. 24/7 Space News .
Carnegie Mellon Unveils Internet-Controlled Robots Anyone Can Build

Qwerkbot, a three-wheeled robot that can send images over the Internet, is one of several robots that can be built with the Telepresence Robot Kit (TeRK), a combination of a robot controller, commonly available parts and assembly instructions (recipes) developed by the CREATE Lab in Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute. Photo credit: Ken Andreyo/CMU
by Staff Writers
Pittsburgh PA (SPX) Apr 26, 2007
Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a new series of robots that are simple enough for almost anyone to build with off-the-shelf parts, but are sophisticated machines that wirelessly connect to the Internet.

The robots can take many forms, from a three-wheeled model with a mounted camera to a flower loaded with infrared sensors. They can be easily customized and their ability to wirelessly link to the Internet allows users to control and monitor their robots' actions from any Internet-connected computer in the world.

The new tools that make this possible are a single piece of hardware and a set of "recipes" that people follow to build their 'bots. Both are part of the Telepresence Robot Kit (TeRK) developed by Associate Professor of Robotics Illah Nourbakhsh and members of his Community Robotics, Education and Technology Empowerment (CREATE) Lab. Their goal is to make highly capable robots accessible and affordable for college and pre-college students, as well as anyone interested in robots.

Unlike other educational robot kits on the market, TeRK is not sold as a complete set of parts. The CREATE Lab's recipes allow for a variety of robots to be built with parts commonly available through hardware and hobbyist outlets.

At the heart of each TeRK robot is a unique controller called Qwerk that combines a computer with the software and electronics necessary to control the robot's motors, cameras and other devices. Qwerk, developed by the CREATE Lab and Charmed Labs of Austin, Texas, also connects the robot automatically and wirelessly to the Internet so it can be controlled by any Internet-connected computer.

"The Internet connection means the robots are much more global," Nourbakhsh said. Not only can the robot be operated remotely at any location with a wireless Internet connection, but it can also send photos or video, respond to RSS feeds, or access the Internet to find information. That combination opens a wide range of possibilities. "We're hoping people notice that the sky's the limit," he added.

Among the TeRK recipes already available is a small, wheeled robot with a video camera that people might use to keep an eye on their home or pet while they are at work or school. Another recipe under development includes environmental sensors for air quality and sound pollution. A less conventional recipe will produce a robotic, six-petaled flower that can open and close based on moods or use its petals to play a game of catch.

"We want robots that don't just subscribe to geeky notions of what robots should be," Nourbakhsh said. One recipe under development, for instance, can control a stuffed teddy bear.

"Once people have followed a recipe and become acquainted with robots, they can build on their experience," said Emily Hamner, a senior research associate in the CREATE Lab. "Not only can they customize the recipes to their liking, they can also design new robot types using the Qwerk controller."

Qwerk itself is a full-fledged computer with a Linux operating system that can use any computer language. It features a field programmable gate array (FPGA) to control motors, servos, cameras, amplifiers and other devices. It also accepts USB peripheral devices, such as Web cameras and GPS receivers. "We leveraged several low-cost, yet high-performance components that were originally developed for the consumer electronics industry when we designed Qwerk," said Rich LeGrand, president of Charmed Labs. "The result is a cost-effective robot controller with impressive capabilities."

Building such a capable robot only five years ago would have been all but impossible, Nourbakhsh said. Using the Internet to provide telepresence on a routine basis, he explained, is practical today because of widespread broadband Internet access and the ubiquity of wireless hotspots in both public and residential settings.

TeRK was developed over the past year and a half with support from Google Inc., Intel Corp. and Microsoft Inc. It's already being used in a variety of college courses, middle school classes and community outreach programs. In addition to Nourbakhsh and Hamner, the CREATE team includes graduate student Tom Lauwers, research programmer Christopher Bartley and design researcher Carl DiSalvo.

Recipes, software, technical support and other information are available free at the TeRK Web site

The Qwerk controller is available for sale from Charmed Labs

Email This Article

Related Links
Carnegie Mellon
All about the robots on Earth and beyond!



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


Antarctic Lake Robot Probe Sets Sights On Outer Space
Chicago IL (SPX) Apr 22, 2007
A robotic probe designed to draw an underwater three-dimensional map showing the biological and geochemical composition of an ice-bound Antarctica lake may prove to be the ideal tool to search for life on other planets or moons where ice is known to exist.







  • Planetary Society Urges Congress To Restore NASA's Vision
  • Out Of This World Weightless Flights By Zero Gravity Corporation Lift Off From Las Vegas
  • Weldon Joins Call For Space Summit To Discuss Space Program Future
  • Building Shields For Your Starship

  • Canadians Teaming Up To Develop Mars Mission Concepts
  • Imaging Alicante At Crater Victoria
  • Spirit Continues Studies Of Rocks Near Home Plate
  • Seeking A Soft Landing On Mars

  • Orbital Minotaur Launches US Missile Defense Agency NFIRE Satellite
  • Minotaur Launched From NASA Wallops Flight Facility
  • ASTRA 1L Integrated To Ariane 5 Dual-Payload Dispenser System
  • India Puts Italian Satellite Into Orbit

  • Envisat Symposium 2007 Kicks Off In Switzerland
  • Scientists Meet To Review Envisat Results After Five Years Of Operations
  • US Uses Landsat Satellite Data To Fight Hunger And Poverty
  • NOAA And NASA Restore Climate Sensor To Upcoming NPP Satellite

  • Rosetta And New Horizons Watch Jupiter In Joint Campaign
  • New Horizons Shows Off Its Color Camera In Io Image
  • Alice Views Jupiter And Io
  • A Look From LEISA

  • Astronomers Map Out Planetary Danger Zone
  • A New Class Of Interstellar Lighthouse
  • Dark Matter Charted Out To Five Billion Light Years
  • UK Scientists Sift Superfine Stardust

  • Longest Holiday In Space Ends As Russia Touts Lunar Tour Within Five Years
  • Back To The Moon For Some Reconnaissance
  • Rochester Triumphs In NASA Great Moonbuggy Race
  • Shanghai Vies To Win Battle Of Moon Rovers

  • Safer Air Traffic With EGNOS
  • Boeing-Led Team Developing Surface Navigation Concept For DARPA
  • Northrop Grumman Team OCX Bids On The GPS Next Generation Control Segment Contract
  • China Launches Compass Navigation Satellite

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement