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What is the basis of Dr Robot’s robotic architecture?

Designing hardware for service in space is a rigorous exercise in design efficiency and optimization. The economics of launching any technology into orbit requires constant re-examination of standard solutions and endless refinement to yield the greatest functionality from the fewest resources. Arguably, Dr Robot was born from the space programs where our design engineers cultivated their skills before directing them to terrestrial robotic applications.

Dr Robot’s proprietary distributed computational approach to robotics is fundamentally unique in the mobile robotics industry and offers significant advantages over conventional approaches.

With a distributed approach to deploying robots, each unit operates in cooperation with a central PC or server via a persistent wireless link. The robot operates using multiple digital signal processors (DSPs) to control its onboard systems, but the robot offloads its computationally-intensive tasks to the server.

What are the advantages of this approach over traditional robot schemes?

Under Dr Robot’s distributed approach, robots can be very intelligent but also significantly lighter, smaller and, more importantly, considerably less expensive than if all resources utilized by the robot were required to be fully contained and onboard. With our approach, a mouse-sized robot can easily have elephant-sized memory and immense processing capability.

The robot’s power consumption is considerably lower, meaning longer operating times between charges.

Remote access to any single robot via the Internet can be established with little effort since the core server can provide the central link. Because data exchanged between robots and servers is already encrypted, remote connection via a core server in a robot deployment can be fully secure using currently available tools for secure access and data transmission across the Internet.

Since a single server could be the core of a broad robot deployment, coordination and cooperation are easy. The knowledge of any one robot in a single deployment is instantly known by all robots.

Any upgrade to the system server or PC is immediately shared by all robots connecting to it. Put another way, a distributed robotic architecture enables instantly upgrading all your robots at once without even summoning them from their deployment points.

All data is immediately shared with a central source, so it can be safely retained no matter what might happen to the robot relaying it. This is particularly important in hazardous applications where a robot might risk damage, or in high security environments in which loss of a robot does not represent a potential loss of security codes and data that would otherwise be stored onboard in a fully-contained solution.

Is this architecture available on all of Dr Robot’s robots?

This is the underlying architecture of all of our robots.

What are the requirements of the central server?

At a minimum, any PC connected to an 802.11b or compatible WiFi network running Windows 2000 or Windows XP will support one or more of our robots.

How many robots can share a single server?

There is no specific limit on the number of the robots that can share a server, but as a shared resource, increasing the population of robots in a single server deployment will impact overall speed and performance. On turnkey development projects, our design team typically works with clients to outline a configuration that meets their needs.

I’m interested in buying a robot. Is it out-of-the-box ready to work with my PC?

If you hardware meets the minimum requirements, your robot will work as soon as the software is installed on the PC and the robot’s batteries are charged.

Can your robots autonomously navigate or patrol its environment?

With the implementation of Constellation™, our navigation technology successfully deployed in industrial settings, Dr Robot’s Sentinel & Sentinel2 robot can reliably patrol its environment without outside guidance. (For more information about Constellation™, please contact Info@drrobot.com.)

Are your robots self-charging?

Our Sentinel & Sentinel2 robot are self-charging and automatically manages consumption of its power supply with its included charging station. Recharging all other Dr Robot robots is accomplished by manually plugging the unit into a power outlet.

How much is the shipping cost?

All shopping information (Shipping cost, Tax, Return Policy, Payment, Shipment Options, etc.), please visit here.

Do your robots ship in assembled or disassembled form?

Yes, all complete robot system we sell, including DRK8080, X80 series, i90 series and e100 series, are fully assembled and completely tested prior to shipping.

Can I re-program/modify my robot’s on-board DSP firmware?

Under Dr Robot’s distributed robotic architecture, any code you might wish to write to control the robot will run on any other processing units such as PC, MCU, etc. and communicate to the robot by wired or wireless means. You are not required to program the DSP on board; all firmware is preloaded into the on-board processor.

How do my control/processing program communicate to the robot?

By wire through serial link or by wireless through either WiFi IEEE 802.11b/g or Bluetooth.

Can my robot programs and scripts operate on another OS besides the Windows environment? Can I communicate to the robot directly without using Dr Robot ActiveX?

Presently, our robots ship with an installed ActiveX component for easy development on the MS Windows platform. However, a raw communication protocol is available on request to developers requiring OS support and who wish to run programs on other operating systems (such as Linux ). Please download communication protocol documents and sample from Downloads page.

Can I deploy multiple robots in the same network?

Since each robot is running at the network as an individual entity (individual IP address), there is virtually no limit on the number of robot operating simultaneously on the same system. The latest version of WiRobot development API also provides support for multiple robot connections. In these instances, each robot can be individually addressed by nicknames specific to each robot.

When I order a robot, can I request that it be equipped with additional sensors beyond its standard complement before it ships?

Yes, we’re always happy to customize any standard robot to meet a customer’s specific needs. Please contact us at support@drrobot.com.

If my application requires a robot with more sensors or additional devices such as higher resolution Laser range finder, GPS etc. does your robot architecture permit such modifications?

Yes, please contact support@drrobot.com and our technical team will be happy assist in designing the proper configuration for your specific application.

My application requires high resolution video, what solution can you offer?

We can provide high resolution video (640x480 or greater, up to 30 fps) and audio solution for high end applications. Please contact support@drrobot.com or call (905) 943-9572 to discuss your needs.

How long do your package robots run on a single battery charge?

A robot's active length on a single charge depends on the type and duration of its various activities. Operating on remote access, constant patrolling will limit useful battery life to 2 to 3 hours. Conversely, running a robot in its alert, but idle mode will operate for up to 10 hours.

How long does it take for your robots' battery to charge?

Depends on the version of robot you got, fully charging the robot's batteries takes approximately 5 hours when using the standard charger comes with the DRK8080 and X80 series.

Have another question or need more help?

If you do not find the answer to your specific question on this page, please contact us at support@drrobot.com, putting the product number in the subject line of your email. If your question concerns a robot you have purchased from us, be sure to include your robot’s serial number in the subject line of your email. All support questions adhering to this structure will receive a response within 24 hours.

 
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