Autonomous Solutions, Inc. Announces Release of Mobius™ Command & Control Software Version 6.0 Featuring a Unified Code Architecture.

PETERSBORO, UTAH—April 17, 2013. Autonomous Solutions, Inc. announces that Version 6.0 of Mobius™ Command & Control Software has been released. Mobius v6.0 features Windows 7 compatibility fixes, road network support, enhanced vehicle history playback, and simplified vehicle simulator creation.

Mobius™ Command & Control Software is ASI’s flagship navigation software for autonomous vehicles and is responsible for a variety of functions, including: vehicle pathway planning, controlling speed and direction of vehicles, and facilitating the cooperation of all vehicles in an entire autonomous system.

Version 6.0 marks the first major version release of Mobius in 2013 and the first release since ASI switched to an AGILE software development model. “This new version of Mobius represents a lot of work under-the-hood,” said Paul Lewis, Director of Software Development at ASI. “With the exception of a few enhancements, the majority of Mobius users won’t experience much change from how they normally do things. But from a coding perspective, it’s much simpler.”

One of the major tasks undertaken by ASI’s software development team was to unify the code into a single common architecture. “We were developing to four separate architectures that were customized to separate markets,” said Lewis. “While that method has its benefits, we realized that unification was the best option for the enhancements we have coming up in the near future. We combined the best practices from the four code bases and now have a streamlined architecture that will allow us to make changes much more rapidly. This will definitely increase our ability to add customer value quickly.”

New Feature Highlights

• Windows 7 Compatibility: Previous versions of Mobius experienced some compatibility issues with Windows 7, making it difficult for Windows users to tele-op autonomous vehicles. Version 6.0 fixes these issues.


The road network support through Mobius v6.0 connects operation
areas with custom road systems, making dispatch and coordination
in mining or agriculture sites much simpler and more efficient.

• Road Network Support: This enhancement gives users more flexibility and control over how vehicles move from one area to another. In previous versions of Mobius, autonomous vehicles used a straight line when the user directed them from one operation area to another. In v6.0, users have the ability to develop a custom “road” that designates direction, one-way or two-way traffic, and obstacles to avoid. Unmanned vehicles now travel on these user-defined roads during dispatch.
• Vehicle Telemetry Record and Playback: This new enhancement allows operators to record and playback vehicle operation segments. Site analysts and vehicle testers can use the telemetry playback to rewind Mobius and focus on a specific event in time to review what a vehicle did and how.
• Custom Simulator Creation: Mobius allows operators to run a simulation that mimics how an actual vehicle would behave on a user-defined path. Version 6.0 features more flexibility and simplicity in starting a simulator, which, in older versions of Mobius, was an engineer-only task. Mobius v6.0 simplifies the process and enables customers of all skill levels to setup and execute simulations.

A full list of Mobius v6.0 updates and enhancements is available upon request.

Updating Mobius

With a few exceptions, Mobius™ Command & Control Software v6.0 is backward compatible with recent versions of Mobius. Customers wishing to schedule an upgrade should contact ASI Support at 1.435.227.1141 or by email at support@autonomoussolutions.com.

About ASI

For more than 12 years, Autonomous Solutions, Inc. has been a world leader in unmanned ground vehicle systems and components. From their northern Utah headquarters, ASI serves clients in military, agriculture, industrial/mining, and automotive proving ground industries with solutions ranging from driver assistance up to full vehicle autonomy. ASI’s world-class engineering staff is dedicated to ideals of innovation, quality, simplicity, and safety.

“We’re always on the lookout for ways we can help our community,” said Dru Brown, Marketing Manager at ASI. “Being invited to participate in Career Days was a great opportunity to encourage kids to get advanced education, and we also got a chance to show them how fun technology can be.” Each participating company was encouraged to bring something interactive and engaging for students to try out. ASI brought the Forecast™ 3D Laser System, a spinning LIDAR that is normally used for the obstacle detection and avoidance system on autonomous vehicles. For Career Days, however, Forecast was adapted to scan and generate a 3D map of the exhibit hall. Students enjoyed striking poses in front of Forecast and seeing themselves appear in the 3D output on a video monitor.

“It seems like every time we turn around, we’re being reminded that the U.S. is falling behind the rest of the world in STEM education,” said Brown. “U.S. students seem to think that STEM courses are boring or too hard, and a lot of kids shy away from them. But events like this let us show kids the possibilities with this type of education. Hopefully we’re getting their imaginations going and getting them excited about engineering.”

