[8] What companies sell or build robots?

Eshed makes a variety of robot manipulators for education, training and instructional use. This includes a half-dozen manipulator products, vision systems and a variety of machining and manufacturing systems. Eshed has sold over 8000 robots for training and education.

Eshed has many dealers throughout Europe. Many dealers can be found at: dealer list

The LM15-1 mini crane is a compact and portable electrically powered manipulation system. The device can be transported in a van and can be easily moved up and down stairs by rubber crawler tracks or winched vertically. The LM15-1 can work in relatively small spaces of 4x10m in area. It is powered by 100VAC, and has wireless remote control. Load specifications are 150kg at 3m. The telescoping boom can reach to 4m. It can be stored in a compact size of about 1m^2 and can be split into two even smaller pieces to ease storage and transport further.

See the URL listed above for more details and pictures. Price: Y3,200,000 (between US$25-32K depending on the exchange rate)

7 DOF, with continuous path control

Supposedly *open* control architecture, using PC

30 Kg arm, 25 Kg controller, 10 Kg payload

Sands has been making robots since 1989. Sands make 3 robots, a low cost 5 axis bench top articulated arm, a bench top cylindrical format arm and a modular Cartesian arm which can be quite small or quite large depending on customer needs.

All the robots are low cost, driven by stepping motors with sophisticated controls. Fairly fast, fairly accurate, very reliable. The controller is open, and uses an extension of FORTH we called ROBOFORTH which has over 400 commands (not counting building blocks) See Sands Home Page for more details including drawings dimensions, speeds, payloads etc.

Seiko Instruments offers a complete line of industrial robots including SCARA, Cylindrical and Cartesian robots which are some of the fastest in the world. They also offer a point and click Microsoft Windows based Vision System which works with all our robots or as a stand alone system.

Furukawa

Sumitomo

Chubu

Beckman Biomark

HP ORCA

Tecan

[8.3] Integrators and resellers

AAA Industrial Robot Store

Computers, Robotics and Artists Society of Houston [CRASH] See CRASH

Research Centers

General description:

ETL is a govermental institute with about 630 staffs and annual budget of over 10 billion yen including personnel expenses, covering a broad area related to electronics, physics, material sciences, device technology, energy technology, standards and measurements technology, bio-electronics, information science, computer science, computer systems, artificial intelligence, and robotics. Gopher host: gopher://etlport.etl.go.jp

Robotics group:

Intelligent Systems Division covers robotics and related areas. It consists of following sections; Intelligent Machine Behavior, Autonomous Systems, Computer Vision, Interactive Interface Systems, and Communicating Intelligence.

The robotics group in the division foucuses on intelligent robots and system integration. Its current research topics include, but not limited to, Dextrous manipulation, Motion planning, Active vision, Multi-sensor fusion, Multi-fingered hands, Hand-eye systems, Mobile robot navigation, Multiple-robot cooperation, Intelligent teleoperation, Learning, and Architecture.

The robotics group at ETL has continuously been at the frontier of intelligent robotics research.

PostDoc positions:

ETL accepts postdoctoral research fellows from all over the world. Mainly two support programs are available: STA fellowship and AIST fellowship. They require a doctoral degree, age no greater than 35, fluency in Japanese or English, etc. Typical research period is one year (2 yrs max.). The fellowship includes a basic allowance (270,000yen/month) plus family allowance (50,000yen/month), housing cost, and a round trip air ticket (1 person). The fellowships are highly competetive and have different application procedures depending on an applicant's nationality. Those who are interested should contact their local governmental agency for international research cooperation (such as NSF in USA). A more convenient way might be to catch a member of ETL staff at some conference and inquire about the fellowships.

Graduate Summer Institute Program:

ETL is a member of the graduate summer institute program. The robotics group hosts a couple of guest student researchers every summer. The Graduate Summer Institute program is based on Japan-USA contract on research cooperation in science and technology. It is open for graduate students in the USA who are majoring in science and technology fields.

