| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Robotics, Robots, Telepresence |
| Founded | Sep 2003, incorporated Feb 2004 |
| Headquarters | Santa Monica, California, USA |
| Key people | Fred Nikgohar, Chairman & CEO |
| Products | See complete products listing |
| Website | robodynamics.com |
RoboDynamics develops technologies that enable robotic telepresence. Robotic telepresence is the ability of a person to instantly transport his presence to a remote location by using a robot to embody him in the remote location.
Robodynamics is that branch of robotics technology,which deals with the study and application of techniques that enable robotic telepresence.
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RoboDynamics was founded by Fred Nikgohar in September 2003. The first robotic telepresence platform, MILO, was introduced in 2004 at the RoboNexus trade show in San Jose, California. In 2008, RoboDynamics introduced TiLR, the first commercial robotic telepresence platform. Their latest product was announced in May 2011 and is a personal robot platform called Luna.
TiLR — Telepresence internet-connected Low cost Robot — is world's first enterprise-grade robotic telepresence platform. Featuring a four feet tall frame, a powerful 26x optical zoom camera and a bright LCD, TiLR is video conferencing on wheels. It enables a user to log into it from remote and instantly transport his presence to that remote location. The user can commandeer the robot in the remote location and interact with people and the remote environment as if there in person. TiLR allows enterprises to eliminate travel and increase throughput in ways never before possible.
In 2006 RoboDynamics launched RoombaDevTools.com as a resource for those who wanted to use the Roomba platform as a mobile robot base. Through RoombaDevTools.com the company also began selling development tools such as the RooTooth, RooStick and Roo232.[1]
RooTooth
RooTooth is a Class 1 Bluetooth module that is designed specifically for the iRobot's Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner. RooTooth plugs into Roomba's expansion port and bluetooth-enables the vacuum cleaner and takes advantage of the Roomba Serial Control Interface (Roomba SCI). Any device with Bluetooth can connect to Roomba via RooTooth. An assortment of software applications are being developed that utilize the ubiquity of RooTooth.
RooStick
The RooStick is a bluetooth USB dongle that plugs into a computers USB port and provides control to the RooTooth module. The dongle uses a Silicon Lab CP2103 and runs drivers to enable the user to input commands to the RoomBa from Telnet types of programs.
Roo232
The Roo232 is "an RS232 level-shifter for connecting a PC directly to the Roomba using the serial port." The Roo232 exposes all the functionalities and sensor information from the iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner. Using the Roo232 it is possible to command and control the Roomba from a computer.
Software
SCI Tester - A VB6 application that implements most Roomba SCI commands. The software also runs with the three "Roo" products.[2] Available license free in an installation package or source code from RoombaDevTools.com.
In 2007 RoboDynamics introduced the OptoGroover reference design. OptoGroover is a simple USB-connected device that takes data from the network and is able to visually display that data. The OptoGroover platform is available as a reference design and is licensed to various companies active in creating ubiquitous computing devices.
MILO — Mechatronics Intelligent Loveable Organism — was introduced at the first annual RoboNexus tradeshow. MILO was the first robot that RoboDynamics introduced publicly, and was used as a reference design for subsequent telepresence robots.
Luna was announced in May 2011 and is a personal robot[3]