By Roland Piquepaille
Rotundus is a spherical robot which was designed in Sweden to explore the planets of our solar system. But now, it found other occupations right on Earth. According to New Scientist, it could be used for surveillance and detection in rough environments and help security personnel. This rolling robot is very robust because it has no moving parts. It's also very fast -- up to 20 mph or 32 km/h -- because its shape limits friction with the ground. It looks like a good candidate for outdoor environments because it can easily move on sand, mud or snow. But it might be less well-adapted for looking inside buildings: it's hard for a sphere to climb stairs. Read more...Here is the introduction from New Scientist.
The design was first developed with planetary exploration in mind, at the Ångström Space Technology Center, part of Uppsala University, Sweden. But Rotundus, formed in December 2004 plan to market the ball-shaped bot as an automated security guard.
"We knew it would have applications on Earth," says company CEO Nils Hulth. "It is very robust when compared to robots that use wheels or tracks and can travel through mud or even snow."
As I said above, the Rotundus robot has no moving parts.
It is propelled by a pendulum suspended from an axis inside the casing, controlled by a motor. Moving the pendulum forwards causes the robot roll along, but the pendulum can also swing from side to side, giving the robot the ability to steer left and right.
Below are two pictures of this spherical robot, one where it's "running" in snow, and the other one in an industrial environment. You'll find larger versions of these pictures, as well as additional movies on this page at Rotundus.
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The New Scientist article also tells us about future features of this robot.
The finished version of the robot will follow a patrol route using an internal GPS sensor, Hulth says. Wide angle cameras fitted to the sides of the robot should allow it to record and transmit video footage back to a controller. And the next version will also have enough power to propel itself up slopes, he says.
Ultimately, the company hopes to make the robot virtually autonomous. It is currently developing a radar sensor to allow it to navigate around obstacles and motion-sensing software to automatically detect an intruder. "It will sound the alarm, allowing a remote controller to take over and get even better pictures," Hulth says.
Right now, this robot can detect intruders and send alarms to security personnel patrolling around a factory during cold winters of Sweden and elsewhere. But it will be more difficult inside them, and even the company acknowledges it.
Hulth concedes that the robot is not well suited to navigating inside a building, where it would face steps, stairs and other obstacles.
Still the start-up company thinks this robot can be used in a great variety of applications, such as inspection of fires and gas leaks.
As this robot is still a prototype, I can't tell you when it is available and how much it will cost.
For more information, you can read this flyer (PDF format, 1 page) or watch this animation showing the Rotundus on Mars -- if it ever goes there.
But as far I know, you can't buy this rolling robot today.
Sources: Will Knight, New Scientist.com, January 28, 2005; Rotundus website
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