The aim of the program is to provide opportunities for the students to get acquainted with Japanese culture, science and techonology, and to promote future collaboration in research in science and techonology. Here is some data from last year's example.

Period: 2 months (Late June -- Late August).

Program (subj. to change): Japanese classes. Research at host institutes. Lectures, Meetings, Going to Kabuki, Kyoto tour, Official Receptions.

Support: Return air ticket, domestic transportation, accomodation, japanese classes, tours.

Contact: Japan Programs, Division of International Programs, NSF.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

The ongoing NASA robotics research program develops autonomous, semi-autonomous and teleoperated systems and technologies for applications in Earth orbit and on planetary surfaces. Technology efforts are focussed on local autonomy, dexterous manipulation, task-level command and control, and contending with extremely harsh environments.

NASA HQ Telerobotics Home Page

I, TROV and Ranger projects. http://maas-neotek.arc.nasa.gov/

National Laboratories

Sandia National Laboratories

At the time of writing (2/15/93) the center has nearly 100 full-time staff with degrees in computer science, mechanical engineering, mathematics, electrical engineering, as well as a few in other fields. The mix is about 30% PhD, 40%MS, and 30% BS. Recent hires have come from Cornell, Stanford, Berkeley, CMU, Illinois, Penn, ...

The center operates over 20 fully equipted labs including robots from Puma, Adept, GCA, Cincinnati Millacron, and Schilling. The virtual reality lab includes stereoscopic viewers from Fake Space, audio, speech recognition and synthesis, and big boxes from SGI to drive the graphics. In addition to the normal complement of departmental computing we have use of other compute resources at Sandia including a 1000 node N-cube, a 1000+node Intel Paragon, several crays, a CM-200 (16K procs).

Contacts: Randy Brost, Pat Xavier, Sharon Stansfield, Pang Chen, David Strip, Jim Novak, Ray Harrigan, Pat Eicker, Bob Anderson.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Research in mobile and manipulator robotics, including redundant and multiple manipulators, cooperating mobile robots, parallel vision systems, sensor fusion, laser range finder research, real-time quantitative reasoning and behavior based control, and machine learning. Current applications include robots for nuclear power stations, environmental restoration and waste management, material handling, and automated manufacturing.

Researchers: James Baker, Marty Beckerman, Chuck Glover, William Grimmell, Judd Jones, Reinhold Mann, Ed Oblow, Lynne Parker, Nageswara Rao, David Reister, Phil Spelt, Michael Unseren.

US Department of Defense

The mission of the Robotics and Automation Center of Excellence (RACE) is to insert appropriate robotics and automation technologies into Air Force industrial processes. RACE accomplishes this mission by keeping abreast of current technology and recommending any technologies that may resolve present or future Air Force requirements. RACE is the link between industry, universities, the Department of Energy, NASA, technical societies, contractors and the Air Force.

RACE is also responsible for providing organic technical expertise to the Air Force during integration of new robotics and automation system developments. RACE acts as a consultant throughout the entire acquisition process, providing technical evaluations from initial problem specification to implementation of proposed solution. RACE employee expertise, in-house test and evaluation facilities, and process studies are all used to support hardware transfer to the user.

NRaD NRAD is the Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation Division of the Naval Command Control and Ocean Surveillance Center (NCCOSC), located in San Diego, California. NRaD and its predecessor organizations (Naval Ocean Systems Center (NOSC), Naval Undersea Center (NUC), etc.) have been involved in various aspects of robotics since the early 1960's.

Robotics research and development at NRaD are currently performed by two groups:

Companies

ADI makes the Robix(tm) RCS-6 Robotic Construction Set, priced at US$550, or US$565 for 220V/50Hz and PAL video. The RCS-6 is designed specifically for use by educators and industrial modelers, and is used to build and operate a wide variety of PC connected desktop robots. Included are many construction parts, 6 hobby-type servos, an electronics interface with an 8-channel 8 bit A/D, power supply, software, manual, video, carrying case, and more, even including a pair of safety goggles.

The 40-minute video that comes with the set is also available separately for just the airmail postage cost: US$3 to US locations, $4 to Canada, $5 to Mexico and $8 to all other countries. Shown in the video are 5 different arms built for (and performing) 5 different tasks, a pair of 3-servo-each opposable fingers twiddling a ball, 3 animatronic figures, and a 3-legged (but 6-footed) walker with both a walking and galloping stride. In addition, an arm is built step-by-step in the video, and then programmed interactively. The software includes a scripting interface as well as complete C and QuickBasic 4.5 libraries with documentation and sample code.

For complete technical information, a faq section, text of a cover story about the RCS-6 in Popular Electronics Magazine, plus over 50 image files (.gif's), a DOS PC .gif viewer, a useful section on what the set does *not* do, and more, download from the anonymous ftp site: ftp://ftp.robix.com/pub/robix. See the readme.txt file there first.

To get the video, order by phone or fax, or by email from desk@robix.com. Visa and Mastercard are accepted.

Angelus' line of robot products includes:

Whiskers the Robot-A 13 pound rugged robot which is very intelligent and is very simple to program ($895).

Advanced Whiskers-Two networked processors allow real-time collision avoidance and navagation ($1895).

ARC-100 controller-Build your own intelligent robot($895) like Whiskers. Networkable. ARC-110 controller-Like above but has our narrow beam sonar onboard. Networkable.

HiPower Board-Drive two 10 amp DC motors($195).

MR-1-Series robot for the serious researcher or roboticist. Available March 1996. ($1995-$10,000).

Heathkit Hero intelligent upgrade kit ($795) includes:

1 ARC-110 controller

1 HiPower Board

4 6 inch Light sensor arrays

Here is a listing of some of the kits that they build: Interface for Macintosh: "Service II" from Boenig and Kallenbach, sold by

There are also computing kits containing interfaces for C64, PC and Apple II.

Profi Computing by Fischer Technik:

"High-end" kit, 3 motors, 6 switches, 4 lights, 2 fotocells, 20 plugs patch bay, construction base-support plate, 12 models explained as there are a robot with a controlled hand, a plotter, a slot-machine, a credit-card reader and a CD-player (certainly without audio out), 888 parts in total: DM 376, needs the Service II interface.

Training robot by Fischertechnik:

3 rotation axes which may be controlled simultaneously. Working radius between 12 and 37 cm, fetching height: 6 to 25 cm, driven by 3 Fischer Technik S-motors, positioning with infrared photocell, with cabling and manual, needs the Service II interface, for DM 547.

Plotter/Scanner by Fischertechnik:

Scanning head not included, "heavy duty" construction, precision less than 0.5 mm on a A4 surface, driven by 2 bipolar stepper motors, needs the Service II interface. For DM 487.-

Computing by Fischertechnik:

10 models possible, all explained: antenna rotor, Plotter, Graphic Tablet, 2-axis robot etc., needs Service II and power supply for DM 298.-

A VERY small mobile robot. Motorola 68331 Processor with 256K RAM and 256 or 512K ROM. Serial port. Six 10bit analog inputs. DC motor powered with incremental encoders. Eight IR proximity and light sensors. NiCd batteries. Additional capabilities can be added by using stackable K-extension bus. Software environments: Calm assembler (PC or MAC), Gnu C compiler (on all machines supported by GNU) and LabView (PC, Mac or Sun).

• Size: 55mm diameter, 30mm high
• Weight: 70grams
• Cost: 3000 Swiss Francs [About $2K US]
• Vision and Gripper modules under development.

LEGO Dacta is the educational branch of the LEGO company. Dacta sells the LEGO Technic product line. These are the geared and motorized versions for the LEGO system.

Use anonymous ftp to obtain a list of a variety of lego information and application programs from: ftp://earthsea.stanford.edu/pub/lego/

CAD/ contains several languages for specifying models

faq/ contains latest faq sheet for alt.toys.lego

games/ Rules for games using lego people and pieces

images/ Pictures and drawings of sets and instructions

sets/ Database listings of lego sets and catalog numbers

upload/ Place your files here!

