X80SV WiFi Mobile Robot from Dr Robot, Inc.

The X80SV is the result of extensive efforts to develop a robot that would be fast and strong, while itself remaining lightweight and nimble. The wheel-based platform’s two 12V DC motors each supply 300 oz.-inches(22kg.cm) of torque to the X80’s 18 cm (7 in.) wheels, yielding a top speed in excess of 1 m/s (3.3 ft/s). Two high-resolution (1200 count per wheel cycle) quadrature encoders mounted on each wheel provide high-precision measurement and control of wheel movement. Weighing only 3.5 kg (7.7 lb.), the system is light, but it can carry an additional payload of 10 kg (22 lb.).

Sensors

X80SV offers full WiFi (802.11g) wireless, multimedia, sensing and motion capabilities and comes with a wide range of the sensor, camera, and audio modules, sufficient to serve in any variety of applications. The X80SV offers broad expandability as well for projects that may require additional sensors, even specialized modules. Powered by separate RC servo motors, the integrated camera head can pan and tilt independently.

Architecture

The X80SV’s underlying technology evolved from Dr. Robot’s Distributed Computation Robotic Architecture, originally developed for Dr. Robot’s Humanoid (HR) Robot. Using this approach, high-level control of the robot is maintained by a remote or local PC/server communicating by a secure wireless link. Low-level functionality is managed by an onboard digital signal processor (DSP) while computationally intensive operations are performed offboard. The result is a robot that’s lighter, draws less power, runs longer, and is dramatically less expensive than a fully bundled or self-contained system. Moreover, since primary processing resides in a server, any hardware upgrades to the central unit are shared by all the robots it controls.

With its integrated high bandwidth (11Mbps) WiFi 802.11 wireless module, the system can upload all sensor data (including encoder sensor readings) to a PC or server at rates in excess of 10Hz. Commands and instructions sent to the X80SV via the same wireless link also pass at rates exceeding 10Hz, providing real-time control and access.