iRobot Create: Robot Hacking for the Masses

At the Consumer Electronics Show this week, iRobot announced the iRobot Create, an inexpensive, programmable home robot platform, based on their cleaning robots, Roomba and Scooba. iRobot is selling the basic kit, which includes the robot, battery pack and serial cable starting at $130.

The chassis is virtually identical to the Roomba minus the vacuum motor, dustbin, and rotating brushes. 32 sensors have been added and it has an open cargo bay and a 25-pin expansion port. Users can add and mix-and-match sensors, grippers, wireless connections, digital cameras, computers, or other electronic devices. Windows XP is supported through a serial port and it can operate with Microsoft’s Robotics Studio development kit.

When we get our hands on one we will post a full review here. Meanwhile Tom over at Robot Magazine has a hands-on look at the bot.

All Terrain Quad

Check out this innovative quad-legged robot from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. It walks through the grass, but check out what it does when it hits the pavement:

Honda Asimo Performs at CES

Honda demonstrated their new and improved humanoid robot, Asimo, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this past week. Asimo can now run at 4 mph, kick a soccer ball, and climb up and down stairs. See for yourself in this video: