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honestly if i hadn't tried playing genshin myself back when it started being relevant i wouldn't even know what you Do in this game because all of the ads only showcase the character design and not the gameplay
#it's all COME PLAY OUR GAME WE HAVE HOT PEOPLE. ok. what do the hot people do. i guess they fight. what else.#like from what i remember of my own experience + what i've heard since it's got a lot of stuff going on it could advertise#lots of systems to upgrade your characters. crafting. botw style exploring. quests with actually decent stories#but all it focuses on is Here's the 3d model you can spend hundreds hoping to randomly pull !#i'd almost think it's sad the devs think their game has no other leg to stand on than its waifus and some guys but#it's not that they think that it's just mihoyo want moneys#if i didn't know in my heart that honkai star rail is probably Exactly The Same As Genshin But In Space#i Also wouldn't even know what the gameplay is because all i've seen of it so far is It Has Anime Women#like... how is one of the most successful games of our era something that sells itself on nothing more than thirst traps fkfjdkd
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Pc Games With Character Creation Offline
Games With Character Customization Pc
Steam Games With Character Creation
One of the things I love most in a RPG (Role-Playing Game) is the possibility of creating my own character with tons of different options and add-ons. I made a research yesterday and found some interesting PC Games I already knew about, adding them to the titles I have or plan to get with the best Character Customization. I’m going to list them here for you guys also attaching a few videos so that you can see directly how they work and what kind of possibilities they offer.
It’s the main reason I enjoy games like Skyrim and Fallout. But there seem to be so few good (single player) games with decent character creation - and not just picking from a few presets. The character creation in Dragon Age: inquisition was amazing (although I struggled to enjoy the game) as well as Saints Row (which I really enjoyed). Addicting Offline Co-op Games For PC You’ll Want To Play. Dennis Patrick / Features / Best Co-op PC Games, Co-op, Cooperative. Sonic the Hedgehog is a staple video game character. Best MMORPG with Character Creation. Final Fantasy 14 has one of the most complex and sophisticated character editors. In this game, you can change the smallest details using different sliders, pick a unique voice, or add unique tattoos, accessories and facial paint. What Are Best RPGs With Character Creation? Role-playing games let us live out some of our greatest fantasies like slaying dragons, saving the world and owning a house. Whether your main character is dead, alive, or somewhere in between, these games will let you adjust your appearance and abilities to however you see fit. I've always loved games that give you the option to create your character before you start in the world. I enjoy the game even more when it has role playing or social aspects added to it, allowing you interact with NPCs, or other players if the game has a multiplayer feature. Just character creation would interest me enough to check any game out.
Follow me under the cut if you’re curious!
I’ve been introduced to this type of creation with a game I still keep in my heart and consider one of the best of all times; The Sims 2. Seriously, I’ve created so many 3D characters that if I could win an award I’d have 200 on my shelf by now.
With that said, here you are my personal list of PC games with their awesome customization in no particular order:
I tried this game myself (the free beta that is) a few times in the past and I swear the CC included in it is currently one of my favorite. Without the complete pack I probably didn’t have a lot of additional options available in terms of clothes, makeup and hair, but what truly mesmerized me at the time was the shaping tool, not yet common in games when they released EVE. You can grab and drag different parts of the head and body, modeling unique characters every time.
2. Black Desert Online
This game has been released recently with two different packages and it seems to be quite a popular MMORPG (Massive(ly) Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) in Russia and Korea. I’m not surprised considering the quality this game seems to have and its customization is clearly no less. Just like EVE Online, Black Desert offers a good sculpt instrument to shape faces and bodies as much as you like, plus a beautiful variety of colors and combinations.
UPDATE: The game is also available on Steam!
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3. Blade&Soul
This is another Asian MMORPG with the classical ‘Anime’ style, you cannot freely reshape the character’s structure, only pick one of the available presets and play around with the sliders to modify the whole body. Andy mckinney molly hatchet. Still, I honestly like the bright colors, the races/classes and the fact that you can actually recreate other existing characters using additional content (just like this guy did with Cloud from Final Fantasy VII).
4. BLESS Online
Yes, another Asian online title. Hey, it’s not my fault if they look so pretty! Bless is quite recent and not yet released in its final stage, but judging by how the CC works you have as much freedom as in EVE or Black Desert and the same unmistakable Fantasy touch.
5. The Sims 4
Didn’t I mention The Sims 2? Well, looks like the latest title in the series has improved quite a lot in this area. The shaping/sculpting method is here as well, considering that we finally have more possibilities I certainly won’t complain!
Note: In this video I can see the woman has a few mods installed. If you decide to get this game (or even the previous chapters) I definitely suggest you to do the same if you don’t like the default character design.
6. Fallout 4
Another recent (and quite famous) game. Apparently you can only work on the face here, but once again we see the sculpt tool in action. Even if the hair options are a bit limited you can still customize your character and create unique features playing around with your cursor.
7. Dragon Age: Inquisition
Who knows me is well aware of the fact that I am completely OBSESSED with this game, thus I couldn’t really leave it out. The hair options are definitely questionable and just like in Fallout 4 you do not have any body morph nor slider to alter, but as you can see from this video example you are still able to personalize your Inquisitor in a good way, also using real people or other characters as reference. To be honest I like some of the default presets too, if you don’t like spending two hours working on a face (I do that all the time, but I am a basket case so please ignore my madness :P), you can pick those and get a good result nonetheless.
And don’t forget about mods! 😉
8. Skyrim (The Elder Scrolls V)
This one has been around for a very long time and it remains probably the top 1 Fantasy game out there. If you’re not into mods at all and want to keep your game vanilla be sure that the overall quality is not as improved as the current generation, you can see that from the low-res hair and general textures. The reason why I’m including this CC in the list anyway is because even if old, Skyrim looks quite good compared to other games where you only get 3/4 slider options.
9. APB Reloaded
The last game I’d like to mention (and I literally just discovered it) is this not so new title which has a kick-ass Character Creator. Not only it shows some quality graphics there, but the level of customization is unbelievable! You can make hair shorter, beards longer, create beautiful tattoos (and place or rotate them wherever you want!), add patterns to clothes and even get your personal car! 😀
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There are of course many other games with a Character Creator, but they all seem pretty similar or not good enough to be mentioned in my list.
What do you think about these? Let me know with a comment if you like!
Those late-night multiplayer sessions can be really fun sometimes. Surely, everything is better with friends, they say and you’ll agree with that at some point. However, after a long day of work and studying, I like to relax with offline games. Sometimes, it’s satisfying to let yourself indulge in a great single-player story and forget about any problems bothering you. So, if you are like me, then welcome to the club! Below is my list of 20 best offline games for PC and I hope you’ll enjoy them.
1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
W2k16 pc download. Well, you’ve guessed it! The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt takes first place on the list with its epic setting, characters, gameplay, and those breathtaking visuals! It’s a compelling game that will offer you more than a hundred hours of non-filler gameplay, and there’s always something to explore. The game looks amazing, and the combat system is great. This open-world title is everything you need on your free days! Combine that with the great RPG elements and fun dialogues with NPCs, and you got yourself a pretty good offline game! Go and play it now, it’s a must-play.
2. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus
Wolfenstein series has been once again revived with Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus. The positive reviews flashed all around the globe, and this game quickly became one of the best shooting games of 2017. B.J Blazkowicz is such a badass protagonist and the characters surrounding the game are interesting. You’ll quickly start to care about each and every one of them, making this game a worthy offline title. Bethesda said that they won’t be focusing on multiplayer, so they can bring an immersive single-player experience. Well, you nailed it, Bethesda; great job!
3. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Bethesda is one of my favorite companies when it comes to gaming, at least they were a few years back. A few years back, this masterpiece called The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was released and it took the Earth by storm! This offline open-world title offers hundreds of hours of exploration and you’ll probably never get bored of it! The combat system might be dated, but it’s damn fun to play and explore every corner of the game. After six years since its release, I’m still eager to give Skyrim another go. It’s that great!
4. Fallout 4
Games With Character Customization Pc
Fallout 4 is one of those top offline games that you either like or dislike. It’s a great single-player experience, as you explore a huge world of fictional city Commonwealth. I mean, the story here is scattered here and there, and our protagonist is in search of his abducted son. However, the game often steers away from that and let you have some freedom and exploration. It’s a fantastic reboot of the series, and it’s surely the best game in the franchise. If you are up for that Stalker-ish feeling, then give this a try!
5. Hitman (2016)
Hitman isn’t a strictly offline game, but I included it because it has a great single-player campaign. While the previous entry in the series Hitman: Absolution relied more on linear, claustrophobic, and confined experience, Hitman (2016) went in a different direction. Here, you’ll experience a vast, open-world with lots of stuff to do. The levels are not that numerous, but they are as big as hell! You can complete your missions in various ways and earn certain rewards and points for doing so. Hitman is a challenging stealth experience, but once Agent 47crawls under your skin, there’s no going back!
