Anyone thinking of building a robot needs to figure out exactly what components will be required to achieve the desired functionality. Some of those functions remain the same across all robots though, including a compute module to run software, a way for communication to happen, and the ability for the robot to see. Intel intends to offer all that functionality in one neat little package later this month.

Liliputing brought to our attention the fact pre-orders for the Intel Euclid Development Kit are now open, with the kit shipping on May 31 if you have the required $399. In return for your cash, you get what is essentially a stick computer running Ubuntu 16.04. The spec is as follows:

Intel Atom x7-8700 Quad-Core processor

4GB memory, 32GB storage

Intel RealSense ZR300 Depth Camera

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

USB 3.0, Micro HDMI, and USB OTG/Charging ports

Environmental sensors including inertial measurement unit, barometric pressure sensor, GPS, and proximity sensor

Battery and Power Adapter

USB and HDMI cable

As well as Ubuntu, Euclid ships with the ROS (Robotics Operating System) wrapper pre-installed allowing for easy use of the RealSense camera and associated middleware. Developers can control the system using a web interface and remote desktop application, which also ship as standard.

Once setup, Euclid can determine its position and orientation using images, and is capable of 3D spatial perception using motion tracking, depth perception, and area learning. It offers an indoor range of 3.5 meters, but can work outside over a longer (currently undetermined) range.

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If you're interested, the Euclid Development Kit can be pre-ordered directly from Intel for $399. Orders will be accepted for shipment to Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,. Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States.

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