SRV-1 Blackfin Mobile Surveillance Robot

Mars Rover for your Home

Explore the dangerous terrain of your home or office with the SRV-1 Mobile Robot. This palm sized bot packs tank-like treads a 1000MIPS 500MHz Blackfin BF537 processor and a mini video camera. Using 802.11b/g wi-fi the SRV-1 interfaces wirelessly with a remote PC. 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. Get programming with fully open-source software for robot and host computer.

Important Note
The SRV-1 Mobile Robot comes fully assembled and ready to use, but requires some technical knowledge of Java, networking and the command line to set-up the software. If you feel comfortable tinkering and have had experience configuring a basic web server you should be in fine shape. Read the SRV-1 Set-Up Instructions and you'll have a good idea if you've got what it takes.

Product Features

• Mobile Robot is controlled via web browser with live video feed
• Teleoperate mode to drive robot around via console software or remotely via web browser
• 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
• 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
• Range: 100m indoors, 1000m line-of-site
• Sensors: 2 laser pointers for ranging, support for up to 4 Maxbotics ultrasonic ranging modules and various I2C sensors
• Drive: Tank-style treads with differential drive via four 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 80mm tall (5" x 4" x 3")
• Weight: 350gm (12oz)
• Power: 7.2V 2AH Li-poly 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
• 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:
  
  - 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.
  
  - 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.