Steam Games With Character Creation
6. Nioh
Nioh is a less-known offline game released this year, and I feel like this game is very underrated. It’s a child of Dark Souls and Bloodborne series, which can tell you much about this game. It has a single, crushing, and unforgiving difficulty that will leave you begging for mercy. It’s hard, and you’ll need some blazing fast reflexes and huge gaming skills to finish it. There are more than twenty bosses in the game, and every single boss will kick your ass! Don’t expect to finish this game in a few days; you’ll need weeks to finish it and it will be painfully slow as the bosses shame you every little time… you helpless gamer!
7. Nier: Automata
Another underrated game – Nier: Automata. How could the gaming community overlook this game? Are you blind, or what? This game offers thirty hours of a pure, refined, and amazing experience! It’s a hack-and-slash title that mergers several genres with it. The open world in this game is huge, and the post-apocalyptic environment looks depressing and feels like a void. Nier also introduces RPG elements so you can now level yourself up, upgrade weapons, buy stuff, etc. On top of that, there are some 2D sections that feel like a great platformer, and that’ very unique! Nier: Automata is better than most AAA titles and costs double the less of that price, which is one more reason to get it.
8. Dark Souls 3
Dark Souls series got a fantastic reboot with Dark Souls 3. Just if it wasn’t enough for the previous games in the series, and now we got this punishing game. What can I say? Prepare to die a LOT in this game, as it’s created to kill you. I’m not joking, the whole game is against you, and you can’t do anything about that except fight like a lunatic. Even when you die, the enemies around you respawn and you must fight again and again, which is really frustrating. However, if you have the balls to play it, and manage to finish it, then you deserve a medal, Sir!
9. Bioshock Infinite
Bioshock Infinite is the newest installment in the Bioshock series. This cheap game can give you a huge value for your buck, especially when the Holidays come. I mean, for just a couple of bucks, you can get a fantastic FPS game, which campaign isn’t short and definitely isn’t boring! Bioshock Infinite continues its tradition with great shooting mechanics, various powerups, and that fast-paced shooting in a beautiful environment of the game. Get ready to cause mayhem!
10. Alien: Isolation
Alien: Isolation is that PC offline game that will haunt your dreams every time you try to sleep. It’s a horror game in which you try to stay in one piece and escape that damn space station called Sevastopol. Sounds similar? Well, that’s because the game is based on Alien (1979) movie, which was a very disturbing experience at the time. It’s an intense game that makes your palms sweat and your heart beating so fast that you’ll think it’s gonna come out of your chest! Try this horror if you dare, and watch yourself getting swallowed by the Alien, in a single bite!
11. Far Cry Primal
Elephants are cool, but mammoths are so badass! In Far Cry Primal, you can hunt mammoths and even ride them when you get to higher levels! How cool are you from zero to riding a mammoth? This beautiful-looking game is set 10,000 years BC and no, you aren’t going to shoot guns, but bash the hell out of your enemies. The arsenal of weapons might not be that huge, but the combat is great and requires more thinking, as the enemies are sometimes overwhelming and can easily kill you. If you have the luck to tame a sabertooth tiger, you may survive in this harsh world!
12. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
There is something special about that claustrophobic feeling, especially when it comes to horror games that you can play without internet. That sense of dread and despair when you don’t have much space to move is priceless. Don’t think of me as a psycho, but I LOVE the horror genre! RE7: Biohazard is a game that caught my attention as soon as it was released. This bad boy will provide you with a horrific experience that will leave you scared to death! As the game plays from the first-person perspective, it’s much easier to get yourself immersed, but also scared.
13. Outlast 2
Outlast 2 is yet another offline horror experience, where the developers decided to leave your powerless. There aren’t weapons for you to use, and surely no means to defend yourself. So, what are you left with? Well, a camera and a journal should do the trick! The game does a damn fine job of melding the horror and the dread with stealth and great storytelling. In the end, you may feel a little let down by the ending, but I know you’ll enjoy it until the very end.
14. Dead Space 3
Cat et 2015a factory password generator. While the past games in the series focused more on that horror experience, Dead Space 3 is more of an action-horror game. Sure, there are Necromorphs and they are vicious and all, but the action part is more prominent. Needless to say that Dead Space 3 is an amazing game and I’m very sad that Visceral Games is closed by EA in October. This survival horror game is hugely underrated, but it’s awesome and I recommend you to play it. It’s just a couple of bucks for this experience, don’t be a niggard!
15. Portal 2
There’s something awesome when it comes to Source Engine. The games made with this engine looks amazing, yet they run smoothly. How did Valve manage to do that? Well, as I am not a game developer, don’t ask me! But ask me about Portal 2, which is Valve’s magnum opus, and a compelling puzzle game. The whole point of the game is to use a Portal gun in order to create portals and pass through them. However, the game isn’t that simple and requires some brain skill to finish it. Grab your Portal Gun, and let’s go on a venture!
16. Limbo
This 2D game is straight-up terrifying, dark, and misanthropic from the start to finish! In Limbo, you are a little boy that needs to survive this colorless world of the game as he overcomes various obstacles and escape scary monsters. I like the game’s artwork and the atmosphere is simply top-notch here if you like the dark ambient in the games. It’s a must-play for every offline Indie games lover!
17. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
Speaking of the atmosphere, very few great offline games can replicate the atmosphere as it is in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat. That post-apocalyptic atmosphere of Pripyat looks great, and the game isn’t colorful, which is the whole point. Everything has that grey-ish tint, as this town suffered greatly when the Nuclear Powerplant in that area exploded. It’s based on a real-life event that occurred around 1989, which gives the game a certain weight and meaning.
18. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
With MGSV: The Phantom Pain, Hideo Kojima proved that he still has what it takes to create such immersive PC games without internet. This stealth game is challenging and full of stuff to do, due to its open-world nature. The characters are badass and the game feels somewhat dark, with a very serious tone. Oh, and not to forget that plot twist at the end that’s worth those thirty hours I’ve spent on this game!
19. SOMA
Horror fans will be pleased that I mentioned another horror title here. SOMA is an absolutely spooky and nerve-wracking experience! It creates that atmosphere that’s very unique, and with the story being told in the shape of various documents scattered through the game, it’s even more badass! You are all alone here and you’ll fight for your life, only to find out that you aren’t actually alive! A truly wonderful offline game for Windows.
20. Superhot
Superhot is a cartoonish-looking offline game that revolves around time. To make it simple, the time in the game moves when you move, so if you are standing still, nothing will happen. Vice Versa, if you are moving and shooting, then the enemies will do the same. It’s a lot of fun, but a lot of challenges too. I played it with some of my favorite death metal albums, just to ensure that I’m hardcore enough to beat it!
As we are approaching near the end of our journey through the offline PC games, I’m here to ask you a question. What is your favorite offline game for PC? I tried my best to count some of my favorite offline games, and although I’m maybe going to start a war for not including some of the games, I stand behind my words. Oh, and why don’t you tell me what game did I miss? Do you have any favorites besides these 20 games? Please, let me know, and don’t forget to do some gaming today!
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Come Home
Summary: Famous inventor and heir to Berk Enterprises, Hiccup Haddock III has become somewhat of a well-known name across Europe. And thanks to an interview with the popular magazine The Archipelago, fans have begun to wonder about the private life of Europe’s most avid inventor. Does he have any hobbies besides inventing? Has he always wanted to take over his father’s company? Does he have a significant other? Is he gay? Straight? Bi? What better way to answer these questions than in yet another interview, but live and hosted by the one and only Anna Wynters on her talk show?
He should have never agreed to that damn interview with The Archipelago in the first place. It was a courtesy and a compromise between his father and him when he agreed to it anyway, so why did it have to be such a hit? Couldn’t his new model to aid handicapped animals be the thing that suddenly caught the public’s eye rather than his mysterious, unknown background with the affairs of society?
Looking back on the interview, Hiccup regrets not stopping the interviewer, a woman who went by M.K., at the more personal questions. For nineteen years, the latest magazines and the paparazzi never saw any sign or sighting of Hiccup to prove he wasn’t dead. Stoick Haddock, the head of Berk Enterprises and a man who was and is still very used to the demands in the world of cameras and interviews, didn’t want his son to be exposed to that life so early especially after an incident that involved Hiccup and a misplaced bag. So, when Hiccup showed up to the interview instead of Stoick for The Archipelago magazine, questions were thrown at him that were so random and rather personal that Hiccup honestly couldn’t process fast enough.
And for once, he was glad Gobber had shown up right on time in the family car to pick him up from something.
“Hiccup?”
His head snaps up from where he sits at his desk, in his room of the Haddock home. From where he sits at his desk that faces a serene view of the untouched forest through tall windows, Hiccup turns to his left and is met with the slouched figure of the one and only Jackson Overland. His best friend is slumped against the door frame sporting his signature blue and white frosted hoodie, black jeans and combat boots. He raises his hand to pull back the hood of his sweatshirt to reveal his strange, white head of hair.
“What is it now, Jack? I have to leave for this stupid interview soon.” Hiccup grouses as he turns back to his computer where his is working out possible hindrances on a digital, 3D model of the latest prosthetic he’s designed.
“Relax, man, I’m here for… we’ll call it moral support.” Jack offers as he makes his way over to Hiccup’s side.
