the leading projects to underpin that transition, and the developer tooling to accelerate the applications for those domains.”

Could an IoT security domino effect derail robotics before it ever goes mainstream?

March 22, 2019 by Sam Francis

By Eric Jensen, head of IoT product management at Canonical

2019 will be a big year for robotics, as we begin to see the expansion of automation technologies into new markets.

But with IoT security still a weak spot, one major attack within robotics could have a domino effect on the entire industry.

Add to this the verticals that robots are beginning to infiltrate – healthcare and agriculture for example – and the threat becomes immediate and very real. [Read more…] about Could an IoT security domino effect derail robotics before it ever goes mainstream?

Insight: Building the future-proofed robot

October 25, 2018 by Sam Francis

By Kyle Fazzari, software engineer and roboticist at Canonical, the company behind the Ubuntu operating system

There’s no such thing as an overnight success. Time and again, it’s the desire to tweak, modify and update which separates a great idea from real-world achievements.

With Apple as the first business to cross the $1 trillion threshold, there’s no better example of this than the iPhone. As a singular product it still doesn’t boast the best camera, the most storage, or fastest processor on the market. So where does the secret to longevity lie? And what can robotics learn from Apple’s flagship product? [Read more…] about Insight: Building the future-proofed robot

Interview with Ubuntu boss: A rich ecosystem for robotics and automation systems

September 17, 2017 by Abdul Montaqim

Exclusive interview with Mike Bell from Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu

There’s a lot of talk about the Robot Operating System. Understandably so. But the most widely used operating system in robotics and automation systems development is actually Ubuntu.

In fact, ROS is not actually an operating system at all – it’s a set of software frameworks, or a software development kit, to be installed into an operating system like Ubuntu.

As Mike Bell, executive vice president of internet of things and devices at Canonical, explains in an exclusive interview: “It’s a bit confusing because it’s called Robot Operating System, but the reason is because if you’re developing robot applications, you don’t need to worry about the fact that it’s running on Ubuntu.

“You just write your application to interface into a ROS SDK and then deploy on Ubuntu.” [Read more…] about Interview with Ubuntu boss: A rich ecosystem for robotics and automation systems

Clearpath Robotics partners with iRobot for next generation Turtlebot based on Intel Euclid Development Kit

September 5, 2017 by Sam Francis

Clearpath Robotics, a provider of mobile robots for research and development, in partnership with iRobot, has launched the TurtleBot Euclid – the next generation all-in-one mobile robotics platform for learning the Robot Operating System.

TurtleBot Euclid is designed to be an easy-to-use and cost-effective solution for enabling students and educators to accelerate robotics learning.

Clearpath’s TurtleBot is based on the Intel Euclid platform which itself is based on the Ubuntu open-source operating system. [Read more…] about Clearpath Robotics partners with iRobot for next generation Turtlebot based on Intel Euclid Development Kit