Our CTO (Luke Cole) previously worked for Hemisphere GPS (orginally called BEELINE, and now bought out by AgJunction) as a "Robotics Engineer" implementing auto-guidance solutions for various quadbikes and agriculture tractors that was used by 100's of vehicles around the world.
For 10 years, starting as a teenager in 1998 - Luke Cole has also worked for leading research institutes and companies such as NICTA (now called CSIRO Data61), CSIRO, Seeing Machines and ANU Robotics System Lab (lead by Alex Zelinsky, who received a rare prestigious AO award in 2017 and was Defence Scientist of Australia from 2012 for 6 years). Luke's worked included various autonomous mobile robot projects, involving computer vision, and even a self-driving car early 2000's. Back then OpenCV and ROS didn't exist, so we did a "roll-your-own" called VisLib and DROS comprised of 364,578 lines of code.
Lance Cole has also worked at NICTA and has a background of various hardware development, such as working for a contract company to the US millary (EOS), building the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS).
We have a long-standing robotics experience - our engineers offering Robotics Prototyping for Glencoe, robot development and robotics custom software services have something like a combined 50 years worth of experience in the robotics field, from teleoperated and semi-autonomous mobile robotic applications, to custom software and/or custom hardware for general automation solutions, signal processing and control systems. Our knowledge base started in NSW and ACT, but now we primarily service East Coast Queensland.
We have developed autonomous mobile robots for air, underwater and ground. Our professional experience started with developing various control and sensor systems for small underwater vehicles in the late 1990's. We where fortunate enough to have been involved in one of the first self-driving car R&D projects back in early 2000's using a 4WD (to support computers for the large processing requirements). For an overseas client we developed a low profile (70mm high) semi-autonomous mobile robot platform for manikin/dummy mounting to simulate people moving (for vehicle crash safety and collision development by German R&D car manufactures). We have been fortunate enough to have been invited to the bulk of the German R&D car manufactures where they develop and test self-driving and driver assist development systems. We have developed various solutions for 2cm accuracy precision steering-guidance solutions for various types of Agriculture tractors (via the CAN bus and ad-hoc methods), which are still used by 1000's of tractors all over the world. We have retro fitted Quadbikes to allow semi-autonomous control via GPS way points. We have custom developed various indoor mobile robotics for indoor localistion and SLAM R&D purposes.
Robot navigation is the task where an autonomous robot moves safely from one location to another. This involves three primary questions:
For robotic localisation and obstacle avoidance we use sensors to solve the problem. To move along the planned path, we use control systems.
We have a deep understanding of signal processing and sensors of various types. We appreciate sensing is a hard problem. There is no one-size-fits all solution. Odemetry (wheel encoders) provide a cost-effective method to measure relative position. however suffer from wheel slip and errors are accumlate over time. GPS only works outdoors, effected by trees/buildings, and without a nearby basestation (for expensive DGPS/RTK) the absolute position error is several meters. IMU (accelerometers + gyros + Magnetometer) suffer from drift errors and noise error causing ``random walk'' when integrated. Magnetometer are effected by magnets, are slow to respond and measure magnetic north (not true north). Infrared are cost-effective, but short range and saturated by sunlight. Ultrasonic range sensors are cost-effective and good for detecting large objects, but can't detect glass/water, only measure a few metres, have a wide beam and provide medium accuracy. RADAR uses radio (instead of sound) to detect objects at long distance, but are relative more expensive then ultrasonic range sensors. Image sensors (video cameras) are a cost-effective, rich in information, and two or more can get depth information, but are computationally expensive, hard to process the data (aka computer vision), affected by dust/fog/rain, and light variations. LIDAR are high accuracy (about 1mm), however are expensive (prices are coming down every year), but can't detect glass/water. Distance measurement sensors are easy to interpret, other sensors are hard. Colour constancy and object classification is very hard (e.g. “Is it a tree or a human?”).