Hiccup scoffs at him. “‘Moral support’? Is that what they’re calling an excuse to go see one’s girlfriend now? Besides, you work there.”
He listens for an answer as Jack let’s out a chuckle as he crosses the room to stand before Hiccup. “That’s what I’m calling it. But in all seriousness, I am going for your sake. Elsa’s letting me work today and it gave Andy an extra say off, so what’s he gonna complain about?” Insists Jack before adding, “Seeing her is just the up side to this whole trip.”
Rolling his eye in response, Hiccup smirks a bit. “You also just like hitching rides with Gobber because you know damn well that he doesn’t give a shit if you tag along and we’ll end up going Thor knows where afterwards.” He turns to face Jack in the swiveling desk chair.
With his hands held up in mock surrender, Jack lets out yet another chuckle. “Also guilty for that. But come on, Hiccup, admit it. You’re completely relieved that I’m going with you to this dumb interview that we both know all too well you’re going to hate.”
As much as Hiccup doesn’t want to admit it right now, Jack has a point. Though he loathes the idea of heading over to Arendelle Studios, it probably won’t be too unbearable with at least one person to express his annoyance and disdain with.
Just as Hiccup is about to retort with one of his witty comebacks, the door swings open with a loud bang. In hobbles Gobber Belch, lovely name yeah? But Hiccup doesn’t really have much to say about Gobber’s name, instead he sympathizes with him when it comes to the names that they have been given. Because, unfortunately for him, 'Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III’ is his legal name. Do you know how much teasing he received in school for his damn name? It’s not like he had a say in it!
“Hiccup, it’s time ta head out now.” Gobber announces in his loud and heavily accented voice. “Oh, hullo there, Jack. I s'ppose you’ll be joinin’ Hiccup at Arendelle Studios?”
Jack nods his head just as Hiccup teasingly mutters 'unfortunately’ under his breath at the same time he closes his laptop.
“Sorry, didn’t hear that, Haddock? What did you say about your dear best friend?” Jack asks feigning an innocent tone as he bends over at the waist, his eyes right at the same level as Hiccup’s.
“Nothing at all.” Hiccup shrugs nonchalantly as he stands to his feet and walks over to his closet to grab a coat from his closet to pull on over his grey dress shirt and black vest.
“Well you sure know how to clean up yourself.” Jack jokes as Hiccup emerges from the closet.
“Shut the hell up,” Hiccup mumbles as he pushes past Jack to grab his phone off his desk before joining Gobber at the door with Jack just steps behind him.
He leads the other two through the familiar, tall, white and maroon decorated hallways and down the marble steps. Then he takes a left at the end of the staircase and heads towards the garage filled with cars and gets into the car that has been 'Gobber’s’ for the last fifteen years.
Once Gobber himself and Jack are seated in the car, his guardian revs the car to life and the three of them settle into comfortable silence. After the garage door lifts up and the car rolls out of its place among the others, Hiccup is soon met with the lush, green space that surrounds the Haddock’s luxurious mansion. As he watches the familiar green space fly by in a blur, he sighs. He would much rather spend his time with Toothless, his black german shepherd, in the woods rather than in a studio with overbearingly bright, florescent lighting and the stench of terrible coffee.
Suddenly, it hits him that the car is far too quiet for one that contains the infamous chatterbox that is Jack Overland. He glances over to his counterpart who is slumped against the car door, hood pulled up over his head, and phone in hand with is eyes glued to the screen.
Hiccup’s watch as the forest soon turned into tall, city buildings. For the next twenty minutes, the trio drive in silence, and the only one who apparently thought it was a little odd was himself. But he doesn’t bother saying anything about it. Maybe it’s just the anxiety from the interview that he’s about to do is playing weird mind tricks on him.
“Hiccup!”
Gobber’s voice snaps him awake suddenly from his short nap and he can hear Jack sniggering from beside him.
“We’re here.” His driver announces.
Hiccup nods his head and glares at a still sniggering Jack before opening the car door and climbing out with Jack in tow. He whips out his phone to check and see if he’s missed anything important, however, the only notification on his screen is a single snapchat from the one and only Jack. He quirks an eyebrow at the screen as security allows him and his suddenly chatty friend through the door and escort them to the proper level of Arendelle Studios. As soon as he taps the chat, he is met with his own slumbering face, mouth open, with little snores being let out every once in a while. 'Pre-interview napping by the heir to Berk Enterprises…what a successor’ the text reads.
Narrowed eyes fixate themselves on a certain snowy-haired friend of his. “What the fuck is this?” Hiccup demands as Jack bursts out into laughter.
“I just couldn’t not take the chance, Hiccup. You practically asked for it when you fell asleep beside me!”
Hiccup whacks Jack on the back of the head before shoving the phone back in his pocket and rolling his eyes. “Why did I let you tag along again? Also, what kind of moral support is this?”
“The frosty kind.” Jack shrugs as they near the correct stage.
“I’m laughing so hard I can’t show it through the annoyance written all over my face.” Hiccup deadpans which only sends Jack into another fit of laughter.
“Hello, Mister Haddock!” A cheery voice greets.
Pulling his attention away from Jack, Hiccup focuses on the woman standing before him who can’t be any older than his own twenty years of age. Her hair is a soft orange-red that has been knotted and piled neatly on top of her head. She has bright, teal eyes that stand out greatly against her fair skin and a few freckles dust along the tops of her cheeks as well as under her eyes. She’s about a head and a few inches shorter than his one hundred and eighty-five centimeter frame, but she must be even shorter than that considering she is wearing heels.
Hiccup clears his throat a little before offering her a small smile. “Hello, Miss Wynters. Thank you for having me today.” He hopes his tone doesn’t make him sound too rehearsed.
“I should be thanking you, Mister Haddock. It means a lot to me that you accepted my invitation to agree to be interviewed.” Anna replies still smiling widely.
“Hey, Anna,” Jack greets casually from Hiccup’s side.
She turns her attention to Jack and smiles up at him as well. “Hi, Jack. Elsa will be down in a bit. She said to tell you not to get into too much trouble while she’s not here.”
Jack dramatically clutches his chest where his heart rests. “You mean to tell me that she still doesn’t trust me? After being my girlfriend for five months, she still doesn’t trust me around one of the stages in her studio?”
Anna rolls her eye playfully and shakes her head. “Yes, and I can understand why.” She laughs a little before turning her attention back to Hiccup. “We’ll be on in ten, okay? I know it’s sudden since you just got here and all, but I just thought that since I asked so quickly, you’d like to get out of here as soon as possible.”
Hell yeah I would. He thinks to himself, but, of course, he doesn’t voice that thought. “No, no, take all the time you need, Miss Wynters, I did, in fact, agree to spend time on your show.” He finishes awkwardly. Besides, it’s not like I have much planned afterwards. Though he may detest the idea of being there at all, he might as well spend an hour doing someone else some good.
“Yes, but I believe we have chosen a fantastic gift to present you with when we’re nearing the end of the show. Oh, and please, call me 'Anna’. I think we’re past former names for each other.” Anna says before she tells him that she’ll see him soon and thanks him one time.
The guest who agree to appear on Anna’s talk show always receive a gift at the end of the show to show how appreciative the hostess is that they took the time to stop by and chat. Gifts have ranged from a free dinner at some hoity-toity restaurant and an all-expense paid weekend getaway to some hotel by the see or on a tropical island. But somehow, Hiccup forgot about that little tidbit. He didn’t accept the interview because of the possible prize that he may obtain out of it; he accepted the invitation out courtesy and a desire to fulfill one of the Wynters sister’s wishes. In the past, the Haddocks and the Wynters have had a good relationship with one another, even going so far as to collaborate business with each other from time to time.
Before he knows it, ten minutes is up and he hasn’t even moved from the spot he stood in from the moment Anna stopped to greet him and Jack.
A stage hand was soon showing him to way to the seat across from where Anna sat and as he glances over the stage from this new perspective, he can see the audience’s seats as well as a window high on the wall where the lights and the screens are controlled. There in the box, sits Jack who gives him a thumbs up and a smirk before being accompanied by the oldest Wynters sister, Elsa. All Hiccup has to say is that Jack got lucky that Elsa came around about the twenty-fourth time Jack asked her out in some kind of insane or goofy way. With platinum blonde hair, eyes as blue as the northern lights, and skin so light it could be snow, Elsa Wynters is a beautiful girl that Jack was lucky enough to annoy to the point of her saying 'yes’ to a date just to get him to stop all the grand gestures.
“We’re live in two minutes!” Hiccup hears someone announce.
After a deep breath, Hiccup shrugs his coat off, gives it to one of the crew members, who in exchange for his coat attaches a microphone to the collar of his shirt, before Hiccup shoves his hands into his pocket while the other goes to rub the back of his neck anxiously. Soon, Anna is standing behind him as she prepares herself and attempts to soothe his nerves that he is so desperately trying to hide.
“You’ll do just fine. I promise the questions aren’t too intense.” Anna guarantees him as the audience files in from the three double doors. “I know it’s a lot to look at with the live audience, the bright lights, and all, but you can do it! Besides, if you need a laugh, just look up at my sister’s goofball of a boyfriend and he’ll set you back on track.”