“In the past, defense and security sales made up about 40 percent of iRobot’s revenue,” Insinna quoted Matthew Lloyd, spokesman of iRobot. “Because of decreased contracts with the military and a 28-percent increase in sales of its home robots such as the Roomba, sales of defense robots are now only 10 percent of the company’s business.”

Several years ago, Autonomous Solutions, Inc. (ASI) found itself with a similar need to innovate. Previous to 2008, ASI relied primarily on military research grants and partnerships with Department of Defense prime contractors. Much of that business dried up as the recession hit commercial and government budgets heavily in 2008. ASI’s President and CEO, Mel Torrie, realized that something needed to happen.

“It was innovate or die at that point,” said Torrie. “We recognized that we needed to make a fundamental change not only to where we were getting our business, but also to the kind of offering we provide to our customers.” Starting in 2008, ASI expanded product offerings to markets in the private sector.

“Throughout the years, we have done projects in agriculture and mining, so we had a good foundation of understanding and experience to move us into those industries,” said Torrie. “We also recognized that we needed to innovate from being primarily a project-based company to being a product-based company. Some of that transition is still in progress, but we feel that it better positions us to provide what our customers need.” In 2011, ASI also added automotive proving grounds to its pillar markets. Torrie explained that catering to three out of four markets dominated by the private sector will insulate ASI from future downturns in the US military budget as well as downturns in any single industry.

“Long term,” Torrie continued, “robotics is going to be critical to the military side of things, so we still have an emphasis there. We have several key product offerings that thrive in both domestic and international military environments. But we’ve found great success in spreading our universal automation technologies into other markets. We feel that ASI is well positioned for the foreseeable future and ahead of many companies that are just now finding the need to innovate.”

Read more about the future of military ground robotics in the NDIA article: Opportunities for Non-Military Robots Increase »

Guideline™ Wins Bronze at Chicago Ceremony; Awards Celebrate 26 Years of Honoring Innovators and Innovation

CHICAGO, IL—April 26, 2013. The Edison Awards, celebrating 26 years of honoring the best in innovation and excellence in the development of new products and services, announces that the Guideline™ Robotic Convoy System was voted a bronze winner for innovation in the Applied Technology: Safety category at the April 25th event at Navy Pier in Chicago. Mel Torrie, President and CEO of Autonomous Solutions, Inc., joined hundreds of senior executives from some of the world’s most recognized companies to acknowledge the hard work and commitment of all the 2013 Edison Award winners.

ASI received the Bronze Edison Award in the
Applied Technology: Safety category.

Being recognized with an Edison Award has become one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of innovation and business. Autonomous Solutions, Inc. joins other bronze winning companies such as Starbucks Coffee Company, Black & Decker, General Motors Company, Intuit, Target Corporation, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

“Our judges recognized Guideline as a true innovator out of the many products in its category,” said Frank Bonafilia, executive director of the Edison Awards.

The Guideline™ Robotic Convoy System uses a Kevlar cord to connect unmanned vehicles to a lead vehicle. Sensors in the Guideline unit measure the cord to determine the direction, speed, and distance of the lead vehicle and relay the data to the unmanned computer system of the follower vehicle. The vehicle control system then plots a course that exactly mimics the lead vehicle’s pathway. Using this leader/follower system, robotic convoys managed by Guideline can be up to ten vehicles long and travel safely at highway speeds. Guideline is being tested by the US military in active combat zones to remove convoy drivers from exposure to roadside explosives or enemy fire.

Guideline was chosen as a finalist from more than 7100 products nominated for this year’s Edison Awards™ competition. The ballot of nominees was judged by a panel of more than 3,000 leading business executives including past award winners, academics and leaders in the fields of product development, design, engineering, science, and medical.

“It is an honor for Guideline to be recognized with the Bronze Edison Award,” said Torrie. “I think it’s a great way to celebrate the hard work and effort that went into this product by our development and software teams. We believe that Guideline is a game-changing innovation with a real ability to save lives.”

The Edison Awards is a program conducted by the Edison Universe, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to fostering future innovators. The Awards have been recognizing and honoring the best in innovations and innovators since 1987. They honor game-changing innovations that are at the forefront of new product and service development, marketing, and human-centered design, and are one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of successful innovation. For more information about the Edison Awards complete program and a list of past winners, visit www.edisonawards.com.

About ASI

For more than 12 years, Autonomous Solutions, Inc. has been a world leader in unmanned ground vehicle systems and components. From their northern Utah headquarters, ASI serves clients in military, agriculture, industrial, and automotive proving ground industries with solutions ranging from remote controlled to fully autonomous vehicles. ASI’s world-class engineering staff is dedicated to the ideals of innovation, simplicity, and safety.

