Open-source robotics
Open-source robotics (OSR) is a branch of robotics where the physical artifacts of the subject are offered by the open design movement. It makes use of open-source hardware and free and open source software providing blueprints, schematics, and source code. The term usually means that information about the hardware is easily discerned so that others can make it from standard commodity components and tools — coupling it closely to the maker movement[1] and open science.
Current systems
Open source gantry robots
Name | Description | Type |
---|---|---|
RepRap | 3D printer robot | 3D printer |
Contraptor | CNC plotter. | plotter |
FarmBot | CNC-style horticulture | horticulture |
Open source robot arms and hands
Name | Description | Type |
---|---|---|
OSRA[2] | Oomlout Open-source robotic arm. | Robot Arm |
Yale Open Hand Project[3] | Customizable, 3D-printed, adaptive robotic hand from Yale University.[4] Comprehensive documentation is available but CC-BY-NC license not compatible with the Open-source hardware definition. | Robot Hands |
Robotarm.org | Community of many partially complete robot arm projects. | Robot arm |
Evil minion | Completed robot arm, CAD files and software available. | Robot arm |
Open Source Ecology | Includes plans for an industrial robot arm. | Robot arm |
Open source mobile robots
Name | Description | Type |
---|---|---|
e-puck mobile robot | An open-hardware, education oriented, mobile robot. | education |
Ardumower[5] | open-source robotic lawn mower based on Arduino Mega | - |
Arduino Robot | The Arduino Robot is the first official Arduino on wheels[6] | Arduino based. |
Hexy[7] | Open-Source, Low-Cost Hexapod Kit[8] | Hexapod |
Leaf Project[9] | - | - |
OpenROV[10] | Open-source underwater robot | education and exploration |
Thymio[11] | Thymio is an educative robot with two wheels and many sensors programmed with Aseba | Education. |
Open-source Micro-robotic Project | An open-source space swarm robot project. | - |
OPSORO | An Open Platform for Social Robots | Social Robots,
Education |
OSCar | Open source car (eg. for self-driving). | Car |
Open source aerial robots
Name | Description | Type |
---|---|---|
ArduPilot[12] | Flying robot frameworks with hardware and software based on Arduino, an Open-source hardware platform. | Quadcopter and UAV |
OpenPilot | Flying robot framework with hardware and software based on STM32 microcontroller | |
Paparazzi Project | Flying robot framework with hardware and software based on the Lisa/S chip | |
Slugs | Flying robot framework with hardware and software | |
PX4 autopilot | Flying robot framework with hardware and software based on the STM32F427 Cortex M4 core with FPU |
Open source humanoid robots
Name | Description | Type |
---|---|---|
iCub | Backed by European Union funding and used in many universities. | Humanoid |
DARwIn-OP | Used in ICRA and RoboCup contests | Humanoid |
InMoov[13] | An open-hardware and open-source 3D printed life-size humanoid robot. As software MyRobotLab[14] is used. Comprehensive documentation is available but CC-BY-NC license not compatible with the Open-source hardware definition. | Humanoid |
Poppy-project[15] | The Poppy project aims at building an Open-source humanoid platform based on robust, flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. Excellent documentation[16] | Education, Research, Humanoid |
DoraBot[17] | DORA Open Source Robotic Assistant, opensource general purpose service robot. Project last updated in 2012.[18] | General Purpose |
NimbRo-OP[19] | - | humanoid |
Tingu | Open-source humanoid robot project. | humanoid |
DroidBot | Android Robot controlled over Bluetooth by App Inventor[20] | Arduino components |
r-One[21] | An Advanced, Low-Cost Robot for Research, Teaching, and Outreach | Education |
Salvius[22] | Open-source humanoid robot project, made from salvaged junk parts.[23] Started in 2008, last updated May 2016. | Humanoid |
Open source assistive robots
Name | Description | Type |
---|---|---|
Autobed[24] | Web-controlled robotic bed developed by the Healthcare Robotics Lab at Georgia Tech.[25] | Robotic bed |
Other
Name | Description | Type |
---|---|---|
LH001[26] | Open Hardware Medical-Research liquid handling robot. Project last updated 2011.[27] | Liquid Handling |
multiplo | Building system with open-source hardware, electronics, software and documentation for prototyping robots[28] | - |
OHMM[29] | Open-hardware mobile manipulator | - |
Open Automaton Project[30] | - | - |
Q.bo[31] | - | - |
Qwerkbot[32] | Simple open-source robot from Carnegie Mellon University | |
Sparki[33] | Introductory arduino-powered robot.[34] | Education |
Sparky Jr. | Mobile Telepresence Research Project, Est. 1994[35] | - |
Open Robot Hardware | Open Robot Hardware is intended to serve as a resource for efforts focusing on Open and Open Source mechanical and electrical hardware, with a particular focus on projects that may be useful in robotics applications, robotics research and education.[36] | Open-Source Initiative/Community |
Balanduino | Arduino-compatible based on Arduino.[37] Licensed under BY-NC-SA, which is not compatible with the Open-source hardware definition. Bluetooth ready. Android app. | Self-balancing robot |
Orb Swarm[38] | Kinetic art: autonomous spherical robots exhibiting complex motion. Project last active May 2013. Open software but no comprehensive list of hardware parts. Not compatible with the Open-source hardware definition. | Exhibition- |
TOAZ | Artistic Robot: The World First Open-Source Carbon Fiber Transformable 4 Legs Robot under CC-BY-SA It is developed base on the Adafruit Feather Development Platform. | Open-Source |
Reusable components projects
Software components
By far the most common standard software are the interconnected,
- ROS (Robot Operating System) provides libraries and tools to help software developers create robot applications. It provides hardware abstraction, device drivers, libraries, visualizers, message-passing, package management and more. ROS is licensed under an open source, BSD license.[39] Currently running on 50+ robots[40]
- Gazebo multi-robot 3D physics simulator, compatible with ROS
Other systems include,
- URBI[41] (C++ distributed/embedded components framework + parallel/event-driven orchestration script language)
- MRPT provides developers with portable and well-tested applications and libraries covering data structures and algorithms employed in common robotics research areas. It is open source, released under the BSD license.[42] license.
