SR4: A New Linux-Based Robot

Posted 13 May 2003 at 13:38 UTC by steve

Smart Robots has announced a new Linux-based robot called the SR4. Details can be found in a recent Linuxdevices.com article. The robot comes in several models, some with an R2D2-like plastic shell. The SR4's main processor is an ARM-based Techsol HY7201 Medallion CPU running a Linux 2.4 kernel and Sun JVM. Interfaces include 802.11b, USB, Serial, I2C, and Ethernet. Low-level functions are managed by an OOPic. Sensors include wheel encoders, bumpers, Polaroid sonars, and temperature. Interestingly, the company claims the robot's software will be available an under an Open Source license (so far, their website does not state which license or provide any links to the software). Prices for the SR4 range from $1595 to $3995.

Expensive and lacking essential hardware, posted 14 May 2003 at 06:25 UTC by motters » (Master)

Looks ok but is too expensive and should come with vision as standard.

Too expensive, posted 14 May 2003 at 16:42 UTC by earlwb » (Master)

$1595 for a OOPIC version is way too expensive. That should have been what the Linux version costs maybe.

I see about $200 in the base, $100 for sensors maybe, then whatever the MCU or CPU would cost on top of that. So a Atmel ARM costs about $399 for a eval board.

Thus we have about $700.00 for a bot, now toss in a 40% markup for profits and we get about $1000 for a Embedded Linux robot.

I didn't think that a ABS plastic body would cost $800 to $900 either, maybe $100 or so.

But who knows maybe there are a lot of buyers for it.

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