Hiccup offers her a curt nod and a muttered 'thanks’ before she takes her place in her chair on stage as he silently asks Thor why he agreed to this again.
“And we’re on in three two…”
The intro music to the show blares out the speakers placed throughout the room and Anna welcomes the audience as well as the viewers at him while Hiccup does his best to look like he’s not about to have an anxiety attack.
“Tonight, we have a very special guest, who’s been off the radar for the last few years. Please give Hiccup Haddock a warm welcome to his first live interview on TV.” Anna encourages as Hiccup makes his way out from behind the curtain and to the white and golden accented couch.
“Hello, Hiccup, and welcome to Melting Wynter’s Ice. I’m so glad you could make it!” She says as she smiles brightly at him.
He returns the smile as he sits down and attempts to get comfortable. “Thanks for asking me, Anna.”
The audience claps for him as he offers them another smile and a shy, awkward wave which gets the girls going and results in some swooning in the crowd.
And now I’m even more out of my comfort zone. Fantastic. He thinks sarcastically to himself.
“So, Hiccup, it’s been a while since the media has heard anything about Berk Enterprise’s heir, and if it’s okay with you, we’d like to know why that is.” Anna says from a white chair lined in gold like the couch he sits upon.
Hiccup chuckles awkwardly before shrugging his shoulders a little. “Well, I-I mean, after an accident with my five year old self and a misplaced bag.”
The crowd give a short chuckle, so he takes this as a que to continue.
“Five year old Hiccup was a weird kid, okay? That’s, I guess, the first thing you gotta understand.” Hiccup starts. “He would go hunting for trolls in his back yard when his left socks were missing. Which, mind you, he wouldn’t have done if Uncle Gobber hadn’t told him that trolls are, in fact, real and that when little boys upset them by taking their rocks from the creek, they take their left sock.” Hiccup stops for a second as the crowd laughs and giggles at his five year old self. “I think that was just Gobber’s way of trying to convince a five year old that bringing moss-covered rocks into the house wasn’t the best idea. Five-year-old Hiccup also loved the idea of finding new fantasy inspired worlds through the woods and I, personally, blame it on the movies Bridge to Terabithia and Mary Poppins. Oh, and the Harry Potter and Narnia books. So, you can imagine what a five year old thought at a gala that was very, very boring to him when he saw a large, fluorescent patterned bag sitting by a staircase. Now, I’m still a talking fishbone, but back then I was even smaller. So, I get this grand idea to climb into this purse that resembles Mary Poppins’ and possibly get transported into Narnia or something.”
Anna, along with the audience is openly laughing at the story of five-year-old Hiccup and he hopes that he can keep this up for the rest of the hour.
“This bag, by the way, is just big enough and five-year-old me is just small enough so that if I were to lay down and curl up into the fetal position in this bag, I could easily not be seen. So that’s what I did. And, you can imagine what happens next.” Hiccup says as he rubs the back of his neck again. “Yeah, I fell asleep in this random purse for like two hours or something. So you can imagine the shock and horror the woman was in she found some weird, super skinny kid curled up in the fetal position in her purse for absolutely no reason. After that, dad decided it was probably best if I was kept under the radar, which I was alright with honestly.”
There’s not one person who’s not laughing in the studio. And once Anna has calmed down enough to speak again the audience is ready for more.
“Oh my gosh, Hiccup. That’s insane!” Anna chuckles a little. “You’re what like, what, a hundred and seventy-eight centimeters tall?”
“A hundred and eighty-five, yeah, sure.”
“You had to have had some kind of growth spurt right?” She jokes.
He laughs along a little and shrugs his shoulders again. “Around my fifth year, I had a weird growth spurt which didn’t help my awkwardness or my inability to control my oddly long arms and legs. I’m pretty sure I grew eighteen or twenty centimeters or something like that.”
“So did you have any hobbies back then that you still like to do today?”
“I like to hang out with my german shepherd, Toothless. He’s my best friend and the reason I even began to work on designs to aid handicapped animals of all kinds. He’s what started it all.” Hiccup explains. “See, when I found Toothless abandoned on the side of the road and hurt, I refused to leave him to suffer. I got my cousin, Scott or as I call him 'Lout’, to help me get him in the back of the car before driving straight to the nearest vet and getting him patched up best as possible. Later, we realized, his back left leg was infected and he’d die if he didn’t get rid of it.”
Sounds of sympathy washed over the crowd.
“That’s amazing that your dog is such an inspiration to you. Not many people are inspired by something so negative that turned into something positive.” Anna commends. “So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to change the topic to something a little lighter.”
“Go ahead, I’m ready when you are.”
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought I read something about you being in an ice hockey club, and being quite spectacular as well. When you were in school, did you, in fact, participate in the ice hockey club?” Anna asks curiously.
Slowly, Hiccup nods his head. “Yes, I was in an ice hockey club during the majority of my years of secondary schooling.”
“Where the rumors right about you being great enough to play professionally someday?”
A blush blooms on Hiccup’s cheeks and spreads down his neck as he runs a hand through his hair and with the same hand, he rubs the back of his neck yet again. “I guess I was good enough.” He relents, embarrassed. “But, obviously, it wasn’t meant to be.”
“Oh,” Anna breathes and he can tell that she’s feeling bad for bringing up the subject.
“Besides, originally, I didn’t want to be a professional ice hockey player. That was just something I did to help get me into shape to join the army.” Hiccup reveals as he makes it a goal to avoid eye contact with everyone in the room.
“The army?” Anna questions.
He nods his head sheepishly. “Yeah, the army. See, a year into my secondary schooling, my friends and I all agreed that we wanted to serve. It wasn’t a sudden or abrupt decision, obviously. Some of us wanted to serve from a very young age, and others decided to join over time. Just, some of us didn’t get to.”
“These friends of yours, are you still close?”
Hiccup chuckles a little as he pictures their faces vividly before him as if they were sitting there with him right now. “Of course. I’ve never been so excited to get mail in my entire life.” He jokes lightly.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why can’t you?” Anna asks, treading lightly.
For a moment Hiccup is silent to gather his thoughts before sitting up a little straighter. “The reason I don’t – can’t – play hockey anymore is the same reason I can’t join my friends in the military. I was out in the woods with Toothless trying to get him used to his new prosthetic. He was doing far better than I thought he would so I kept getting him to run and maybe jump a little every so often. It got dark and I lost track of time. We were pretty deep in the woods and I hadn’t brought a light with me or anything so I was heading back to the house on pure instinct. I fell into a ditch, skinned myself up pretty bad, broke my left foot, and even managed a huge gash at the ankle. Toothless, thankfully, cried loud enough for Gobber and my father to hear. But when they found me, I was in so much pain I don’t remember much of what happened. Like my own dog, my leg was infected and if it didn’t come then…”
Silence washes over the room and even a few tears were silently shed.
“So yeah,” Hiccup mumbles awkwardly. “I, uh, don’t have a left leg.”
More silence.
Finally, Anna breaks the lack of noise. “I’m so sorry, Hiccup. It must have been so hard to let your dream go.”
“Yeah,” He mutters. “It was.”
“Why don’t you tell us about your friends?” Anna inquires.
Offering her a small smile, Hiccup nods his head. “Well, Lout was definitely one that took time to realize what he wanted to do. He’s stubborn and doesn’t like to admit he’s wrong so you can imagine the conversation that took place when the twins brought up the idea and he wasn’t too keen on it. But, I think he made the right decision. It’s been good for him. The twins, Taylor and Rebelle Thorston took time as well, but they took less time. They’ve always been a bit too reckless and like Lout, I believe that it’s been good for them. Finn Ingerman wanted to do something with intelligence, but he decided that in the end, the military just wasn’t for him. However, for his girlfriend, Heather Osvald, it gave her purpose. All her life, she’s been a survivor, and being out there, doing something that she’s all too familiar with but having a purpose while doing the one thing she’s always known is relieving for her.”
“You speak very passionately about your friends, but her specifically very strongly. Tell us, Hiccup, do you have to disappoint all the lovely ladies in audience by confirming that you do indeed have feelings for Miss Osvald despite her involvement with another?”
Hiccup’s eyes widen. “No. Not at all. We’re closer to brother and sister.”
“Well, since we are on the topic, if you don’t mind too much, can we have the privilege of knowing whether or not you have that special person?” Anna asks dramatically.
Another blush darkens his cheeks and neck as his hand repeats its nervous habit once more. Instead of speaking, he simply nods and the crowd 'oh’s and 'ah’s.
“Can you give us a name? Gender?”
Silence engulfs the room again and Hiccup’s blush apparently refuses to fade. When he opens his mouth to speak, he only hopes his voice doesn’t waver or come out as a stutter. “Astrid Hofferson.”
“Astrid Hofferson.” Anna repeats.
