Vanora Robots

The Vanora robot was built as a rugged, all-terrain AGV with 4WD capabilities, optimized for off-road use. It used a lead-acid battery, which provided around 6 hours of runtime. The robot was equipped with:

  • A Raspberry Pi for onboard processing.
  • A Sabertooth 2X32 motor driver (from Dimension Engineering) for precise motor control.
  • Geared DC motors with encoders for accurate movement.
  • An IMU for orientation sensing.
  • A Kinect sensor to function as an RGBD camera for navigation and perception tasks.

Ubiquity Robots

The Magni Robot from Ubiquity Robotics is a $2000 platform designed for advanced research and development projects. It provides robust motor controls, a durable chassis, and seamless integration with ROS, making it suitable for various applications in robotics research and education.

Learn more about the Ubiquity Robotics platform on their official website.

ESR Robots

The ESR Robots are tailored for automation and robotics solutions, particularly in herd management and field operations. Their advanced capabilities make them ideal for dynamic tasks in agriculture and outdoor environments.

For further information, visit their official website.

My Robots

For this robot, I used the Sabertooth X2 motor driver, known for its high performance. This motor driver supports:

  • Handling up to 32A per motor.
  • Multiple input modes like analog, TTL serial, and R/C control.
  • Features like regenerative braking and current limiting for reliability and efficiency.

This choice made the AGV a robust and efficient solution for various tasks. One of the key use cases I envision is using this robot to pick crops such as nutmeg, coconuts, and areca nuts from the ground. These crops often fall to the ground and require manual labor to collect, making automation a highly practical application in agricultural robotics.