UP Bridge the Gap and Intel move into robotic dev kits
UP Bridge the Gap has partnered with Intel to release two robotic development kits, claimed to simplify robotics evaluation and development.
To address the challenges of developers such as selecting the right components, developing the robotics software, and integrating the software onto the robotics hardware, the UP Xtreme i11 and UP Squared 6000 offer an integrated four-wheeled robot prototype that can move omni-directionally, sense and map its environment, avoid obstacles, and detect people and objects.
“We developed a complete solution so customers do not have to start from scratch,” said Daniele Cleri, AI and IoT senior software architect at Aaeon Europe, which created the UP Bridge the Gap brand in 2015.
“The hardware and software are already integrated within the kit to allow a seamless start for the developers. Customers can have a working robot to start from with the basic functionalities already implemented. Then, they can easily customise the robot to their specific use case and start deploying it right away,” he continued.
The robotic development kits are supplied with the compute unit, vision unit (Intel RealSense Depth Camera D435i), a motion unit (which includes a motor control board, four motors, and four mecanum wheels), and the Intel Edge Insights for Autonomous Mobile Robots (Intel EI for AMR) software development kit.
For high-performance and artificial intelligence applications, developers can choose the UP Xtreme i11 robotic development kit, powered by the 11th Generation Intel Core processors with Iris Xe graphics. For power efficiency and extended battery power, developers can choose the UP Squared 6000 robotic development kit (pictured), powered by the latest Intel Atom x6000E Series processors.
The Intel RealSense depth camera D435i has an inertial measurement unit (IMU) allowing for opens the door for rudimentary SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping) and tracking applications. The IMU allows applications to refine location awareness in any situation where the robot moves.
The pre-validated software, Intel EI for AMR helps to orchestrate each hardware component to minimise evaluation time and integration development. Intel EI for AMR is based on the Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) and offers containerised software packages for sensor data acquisition, classification, environment modelling, action planning, and action control.
The UP Xtreme i11 and UP Squared 6000 Robotic Development Kits are available for purchase now.