“Astrid was born to be in combat. She’s fiercely loyal and she’s resourceful and insanely determined.” Hiccup claims. “If anyone was meant to be out there, it’s her. I’ve never known anyone more passionate than her about being a soldier. And she doesn’t want to be a soldier for honor or personal glory, she wants to be a soldier because she’s dreamed about it her whole life. The other soldiers in her unit have given her a nickname: Fearless Astrid Hofferson. And that’s what I love about her. She’s not like anyone I’ve ever met and for some insane reason, she hasn’t realized what a total fishbone I really am.” He jokes. “But, of course, I miss her when she’s away like any normal person.”
“How long until she gets back?” Anna asks with a sympathetic smile on her lips.
“About two months. But if I’m lucky she’ll be back sooner.” Hiccup says as her runs a hand through his hair.
“What would you say to her if she had the opportunity to watch this live stream?”
“I’d tell her Stormfly, that’s her weimaraner, misses her, that I love her and miss her. I’d tell her that her house plants are dying but it’s not my fault and that I miss her scent and her laugh. I’d tell her than when she gets home, it’ll be falling in love with her all over again as soon as I see her in front of me and know it’s not a dream or some trick Jack could play on me.”
“Then I can assure you that this is not a trick Jack is playing on you.”
He freezes, but soon he’s on his feet in the blink of an eye and when he turns to see where that all too familiar voice is coming from, he almost can’t believe the sight before his eyes.
Only meters away, clad in her green uniform and combat boots, stands the very person he has not seen in the last eight months. And as soon as he lays eyes upon her he knew he was right about what he said earlier. At the sight of her, he feels as if he’s fallen in love with her all over again. Her eyes are just as blue as he remembers, but her hair seems to be longer, still braided none the less though. He doesn’t know how long he stands there staring at her with his mouth open in shock, but he doesn’t care when he just barely whispers her name and she meets him half way across the stage.
As soon as she’s in his arms, he breathes in her scent and he knows this is the smell of home. Astrid is home. His home.
Her vice-like grip around his waist doesn’t bother him in the slightest. As long as she’s here where he can see her face to face and hold her just like this, he’d say yes to another interview and another.
Hiccup feels her hands move higher so that now they rest behind his neck as she beckons him down for a kiss that they so desperately desire from each other.
“Hey, Hiccstrid.” Comes the familiar voice of his cousin.
Hiccup and Astrid break apart reluctantly and turn to face the direction from which Astrid came. Standing in the same uniform and combat boots, are the friends he me missed so much over the course of eight months.
“Now, I don’t want a kiss or anything like that, but-” Taylor, the male twin says.
“Buy we’d at least like a hug.” Rebelle finishes.
While everyone surrounded Hiccup as they became reunited with each other, Astrid made eye contact with Anna, first and then Jack and Elsa up in the control panel.
She mouths 'thank you’ to all three and offers them a smile as they give her one in return.
“And there you have it, everyone. Hiccup’s gift as a 'thank you’ for stopping by and chatting for the first time. Thanks for watching, and I hope you’ll tune in next week on Melting Wynters Ice.”
AN: I really hope you all enjoyed this one shot! Let me know what you think and if you want, follow me on tumblr blackwolfzbane! Feedback is greatly appreciated.
OR
read here on fanfiction.net and ao3:
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12780923/1/Come-Home
https://archiveofourown.org/works/13214700
#hiccstrid#hiccstrid fanfiction#hiccup horrendous haddock iii#astrid hofferson#how to train your dragon#how to train your dragon fanfiction#blackwolfzbane
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Here Is How Blockchain Will Help to Explore Space
Space is an area that has been historically researched by few governments, being a complex matter that requires thorough, high-class research and, therefore, substantial funding. More recently, with the emerging popularity of audacious startups like SpaceX, space exploration has become a less exclusive area. Now, however, it seems that the cryptocurrencies’ primary features — blockchain, its underlying technology, and the concept of an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), its crowdfunding model — are bringing in even more power into the previously unshared territory.
Big players are adopting blockchain for space exploration:
Space giants like the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are studying ways to employ blockchain for their mission. Findings obtained so far suggest that the technology might be useful both on the ground (facilitating data-related processes, just like in other mainstream institutions) and in space (helping to navigate the deep space).
NASA
In 2017, NASA awarded a $330,000 grant that supported the development of an autonomous, blockchain-based spacecraft system, making its first move toward blockchain adoption. Called the Resilient Networking and Computing Paradigm (RNCP), the new system relies on blockchain and requires no human intervention, as the grant’s recipient, Dr. Jin Wei Kocsis — an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Akron — outlines in her research synopsis.
As Kocsis explains, the RNCP will examine the application of Ethereum-based blockchain smart contracts in developing a secure computing system that would be applicable for challenging space conditions:
“In this project, the Ethereum blockchain technology will be exploited to develop a decentralized, secure, and cognitive networking and computing infrastructure for deep space exploration. The blockchain consensus protocols will be further explored to improve the resilience of the infrastructure[…] I hope to develop technology that can recognize environmental threats and avoid them, as well as complete a number of tasks automatically.”
In more detail, the RNCP system will exploit smart contracts to build a spacecraft that would automatically and promptly detect and dodge any hindrance — as in deep space, conventional means of communication become less reliable as the signal gets weaker. Thus, Dr. Kocsis hopes that, equipped with this blockchain solution, spacecraft will be able to complete more tasks, provide more data and give scientists more time for information analysis, as they would not have to spend time on detecting potential environmental threats. No specific timeline has been disclosed thus far.
ESA
The European Space Agency (ESA) — NASA’s counterpart in the EU — has been studying blockchain as well, although they are more likely to use the technology to streamline internal administrative processes, not launch it to the deep space per se.
In September 2017, ESA presented a report dubbed “Distributed Ledger Technology: Leveraging Blockchain for ESA’s Success.” The paper outlines general pros and cons of blockchain with some specific examples (i.e. “it saves Dubai 25.1 million hours of productivity”), and then focuses on the potential benefits suitable for ESA specifically — namely the use of smart contracts in logistics, swifter and precise payments, real-time access to data changes, seamless updates to access rights and an immutable voting system, among others.
Notably, the agency discusses the prospect of applying blockchain in the context of so-called Space 4.0, defined as “a situation in which there is the increased number of diverse space actors around the world.” One of the paper’s authors, ESA Senior Corporate Development Coordinator Gianluigi Baldesi, opined at a workshop held at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESRTC) in October 2017:
“In the era of Space 4.0 — as in our own lives — we have to be adaptive to change and nurture a culture of pro-activeness and open-mindedness to both disruption and opportunity,” said Baldesi.
Smaller startups step in as space becomes more democratized
Indeed, space is no longer exclusive to governments that have the means to constantly fuel their research programs with cash: With the arrival of low-cost satellites, blockchain can be launched into space, cutting ties with infrastructure that cannot be fully decentralized — as it’s still plugged in with Facebook and Google fiber optic cables. Here are some startups that are hoping to further democratize the cosmos, although it’s worth noting that most of them don’t feature any specific timelines and are thus rather immature:
Space Decentral
Space Decentral is a Singapore-based startup and a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), as per its white paper released early in 2018. Essentially, it is based on the idea that, while space pioneers such as the U.S. and Russia are still important for space exploration, the cosmos is becoming more democratized, and now there are more opportunities available even for private players — essentially the same argument that backbones the concept of Space 4.0 mentioned above.
While the project’s plan is notably vague, essentially it promises “to enable hundreds of thousands of new actors to be a part of a global space agency not only as financial supporters, but also as integral contributors of knowledge, regardless of nationality,” by providing the means to crowdfund and crowdsource various space-related projects that could hardly be sponsored through older models — as an ICO makes the overall process easier. Space Decentral has voiced their plans to issue a utility token called the Faster Than Light Coin (FTL Coin).
The startup’s recently announced its “first decentralized space program” called Coral, which is lead by four former NASA employees. Its primary aim is to facilitate 3D printing on the lunar surface to build infrastructure for settlers.
SpaceChain
The startup SpaceChain is less about space exploration and more about using the existing infrastructure to improve the blockchain experience, although outer space is also involved in this case. Basically, SpaceChain is building the world’s first open-source satellite network that runs on blockchain nodes. Indeed, its CEO Zheng Zuo seems to know the price of true decentralization, based on a comment he provided for Tech in Asia:
“You can run a decentralized e-commerce platform, but in the backend, you’re using [Amazon Web Services]. It’s their technology infrastructure[…] After we all start depending on this centralized service, it’s hard to realize true decentralization.”
Backed by former Bitcoin developer and CEO of Bloq Jeff Garzik and one of the most prominent crypto investors Tim Draper, SpaceChain launched their first low-orbit satellite — based on the affordable CubeSat technology — in February 2018. This way, the startup hopes to establish a fully decentralized network that, backed by SpaceChain’s open-source operating system, aims to become a blockchain sandbox for other developers. As the SpaceChain team explains in their Medium post:
“The satellites are used as blockchain nodes for data processing, transmission, in-space data storage and application development. SpaceChain also integrates with Qtum to provide the basic service API for smart contracts and blockchain application.”
Blockstream
The idea of a decentralized, distant blockchain that is powered by satellites isn’t particularly new — a startup called Blockstream started to utilize the concept back in 2017, when it announced its Blockstream Satellite project, aiming to beam blockchain to every person on planet Earth and even performed its first transaction.
