Jun 21 2010
The ERA-XTD robot platform with an integrated PC, a completely loaded mobile robot, a set of sensors, a stereo vision camera, and enhanced open-source software, has been introduced recently by Videre Design, producer of the powerful Erratic range of mobile robots and stereo vision cameras.
Robotics technology has the capability to change the performance of many daily tasks. It will be all pervasive during the next few decades, akin to the pervasiveness of the personal computing technology now. Currently robotic applications are used in a broad portfolio of pragmatic, real value and affordable applications that range from monitoring the Gulf of Mexico’s endangered species to helping an ageing population.
Videre ERA XTD A low-power, small-footprint, sturdy, high-performance and highly intelligent robot platform
The ERA-XTD platform provides commercial developers and researchers everything they require for robotics development activities. The ERA-XTD has been developed based on the sturdy and ready-to-use design philosophy.
Videre Design has adopted a design concept that includes a range of qualities based on Dr. Kurt Konolige’s vision. Konolige has designed the Erratic range of robotic platforms. Based on the elementary tenets of affordability, simplicity, and power, the Erratics utilizes the existing high-quality components. In addition, the Erratics utilizes the open-source based Player/Stage software system, resulting in a versatile, compact, and powerful robotics platform.
This platform is able to jumpstart robot application development, rendering it easier for developers and researchers to prototype and make proof of concept robots. The Erratic platform incorporates 500-step motion encoders, industrial-strength motors, motor driver and an integrated controller.
The mobile robots’ sensors include the scanning laser range finder that scans a laser beam mechanically to create a map depicting nearby objects. The stereo camera is used to offload the stereo computation data from the integrated PC module so that processing can be done on the camera itself, freeing up the PC’s resources for the developers’ applications. The GP2D15 IR distance IR sensors from Sharp empower the mobile robot to negotiate with the environment in which it moves.