ShakeOut.org recommends to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” in the event of an
earthquake of any size.

“We wanted to inform employees of the potential [for earthquakes] and encourage them to look around to see how they could better prepare themselves,” said Doug Bingham, Safety Manager at ASI. “Safety should be at the forefront of our minds. We need to take a few minutes every now and then and say, ‘what if?’”

The Great Utah ShakeOut provides an annual opportunity for Utah residents and businesses to ask “what if?” and prepare accordingly. In the event of an earthquake, even a small one, www.ShakeOut.org suggests the safest way to react is to Drop, Cover, and Hold On: “You will never know if the initial jolt will turn out to be start of the big one… and that’s why you should always Drop, Cover, and Hold On immediately!”

Safety is a top priority at ASI. When interacting
with any autonomous vehicles, ASI employees
wear authorized safety equipment.

We have a good safety plan at ASI,” said Bingham, “but I also feel we have a lot of room to improve.” Bingham went on to highlight several policies ASI has implemented to create a safe workplace. For example, ASI holds frequent training on vehicles and shop equipment, sends out a daily area review email to inform of safety hazards around the building, and provides a Safety Moment during each weekly staff meeting to refocus all employees on safety. “When we’re responsible for any particular assignment, even a brief Safety Moment, we tend to see things in a different light, a much safer light.”

ASI is dedicated to maintaining a safe and productive working environment, and we are proud to join with our community in events such as the ShakeOut that create safety awareness.

To participate in the ShakeOut for your area, sign up at www.ShakeOut.org.

So, are robots really stealing jobs? The short answer is: it depends on who you talk to.

Yes

“Technology is always creating jobs. It’s always destroying jobs,” said Erik Brynjolfsson, Professor of Information Technology at MIT in the 60 Minutes feature. “But right now the pace is accelerating. It’s faster we think than ever before in history. So as a consequence, we are not creating jobs at the same pace that we need to.” Brynjolfsson continued that the acceleration of technology is moving so rapidly that entrepreneurs and businesses can’t develop the current technologies into new opportunities before the next big breakthrough hits.

In addition, while the economy is recovering, job opportunities are not. “Our economy is bigger than it was before the start of the Great Recession. Corporate profits are back. Business investment in hardware and software is back higher than it’s ever been. What’s not back is the jobs,” said Andrew McAfee, Principal Research Scientist for MIT’s Center for Digital Business, in the 60 Minutes feature. During the recession, companies used automation to reduce labor costs and sustain productivity. However, even though profits are back and companies again have the option of labor or automation, they’re choosing automation.

No

“You are, of course, seeing that overall, some of the jobs are getting displaced simply because you can use machines to do it,” argued Henrik Christensen, Professor of Robotics at Georgia Tech’s College of Computing, in IEEE Spectrum’s podcast Robots Are Not Killing Jobs, Says a Roboticist. “There are certain things that we can’t do, where you need higher precision, [or] getting away from heavy lifting. These functions are getting displaced by robots… we’re taking away jobs that humans shouldn’t have been doing in the first place.”

Transit Mix automated drill platform used to drill
blasting holes for clearing debris after a landslide
halted operations at a Colorado-based quarry.

Christensen also argues that due to the decreased costs associated with automation, domestic production is becoming more competitive with outsourced foreign labor, causing many companies to bring manufacturing back to the United States. “We’ve recently seen Apple promising that they’re bringing back factories. Foxconn is starting a factory in Texas. Lenovo is starting a factory in North Carolina. Tesla is building, or has, a car factory in California, which is where we have the highest labor prices. Through use of automation, they have been able to bring back jobs that before were being outsourced to countries that were primarily in Asia.”

“There are some jobs that are going away, that are getting displaced,” said Christensen. “But if you look at the net number of jobs that have been created worldwide, it’s actually going up, it’s not going down.”

What Are We Seeing?