We have a deep understanding of control systems. We typically use Linux-based SBC's and a program a custom PID controller - perhaps even a cascade PID controller, bayesian filters, particle filters, kalman filters, Monte Carlo methods, or train a deep neutral network. The outputs of these systems might control various types of motors (e.g. brushed, brushless, servo, steppers) and/or various types of actuators (e.g. linear, pneumatic, hydraulic), and/or other things like lights or speakers.
We have been involved with computer vision and machine vision since early 2000's - we where involved in the development of two computer vision libraries before OpenCV became popular. Have done much biologically inspired techniques such as optical flow. Was involved in the early days of artificial intelligence using techniques such as Local Binary Patterns (LBP) and Haar-like features (HAAR). These days we typically use machine learning methods such as designing and training deep neural networks (outstanding for vision-based object recognition using ImageNet).
We where involved in the development of a robotic operating system which had 364,578 lines of code, before ROS was written.
We have developed custom software for various manipulators, and have a good understanding of forward and inverse kinematics.
We appreciate that challenges with robotics - particularly with robot navigation, computer/machine vision, and manipulation with the real-world, in real-time using real-robots.
Whilw we can custom develop robot navigation solutions. We can fast-track robot navigation solutions for ground, air and water based platforms via off-the-shelf autopilots. There are many about these days. Some cost-effective open-source options include Pixhawk 4, PX4, and ArduPilot. Some expensive closed-source options include Auterion Skynode, Tersus AutoSteer, Embention Veronte, Outback eDriveX and Trimble EZ Pilot.
We are confident with a broad range of skills and confident our Robotics Prototyping for Glencoe services can offer solutions such as:
These technologies can be used for various applications such as:
We also offer a R&D robotic platform UGV for hire to help rapid development of robotics systems. If you'd like to know more please visit "Scotty Robot".
In the heart of Australia's Northern Tablelands lies the picturesque town of Glencoe, where strong community spirit and entrepreneurial drive are woven into the fabric of daily life. As a local business owner or entrepreneur in this charming region, you understand the importance of having trusted allies who can help you navigate challenges and seize opportunities. At COLETEK, we're proud to be one such partner for growth and success.
Since our inception as an Australian company, we've dedicated ourselves to providing exceptional support and guidance to businesses like yours in Glencoe and the surrounding areas. Our team has years of collective experience in understanding local market needs and developing tailored solutions that drive real results. Whether you're a small startup or a seasoned business, you can count on our trusted expertise to help overcome any hurdle and achieve your goals.
While we've earned a reputation for delivering outstanding results across the nation, our roots remain firmly planted in this beautiful region. We take pride in being a local business that's committed to helping other businesses thrive, just as we're committed to serving the community that has supported us every step of the way. By choosing COLETEK, you can rest assured that your success is tied to ours – and that our shared passion for Glencoe and the Northern Tablelands drives each decision we make.
We're not just a company; we're your partners in creating positive change within the community. We recognize that innovation is key to long-term survival and growth, which is why we continuously invest in cutting-edge technology and tools designed to empower local businesses like yours. When you work with us, you'll gain access to industry-best practices, strategic insights, and forward-thinking solutions tailored to your specific needs.
At COLETEK, we're passionate about the idea that by supporting each other – regardless of size or scope – we can create an even stronger Glencoe and Northern Tablelands economy. As your trusted partner, we'll not only work tirelessly behind the scenes but also proudly celebrate each of our shared successes. Whether you're looking to expand your customer base, streamline operations, or simply navigate today's fast-paced business environment, know that COLETEK is here for you.
So why wait? Reach out to us and let's get started on building a brighter future together – right in the heart of Glencoe. Contact Us
I was grateful to find Luke Cole at COLETEK in the early days of an invention idea. He was very patient and generous with information to guide me along the way. And even though I did not preceed with my project, I would still recommend his services. Thank you.
Intuitive, innovative & efficient are three words that would appropriately describe the COLETEK service. Luke and the team at COLETEK have taken our concepts to the next level.
