Third_deg rampant speculation thread

[glnc222]

Correction: a LogiTech PC mouse pointer works on the black knit fabric defeating detection by phototransistor tested. Maybe that mouse laser tech could make workable cliff sensors with a parallax method. Some Asian robot had a mouse in the bottom for navigation. Laser diodes require a special driver IC for their positive feedback qualities. At least it won't need a scroll wheel.

[third_deg]

There exists a solution path there yes. The optical mouse on bottom of 980 is what distinguishes between hard floor and carpet for example by reading the raw signal in (analog). The IC in mice for example dumbs down the signal to just an XY delta. So need the raw signal

[glnc222]

Of course, different signal processing. So an extra receiver on the carpet detector, with an angled focus on the laser beam for parallax might serve as a cliff detector at minimal cost, assuming carpet detection supplied. That feature is appearing on several brands now. Since carpet would be in range of the cliff detector maybe a single receiver could do both if just mounted at an angle with proper focus. I wonder if that carpet detector is fooled by any of the problem hard floors reported defeating the ordinary cliff sensors. Of course that is safe to turn off in a menu option.
Maybe the carpet is detected by texture signal variation while the bot moves, related to mouse movement sensing.

[glnc222]

A TV remote IR receiver works on the problem black knit cloth. See hacking forum post. Maybe cheaper than laser tech. I also question whether that is needed to distinguish carpets from hard floors, with alternatives such as changes in brush and drive wheel drag affecting motor loads monitored.

[glnc222]

Maybe Roomba needs laser tech for floor type detection because the innovative 800-900 series brush roller design does not show any drag effects on carpet useful like the brushes on other brands, if that is what they use -- methods not published.

[bleomycin]

Any updates on this?

[third_deg]

Currently doing a funding round of investment. So will release information when the round closes

[calypso]

Kickstarter?

[Shazb0t]

Yea I'm curious too! Kickstarter, Indiegogo?

[vic7767]

Yea I'm curious too! Kickstarter, Indiegogo?

Re

I suspect there is another level of funding that must be considered when $Millions$ are involved.

[third_deg]

May use one of those two as a boost to a traditional round (not at liberty to confirm or deny at this stage), but will let this site know of that first when it comes around.

[bleomycin]

Giving this a bump, i'm very curious if this is still in the works?

[someoneclever]

Me too! No posts here for a long time. Was there something I missed?


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[BootloopBot]

Maybe it was just all speculation?
Vaporware?

[someoneclever]

I guess it was just too good to be true. What a shame - I was really excited for this!


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[mfortuna]

It could be the VCs decided not to fund or else the project is in stealth mode as they work on getting to production. I hope the latter is true.

I have worked for high tech for many years and lately the VCs are not funding like they used too. They seem to be much less risky than in the late 1990s / early 2000s.

[glnc222]

One analyst's view of a noted drop in VC activity:

In general, VCs are doubling down on “winner take all” leaders....
Overall we believe 2012-16 was a bubble in early-stage funding driven by the fundamental platform shift to mobile. ...Arguably, post implosion, early-stage VCs have become more “rational” and we are unlikely to see the “spray and pray” approach that dominated a few short years ago.

https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/30/theres-an-implosion-of-early-stage-vc-funding-and-no-ones-talking-about-it/

The robotic vacuum market is also more crowded than it was a few years ago with more major brands participating and increased competition from China. When Neato Robotics started a dozen years ago, iRobot was virtually the only major offering, and Neato has never managed to take more than a small part of their share of the market.
I am reminded of how there could be a lot of software startups in PC's until the big firms like Microsoft take over the business -- sometimes by buying the innovative firms, sometimes doing it themselves.

When automobiles were first invented, there were numerous small brands, later consolidated into General Motors and the other giants as the product became mass produced.
A lot of appliance brands offer some robotic vacuums, but you don't hear much about them, with nothing especially exciting in terms of innovation.

[glnc222]

In case you don't follow this entire site, hacking forum, the superior parallax type proximity detector for cliffs is actually made by Omron, but only one model set at 70mm -- possibly useful in a robot. Claims superior detection of dark surfaces -- and glass. Works like a preset parallax lidar instead of measuring distance by intensity.
https://www.components.omron.com/products/photo/special/b5w-la01/index

[Brett]

Th_d last visited 12 July. )-8

Here's holding thumbs...

[gregj]

Time to opensource it perhaps?