As a robotics company, we often find ourselves in the middle of this debate. While we recognize that robotics technology can displace jobs, we still lean more toward Professor Christensen’s perspective that the overall benefit of robotics is positive. Many of the automation solutions we develop are specifically designed to replace humans, but often it’s for safety reasons, not necessarily to increase productivity or profits. Here are a few examples:

• In underground mining, the Chaos™ High Mobility Robot is used to explore areas that have recently undergone blasting. Previously, human workers were sent into these highly dangerous areas to look for loose rocks, and some had been injured or killed by falling debris.
• Guideline™ Robotic Convoy System is being used in active combat zones to replace convoy drivers. Robotic convoys are able to maintain productivity while reducing exposure of Soldiers to roadside bombs or enemy fire.
• In Colorado, ASI automated a drill and bulldozer for a company that experienced a massive landslide at one of their quarries. MSHA, a government agency that regulates mining safety, deemed the ground too unstable for human activity. By using automated vehicles to operate on the unsafe terrain and clear the landslide, the quarry will reopen, saving or creating jobs instead of displacing them.

This video shows a Toyota vehicle undergoing
durability testing. The video does a good job showing
the type of jarring test drivers experience.

• In automotive durability testing, human test drivers are normally limited to two-hour shifts because of the sheer physical punishment they are exposed to on durability tracks. By automating test vehicles, analysts can still get desired results while eliminating health risks to drivers.

We’re also seeing robotics technology and software used to increase the efficiency and accountability of an existing workforce. For example, with the site analytics features in Mobius™ Command & Control Software, site managers can set benchmarks, compare driver output to benchmarks, and also look for bottlenecks in operations.

With robotics taking over unskilled positions in many industries, the labor force is required to innovate and become more skilled. “What we’re seeing is a shift away from unskilled labor to skilled labor,” said Christensen. “That poses a challenge to make sure that we actually have the people that can [be machine operators].” As companies use robotics to remain competitive, opportunities to become robotics operators or for technical training will open up. Workers need to be willing to undergo additional training or risk being left behind.

Your turn: The implications of robotics in industry is a very complex topic with valid arguments on both sides. Do you think robots are taking away or creating jobs?

Drawing on comments from speakers at the Atlanta Chapter Conference, the following emphasizes three reasons that the time for automated agriculture is now:

1. Technology Availability:
   

   “There is a nice selection of vehicles and a nice selection of automated technologies,” said Dr. Eric Corban, Chief Technology Officer of Guided Systems Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles. “I believe now is the time, and we need to all join together and redouble our efforts to solve the regulatory problems and bring this vision that’s been around a long time to a reality.” Unmanned technologies are no longer research and development projects. Automated agriculture is now much less expensive, more refined and reliable, and available for a wider range of agricultural vehicles than in previous years.

2. Greater Need for Efficiency in Farming:

   “As an example,” Davis recalls from John Beasley, Professor of Crop Physiology and Management at the University of Georgia, “in 1986, about 14,500 active peanut producers planted 675,000 acres. In 2012, about 4,500 active producers planted 735,000 acres. Most of today’s producers are strung out with too much acreage and too little time.” The statistics show that farming has become much more efficient today than in 1986, but even with technology advances farmers are still under greater pressure to yield a larger harvest, faster, and with the same or fewer resources. Vehicle automation has the capacity to help overstretched producers meet the challenges of 2013 farming.

3. Greater Impact and Simplicity:

   Part of refining automation technology for farming is providing simplification along with results. “Farmers don’t want data,” said Gary McMurray, Chief of Georgia Tech Research Institute’s Food Processing Technology Division. “They want information. They want action.” This type of action can only be achieved if 1) the technology is simple enough for farmers to use, and 2) the technology has the capability to make the job more efficient or more productive. Companies specializing in automated agriculture continually work toward achieving both of these goals in today’s products. Interfaces specifically target end users and provide them with valuable information and tools that make large scale farming less challenging and more fruitful.

Your turn: The two most challenging barriers in any innovating industry are 1) the availability of technology, and 2) the willingness of people to change. What do you think? Is farming ready for automated agriculture?

Laser sensors, like those used in the City-Brake Active System, were among the first technologies adopted by the vehicle robotics industry as a way for autonomous vehicles to “see” and react to the environment around them. Just a few years ago, these technologies were expensive and bulky; now they are compact and dependable enough to be manufactured as part of new consumer models. Collision avoidance and other safety sensors demonstrate the direction auto makers are taking to make driving safer.

According to Coxworth, the new Honda Fit and Jazz models will make their Japanese market debut later this summer, after which Honda will set its eyes on Europe.

“There were lots of smiles and head nods,” Budd said of the attendees that visited the PGA booth (#7027). “They liked the technology that we have and were excited with the prospects. Several people brought their colleagues back later to show them what we could do. It’s great to see that we have that kind of impact on the industry.”