1038 Technical Universal Buggy - dual drive vehicle. $60
1032 Technic II w/ motorized transmission - $76
9605 Technic Resource Set - general parts kits - $200
Lego-to-Mac software:
Paradigm Software at tel:617.576.7675
Bots at tel: 415.949.2126
MIT has papers on LEGO projects available via FTP from:
ftp://kame.media.mit.edu/pub/el-memos. The files are in memo8.* "LEGO/LOGO: Learning Through and About Design"

[Tom Thorton] The HexWalker(tm) walking robot kit is based on the Insectoid built by Gary Malolepsy of The Robotics Society of Southern California (RSSC), and chronicled in the February, March and April 1994 issues of Robot Builder (the newsletter of RSSC). The Insectoid robot was given passing mention by Scott Edwards in the June 1994 issue of Nuts and Volts (How Far Can a Stamp Take You?).

RSSC Club Officers had discussed kitting the walking robot up for members for several months, but had taken no action. Finally, I built one for myself. It generated so much attention at meetings that I decided to kit it out. The HexWalker(tm) robot kit is the result.

As supplied in the kit the Hexwalker(tm) robot detects the world by means of two feelers. Normal movement for HexWalker(tm) is to walk forward using the opposing triangle gait. When the robot detects an obstacle (when a feeler switch closes) it pauses, backs up several steps, turns left or right, and resumes forward walking. HexWalker(tm) turns left when the right feeler switch closes, or right when the left feeler switch closes.

HexWalker(tm) is large enough to work on easily. It measures 8 1/2 inches (22cm) long (plus feelers), 6 1/2 inches (16cm) wide, and 2 1/2 inches (6cm) tall. It is strong, able to support its own weight (12 ounces) plus about an 8 ounce payload.

Modifying the basic robot is encouraged. Ideas for modification/improvement include: Substitute LED photodetectors for the feeler/snapswitch sensors. Add a second Stamp to HexWalker(tm) that performs sensor monitoring functions. Add additional sensors to HexWalker(tm).

• Backup sensor to prevent walking into objects when walking backwards.
• Down sensor to detect "cliffs" and prevent walking off edges.
• Sonar for long range sensing."

HexWalker(tm) sells for US $125.00.

California residents add 7.75% sales tax.

Shipping throughout North America is US $3.00.

Shipping to all others is US $15.00.

The kit without Basic Stamp (if you have your own controller) is US $100.00 plus s &h.

The construction manual alone is US $10.00 plus US $1.00 s &h.

The German model train company, Maerklin makes a Meccano compatible construction set. They also have a 1007 Robotic Arm kit and programmable controller as well. ~$300 You may be able to order it through a local train and hobby shop.

Muscle Wire Project Book- New 3rd Edition. Presenting everything you need to successfully design, build, and operate devices with Muscle Wire - nickel-titanium filaments that actually contract when electrically powered and lift thousands of times their own weight.

Topics include: Basic lever action, ratchets and latches, model railroad crossing, AC power circuit, solar power circuit, paper airplane launcher, life-like butterfly, rubber tube "flexi", proportional control, radio control interface, programmable multiple wire controller & serial port interface, PC parallel port interface and much more. Boris the six-legged motorless miniature walking machine.

BORIS - A miniature motorless six-legged walking machine

SPECIFICATIONS

Length: 13.5 cm

Height: 4.5 cm

Weight: 30 grams

Power & Drive:

- Eight 100 um dia. Muscle Wires (50 centimeters total).

- 6 volts, 500 milliamp max.

- Full software control via PC parallel printer port.

• Muscle Wires Project Book
• Five meters each of Flexinol 050, 100 and 150
• One meter of Flexinol 250
• Crimps & instructions

Jayso Electrnics 800.426.4422 or 212.798.1050

Pitsco 800.835.0686

Edmund Scientific 609.573.6260 (See Robot Parts Section)

Hobbico 800.637.7660

The B-BOT Frame:

This is a complete robot frame with a 360 degree bumper skirt and clear head dome. The frame is six inches in diameter and uses two modified RC servos (not included). The B-BOT can be controlled by a small microcontroller, such as the BOTBoard, Mini Board, PIC or BASIC STAMP. The B-BOT Frame is expandable, flexible, and makes it easy to get your robot projects off the ground quickly.

