Only released in EOL distros:  

mrl_robots: mrl_robots_2dnav | mrl_robots_description | mrl_robots_drivers | mrl_robots_sensors | mrl_robots_teleop

Package Summary

Diverse Packages associated with the Stingbot and Traxbot Robot, from the ISR, University of Coimbra.

MRL Robots

mrlfamily_.JPG

The MRL Robots are a family of Arduino-based differential robots developed in the Mobile Robotics Laboratory (MRL) at the Institute of Systems and Robotics (ISR) in the University of Coimbra, Portugal.

These robots follow a low-cost and open source philosophy by incorporating an Arduino Uno board as the main control unit together with a OMNI-3MD motor driver, which are placed inside the robots' chassis.

They also include 3 ultrasonic range sonars and an Arduino compatible Xbee Shield which enables an easy-to-use Zigbee-based communication interface, enabling easy data exchange between multiple robots or between the robot and a remote unit when no Network infra-structure (i.e., Wifi) exists. These robots also include a flat acrylic structure on top of the platform to support a 10” notebook, dedicated to run ROS.

Stingbot

stingbot.jpg

The Stingbot platform is a differential drive system built upon the Stinger Robot educational Kit composed of a light and robust aluminum chassis, foam tires and 2 DC gearhead motors with quadrature wheel encoders. Two packs of 12V 2300mAh Ni-MH batteries are placed between the chassis and the acrylic support to ensure good energetic autonomy to the robot.

Traxbot

Traxbot.JPG

The Traxbot platform is a differential drive system built upon the Traxster II Robot educational Kit composed of a light and robust aluminum chassis, locomotion tracks and 2 DC gearhead motors with quadrature wheel encoders. Two packs of 12V 2300mAh Ni-MH batteries are placed under the chassis to ensure good energetic autonomy to the robot. The platform also includes RGD LEDs on top of the acrylic support.

Hardware

In terms of components, both platforms are equivalent. They share the same sensors, actuators, communication and processing units.

Sensors

Actuators

  • Left and right wheel encoders;

Processing

Communication

Included packages

Publications

* ROSint - Integration of a mobile robot in ROS architecture:
André Araújo, MSc Thesis, University of Coimbra, July, 2012.

* Integrating Arduino-based Educational Mobile Robots in ROS:
A. Araújo, D. Portugal, M. S. Couceiro and R. P. Rocha, in Proceedings of IEEE 13th International Conference on Autonomous Robot Systems and Competitions (Robotica 2013), pp. 8-13, Lisbon, Portugal, 2013.

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Wiki: mrl_robots (last edited 2013-08-22 15:38:03 by Andre Araujo)