iRobot getting into the game...
Well, it looks like iRobot is getting into the robot building arena - a recent announcement from this year's CES shows that iRobot will be releasing a new robot called Create, similar in shape to the iRoomba but with the vacuum attachments (brushes and fluid container) removed. Users will be able to connect devices like cameras and robotic arms - some purchasable from iRobot and others probably home-brew.
Not much more news yet, and I post this only because I think we all see that the home robotics field is growing fast and everyone wants to get in... maybe if enough of us request it, they'll include BlueTooth so our NXT bots can interact with the iRobot device.
Comments
Yes, blue tooth is a must, and IR would not be terribly difficult to implement either. I see three serial outputs, (I think) and one serial input (presumably that means it's programmable?) No USB though, what's with that?
I believe the circular feature at the top is an IR interface.
Look at these pictures, the top right hand corner of the green module definitely has a square USB connector.
No sign of Bluetooth though.
ttfn,
Tony N
Ah, I see it now, I was looking for a standard, or NXT style (what style is that called) USB port. But now that I see that....yay.
The connector on the NXT is a 'series B' socket. (The PC end is a 'series A', there also mini-A, mini-B, mini-AB and coming soon a recently approved micro- series.) The one on the iRobot is the same as the NXT but without the metal surround. You can see it more clearly here.
ttfn,
Tony N
i thought u could sense colors with the light sensor, but this is really cool. and u even created a block for it!!
where can i buy one??
"The Command Module contains an 8-bit, 20 MHz (Atmel ATMega 168) microcontroller enabling full programmability of iRobot Create’s motors, lights, sounds, and sensor readings. The Command Module plugs into the Create robot’s cargo bay connector and provides on-board control with programs you write in C or C++. It has four DB-9 expansion ports for adding your own hardware. Includes Command Module CD (containing 3 example programs and the compiler), USB cable, and Quick Start Guide. Full documentation available online."
My mistake, it's bigger than I thought it would be, hence why I thought that the USB was a...very small one. I honestly don't know the name, just that it is much smaller than the NXT's. But since that is not the case, thank you for supplying the link to the detail pics.
You can add a Bluetooth module.
This is of more interest to the pure robotics crowd than the LEGO crowd, obviously.