kscottz

[There is, and by some estimates 1.3M people use it.](https://docs.ros.org/en/rolling/)

I don't think that is the intent of the article at all. I think the article is making a comment on building a single framework that can enable anyone to solve an arbitrary robotics problem. From the second paragraph, "The idea goes something like this: Programming robots is hard. And there are some people with really arcane skills and PhDs who are really expensive and seem to be required for some reason. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could do robotics without them?"

There are host of companies, both extant and deceased, who attempted to do just that.

I don't think any ROS developer has ever made the claim that ROS makes building a robot "easy", "easier" yes, but "easy", certainly not. ROS is simply a collection of tools that people have built over the years to get their work done faster by not re-inventing the wheel. Many ROS packages have decades of real-world deployment behind them. Some ROS packages, like Nav2 and MoveIt, are incredibly helpful, other packages are difficult to use and poorly documented, just like in any open source ecosystem.

Which in their quest to make robotics simple; made json a programming language

JSON, in ROS? I don't think that's how it works.

massive ecosystem of abstracted complexity that breaks in undebuggable ways

If you have a solution for this I think you solved the problem of software engineering in general.

Since when does open source mean cheap?

Labor isn't free. Building custom PCBs and hardware in low quantity isn't cheap. Building, calibrating, and testing robots isn't cheap.

SEEKING VOLUNTEERS: Robot Operating System (ROS) and Gazebo Simulator

ROS is the open source software powering robots all over the globe. The project needs volunteers in every capacity, from core robotics software to visualization, data logging, and developer resources. Gazebo is our sibling library used to simulate robots prior to deploying code. Many of our repositories have "Good First Issue" tags for new contributors.

Source code and community resources for ROS, like Discord and Discourse, are all listed here:

https://github.com/ros2

Source code and resources for Gazebo are available here:

https://github.com/gazebosim

To get a sense of what people are doing with ROS check out the videos from our yearly developer conference ROSCon.

https://roscon.ros.org/2023/

If you are looking for some help getting started swing by our Discord server:

https://discord.com/servers/open-robotics-107782554369892765...

There is a live stream telethon happening now at: https://opencv.live/

I've used OpenCV at almost every job I've ever worked at. Tossing them a few bucks is the least I can do.

I am the developer advocate for ROS. Many of those projects you mention are using ROS or ROS 2, and the feedback from those users was instrumental in developing ROS 2. By my last count we had approximately 400 companies using ROS and that is likely an undercount. I usually point people to the ROS 2 TSC or the ROS Industrial consortium to get a sense of who using ROS in production.

We just published a new paper on ROS 2 in Science Robotics that demonstrates ROS's use on land, sea, air, space, and industry (the link below should take you to the open publication).

https://www.openrobotics.org/blog/2022/5/12/science-robotics...

OSHWA board member [1] here and developer advocate at Open Robotics (the people who maintain ROS) here.

May I suggest you take a look at microROS[3]?

I am also super excited about OSHWA certified open hardware [4].

[1] https://certification.oshwa.org/ [2] https://www.openrobotics.org/ [3] https://micro.ros.org/ [4] https://certification.oshwa.org/

Why don't they call it open source hardware? All the parts appear to comply with the OSHWA standard. This product could be certified[0] fairly quickly.

[0] https://certification.oshwa.org/

Black Lives Matter.

Black live matter more than the next stupid tech trend to ride the Gartner hype cycle. Tech that doesn't include everyone shouldn't be built. Stop reading HN and get out into the streets and support your fellow human beings.

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   /::\__\ /::\:\__\ /:/L:\__\ /::\:\__\ /:/\:\__\
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Tempo Automation is a venture-backed robotics start-up that is building the quick-turn electronics factory of the future. The goal of Tempo is simple and delightful; we want to make hardware development happen at the pace of software development. Our process starts with our website where we ingest customer designs, perform design for manufacturing reviews, price circuit boards and components, and automatically generate a quote. Once a customer is happy with their design our factory swings into action using a mixture of our own proprietary robots, traditional manufacturing equipment, and good old-fashioned hard work. Using this model Tempo is already delivering prototype circuit boards in the Bay Area in as little as three days. We are seeking talented and hardworking engineers, technicians, and operations people to help us radically change electronics manufacturing. Current open positions include the following:

* Senior and mid-level "back-end" and "full-stack" software engineers. We are a Django/Linux/Python shop.

* Junior and senior roboticists in both software and mechatronics. We're a ROS shop!

* Software Operations

* Factory Operations and Logistics.

* Generally Useful Graphic Designers

* Assembly Technicians

* Office Manager

A full list of positions can be found here: http://www.tempoautomation.com/home/careers

For more information contact us at : careers [at] tempoautomation.com

Note: as a policy Tempo Automation does not work with recruiters, ever.

Tempo Automation | San Francisco, CA | Onsite

We are building the electronics factory of the future in San Francisco. We empower electronics designers to quickly test and iterate their designs more like software developers, spurring innovation and making better products faster.

We are currently hiring:

* Senior python back end developers.

* Senior front end developers.

* Roboticists (both software and mechatronics).

* Office Manger / Operations.

* Assembly Technicians.

Find out more at http://tempoautomation.com/home/careers or email a portfolio/resume to katherine [at] tempoautomation.com.

All applications can be sent to katherine [at] tempoautomation.com

---

Junior Roboticist (mechatronics)

The Job * Help us design and fabricate the next generation factory robots.

* Iterate on subsystems for the current factory robots.

* Design and fabricate electrical subsystems for robots.

* Design and fabricate mechanical subsystems for the robot.

The Candidate

* Bachelor or Masters degree in mechanical engineering / aerospace engineer / electrical engineering / mechatronics.

* Experienced with SolidWorks and/or Altium.

* Familiarity with Robot Operating System a strong plus.

* Experience with systems integration particularly in a factory setting.

* Reasonable design for manufacturing experience.

---

Operations Associate / Office Manager

The Job

* Design, implement, and maintain various compliance requirements (OSHA, EPA, ISO, etc). Perform basic human resource tasks.

* Assist the factory staff with material tracking and logistics.

* Keeping ducks in a row with respect to scheduling and calendars.

* Moving paperwork from an input queue to the appropriate bucket.

* Filling the things that are empty, emptying things that are full, scratching where it itches.

The Candidate

* Detail oriented, exceptionally organized, and great communication and people skills.

* Capable of keeping an office of 20 people running smoothly with minimal supervision.

* Prior experience in management or logistics.

* Experience doing bookkeeping a big plus.

* Bachelor degree in liberal arts or accounting.

---

Fabrication Technician

The Job

* Generous living wage factory job with overtime, benefits, and vacation.

* You will work with our robots and our customer to deliver completed circuit boards.

* This job involves a lot of fine manual labor with attention to detail and a passion for quality.

* Technicians will perform SMD and through hole soldering, SMT rework, board cleaning, quality control, and documentation.

* Technicians may also perform general factory labor, deliveries, order logistics, and training.

The Candidate

* No college degree required.

* This job requires smart and detailed oriented individuals with good hand eye coordination.

* A passion for working with your hands and learning a skilled trade.

* Solid communication skills and an ability and willingness to work with factory robotics.

* Prior experience in electronics assembly is highly desired.

* Candidates with working and well maintained vehicles who could occasionally perform deliveries are highly desired.

Tempo Automation

San Francisco | On-site / Partial remote in the Bay Area

About Tempo Automation:

Tempo Automation is a San Francisco based start up creating the electronics factory of the future from the ground up. We are developing our own software and hardware (i.e. robots) to help electrical engineers prototype circuit boards better, faster, and cheaper. Working for us means that every day you get to see physical products made from the outputs of your labor. Our ultimate goal is to make hardware development move at the same pace as software development. We provide competitive pay, equity, health and dental benefits and generous vacation. Tempo Automation strongly values diversity; candidates of all races, genders, and backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.

Company culture and benefits:

* Happy and empowered employees: be kind, work hard, work smart, and live a balanced life.

* Do good engineering: collaborate, think, build, evaluate, improve, rinse, repeat.

* Happy customers: every customer is 100% satisfied 100% of the time.

* Make money: every day build more boards more efficiently.

Senior Front End Developer

The Job

* Maintain and develop our front end order website.

* Develop and maintain the user interface for our automated assembly robot.

* Develop and maintain our internal manufacturing resource planning software

The Candidate

* Bachelor or Masters degree in computer science or equivalent.

* Expert level javascript capabilities, python skills are a bonus.

* At least two years experience in the real world. We want to see that you’ve built at least one non-trivial web application.

* Real world experience with django/python backends.

* Core developer on one or more open source javascript libraries a big plus.