- MOOS (lightweight robot framework. Used by MIT and Oxford autonomous vehicles.)
- YARP - yet another robots platform. Used in iCub.
- Autoware - full self-driving car software stack
- Player (robot framework, precursor to ROS, now largely deprecated)
- App Inventor for Android
- BlueBots,[43] free bluetooth remote for custom bluetooth projects, such as robotics. Works with Arduino (as Arduino Mega).
- Amarino, a toolkit, basically consisting of an Android application and an Arduino library.[44][45]
- NXJ An open-source Java programming environment for the Lego NXT robot kit (http://lejos.sourceforge.net/)
- CLARAty Robotics software developed by JPL as part of the Mars program.
- Orocos, C++ framework for component-based robot control software
- Rock (the Robot Construction Kit) (Software integration framework for robotic systems based on Orocos/RTT.)
- Orca (robot framework)
- MyRobotLab (robot framework)
- RoboComp (robot framework)
- RUBICS
- CARMEN (robot simulator)
- TeamBots (robot simulator)
- Open Dynamics Engine (physics engine for modelling articulated rigid-body dynamics; used inside Gazebo and other simulators.)
- Robot Overlord a open source Java / OpenGL multi-robot simulator.
- Simbad robot simulator (robot simulator)
- STDR Simulator (multi-robot 2D simulator)
- Dave's Robotic Operating System
- Sparky Telepresence Controller
- Home brew robot software running on the consumer robotic platform Spykee
- OpenJAUS (robot / unmanned systems framework)
- RI-JAUS SDK A cross-platform, GPL-licensed C++ SDK implementing the JAUS protocol for robot control.
- OpenRTM-aist (robotics technology middleware)
- Open Platform for Robotic Services Component based framework, GUI editors in Eclipse and a Simulator, OPRoS Components
- miniBloq a graphical programming interface that allows to program robotic boards (Arduino Compatibles) without previous knowledge of programming[46]
- Artoo a Ruby microframework for robotics and physical computing
- EEROS, an Easy, Elegant, Reliable, Open and Safe Real-Time Robotics Software Framework
- LSTS Toolchain is a set of tools and frameworks for the development of Networked Robot Systems.
Hardware components
- Make Controller Kit
- Open Source Ecology -- suite of mechanical tools which can be used to reproduce each other
- Motherboards with open-hardware CPU
- The Rossum project open-sources certain robotic modules and tools (mappers, robot simulators, encoder designers, ...)
Advantages
- Long-term availability. Many non-open robots and components, especially at hobbyist level, are designed and sold by tiny startups which can disapper overnight, leaving customers without support. Open-source systems are guaranteed to have their designs available for ever so communities of users can, and do, continue support after the manufacturer has disappeared.
- Avoiding lock-in. A company relying on any particular non-open component exposes itself to business risk that the supplier could ratchet up prices after they have invested time and technology building on it. Open hardware can be manufacturered by anyone, creating competition or at least the potential for competition, which both remove this risk.
- Interchangeable software and/or hardware with common interfaces.
- Ability to modify and fork designs more easily for customisation.
- Scientific reproducibility - guarantees that other labs can replicate and extend work, leading to increased impact, citations and reputation for the designer.
- Lower-cost. Costs of a robot can be decreased dramatically when all components and tools are commodities. No component seller can hold a project to ransom by ratcheting the price of a critical component, as competing suppliers can easily be interchanged.
Drawbacks
- For commercial organisations, open-sourcing their own designs obviously means they can no longer make large profits through the traditional engineering business model of acting as the monopoly manufacturer or seller, because the open design can be manufactured and sold by anyone including direct competitors. Profit from engineering can come from three main sources: design, manufacturing, and support. As with other open source business models, commercial designers typically make profit via their association with the brand, which may still be trademarked. A valuable brand allows them to command a premium for their own manufactured products, as it can be associated with high quality and provide a quality guarantee to customers. The same brand is also used to command a premium on associated services, such as providing installation, maintenance, and integration support for the product. Again customers will typically pay more for the knowledge that this support is provided directly by the original designer, who therefore knows the product better than competitors.