PGA’s key product offering at the Korea show was the universal Vehicle Automation Kit (VAK), a set of robotic components that can automate most consumer vehicle models. The kit is durable enough to withstand a constant beating from durability or rollover testing and uses standardized components and sensors to eliminate much of the cost of engineering. The implications of a lower-cost, reliable autonomy kit were not lost on the attendees in Seoul, and Eric saw a steady flow of visits from automotive and construction OEMs, private proving grounds, government agencies, and automotive suppliers.

One of the greatest challenges companies face when beginning to sell products and services in global markets is the language barrier. “You can’t just count on people knowing English,” said Budd. “More than half of the people coming by our booth spoke no English at all. It was something we were semi-counting on, and we brought brochures printed in Korean, but it was still difficult to communicate what we do.”

Despite the language challenges, PGA was well-received, and the show was a success. “We had a lot of excitement surrounding our booth,” said Budd. “People all over the world recognize how beneficial vehicle automation technology can be to their industries, and that was reflective of the people we had come by and visit with us.”

PGA now looks forward to two back-to-back shows in June: the Automotive Testing Expo 2013 Europe, hosted by Stuttgart, Germany; and the AUVSI Driverless Car Summit in Detroit, Michigan.

Richard Netzley, Chief Operations Officer at ASI, recently gave a presentation to a group of masters and doctoral students at Utah State University’s Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences department. The students, who have been focusing on methods of design, invited Netzley to speak on the benefits ASI has seen from AGILE. The following blog describes ASI’s AGILE installation and reactions to Richard’s presentation.

How AGILE at ASI Works

ASI’s daily routine now involves AGILE standup meetings

While most AGILE companies follow a similar framework, the way each company employs AGILE is usually entirely unique to the company. “Each company will really need to take a little different approach and doing so will ensure that the system actually works,” said Michael Doxey, ITLS Master’s student who was present for the discussion.

The AGILE development process calls for breaking down large projects into smaller deliverable pieces developed over a short time frame. The short development periods are called “sprints” or “iterations.” With tangible examples at the end of each sprint, customers have an opportunity to provide feedback during the process rather than waiting until the final product is delivered. ASI currently uses two-week sprints with demonstrations concluding each spring.

ASI found that open communication and self-regulation are critical to AGILE. Software and hardware engineers gather for daily standup meetings which provide an open forum to set and discuss daily action plans. According to Netzley, each team member answers three questions:

1. What did I do yesterday?
2. What am I going to do today?
3. What’s stopping my progress?

The AGILE wall keeps track of sprint progress

During the standup meetings, engineers and managers keep track of daily progress as well as quickly identify and solve obstacles. Planning meetings and end-of-sprint retrospective meetings allow ASI engineers to reflect on what well, what didn’t, and keep the big picture in mind as they prepare for the next sprint.

Along with major process changes came some infrastructure changes too. ASI facilities staff built an entire internal wall dedicated to tracking the AGILE process. “We looked at a lot of software solutions,” said Netzley, “but none of them were able to give us the big picture view of all projects we were looking for. Most software applications give you a list of projects, but you can’t see your progress unless you drill into each of them. Our wall tells us exactly where we’re at with everything.”

Benefits

ASI engineers were asking for a process change like AGILE to help them better keep track of their work and progress toward the final goal. Their dedication to the AGILE process is already paying off dividends in higher productivity. “AGILE has already been highly successful for us,” said Netzley. “Back in December, we were three months behind on some of our projects. Now, we’re right where we should be.” Engineers continue to refine the ASI’s style of AGILE by suggesting improvements and modifications each planning meeting.

Quality has also increased dramatically. “Testing is no longer behind schedule,” said Netzley. “In fact, some developers now write tests for our quality assurance team to use during testing which was not something we had time to do before.”

“I was really intrigued by just how much [ASI's] productivity and product quality increased,” said Anna Strommer, ITLS Master’s student. “It would be difficult to get used that style of management at first, but I think in the end there are some really great benefits to it.”

Looking Ahead

After only six months, ASI has seen drastic improvements in both quality and productivity through the use of AGILE, and looks forward to continued advances. AGILE’s adaptability allows the same processes to be used in many areas throughout a company. In fact, it can even be used to efficiently run a family! As software and hardware continue to hone their new procedures, other departments are looking toward AGILE as a way to improve as well.

As for the presentation? “I thought the presentation was fascinating,” said Mimi Recker, Department Head of ITLS. “I appreciated the way Richard ‘opened the hood’ to show how ASI chose to implement the Agile process, rather than speaking on a abstract and theoretical level. I also really appreciated that he told us what worked well, and what didn’t work so well—the ‘retrospective’ in action!”