COLETEK have provided one to one communication throughout the development process and gone above and beyond in bringing our ideas closer to becoming a reality! Luke's expertise and knowledge with computer software and electronics is Jedi like, but what I liked most about working with him was his willingness and ability to think outside of the box.
I have been working closely with COLETEK for the past 6 years now, and I must say, it is a success story :-). I highly respect their team, they are a pleasure to work with and top skilled professionals. In addition to their top Technical service, their customer service is brilliant and it is a rare find. Their PCB repair rework skills are top notch and a rare find in this industry. I have been working in the IT industry for the past 20 years in various fields and seen it all so I can say with certainty that they are the best around and I am looking forward to keep working with them in the future.
COLETEK installed real-time wireless security camera systems within our seven Holiday Parks, consisting of 31 cameras spread over multiple buildings and locations. I found the team at COLETEK to be very professional throughout the installation process and the completed system to be highly proficient for our business. I would recommend using COLETEK for your security needs.
Great service, great equipment.
My hard drive died with 18 months of work plus photos of my daughters 1st 18 months of life. I contemplated building a time machine to go back and document all those memories again - though I found it logistically and financially much easier to go with COLETEK. My recommendation is forget trying to build a time machine - call COLETEK.
We can't thank COLETEK enough for setting up our security systems and ensuring the safety of our assets. They were great to deal with and were extremely responsive in all aspects. We would highly recommend their services to anyone searching for true expertise and exceptional customer service.
Very reliable, professional and knowledgeable. In our office were we all amazed by Luke's knowledge of IT and how much he know about different IT issues, specially about the IP cameras. We recommend their services and we will always use their services in the future.
Thank you for installing the surveillance system at our home in the Northern Rivers. It gives us a great sense of security to know that our home and possesses can be monitored remotely and all activities recorded. Thanks also for giving up your time on the weekend to arrange for back up parts to be picked up following storm damage.
As the proprietor a DIY environmentally pest control products business I have been more then impressed with COLETEK's design capability and professionalism in assisting to realise an idea into reality. From concept, CAD drawings, 3D modelling, alterations right through to the finished product. I am extremely happy with our new termite control product. I have no hesitation in recommending COLETEK's services.
We have used COLETEK on a couple of occasions and found their service to be professional and on time. We specialise in engineering and design of height safety equipment and since a lot of parts are made by casting from stainless steel we require a quick model before we proceed with the tool manufacture. COLETEK has been able to provide this quickly saving us valuable time and giving us peace of mind knowing our parts will look right when casted from stainless steel.
We found COLETEK to be very knowledgeable and professional in the installation of our security system, even after the job has been completed COLETEK is always happy to follow up with any questions that may arise.. I would highly recommend COLETEK for anyone looking at security for peace of mind.
I recently discovered COLETEK after I accidently managed to fry the PCB on my hard drive. The drive contained 13 years worth family photos and wasn't comfortable sending it off where it could be damaged more or lost in the post. After spending hours researching and emailing different data recovery companies, I decided on COLETEK. Luke was very helpful and let me know the estimated costs up front, and was able to quickly do the repairs necessary to get my drive running like new again. I was able to back up the whole drive and the bill ended up cheaper than the original quote. I can highly recommend them and have already sent a friend to get their drive repaired too.
COLETEK installed a security camera system in our food processing facility that included 89 cameras both internal and external to the factory. They were professional through the quotation and installation process and have been supportive with their after sales service. Based on our experience we would have no hesitation in recommending COLETEK to anyone searching for customised surveillance camera solution.
COLETEK installed a real-time wireless security camera system for us consisting of 40 indoor and outdoor cameras over 10 buildings throughout the resort and service station. Their team was very professional from quote to completion of the job, and after sales service. The system has reduced vandalism and theft to almost nothing. We have been very happy with the installation and service. We would recommend COLETEK to anyone.