The B-BOT Frame and assembly manual is $29.95. The B-BOT jr. (smaller, with single level base) is $19.95. Please add $4.00 shipping for first kit, $1.00 for each additional kit. Please make check or money order to Marvin Green at the above address.

The BOTBoard:

The BOTBoard is a bare printed circuit board designed for robotic applications. The BOTBoard uses the popular 68HC11 microcontroller in a minimum configuration, and is easily programmed >from your PC. Engineered to be flexible, the BOTBoard is also powerful and easy to use. Each board measures 2" X 3" and contains 38 I/O pins, and a small prototyping area.

The BOTBoard is $5.95 each, or three for $15.00. Add $1.25 plus $.25 for each board for shipping.

The ARMBOT:

The ARMBOT is a flexible three axis robotic arm. It is designed to use small unmodified RC servos and a microcontroller. The ARM-BOT provides clockwise and counter clockwise rotation of greater than 180 degree, shoulder lift of greater than 45 degree a gripper range of about two inches. The ARMBOT is surprisingly strong. It's fun to use, and can easily be build within a couple of hours.

The ARMBOT kit and instruction manual is $12.95. Please add $2.00 shipping and handling.

real_bot.zip contains three gif images of the ARMBOT and B-BOT. ftp://cherupakha.media.mit.edu/pub/incoming/real_bot.zip
Seattle Robotics Society BBS: (206) 362-5267

I designed these kits to help inspire people to build robots. The kits are high quality and inexpensive. Please contact me for more information. martin@agora.rdrop.com

Rug Warrior offers the following features: Motorola MC68HC11 microcontroller, LCD display (32 alphanumeric characters), 32K of battery backed RAM, RS-232 serial port, Collision detection from any of 6 directions, Photoresistor light sensors, Infrared obstacle detection, Microphone for sound detection, Piezoelectric buzzer generates tones of arbitrary frequency, Motor driver chip allows control of two DC motors, Dual shaft encoders allow velocity/position control, Four user controllable LEDs, Optional pyroelectric (heat) sensor, Expansion capabilities for more sensors and actuators.

The kit consists of a circuit board with the logic and interface components already soldered on and tested, plus all the sensors and other circuitry needed to build the robot board as described in our book "Mobile Robots: Inspiration to Implimentation."

The kit includes Interactive C (IC) on a disk for either Mac or PC. Self test routines are also provided for each of the standard sensors and actuators. In the near future A. K. Peters plans to offer a complete robot kit including chassis, skirt, and motors.

The "Mobile Robot Kit", Rug Warrior from AK Peters is now available in the "IBUKI Trading Post" on the WWW. The URL for the Trading Post is: IBUKI The "Rug Warrior" can be found under "Toys toys from IBUKI" on the "Robots" page. More robot kits will be coming soon. If you want one listed please contact IBUKI. Questions or comments can be sent to IBUKI from the pages of the Trading Post or by sending email to rww@ibuki.com

Stiquito is a small six-legged robot that you customize by adding sensors, controllers, power sources, etc. The robot provides an inexpensive platform to study computational sensors, subsumption architectures, neural gait control, emergent cooperative behavior, and machine vision. It is currently being used for research at IU, and, at a ratio of one robot per student, in "VLSI for Robotics" and "Machine Learning" classes.

Stiquito is small (3cm H x 7cm W x 6cm L) and simple (32 parts) because its legs are propelled by nitinol actuator wires. Each leg has one degree of freedom. The robot walks up to 10 centimeters per minute and can carry a 9-volt cell, a MOSIS "tiny chip" and power transistors to drive the nitinol actuator wires. Alternatively, power and control can be supplied through a tether.