To run a space-based blockchain, Blockstream Satellite relied on open-source technologies: its press release cited GNU Radio and Fast Internet Bitcoin Relay Engine (FIBRE) as incorporated technologies, while the FAQ elaborates:
“Anyone can receive the signal with a small satellite dish (similar to a consumer satellite TV dish) and a USB SDR (software-defined radio) interface[…] The total equipment cost for a user is only about $100. The software is free. The software interface is the open-source GNU Radio software, which is the receiver. GNU Radio will send data to the FIBRE protocol, which is the Bitcoin process and is where the blocks reside.”
Africa, Europe, South America and North America were the first regions where users could download a beta node — essentially, two thirds of the planet had been covered. According to the network status, other regions haven’t been introduced yet.
Nexus
Nexus is an Arizona-based startup that has announced the so-called “world’s first three dimensional blockchain.” Notably, the concept involves a satellite network that Nexus is developing in partnership with Vector Space Systems. Its mission is to “provide global access to its digital currency and autonomous internet infrastructure using Vector’s Galactic Sky software-defined platform in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network,” which is rather similar to the above mentioned projects.
Nexus additionally stresses the importance of decentralization in a world dominated by giant corporations:
“A space-based platform offers greater redundancy and security for decentralized applications, since satellites are resistant to regulation or control by government and corporate entities.”
Moreover, the startup hopes to provide “reliable and affordable” internet access via its satellite-powered blockchain network, while the revenue collected from the featured commercial applications will be used to pay for the maintenance and operation of the network, lowering costs for casual customers.
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Ubiquity Robotics Launches Beefy ROS Development Platform
With a payload of 100 kilograms, Magni aims to make it easy to prototype a useful mobile robot
Image: Ubiquity Robotics
There are any number of robotics development platforms out there, and we’ve written about most of them—TurtleBots, iRobot Creates, and more recently robots like Misty. Generally, these platforms are intended to be used for experimenting with sensors and software, or for more socially-oriented applications that don’t involve much in the way of lifting or moving stuff.
A Silicon Valley startup called Ubiquity Robotics believes that there’s an opportunity here, and they’re crowdfunding a robot called Magni that’s specifically designed to handle large payloads for long durations. It comes with sensing and computing out of the box, and Ubiquity hopes it’ll enable hobbyists to create a new generation of practical robotic solutions.
Here’s what you get with Magni:
Payload: 100 kg
Drive System: 2 x 200 W hub motors, 2 m/s top speed
Power: 7 A+ 5 V and 7 A+ 12 V DC power
Computer: Quad-core ARM A9 – Raspberry Pi3
Software: Ubuntu 16.04, ROS Kinetic
Camera: Single upward facing
Navigation: Ceiling fiducial based navigation
Battery life: With 10 Ah batteries, 8 hours of normal operation. Up to 32 Ah lead acid batteries can be installed, which will provide 24 hours+ of normal operation
3D sensor (optional): 2x time of flight cameras, 120 degree field of view
In addition, Ubiquity is offering Loki, a small and more or less affordable learning platform that you can use to develop applications for Magni.
Image: Ubiquity Robotics
It’s important to note that Magni (and Loki) are not for novice programmers, and they’re probably not for people who are interested in learning about robotics and ROS. There are tutorials for Magni, but they assume that you have a working knowledge of ROS already. As Ubiquity says, their platforms are for people who have some experience building robots and writing code in ROS, but who have been waiting for a robust and extendable platform that they can afford to experiment with:
We are a group of people who love building robots—some of us have been building robots for decades. We wanted to quickly and easily build ever more awesome robot applications. What we needed was a starting point, a base robot with payload, vision, navigation, compute, and power.
With a base robot like this, we knew we could build our applications in hours, not months. But that robot did not exist! So we have built Magni: it allows you to complete your robot project 2 years faster, $500k cheaper, and without a large multi-disciplinary technical team.
We want to change the game around robotics and empower the guy in the garage who just cannot do it all on his own. Now that person can do it all by himself: with a Magni.
This strikes us as an optimistic vision for a robotic development platform. Not that there’s anything wrong with optimism, but as we mentioned above, people have been making development platforms for years, and they’ve remained a niche product, mostly used by researchers or hobbyists.
Ubiquity believes that there’s a market out there of people who want to do practical things with robots, but who are restricted more by platform availability than anything else. It’s certainly true that most mobile bases that can handle large payloads tend to be on the expensive side, but it remains to be seen whether there’s enough demand out there to sustain even relatively low volume production of a robot like Magni.
Ubiquity is crowdfunding the version of Magni that most people probably want for US $1,000, not including a 3D vision system, meaning that they’ll probably need to sell between one and two hundred Magnis (of varying specs) to reach their fixed goal of $200k.
For more details and perspective on Magni, we spoke with Ubiquity Robotics founder David Crawley via email.
IEEE Spectrum: Why will people want a development platform like Magni?
David Crawley: Almost every startup in Silicon Valley that is doing something with a mobile robot spends about two years and $500,000 developing a mobile robotic base. Typically, they spend this time and money developing capabilities that have been developed before by others in other contexts, namely good motor control, navigation, mobility, power management etc. Our argument is that they shouldn’t do that, and instead buy a platform that is well engineered from us. Once they have put their mobile base together, developing the application is fast.
Having a standard base like this will do two things: It will allow well funded startups to get to market quicker while reducing the cost they currently bear in terms of electrical and mechanical engineering, and it will enable guys in the garage, who can only dream of getting a robot application to market, to build a minimum viable demo themselves. We are actually more excited by the second group. That’s who we want to target, that’s who we think this is for.
“Having a standard base like this will allow well-funded startups to get to market quicker and enable guys in the garage, who can only dream of getting a robot application to market, to build a minimum viable demo themselves” —David Crawley, Ubiquity Robotics
Besides the payload, can you describe how Magni is different from a TurtleBot?
We love our TurtleBots, but you can’t really use a souped up vacuum cleaner for many real-world applications.
The batteries only last maybe 45 minutes on a TurtleBot. Magni’s batteries last all day—our 32 Ah battery option can do normal operation for around 24 hours straight.
A TurtleBot just doesn’t have the mobility that you need to do things; it will snag on the edge of a carpet, and can’t handle bumps. We designed our robot to work well in any ADA (American Disabilities Act) compliant space and in fact it exceeds almost all the requirements by factors of 3-5.
Hauling power—our robot can tow a car. This matters, because you just shouldn’t have to worry about whether your platform can haul the load you want.
Localization. We were disappointed by many of the localization options out there. We developed our own, ultra-low cost localization method that uses SLAM of fiducial markers to unambiguously and robustly determine location.
We’ve designed the robot for extensibility. This means that we have 7 A 12 V and 7 A 5 V power supplies on board for whatever the user cares to use them for.
Lastly, we are putting all this functionality into a package that costs less than a TurtleBot 3 Waffle, less than a TurtleBot 2, and less than a TurtleBot Euclid. Our silver model will crowdfund for $999.
In short, Magni can be used for real-world applications while TurtleBots, for the most part, cannot. And we provide that functionality at a price that you can’t replicate on your own.
Many of the sample applications that you show for Magni, like delivery and telepresence, are already available in commercial platforms. How will you convince people to invest the time and effort to get Magni to do something similar?
These applications are not really the point of Magni. Sure, Magni can do them and they make demos that everyone understands, but what we want is for people to develop something new. The point of Ubiquity Robotics is that it is intended to be an organization that develops the hardware that everyone needs, but isn’t specific to any given application. Ubiquity Robotics focuses on foundational capabilities, supply chain, operations, and design, while other businesses should focus on things like value-added software, systems integration, and customer relationships.
What kind of autonomous navigation is Magni capable of?
Magni has a full ROS stack, so you can use the same autonomous navigation capabilities that are available on any ROS robot. We have also developed our own autonomous localization and navigation stack.
We mentioned our fiducial based localization system. We like it because it’s robust. We also have developed our own super simple navigation system—it uses the same bindings as move_base, but we’ve called ours move_basic. Move_base is terrific, but setting it up and getting it to work well for your application is well beyond the capability of most guys in the garage. Move_basic is very very simple, easy to set up, and robust.
When you say, “Magni is easy to use, you just plug it in and go,” can you describe how using or programming Magni is easier than using or programming a TurtleBot?
We are very spiritually aligned with the goals of TurtleBot as an enabler for people for whom ROS is just too complicated and difficult. We are targeting users for whom robotics is just out of reach now. We aren’t focusing on programming novices yet, but rather people who find setting up a ROS robot daunting.
I think both us and TurtleBot have spent a lot of time trying to flatten the learning curve of ROS, because that expands the set of people who can cope with it and by extension develop on it.
Ease of use is really about doing a lot of little things properly. Essentially there are three core capabilities that we have given to the robot:
Voice recognition: This is actually housed on a smartphone that communicates with the robot;
Location awareness and localization;
Object awareness: The ability to detect and determine the location of objects. This is done using a deep neural net (DNN) system.
