Clearpath Launches Cost-Effective and Easy-To-Use Robot

Tinkering with robots is a fascinating hobby any way you slice it, so Clearpath Robotics is trying their best to bring it to anyone who may seem interested.

The Kitchener-based robotics developers have announced TurtleBot Euclid, a new cost-effective and easy-to-use mobile platform that can help introduce newcomers to the Robot Operating System (ROS). The new bot is designed to enable students and educators alike help accelerate robotics learning.

TurtleBot Euclid is constructed on the iRobot Create 2 Programmable Robot, which is a mobile platform based off the more familiar Roomba vacuuming robot. The base of the device has multiple sensors such as wheel encoders and infrared localization applications. There’s also a user power bay and a specially designed mounting system for seamless integration of auxiliary sensors or payloads.

“Turtlebot is the most common reference platform for learning open source robotics. However, previous versions have relied on disparate sensors and computers which made versioning and interoperability a challenge for users.” said Julian Ware, general manager of research solutions at Clearpath Robotics. “We are very excited to work with Intel and iRobot to offer a modern, user-friendly platform with consistent architecture for learning advanced robotics concepts.”

What separates the Turtlebot Euclid from other similar devices is the Intel Euclid development kit, which combines Intel’s RealSense camera technology with an inertial measurement unit and a powerful onboard computer that has the necessary operating systems pre configured.

Customers can easily program the bot and read any info it provides via an easy-to-use web interface. It’s all wireless, so you don’t have to install anything or buy any additional hardware. All of this combined into a single compact device means there will be no interoperability problems.

“With Turtlebot Euclid, Clearpath is enabling more roboticists of varying skill levels to learn to use and build robots in creative new ways,” said Sagi Ben Moshe, vice president and general manager of the RealSense Group at Intel. “We’re excited to see the possibilities for the Intel Euclid development kit with Intel RealSense depth sensing cameras in making robotics more accessible and easy to deploy.”

TurtleBot Euclid is shipped assembled and configured so customers can jump in quickly and begin messing around with their new device. If you want it, tutorials and demos are included as well. The price tag comes in at around $1,440 USD, which may seem steep, but for a robot with this kind of programmability and customization, it’s hard to find better options.

The TurtleBot Euclid will launch at the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and System this September. There’s a good chance you’ll be able to grab it at the newly launched Clearpath Robotics online store as well.