After being innundated with requests for the unit, sales of the kits are now being handled by Robotic Systems. Robotic Systems offers a kit to build the Stiquto II walking robot The kit is $45 and includes a PCB for a PC-based controller (Mac version coming soon).

See ftp://www.cs.indiana.edu/pub/stiquito/STIQUITO.INFO for an overview of Stiquito and the files at Indiana.

Technical report TR 414 - Stiquito II and Tensipede: Two Easy-to-build Nitinol-propelled Robots is available in FINAL DRAFT via anonymous ftp from ftp://cs.indiana.edu/pub/stiquito

The report is archived as four .hqx (binhex encoded) .sea (stuffit lite self-extracting archive) Microsoft Word 4, 5 & 6, available on PCs. Macs should be able to read and print word 4 documents.

TSS is Home of the Lynxmotion Robotic Arm. It uses Scott Edwards Mini SSC Controller.

• 5 axis (base rotate, shoulder, elbow, wrist and gripper)
• All axis' are closed loop.
• Can be completely battery powered by a 9V and 6V battery.
• Extremely easy to program and control with any serial port.
• Can utilize a PC, single board computer, PIC or even BASIC Stamp.
• Very fast, accurate and repeatable movement.
• Available in three different configurations.

Basic kit

Includes all hardware, structural components, a 27 page detailed assembly manual with illustrations, and software. You will need to provide the servos and a Mini SSC servo controller.

Basic kit $60, additional $10 for software.

Level 2 kit

Includes all hardware, structural components, assembly manual, software, 6 servos and a Mini SSC servo controller.

Level 2 kit $180

Level 3 kit

Completely assembled and tested robot ready to move.

$255 with software included

The Armatron was sold by Radio Shack in the US and was a popular small plastic manipulator. A mobile version, the Mobile Armatron was also sold. A number of articles appeared in the hobbyist press regarding linking the Armatrons to computers. The Armatron is a clever, maybe even brilliant, mechanical engineering feat that uses a single motor to control all 6 degrees of motion AND the timer. The mobile version is still being sold in Japan and is called the "GO ROBO ARM" You might be able to pick one up at a flea market or garage sale. They have shown up again in the Fall of 1994 in Radio Shack stores. Buy it - they are neat, very clever, inexpensive and fun.

Articles:

• Computer Controlled Robot Arm, Jimmy Banas, Radio Electronics, pp. 49-53, and 117, May 1985. The control requires the addition of 6 DC motors, and machining of 'bearing blocks' to hold gears and align shafts.
• Armatron: A Study in Arm Engineering, Mark Robillard, Robotics Age, Nov/Dec 1982, Vol. 4 No. 6, pp.40-46 (cover photo too)
• Super Armatron, John J. Shiavone, Mike Dawson, and James E. Brandeberry, Robotics Age, Jan 1984, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 20-28.

The four batteries are wired in series; the center is reference, so there is +/- 2.5 volts to control the motor. Between the main body (which holds the battery) and the control head is a color-coded seven-wire flat cable. The BLACK wire is one side of reference; the BROWN wire is the other side of reference, and the reference wire color is WHITE. In the control head are two rheostats (ganged) to control motor speeds by controlling applied voltage.

Wire
color  |  Controls    |   Details
-------+--------------+----------------------------------------------------
 BLUE  | main    UP   | BROWN  (~250 ma.)
       | arm    DOWN  | BLACK  (~200 ma.)
       |              | This motor has a spring counterbalance to assist
       |              | "up" motion.  I did not disassemble the main arm,
       |              | but suspect there is quite a lot of gearing inside.
       |              |
ORANGE | wrist   UP   | BROWN  (~200 ma.)
       |        DOWN  | BLACK  (~200 ma.)
       |              | I did disassemble this arm, and there are SEVERAL
       |              | layers of geardown involved.
       |              |
 RED   | finger CYCLE | BLACK  (~200 ma. when open, ~235 ma. closed)
       |              | The open/close cycle is caused by a cam.
       |              | 
       | wrist ROTATE | BROWN  (~225-255 ma.)
       |              | A ratchet mechanism permits finger-cycling versus
       |              | wrist-rotation using just one motor.  When the
       |              | motor turns one way a ratchet locks wrist turning
       |              | but allows finger cycling, and vice versa.
       |              | 
YELLOW | left  FORWARD| BROWN (~350 ma. when driven by itself)
       | drive REVERSE| BLACK (~350 ma. when driven by itself)
       | wheel        | 
       |              | 
GREEN  | right FORWARD| BROWN (~350 ma. when driven by itself)
       | drive REVERSE| BLACK (~350 ma. when driven by itself)
       | wheel        | When both wheels are driven in the same direction,
       |              | the total current draw is ~475 ma.  Internally, both
       |              | drive motors are actually in one unit; I suspect
       |              | there is some clutch interlock between them.

