Seeing Robotics With New Eyes
By Naone, Erica; Technology Review, Vol. 114, No. 4, pp. 78-79Publication Date: July/August 2011
Article features the Bilibot, a portable assistive robot. The device can perceive its surroundings, move around, and manipulate objects. The base of the Bilibot is an iRobot Create, the device that drives the Roomba floor cleaner. Other components include (1) Kinect, Microsoft’s motion detection system originally developed for video games which sells for 150 dollars; (2) a custom power board which determines where to direct power throughout the robot; (3) software which runs on top of the open source Robot Operating System; (4) a 3.1 gigahertz Intel i3 processor with integrated graphics; and (5) a robotic arm which uses motors that allows the Bilibot to lift about 3 pounds and features a gripper powered by motors originally used for vent blades in air conditioners. The Bilibot was designed and built by a robotics engineer at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, who sells it online for 1,200 dollars. According to its inventor, the key element of the robot is the Kinect, which can detect its environment as well as a sensor costing 5,000 dollars. The article includes a video showing the Bilibot in action.
Published by: Technology Review, Inc. (Website:http://www.technologyreview.com)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Web Site: http://www.mit.edu )
Link to video: http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid42529855001?bctid=992948403001
