The Ubiquity Robotics Platform

Using Open Source Software for Domestic Robot Research and Development

Presented by: Alan Federman, et al.for

HBRC

What would you do with your own personal robot?

Ubiquity Robotics

Why?

A widely available affordable, adaptable and capable developers platform would

bring about a new age of personal/domestic robots.

Ubiquity Robotics

About thirty years ago, ‘personal’ computers became affordable. We’ve been waiting patiently for the advent of ‘personal’ robots. We are done waiting.

You can’t buy a general purpose personal robot today.

Developer Platforms or single purpose.

1.5k 40k 400k

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We want Rosie or R2D2...

Ubiquity Robotics

..but we have Roomba or Turtlebot. Neither are very capable. What we need now is a developers platform that is both adaptable and capable.

Hardware is difficult.Software is even more of a challenge.Fortunately, Willow Garage developed

software called ROS – Robot Operating System

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The Dilemma:

What is ROS?

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•A Distributed, Modular Design•A Vibrant Community•Permissive Licensing•A Collaborative Environment

Open source Linux based, recent Indigo version tuned for Ubuntu 14.04, module update via apt-get. Catkin build system for adding custom code in Python, C+, Java. Works on ARM (BBB, Jetson, Android, Raspberry Pi 2.

ROS is an “OS”

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What does that mean? As there was no ‘Google’ until there was a browser and an http server – widespread use of autonomous robots require an OS infrastructure. For personal computers we had CP/M, and then MS-DOS.

ROS has a steep learning curve, but the work load for developers is reduced considerably, and the complexity is transparent to the end user.

ROS Standard Robot Messages

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•Standard Message Definitions for Robots•Robot Geometry Library•Robot Description Language•Preemptable Remote Procedure Calls•Diagnostics•Pose Estimation•Localization•Mapping•Navigation

ROS Geometry/SLAM

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ROS Tools – RVIZ - RQT

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ROS – 1000s of users, but few entry level platforms.

• Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)• Skybotix• Aldebaran’s NAO humanoid• Meka Robotics' systems• Murata

Why launch now?

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Computers in the 1970sFlexibility

CostHigh

High

LowLow

•Low cost general purpose machine possible when both high cost general purpose and low cost specific purpose machines exist

•Home brew enthusiasts first to enter with difficult to manufacture designs

•Opportunity exists for low cost general purpose mass producible design

?

Robots in 2015Flexibility

CostHigh

High

LowLow

•Current situation indicates low cost high flexibility robot possible

•Need to create easy to manufacture design

How?

• Open source software (ROS)• Advanced COTS technology• Agile methodology (Trello, Slack,

Github)• Product designed around the existing

supply chain, not vice versa.

Ubiquity Robotics

What?

‘Magni*’ Robotics Platform• 100 lb payload• 8 hours endurance• navigate in ADA compliant space• widely adaptable for useful work• affordable

*Magni was originally called Hercules.

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Hercules* V-1 was based on an electric wheel chair and weighed about 150lbs. The motors weighed 20lbs each and needed 2 automobile lead acid batteries.

“Party Bot”

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Ubiquity Robotics

• Brushless hub motors

• Custom ESC• Tubular steel

chassis• Rear Casters• SLA Batteries• ARM based CPU• COTS sensors

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Navigation:Room Mapping/Location – obstacle avoidance- route planning - SLAM

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CPUs

• Laptops/PCs• Raspberry Pi• Beaglebone Black• Radxa Rock• Jetson TK1• Raspberry Pi II

Sensors

• XV-11 LDS•Kinect•Point Grey•Sonar Array• ARS Advanced Room Sensor•Future ‘Lidar’ ‘3-D Camera’

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ROS ‘Hercules*’ Specific Nodes

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•hercules-node•hercules-sonar-skirt•hercules-urdf•hercules-safety-controller• xv-11• point-grey• ceiling fiducials

*Magni

Marketing – Roll out plans.

First 10 Magni platforms are under construction. After video production, we plan to go forward with a crowd funding campaign raise enough capital to manufacture 300 to 1000 units.

