By Gabriel Perna: Subscribe to Gabriel's RSS feed
August 25, 2010 11:39 AM EDT
Willow Garage wants its ROS platform to become the Linux of robotics.
The Menlo Park, Calif-based company, founded in 2006, develops open-source hardware and software for the robotics industry. Its robot PR2 (Personal Robot 2) is being sold as an example of what software developers can do with an open-source robotics platform.
"We're funded as a long term investment," said Keenan Wyrobek, co-director of the personal robotics program. "Most companies get funded for a particular product or business model... We're judged on whether or not we create a personal robotics industry. It's definitely not traditional."
Wyrobek says ROS, the company's self made open source platform, can be run on any robot hardware. He says it's a free platform to any company with an idea that involves creating a personal use robot. "Whatever they want to do, it's up to the developer," Wyrobek said.
To show the power of ROS, Willow Garage created and donated several PR2s to local universities. The goal was to enable experimentation. In less than a month, Wyrobek says the universities created a bevy of fascinating uses for PR2.
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In one instance, a group of beta program participants turned the PR2 into a one man school band. In another, a robot was turned into a mailman. "They took functionality in the ROS ecosystem, used the navigation and manipulation tools on the platform, plugged them together and got it to deliver mail," Wyrobek says.
The ability to deliver the mail is not the only interesting thing about PR2. Wyrobek says its arms have a counter balance system, much like an internal teeter-totter, which makes them more durable. "It makes it easier if the robot's arm hits a table, it doesn't break the table or break the arm," Wyrobek said.
PR2 has also been designed with finely tuned motor skills. Videos on Willow Garage's website show the robot taking off the top of a water bottle and putting a plug into an outlet.
While PR2 is a good start, Wyrobek likens it to the personal computers of the 1970s. He says he foresees people creating more personable, user friendly robots with exciting applications in the near future.
"I'm still shocked, every time I go to the Android or iPhone app store, there are so many things that if you had a blackberry two years ago, you would have never seen coming. That's how I see this. Make it open and let the people play. It's exciting to watch the evolution," Wyrobek said.
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