* Capable of hiring and managing junior front end developers when the time comes.

* Interest or experience in rendering games or graphics intensive web applications a big plus (e.g. WebGL, html canvas / SVG, D3, etc).

   _____                                                
  |_   _|                                               
    | | ___ _ __ ___  _ __   ___                        
    | |/ _ \ '_ ` _ \| '_ \ / _ \                       
    | |  __/ | | | | | |_) | (_) |                      
    \_/\___|_| |_| |_| .__/ \___/                       
                     | |                                
                     |_|                                

http://www.tempoautomation.com

Front End / Back End / Software Generalists

No one went to engineering school to write boring e-commerce websites. Come help Tempo Automation build the future of electronics manufacturing. We are currently looking for developers to help build out our factory software infrastructure and design a slick user interfaces for our robots and customers. No robotics skills are necessary. Candidates should roughly have the following skills:

* College degree in CS/CE/EE or equivalent experience.

* Good python back-end chops -AND/OR- decent front end JS skills.

* Flexible software generalists are our preferred applicants.

* We are looking for seasoned engineers. Applicants must have one or two real-world projects under their belt.

* We're a Linux shop, so candidates must be able to navigate a command line.

* Experience with MongoDB, OpenCV, iPython, Pandas, Numpy, and similar packages are a big plus.

Please send a resume and a portfolio of past work to katherine[at]tempoautomation.com.

Tempo Automation -- San Francisco, CA

http://www.tempoautomation.com

Front End / Back End / Software Generalists

No one went to engineering school to write boring e-commerce websites. Come help Tempo Automation build the future of manufacturing robots. We are hiring engineers number four and five as front end and back end developers. These two engineers will assist us in building robot infrastructure and putting a user interface on the robot. No robotics skills are required. Candidates should roughly have the following skills:

* College degree in CS/CE/EE or equivalent experience.

* Good python back-end chops -OR- decent front end JS skills.

* Flexible software generalists are our preferred applicants.

* We're a Linux shop, so candidates must be able to navigate a command line.

* Experience with MongoDB, OpenCV, iPython, Pandas, Numpy, and similar packages are a big plus.

Please send a resume and a portfolio of past work to katherine[at]tempoautomation.com.

Tempo Automation -- San Francisco, CA

http://www.tempoautomation.com

Front End / Back End

No one went to engineering school to write boring e-commerce websites. Come help Tempo Automation build the future of manufacturing robots. We are hiring engineers number four and five as front end and back end developers. These two engineers will assist us in building robot infrastructure and putting a user interface on the robot. No robotics skills are required. Candidates should roughly have the following skills:

* College degree in CS/CE/EE or equivalent experience.

* Good python back-end chops -OR- decent front end JS skills.

* Flexible software generalists are our preferred applicants.

* We're a Linux shop, so candidates must be able to navigate a command line.

* Experience with MongoDB, OpenCV, iPython, Pandas, Numpy, and similar packages are a big plus.

Please send a resume and a portfolio of past work to katherine[at]tempoautomation.com.

Tempo Automation -- San Francisco, CA

http://www.tempoautomation.com

Front End / Back End

No one went to engineering school to write boring e-commerce websites. Come help Tempo Automation build the future of manufacturing robots. We are hiring engineers number four and five as front end and back end developers. These two engineers will assist us in building robot infrastructure and putting a user interface on the robot. No robotics skills are required. Candidates should roughly have the following skills:

* College degree in CS/CE/EE or equivalent experience.

* Good python back-end chops -OR- decent front end JS skills.

* Flexible software generalists are our preferred applicants.

* We're a Linux shop, so candidates must be able to navigate a command line.

* Experience with MongoDB, OpenCV, iPython, Pandas, Numpy, and similar packages are a big plus.

Please send a resume and a portfolio of past work to katherine[at]tempoautomation.com.

Tempo Automation -- San Francisco, CA http://www.tempoautomation.com

Front End / Back End / Interns

No one went to engineering school to write boring e-commerce websites. Come help Tempo Automation build the future of manufacturing robots. We are hiring engineers number four and five as front end and back end developers. These two engineers will assist us in building robot infrastructure and putting a user interface on the robot. No robotics skills are required. Candidates should roughly have the following skills:

* College degree in CS/CE/EE or equivalent experience.

* Good python back-end chops -OR- decent front end JS skills.

* Flexible software generalists are our preferred applicants.