Ubiquity Robotics

Like the personal computer, we really do not know what the best purpose for our platform will be. We have a few ‘use cases’ we can demonstrate. It is up to you to develop the ‘killer app.’

Ubiquity Robotics

20150207 Draft – Subject to Change

Size and Dimensions• Length: 19.0”/ 484 mm • Width: 16.4” / 417mm • Height: 10.3” / 263mm t• Weight (w/o battery): 22 lbs /

10kg• Weight (w/ batteries): 72 lbs /

33kg

Magni Robot Platform• Integrated software for robot auto navigation with prebuilt robot

applications• Robot development environment• Metal frame structure, supporting up to 100 pounds of payload• Two 8-inch wheels with integrated 200W brushless DC motor• Caster for stability• Interchangeable top, supporting flexible addition of options

including remote presence interface, book tray, drink server• Optional remote presence monitor and camera with audio• ADA Compliant• Ground ClearanceMain Processor• Nvidia TK1 with Quad core plus one

ARM Cortex A15 “r3” CPU, 192 Kepler CUDA (GPU) cores

• 2GB memory• 4MB boot flash• SD card slot for storage expansion• USB 3.0 • PCI-mini Wifi supporting 802.11 a, b, g• Processor is upgradeable• Arduino for sensor management• Motor controller

Software • Robot Operating System (ROS)

Indigo open source software• Ubuntu 14.04 LTS• Community Support Forum• Web based robot configurator• Prebuilt functions for

navigation, obstacle avoidance, SLAM

• Prebuilt applications for room mapping, self navigation to specified destinations, remote presence using optional remote presence add-on

• Built-in application access and API to sensors and motion control

• Self diagnostics• Sensor calibration• Built-in wifi hot-spot for easy

integration with mobile devices• GNU C build tools• Python development• Shared software code via Git

using BitBucket• ROS Build Farm

Motion• Dual 8” wheels with integrated

DC motors• Integrated odometer with N

counts per wheel revolution• Motor controller integrated with

main processor• Dual caster wheels• Quiet operation• Turning radius of 2’

Power• 2 x 35 Amp-Hour rechargeable

batteries• AC charging • Optional alternative lightweight

batteries

Sensors• 2 Cameras (front facing and up

facing)• Sonar array• Optional Cliff sensors• Optional LIDAR

20150207 Draft – Subject to Change

Hercules Robot Platform

Magni Robot Platforms Versions

We are still considering options for our kick starter but are considering three versions:

$ Base(Bronze) - motors, chassis, controller only

$$ Developer (Silver)- BASE plus Raspberry Pi II and navigation sensors

$$$ Shell(Gold) - DEVELOPER plus aluminum shell – near commercial application ready.

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Magni Loki

Proposed Platforms for Kick starter Rollout.

Introducing: Loki

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Loki is a small robot used to learn ROS (Robot Operating System.) ROS runs on a Raspberry Pi 2 computer board and plugs into the Loki, controling 2 motors with drive electronics and wheel encoders, 16 sonars, a 5 mega pixel camera, a 4 degree of freedom Arm, and a 6000mAH battery. An USB wireless dongle is used to download software developed on a laptop/desktop system, or run the robot via teleop.

Loki

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•Runs ROS on a Raspberry Pi 2 computer.•Dimensions: 250mm (L) x 110mm (W) x ~200mm (H)•Battery: 6000mAH Lithium-Ion Battery Pack•Sonar: 16 HC-SR04 sonar(s)•Motors: 2 Micro Metal Gear motors 298:1 Gear Reduction•Wheels: 70mm (D) x 8mm (W)•Encoders: 16.26 ticks/mm•Speed: 1 M/Sec•Embedded Processor: 20MHz @ 5V Atmel ATmega2560 (Arduino Mega compatible)•Arm: 4 degree of freedom Me Arm 0.4•LED's: 8•Expansion: 2x5 .1in Expansion Bus Connector•Camera: Upward pointing Raspberry Pi Camera (2592 x 1944 pixels)

So our question still is:

What would you do with your own

personal robot?

Ubiquity Robotics