Our system uses voice recognition and then attempts to parse voice commands into verb+object commands. So for example if one tells the robot “find bottle,” it will initiate a search routine that causes the robot to look around the room for the object “bottle” until the DNN detects a bottle, and then it will indicate the location of the bottle by driving towards it. You can do a similar thing with location awareness.
I wouldn’t want to call this series of commands a program, but it is a way in which someone (potentially with no programming experience) could start to interact with the robot and get it to do things without even touching a keyboard.
What kind of feedback have you gotten from the robotics community, and how has it affected your development process?
At the very start of the project a list of requirements circulated around the HBRC (Home Brew Robotics Club) for what HBRC members wanted to see in a robot. I talked with various other members of HBRC and others who had been playing with robots in their garage (some for 30 years) about what they wanted. The underlying theme of course was, “We love TurtleBot, but you can’t do much real life stuff with it.”
A lot of the time, the gap between vision and reality comes down to what you can actually manufacture. We took a different approach to most people. Generally people describe the robot that they want and then design that, and then try to figure out how to make it. We took the opposite approach, we looked for what was easy to build and then designed our robot around the supply chain rather than the other way around. The result is a robot that gives you a lot more bang for the buck.
I think the most important thing was that we had people on the project who had been doing various robot projects in their garage for decades. We built what we wished we had, and that was always the mantra.
If you can appreciate this vision and think that Magni might be just what your next robotics project needs, the robot is now crowdfunding on Indiegogo. For $999, you can get the core package, with $430 extra for the the 3D vision upgrade.
[ Indiegogo ] via [ Ubiquity Robotics ]
Ubiquity Robotics Launches Beefy ROS Development Platform syndicated from https://jiohowweb.blogspot.com
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Here Is How Blockchain Will Help to Explore Space
Space is an area that has been historically researched by few governments, being a complex matter that requires thorough, high-class research and, therefore, substantial funding. More recently, with the emerging popularity of audacious startups like SpaceX, space exploration has become a less exclusive area. Now, however, it seems that the cryptocurrencies’ primary features — blockchain, its underlying technology, and the concept of an Initial Coin Offering (ICO), its crowdfunding model — are bringing in even more power into the previously unshared territory.
Big players are adopting blockchain for space exploration:
Space giants like the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) are studying ways to employ blockchain for their mission. Findings obtained so far suggest that the technology might be useful both on the ground (facilitating data-related processes, just like in other mainstream institutions) and in space (helping to navigate the deep space).
NASA
In 2017, NASA awarded a $330,000 grant that supported the development of an autonomous, blockchain-based spacecraft system, making its first move toward blockchain adoption. Called the Resilient Networking and Computing Paradigm (RNCP), the new system relies on blockchain and requires no human intervention, as the grant’s recipient, Dr. Jin Wei Kocsis — an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Akron — outlines in her research synopsis.
As Kocsis explains, the RNCP will examine the application of Ethereum-based blockchain smart contracts in developing a secure computing system that would be applicable for challenging space conditions:
“In this project, the Ethereum blockchain technology will be exploited to develop a decentralized, secure, and cognitive networking and computing infrastructure for deep space exploration. The blockchain consensus protocols will be further explored to improve the resilience of the infrastructure[…] I hope to develop technology that can recognize environmental threats and avoid them, as well as complete a number of tasks automatically.”
In more detail, the RNCP system will exploit smart contracts to build a spacecraft that would automatically and promptly detect and dodge any hindrance — as in deep space, conventional means of communication become less reliable as the signal gets weaker. Thus, Dr. Kocsis hopes that, equipped with this blockchain solution, spacecraft will be able to complete more tasks, provide more data and give scientists more time for information analysis, as they would not have to spend time on detecting potential environmental threats. No specific timeline has been disclosed thus far.
ESA
The European Space Agency (ESA) — NASA’s counterpart in the EU — has been studying blockchain as well, although they are more likely to use the technology to streamline internal administrative processes, not launch it to the deep space per se.
In September 2017, ESA presented a report dubbed “Distributed Ledger Technology: Leveraging Blockchain for ESA’s Success.” The paper outlines general pros and cons of blockchain with some specific examples (i.e. “it saves Dubai 25.1 million hours of productivity”), and then focuses on the potential benefits suitable for ESA specifically — namely the use of smart contracts in logistics, swifter and precise payments, real-time access to data changes, seamless updates to access rights and an immutable voting system, among others.
Notably, the agency discusses the prospect of applying blockchain in the context of so-called Space 4.0, defined as “a situation in which there is the increased number of diverse space actors around the world.” One of the paper’s authors, ESA Senior Corporate Development Coordinator Gianluigi Baldesi, opined at a workshop held at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESRTC) in October 2017:
“In the era of Space 4.0 — as in our own lives — we have to be adaptive to change and nurture a culture of pro-activeness and open-mindedness to both disruption and opportunity,” said Baldesi.
Smaller startups step in as space becomes more democratized
Indeed, space is no longer exclusive to governments that have the means to constantly fuel their research programs with cash: With the arrival of low-cost satellites, blockchain can be launched into space, cutting ties with infrastructure that cannot be fully decentralized — as it’s still plugged in with Facebook and Google fiber optic cables. Here are some startups that are hoping to further democratize the cosmos, although it’s worth noting that most of them don’t feature any specific timelines and are thus rather immature:
Space Decentral
Space Decentral is a Singapore-based startup and a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), as per its white paper released early in 2018. Essentially, it is based on the idea that, while space pioneers such as the U.S. and Russia are still important for space exploration, the cosmos is becoming more democratized, and now there are more opportunities available even for private players — essentially the same argument that backbones the concept of Space 4.0 mentioned above.
While the project’s plan is notably vague, essentially it promises “to enable hundreds of thousands of new actors to be a part of a global space agency not only as financial supporters, but also as integral contributors of knowledge, regardless of nationality,” by providing the means to crowdfund and crowdsource various space-related projects that could hardly be sponsored through older models — as an ICO makes the overall process easier. Space Decentral has voiced their plans to issue a utility token called the Faster Than Light Coin (FTL Coin).
The startup’s recently announced its “first decentralized space program” called Coral, which is lead by four former NASA employees. Its primary aim is to facilitate 3D printing on the lunar surface to build infrastructure for settlers.
SpaceChain
The startup SpaceChain is less about space exploration and more about using the existing infrastructure to improve the blockchain experience, although outer space is also involved in this case. Basically, SpaceChain is building the world’s first open-source satellite network that runs on blockchain nodes. Indeed, its CEO Zheng Zuo seems to know the price of true decentralization, based on a comment he provided for Tech in Asia:
“You can run a decentralized e-commerce platform, but in the backend, you’re using [Amazon Web Services]. It’s their technology infrastructure[…] After we all start depending on this centralized service, it’s hard to realize true decentralization.”
Backed by former Bitcoin developer and CEO of Bloq Jeff Garzik and one of the most prominent crypto investors Tim Draper, SpaceChain launched their first low-orbit satellite — based on the affordable CubeSat technology — in February 2018. This way, the startup hopes to establish a fully decentralized network that, backed by SpaceChain’s open-source operating system, aims to become a blockchain sandbox for other developers. As the SpaceChain team explains in their Medium post:
“The satellites are used as blockchain nodes for data processing, transmission, in-space data storage and application development. SpaceChain also integrates with Qtum to provide the basic service API for smart contracts and blockchain application.”
Blockstream
The idea of a decentralized, distant blockchain that is powered by satellites isn’t particularly new — a startup called Blockstream started to utilize the concept back in 2017, when it announced its Blockstream Satellite project, aiming to beam blockchain to every person on planet Earth and even performed its first transaction.
To run a space-based blockchain, Blockstream Satellite relied on open-source technologies: its press release cited GNU Radio and Fast Internet Bitcoin Relay Engine (FIBRE) as incorporated technologies, while the FAQ elaborates:
“Anyone can receive the signal with a small satellite dish (similar to a consumer satellite TV dish) and a USB SDR (software-defined radio) interface[…] The total equipment cost for a user is only about $100. The software is free. The software interface is the open-source GNU Radio software, which is the receiver. GNU Radio will send data to the FIBRE protocol, which is the Bitcoin process and is where the blocks reside.”
Africa, Europe, South America and North America were the first regions where users could download a beta node — essentially, two thirds of the planet had been covered. According to the network status, other regions haven’t been introduced yet.
Nexus
Nexus is an Arizona-based startup that has announced the so-called “world’s first three dimensional blockchain.” Notably, the concept involves a satellite network that Nexus is developing in partnership with Vector Space Systems. Its mission is to “provide global access to its digital currency and autonomous internet infrastructure using Vector’s Galactic Sky software-defined platform in a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network,” which is rather similar to the above mentioned projects.
Nexus additionally stresses the importance of decentralization in a world dominated by giant corporations:
“A space-based platform offers greater redundancy and security for decentralized applications, since satellites are resistant to regulation or control by government and corporate entities.”
Moreover, the startup hopes to provide “reliable and affordable” internet access via its satellite-powered blockchain network, while the revenue collected from the featured commercial applications will be used to pay for the maintenance and operation of the network, lowering costs for casual customers.