* We're a Linux shop, so candidates must be able to navigate a command line.

* Experience with MongoDB, OpenCV, iPython, Pandas, Numpy, and similar packages are a big plus.

Please send a resume and a portfolio of past work to katherine[at]tempoautomation.com.

Tempo Automation - Robot Software Engineer - San Francisco

http://tempoautomation.com/ contact@tempoautomation.com

We help electrical engineers at businesses get to market faster. We do this by offering a desktop electronics rapid prototyping robot (think business grade electronics 3D printer).

We’re looking to bring on our second full time engineer to help develop the robot’s software. The software spans from low level control systems, to CAD parsers, to the front end user interface. A good candidate is clever, adaptable, and flexible.

Who we’re looking for:

* Flexible generalists with a strong math and science background

* Makers

* Interest in manufacturing technology

* Strong C/C++/Python/Linux experience

* Experience building consumer or physical products

* Familiarity with or interest in these tools a big plus: Robot Operating System (ROS), OpenCV, Point Cloud Library (PCL), Numpy/Scipy/PySerial/Pandas/Kivy, Open Graphics Rendering Engine (OGRE), D3/WebGL, MongoDB, Eagle/Altium/KiCad general EE CAD, Bottle/Flask, Meteor

For more details, see: http://tempoautomation.com/careers.html

I would love to see more FOSS projects on GitTip (https://www.gittip.com/). It would seem to me that regular small donations that can be budgeted would be more helpful than just scratching where and when it itches. Giving $1 a week versus $50 at once is so much more convenient. We as the FOSS community need to own up that writing and hosting software isn't free, and most of us as highly paid engineers are in a position to be charitable and help out. My resolution for this year is to give away 1% of my income to the FOSS community and related charities (EFF, Wikipedia, Ada Initiative, PSF, etc). I challenge everyone on HackerNews to do the same. Stop bitching and put your money where your mouth and let's go help make a better world.

The FLIR machine vision cameras for industrial applications are driving me nuts. To a degree all machine vision cameras can be persnikety when you want to try and use them with FOSS software like ROS. Right now we are fighting with non-uniform correction of the cameras. Basically this is the camera's auto exposure. It consistently gets all out of whack. Also the GigE IP stack on the camera was a righteous bitch to get working. Once you buy the camera you have to spend a small fortune for an GigE SDK that doesn't even work on anything but CentOS. We ended spending a whole weekend doing some basic kernel patches to get the damn thing to kinda work on Ubuntu.

All of this is to say, it will probably work, but don't plan on building after-market apps on top of the camera technology.

As someone who has spent the past month fighting with FLIR customer support to get a $5000 camera working robustly and correctly I doubt that this will be a good product. We have dozens of FLIR cameras and at least a quarter of them have been sent back for re-calibration. We're about to send one out for the second time. Also, forget about open source support.

What about mommy's little start up? This seems like most of the start-ups I've come to know. Daddy, the non-technical co-founder just throws in some DNA and management and slaps his name all over the product. Mommy, the technical co-founder and lead engineer, does most of the work and doesn't get any recognition.

I went ahead and used SimpleCV/python to defeat this. Perhaps when I get more time tonight I will have it automatically capture the screen shots. Creating variations on this method could be really fun. I bet someone could bake something like this into SimpleCV.js (https://demo.simplecv.org/).

Source: https://gist.github.com/4360664

Results: http://imgur.com/a/hBMed

I know Bilal. He is a really great guy and has done so much for the community here in Ann Arbor. I am sure this will be a great success if it gets funded. I have backed the project and you should too.

Yeah, that is too rich for my blood. Plus it is during the week. Real startups have work to do during the week.

I moved back to Ann Arbor from NYC about six months ago. I think I had to move to New York to see how truly awesome things are here. There is a lot top notch technical talent, the cost of living is low, and abundant cheap space makes it a startup's dream. The quality of life in Ann Arbor is very good, particularly if you want to start a family. To be honest a lot of the really talented people I met in NYC were midwest ex-pats looking for work.

Our start-up is banking on the notion that things are coming full circle for technology, and that we'll see a shift from consumer facing web-applications to physical hardware. Lately it seems that the New York Times agrees:

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/technology/silicon-vall...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/business/new-wave-of-adept...

I was a defense contractor in this domain. I think the capabilities of Abraxis are trumped up a bit. I wouldn't worry too much.