Light sensors are used to turn on/off lights, adjust the brightness of displays, and more. But I’ve come across a use case I never thought of: object presence detection. In the digital signage work, such features if called “lift and learn”, and light sensors are used to detect when an object is present and play a video or display information about the product. That concept came to my attention when I saw a photo of Mekotronics R29 digital signage player with several cables coming out of the device and attached to what looked like white hockey pucks and turned out to be light sensors. Apart from the light sensors, Mekotronics R29 specifications are pretty standard: SoC – Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core processor with 2x Cortex-A72 cores, 4x Cortex-A53 cores, Arm Mali-T860MP4 GPU, 4K VP9, H.264, H.265, and 1080p60 VC-1, MPEG-1/2/4, VP6/8 video decoder System Memory – 4GB DDR Storage – 64GB […]
ShaRPiKeebo handheld Linux computer based on Raspberry Pi Zero (2) W ships with a LoRa radio (Crowdfunding)
Morpheans ShaRPiKeebo is a portable Linux computer based on Raspberry Pi Zero W or Zero 2 W SBC that reminds me of the Allwinner R8 powered PocketCHIP handheld computer that was introduced in 2016, and was quite popular (for a niche product) at the time. The ShaRPiKeebo comes with a physical QWERTY keyboard, a daylight-readable screen, and Wi-Fi & Bluetooth connectivity, but also adds a 433 MHz LoRa radio that should make it usable as an off-the-grid communicator. Just like PocketCHIP, the ShaRPiKeebo can be used for system administration, retro-gaming, pen testing, STEM education, and all sort of maker projects. ShaRPiKeebo specifications: Supported SBCs via 40-pin GPIO header – Raspberry Pi Zero W, Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, and (maybe) compatible SBCs like Radxa Zero or Banana Pi M2 Zero Display – 2.7- inch SHARP memory display (LS027B7DH01) with 400×240 resolution, low-latency, low-power Connectivity 802.11 b/g/n WiFi 4, Bluetooth 4.2 […]
Bluetooth Auracast broadcast audio is the new name for Bluetooth LE audio sharing
Multi-stream and broadcast audio features part of the Bluetooth LE Audio standard have been given a brand name by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG). Meet Bluetooth Auracast broadcast audio, or simply Auracast for shorts. As a reminder, Bluetooth Audio LE broadcast enables an audio transmitter, be it a smartphone, laptop, television, or public address system to broadcast audio to an unlimited number of nearby Bluetooth audio receivers that could be speakers, earbuds, or even hearing devices. Auracast broadcast audio will let users invite others to listen to the same music without disturbing others around them, for example, a group of friends could listen to the music in the subway or on a bus through Auracast-enabled earbuds. Auracast will also be useful in public places, where for instance, users could listen to the audio from muted televisions at airports, gymnasiums, or train stations, and public announcements (e.g. gate changes, boarding […]
TI Sitara AM623 & AM625 Cortex-A53 SoCs offer low-power AI for HMI and IoT applications
Texas Instruments has just launched the new Sitara AM62 family with AM623 and AM625 single to quad-core Cortex-A53 processors designed to provide IoT gateways and HMI applications with AI processing at low power, in some cases with up to 50% reduction in power consumption. The AM623 processor specifically targets Internet of Things (IoT) applications and gateways that may benefit from object and gesture recognition, while the AM625, equipped with a 3D GPU, should power HMI applications with edge AI and up to two full-HD displays. Sitara AM623 and AM625 processors Sitara AM623/AM625 key features and specifications: CPU – Single, dual, or quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1,400 MHz with 512KB L2 shared cache, plus 32KB I+D cache per core Co-processor – 1x Arm Cortex-M4F real-time core at up to 400 MHz with 256KB SRAM with SECDED ECC GPU (AM625 only) – Unnamed 3D GPU with support for OpenGL […]
MechArm Pi 270 is a desktop robotic arm powered by a Raspberry Pi 4 SBC
Elephant Robotics MechArm Pi 270 is a six-axis robotic arm with a 270mm working radius, support for up to 250 grams payload, and that runs Debian/Ubuntu + ROS on a Raspberry Pi 4 single board computer. The robotic arm was introduced last year in two separate crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter and Indiegogo organized by MechArm, which has now joined Elephant Robotics, and now supports myStudio software to upgrade the software, provide video tutorials on how to use the robot, as well as maintenance and repair information. MechArm Pi 270 key features and specifications: Controller – Raspberry Pi 4 Model B SBC with quad-core Cortex-A72 processor, dual-band WiFi 5 & Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity Display I/F – 2x Micro HDMI output port up to 4Kp60 Supported cameras – Official Raspberry Pi cameras or third-party USB cameras USB – 2x USB 3.0 ports, 2x USB 2.0 ports Robotic arm 270mm working range 6 […]
Robot cat girl doll leverages Khadas VIM3 SBC for AI-accelerated object detection/tracking
While Khadas VIM4 board has just been launched, the earlier Khadas VIM3 SBC has the advantage of featuring a 5 TOPS NPU that’s being leveraged by Lilium Robotics for their humanoid robots, notably the Lily Delta V7 robot cat girl doll using the Amlogic A311D board to control motors and provide AI features such as face and object detection and tracking. The Delta V7 is offered as an Android kit running Linux (Android refers to humanoid robot here) with a full motorized body kit, a head with a dual camera and sound system, accessories like a dress, wig, cat ears and tail, and other features that are more geared towards the adult crowd… Content of the Lily Delta V7 full Android kit: Full motorized body kit Motorized arms, legs, and torso with wide movement range Arms can support 0.5 kg payload 100 cm high, weighs about 5 kilograms Inserts: Face, […]
How to use a ToF laser ranging sensor with Arduino and Wisblock
Laser ranging has many applications in production and life, such as ranging, positioning, obstacle avoidance, and so on. Time-of-Flight (ToF) ranging, as a type of laser ranging technology, is often used for real-time object detection in robots, autonomous vehicles, and traffic management because of its accuracy, fast response, and low power consumption. The face detection function of mobile phones also uses this technology. This article will introduce the WisBlock RAK12014 ToF laser ranging sensor module, and use the WisBlock development board to demonstrate how the module works. What is a ToF laser ranging sensor module? A ToF laser ranging sensor module uses laser pulses to measure the distance between itself and a target object. The WisBlock RAK12014 ToF laser ranging sensor module is based on STMicro VL53L0X, the smallest ToF ranging sensor in the world. The WisBlock RAK12014 provides accurate distance measurement and can measure distances up to 2 meters. […]
DepthVista USB 3D ToF camera supports close range depth measurement, far-range object detection
DepthVista is a USB Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera designed for precise 3D depth measurement in close range mode (1.2m) and person and/or object detection in far-range mode up to 6 meters away. This ToF camera combines a 3D depth camera capable of 640 x 480 @ 30fps, and an Onsemi AR0234 color global shutter sensor supporting HD and FHD at up to 30fps, plus an 850nm VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) for safety and the ability to operate in complete darkness. e-con Systems’ DepthVista (See3CAM_TOF_25CUG) specifications: Depth camera 3D camera technology: Time-of-Flight Depth range Near mode – 0.2m to 1.2m Far mode – 1m to 6m Illumination: 850nm pulsed laser (Indoor) Accuracy: Up to 1% depending on environmental conditions Output format: Y16 (raw 12-bit) Resolutions Depth – 640 x 480 @ 30fps IR – 640 x 480 @ 30fps Depth + IR – 640 x 960 @ 30fps FOV – 84.29° (H) […]