BLACK BROWN RED ORANGE YELLOW GREEN BLUE WHITE (common)

Going up into the arm mechanisms are three wires, RED/WHITE, ORANGE/ WHITE, and BLUE/WHITE, and associated with each is a white wire. In general, the wiring is color-consistent; the RED-with-WHITE-stripe wire connects to the RED terminal, the BLUE-with-WHITE-strip wire to the BLUE terminal, all of the WHITE wires to the WHITE (common) terminal, etc. But inside the base unit an ORANGE wire connected to one end of the battery (opposite the BLACK wire connected to the other end of the battery). I did NOT see a BROWN wire here as would be expected. Myron.

Kits and pre-assembled robot walkers (insects). USR produces Electro-Optic components and software tools for compound eye robotics. The catalog lists a low-cost walking system kit called Prometheus and Sparticus on the order of $1500 (US). A number of control and I/O modules are also available (eg. RS232 interface, data acquisition, motor control module, motor driver etc.) Leg units are also sold separately.

For USR's catalog, which includes a Video for Windows demo of their robots in action and a selection of research articles, please send check or money orderfor $3US within the United States or $7US for outside the United States the address above.

Zagros sells two robot kits. All you need to add is a CPU, and you have a fully functional robot. Zagros offers their own HC11 based processor board with 'C' compiler. The Mini Max has a maximum speed of about 22.5 meters/minute. Each drive motor generates 1.1 Nm of torque. The platform is 30cmx30cm 6mm thick industrial plastic. Zagros accepts check, money order, COD, Discover, Visa and Mastercard.

Mini Max Robot Kit $129.95 (plus $15.00 shipping) This kit includes the following:

• (2) 12 volt DC drive motors
• (2) 15cm drive wheels
• (1) caster wheel
• (1) base plane 30cm x 30cm
• (1) battery power supply
• (1) motor driver kit
• (1) book of project notes
• (1) solderless breadboard

• (2) 12 volt DC drive motors
• (2) 15cm drive wheels
• (2) caster wheels
• (1) base plane 41cmx41cm
• (1) battery power supply
• (1) motor driver kit
• (2) pulse encoders
• (1) book of project notes
• (1) solderless breadboard

[8.6] Entertainment Robots

While not quite in the mainstream of robotics research at this time, there are a number of companies catering to mainstream venues using animated figures that are remotely controlled. These are often used to entertain people in restaurants, at shows and conferences,promotional events and at a variety of other types of gatherings.

However, entertainment is seen as a potentially lucrative and large market for interactive robotic systems ranging from theme park venues to retail attractions and museum events. The robots that entertain us in the movies are, for the most part, remotely controlled devices using conventional servo and actuation technology, perhaps enhanced with some teach playback capability. This is changing however, as graphics capabilities subsume the need for many mechanism-based special effects. Thus, movie-based robotic mechanisms are likely only in the case of complex actor-device interactions or in environments where it is still difficult to simulate, such as falling or splashing water. Or as in the case of a recent movie - where the director wants realism - 'to frighten the actors'. Really.

The Robot Factory

Robots for advertising, education and entertainment since 1966. The major product categories available from The Robot Factory include Talking signs, mobile robots, animated Musicians and customized robots. Sarcos