THE NEW, ACCESSIBLE

ROBOTICS
BUILDING AMAZING PROJECTS WITH
INEXPENSIVE HW AND OPEN-SOURCE SW

DR. RICHARD GRIMMETT

We are at the beginning of the Third

Technology Wave

We are at an amazing point in Robotics

- Inexpensive Embedded Processors (Arduino, Raspberry
Pi, BeagleBone Black
- Large Set of Inexpensive Peripherals
- Large (and growing) set of Open-Source SW

Inexpensive, interesting,
limited only by your
imagination

Arduino

MSP 430

Raspberry Pi

BeagleBone Black

Whey choose a Raspberry Pi/BeagleBone Black?

Linux provides a large set of Open Source SW
- Includes lots of HW drivers
- Includes Additional Functionality for Vision, Speech
Device Control
Small Size
- Easy to put into Robotics Projects
- Power Requirements are reasonable
Inexpensive
- The Price is very Attractive
- Adding addition functionality is also inexpensive

What do you want your robot to do?

Move
- Wheeled/Tracked Vehicles
- Walking Robots Quadrupeds/Bipeds
Find Barriers
Listen
Speak
See
Location
Autonomously!
Fly?
- Quad copter/Airplane
Sail?
Swim?

Movement Wheeled/Tracked Vehicles

DC Motor Controller connects via USB

Provides the power needed for the platforms
Easy-to-program interface

Movement Biped/Quadruped Robots

Servo Motor Controller connects via USB

Provides the power needed for the platforms
Easy-to-program interface

Find Barriers

Sonar/IR Sensor connects via USB/GPIO

Provides the Real-time interface for the sensors
Easy-to-program interface

Listen Respond
to Commands

Sound Card via USB

Provides both Audio Input and Output
Provides Standard Input for Voice Commands
Use PocketSphinx for Voice Processing

Speak

Sound Card via USB

Provides both Audio Input and Output
Provides Standard Output for Sound
Use espeak for Voice Processing

See
USB WebCam
Provides Video Capture Capability
Add a Screen for local Visualization
Use OpenCV for Video Processing

Location
Path Planning

USB GPS
Provides Location via USB/GPIO
Add algorithms to plan routes

Autonomously!
USB Wireless Controller
Provides Access to control wirelessly
Works best with Local Screen
USB WLAN
Provides Access to control wirelessly
SSH/VNC provide interface
XBee
Provides Access to control wirelessly
across long distances
Serial Control

Fly
BeagleBone Black communicating with
Flight Controller
via Servo Controller
Provides Basic Motor Control
Provides Stabilization Control
BeagleBone provides sensor/GPS
interface

Sail
BeagleBone Black controlling an RC Sailboat
Use USB Servo Control
Add Wind Sensor
Add Xbee remote Communication
Add GPS interface

Swim
BeagleBone Black controlling an
ROV
Use USB DC motor Control
for ESC
Add USB Cam
Controlled via LAN Cable

Why You can be Successful

BeagleBone Black/Raspberry Pi is very Forgiving
Lots of OpenSource SW capability
Lots of Help from the Community
These Processors continue to improve

Some Advice
I am a bit reluctant to have my students
use the GPIO
Lots of USB capability
Start with the Basics
Learn how to work through the Issues getting help
Beginners may want to try an Arduino first

Inexpensive, interesting,
limited only by your
imagination