Surveyor SRV-1


Wireless Mobile Robot with Video for Telepresence, Autonomous and Swarm Operation

Designed for research, education, and exploration, Surveyor's SRV-1 internet-controlled robot integrates a 1000MIPS 500MHz Analog Devices Blackfin BF537 processor, a digital video camera with resolution from 160x28 to 1280x1024 pixels, laser pointer ranging, and WLAN 802.11b/g networking (also supports Zigbee 802.15.4 wireless communications) on a dual-motor tracked mobile robotic base.

Operating as a remotely-controlled webcam or a self-navigating autonomous robot, the SRV-1 can run onboard interpreted C programs or user-modified firmware, or be remotely managed from a Windows, Mac OS/X or Linux base station with Python or Java-based console software.

The Java-based console software includes a built-in web server to monitor and control the SRV-1 via a web browser from anywhere in the world, as well as archive video feeds on demand or on a scheduled basis.

Additional software support for the SRV-1 is also available by way of IPRE's Python-based Myro, Microsoft Robotics Studio, Cyberbotic's Webots, and RoboRealm machine vision software.

Features
Open Source design with full access to source code (GPL) and schematics
Robot is fully programmable for autonomous operation
Extensive software support through 3rd party applications
Teleoperate mode to drive robot around via console software or remotely via web browser
Host software has built-in web server and video archiving
Robot can run programs written in interpreted C and stored in onboard Flash
Wireless remote control or viewing up to 100m indoors and 1000m outdoors (line of sight)
Robot can be controlled from a terminal/console for easy testing
Linux 2.6 support as well as "bare metal" programming with GNU bfin-elf-gcc

Hardware
Processor: 1000mips 500MHz Analog Devices Blackfin BF537,
32MB SDRAM, 4MB Flash, JTAG
Camera: Omnivision OV9655 1.3 megapixel 160x128 to 1280x1024 resolution
Robot Radio: Lantronix Matchport 802.11b/g WiFi
(plus optional socket for Zigbee)
Range: 100m indoors, 1000m line-of-site
Sensors: 2 laser pointers for ranging
Drive: Tank-style treads with differential drive via
two precision DC gearmotors (100:1 gear reduction)
Speed: 20cm - 40cm per second (approx 1 foot/sec or .5 mile/hour)
Chassis: Machined Aluminum
Dimensions: 120mm long x 100mm wide x 115mm tall (5" x 4" x 5")
Weight: 460gm (16oz)
Power: 7.2V 2AH Li-ion battery pack - 4+ hours per charge
Charger: 100-240VAC 50/60Hz (US plug)

Software
Robot Firmware: easily updated, written in C language under GPL Open Source, compiled with GNU bfin-elf-gcc and bfin-uclinux-gcc toolchains
Onboard User Programming: interpreter for "small C" language with special robot-specific commands are provided for running user programs from onboard Flash memory
Development Tools: GNU toolchains via http://blackfin.uclinux.org/gf/
Console Software: Java based application, runs on Windows, MAC, Linux. WebcamSat web server module built into console software, allows multiple simultaneous remote viewers via Internet

Robot Control Protocol: Published here. Easily used from other applications

Third-party Software Support:

Myro - http://wiki.roboteducation.org/Myro_Hardware - Myro is a new framework for programming robots.

Myro is written in the language Python and designed for use in Introductory Computing courses, and has been developed by the Institute for Personal Robots in Education.

The goal of the project is to provide a programming environment for easily exploring advanced topics in artificial intelligence and robotics without having to worry about the low-level details of the underlying hardware.

Webots - http://www.cyberbotics.com/ - SRV-1 support is now included in Webots mobile robotics simulation software.

Webots provides a rapid prototyping environment for modelling, programming and simulating mobile robots under Windows, Mac OS/X and Linux.
The 3D modeling and physics are outstanding.

RoboRealm - http://www.roborealm.com/help/Surveyor_SRV1.php

The SRV-1 can now be directly controlled from RoboRealm,a very popular Windows-based machine vision software package for robots.

The RoboRealm extensions for SRV-1 allow creation of scripts that combine image processing on live video feeds from the robot, e.g. color filtering, blob detection/tracking, edge detection/outlining and feature extraction, with decision processing and robot motion control,
making it easy to create behaviors such as object location and tracking, obstacle avoidance, motion detection, notification, etc, with a web interface, and control can be scripted from C/C++, Python, Java, C#, Lisp, Visual Basic, WScript and COM through the RoboRealm API.

Microsoft Robotics Studio - http://www.surveyor.com/MSRS.html - Drivers for the SRV-1 in Microsoft Robotics Studio are now available. MSRS is a Windows-based environment for academic, hobbyist and commercial developers to create robotics applications across a wide variety of hardware. Key features and benefits include: end-to-end robotics development platform, lightweight services-oriented runtime, and a scalable / extensible platform.

Here's a 2.3Mb Quicktime clip of 4 SRV-1's operating in close proximity in "wander mode". The robots are controlled by a single base station on a common radio channel using new "swarm mode" commands defined in the SRV-1 communication protocol. Click on the image to launch a viewer ...

Here's a 1.2Mb Quicktime clip of the SRV-1 in action, climbing a 40-degree slope with approximately 50% motor power. Click on the image to launch a viewer ...

Here's a 3d rendering of the original SRV-1. This is a SolidWorks model of the robot which can be viewed with the free eDrawings viewer - http://www.solidworks.com/pages/products/edrawings/eDrawings.html ...

click on image to download 3d model or right-click here and save the file
http://www.surveyor.com/images/SRV1-050706.easm