- Some customers still associate open source with amateurism, the hacker community, low quality and poor support. Companies using this business model may need to work harder to overcome this historical perception by emphasising their professionalism.
Popularity
A first sign of the increasing popularity of building robots yourself can be found with the DIY community. What began with small competitions for remote operated vehicles (e.g. Robot combat), soon developed to the building of autonomous telepresence robots as Sparky and then true robots (being able to take decisions themselves) as the Open Automaton Project and Leaf Project. Certain commercial companies now also produce kits for making simple robots.
A recurring problem in the community has been projects, especially on Kickstarter, promiding to fully open-source their hardware and then reneging on this promise once funded, in order to profit from being the sole manufacturer and seller.
Popular applications include:
- Domestic tasks: vacuum cleaning, floor washing and automated mowing.[54][55]
- The use of RepRaps and other 3-D printers for rapid prototyping, art, toy manufacturing, educational aides, and open-source appropriate technology
- metalworks automation
- building electronic circuitry (printing and component placing of PCB-boards)
- transportation, ie. self-driving vehicles
- combat robots, including manual controlled and autonomous contests
See also
External links
www.osrfoundation.org - Open Source Robotics Foundation
www.robotarm.org - Open source robot arm building community
References
- ↑ Gibb, Alicia (2015). Building Open Source Hardware: DIY Manufacturing for Hackers and Makers. New York. pp. 253–277.
- ↑ "Oomlout Open-source Robotic Arm". Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ↑
- ↑ "Yale Open Hand Project – Customizable, 3D-printed, adaptive robotic hand from Yale University.". GrabLab, Yale University. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
- ↑ Markus. "Welcome to ArduMower.de". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ Arduino Robot. Licensing information and source files are not currently stated nor easily found. Not compatible with the Open-source hardware definition.
- ↑ "Hexy: Open Source DIY Robot Kit (Source Files)". Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ↑ "Hexy – Open Source Low Cost Fully Articulating DIY Robot Kit". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Home Page". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "OPENROV". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Thymio Specifications (Source Files)". Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ↑ "ArduPilot: Flying robot project (Source Files)". Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ↑ "InMoov » open-source 3D printed life-size robot". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ↑ "MyRobotlab website". myrobotlab.org. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ↑ "Poppy Project". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Poppy Project Documentation (Source Files)". Retrieved 22 June 2016.
- ↑ "DoraBot: Open Source Robot Assistant (Source Files)". Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ↑ "Dorabot - Robots for Everyone". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "NimbRo-OP Humanoid Open Platform". Retrieved 19 January 2015.
- ↑ My Droid Robot controlled by App Inventor
- ↑ "r-one - Multi-Robot Systems Lab - Rice University, Houston TX". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Salvius: Humanoid Robot Built from Salvage (Source Files)". Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ↑ "Salvius the Robot". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Autobed: A Web-Controlled Robotic Bed (Source Files)". Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ↑ Autobed
- ↑ "LH001: High Throughput Liquid Handling Robot (Source Files)". Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ↑ "carlcrott/LH001 · GitHub". GitHub. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Multiplo - Open source robotics building system". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Open Hardware Mobile Manipulator (OHMM)". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Open Automaton Project". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Thecorpora S.L.". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ http://www.terk.ri.cmu.edu/recipes/qwerkbot-classic/
- ↑ "Sparki: Low Cost Educational Robot (Source Files)". Retrieved 21 June 2016.
- ↑ "Sparki – The Easy Robot for Everyone". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Sparky JR - sparky the dog". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Open Robot Hardware – Open Robot Hardware is intended to serve as a resource for efforts focusing on Open and Open Source mechanical and electrical hardware, with a particular focus on projects that may be useful in robotics applications, robotics research and education.". Retrieved 4 December 2014.
- ↑
- ↑ "OrbSWARM". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ ROS.
- ↑ "Robots - ROS Wiki". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "Gostai Urbi goes open source". ZDNet. 20 August 2010. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ .
- ↑ BlueBots on Google Play.
- ↑ Amarino
- ↑ Android accelerometer/ Bluetooth / Arduino controlled robot.
- ↑ Julián da Silva Gillig. "Minibloq". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ Arduino Robotics Tutorials
- ↑ Arduino Software
- ↑ How to control Arduino board using an Android phone.
- ↑ Magician Chassis
- ↑ Ardumoto.
- ↑ Ardumoto- Motor Driver Shield
- ↑ Raspberry Pi robots
- ↑ "DIY commercial vacuum robot". The Red Ferret Journal. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
- ↑ "DIY Roomba preposition on Arduino motherboard". Retrieved 13 September 2014.
External links
- DIY Linux robots
- Carnegie Mellon DIY Robots
- Contraptor.
- Open Source Robotics Foundation.
- Open Source Hardware Association.