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Ubiquity Robotics Launches Beefy ROS Development Platform
With a payload of 100 kilograms, Magni aims to make it easy to prototype a useful mobile robot
Image: Ubiquity Robotics
There are any number of robotics development platforms out there, and we’ve written about most of them—TurtleBots, iRobot Creates, and more recently robots like Misty. Generally, these platforms are intended to be used for experimenting with sensors and software, or for more socially-oriented applications that don’t involve much in the way of lifting or moving stuff.
A Silicon Valley startup called Ubiquity Robotics believes that there’s an opportunity here, and they’re crowdfunding a robot called Magni that’s specifically designed to handle large payloads for long durations. It comes with sensing and computing out of the box, and Ubiquity hopes it’ll enable hobbyists to create a new generation of practical robotic solutions.
Here’s what you get with Magni:
Payload: 100 kg
Drive System: 2 x 200 W hub motors, 2 m/s top speed
Power: 7 A+ 5 V and 7 A+ 12 V DC power
Computer: Quad-core ARM A9 – Raspberry Pi3
Software: Ubuntu 16.04, ROS Kinetic
Camera: Single upward facing
Navigation: Ceiling fiducial based navigation
Battery life: With 10 Ah batteries, 8 hours of normal operation. Up to 32 Ah lead acid batteries can be installed, which will provide 24 hours+ of normal operation
3D sensor (optional): 2x time of flight cameras, 120 degree field of view
In addition, Ubiquity is offering Loki, a small and more or less affordable learning platform that you can use to develop applications for Magni.
Image: Ubiquity Robotics
It’s important to note that Magni (and Loki) are not for novice programmers, and they’re probably not for people who are interested in learning about robotics and ROS. There are tutorials for Magni, but they assume that you have a working knowledge of ROS already. As Ubiquity says, their platforms are for people who have some experience building robots and writing code in ROS, but who have been waiting for a robust and extendable platform that they can afford to experiment with:
We are a group of people who love building robots—some of us have been building robots for decades. We wanted to quickly and easily build ever more awesome robot applications. What we needed was a starting point, a base robot with payload, vision, navigation, compute, and power.
With a base robot like this, we knew we could build our applications in hours, not months. But that robot did not exist! So we have built Magni: it allows you to complete your robot project 2 years faster, $500k cheaper, and without a large multi-disciplinary technical team.
We want to change the game around robotics and empower the guy in the garage who just cannot do it all on his own. Now that person can do it all by himself: with a Magni.
This strikes us as an optimistic vision for a robotic development platform. Not that there’s anything wrong with optimism, but as we mentioned above, people have been making development platforms for years, and they’ve remained a niche product, mostly used by researchers or hobbyists.
Ubiquity believes that there’s a market out there of people who want to do practical things with robots, but who are restricted more by platform availability than anything else. It’s certainly true that most mobile bases that can handle large payloads tend to be on the expensive side, but it remains to be seen whether there’s enough demand out there to sustain even relatively low volume production of a robot like Magni.
Ubiquity is crowdfunding the version of Magni that most people probably want for US $1,000, not including a 3D vision system, meaning that they’ll probably need to sell between one and two hundred Magnis (of varying specs) to reach their fixed goal of $200k.
For more details and perspective on Magni, we spoke with Ubiquity Robotics founder David Crawley via email.
IEEE Spectrum: Why will people want a development platform like Magni?
David Crawley: Almost every startup in Silicon Valley that is doing something with a mobile robot spends about two years and $500,000 developing a mobile robotic base. Typically, they spend this time and money developing capabilities that have been developed before by others in other contexts, namely good motor control, navigation, mobility, power management etc. Our argument is that they shouldn’t do that, and instead buy a platform that is well engineered from us. Once they have put their mobile base together, developing the application is fast.
Having a standard base like this will do two things: It will allow well funded startups to get to market quicker while reducing the cost they currently bear in terms of electrical and mechanical engineering, and it will enable guys in the garage, who can only dream of getting a robot application to market, to build a minimum viable demo themselves. We are actually more excited by the second group. That’s who we want to target, that’s who we think this is for.
“Having a standard base like this will allow well-funded startups to get to market quicker and enable guys in the garage, who can only dream of getting a robot application to market, to build a minimum viable demo themselves” —David Crawley, Ubiquity Robotics
Besides the payload, can you describe how Magni is different from a TurtleBot?
We love our TurtleBots, but you can’t really use a souped up vacuum cleaner for many real-world applications.
The batteries only last maybe 45 minutes on a TurtleBot. Magni’s batteries last all day—our 32 Ah battery option can do normal operation for around 24 hours straight.
A TurtleBot just doesn’t have the mobility that you need to do things; it will snag on the edge of a carpet, and can’t handle bumps. We designed our robot to work well in any ADA (American Disabilities Act) compliant space and in fact it exceeds almost all the requirements by factors of 3-5.
Hauling power—our robot can tow a car. This matters, because you just shouldn’t have to worry about whether your platform can haul the load you want.
Localization. We were disappointed by many of the localization options out there. We developed our own, ultra-low cost localization method that uses SLAM of fiducial markers to unambiguously and robustly determine location.
We’ve designed the robot for extensibility. This means that we have 7 A 12 V and 7 A 5 V power supplies on board for whatever the user cares to use them for.
Lastly, we are putting all this functionality into a package that costs less than a TurtleBot 3 Waffle, less than a TurtleBot 2, and less than a TurtleBot Euclid. Our silver model will crowdfund for $999.
In short, Magni can be used for real-world applications while TurtleBots, for the most part, cannot. And we provide that functionality at a price that you can’t replicate on your own.
Many of the sample applications that you show for Magni, like delivery and telepresence, are already available in commercial platforms. How will you convince people to invest the time and effort to get Magni to do something similar?
These applications are not really the point of Magni. Sure, Magni can do them and they make demos that everyone understands, but what we want is for people to develop something new. The point of Ubiquity Robotics is that it is intended to be an organization that develops the hardware that everyone needs, but isn’t specific to any given application. Ubiquity Robotics focuses on foundational capabilities, supply chain, operations, and design, while other businesses should focus on things like value-added software, systems integration, and customer relationships.
What kind of autonomous navigation is Magni capable of?
Magni has a full ROS stack, so you can use the same autonomous navigation capabilities that are available on any ROS robot. We have also developed our own autonomous localization and navigation stack.
We mentioned our fiducial based localization system. We like it because it’s robust. We also have developed our own super simple navigation system—it uses the same bindings as move_base, but we’ve called ours move_basic. Move_base is terrific, but setting it up and getting it to work well for your application is well beyond the capability of most guys in the garage. Move_basic is very very simple, easy to set up, and robust.
When you say, “Magni is easy to use, you just plug it in and go,” can you describe how using or programming Magni is easier than using or programming a TurtleBot?
We are very spiritually aligned with the goals of TurtleBot as an enabler for people for whom ROS is just too complicated and difficult. We are targeting users for whom robotics is just out of reach now. We aren’t focusing on programming novices yet, but rather people who find setting up a ROS robot daunting.
I think both us and TurtleBot have spent a lot of time trying to flatten the learning curve of ROS, because that expands the set of people who can cope with it and by extension develop on it.
Ease of use is really about doing a lot of little things properly. Essentially there are three core capabilities that we have given to the robot:
Voice recognition: This is actually housed on a smartphone that communicates with the robot;
Location awareness and localization;
Object awareness: The ability to detect and determine the location of objects. This is done using a deep neural net (DNN) system.
Our system uses voice recognition and then attempts to parse voice commands into verb+object commands. So for example if one tells the robot “find bottle,” it will initiate a search routine that causes the robot to look around the room for the object “bottle” until the DNN detects a bottle, and then it will indicate the location of the bottle by driving towards it. You can do a similar thing with location awareness.
I wouldn’t want to call this series of commands a program, but it is a way in which someone (potentially with no programming experience) could start to interact with the robot and get it to do things without even touching a keyboard.
What kind of feedback have you gotten from the robotics community, and how has it affected your development process?
At the very start of the project a list of requirements circulated around the HBRC (Home Brew Robotics Club) for what HBRC members wanted to see in a robot. I talked with various other members of HBRC and others who had been playing with robots in their garage (some for 30 years) about what they wanted. The underlying theme of course was, “We love TurtleBot, but you can’t do much real life stuff with it.”
A lot of the time, the gap between vision and reality comes down to what you can actually manufacture. We took a different approach to most people. Generally people describe the robot that they want and then design that, and then try to figure out how to make it. We took the opposite approach, we looked for what was easy to build and then designed our robot around the supply chain rather than the other way around. The result is a robot that gives you a lot more bang for the buck.
I think the most important thing was that we had people on the project who had been doing various robot projects in their garage for decades. We built what we wished we had, and that was always the mantra.
If you can appreciate this vision and think that Magni might be just what your next robotics project needs, the robot is now crowdfunding on Indiegogo. For $999, you can get the core package, with $430 extra for the the 3D vision upgrade.
[ Indiegogo ] via [ Ubiquity Robotics ]
Ubiquity Robotics Launches Beefy ROS Development Platform syndicated from https://jiohowweb.blogspot.com
0 notes