We are super excited to announce the availability of the 2nd generation ROSbots ROS + OpenCV robot kit for makers.

ROSbots version 2.0

This new version 2.0 kit — available here for purchase— improves upon version 1.0 in a number of ways.

Version 2.0 has:

A dedicated Arduino-compatible UNO micro-controller with hardware PWM output and ADC input capabilities. Two lithium battery charge/step-up controller boards — one for the motors and sensors and the other dedicated for the Raspberry Pi. A Raspberry Pi camera and a camera mount. Has a motor gearbox with higher ratios which means higher torque.

Item 1 enables a much speedier motor response and more accurate acquisition of sensor data. Yes — the Arduino UNO runs ROS. We’ll show you how in an upcoming post!

Item 2 obviates the need to change batteries. As a matter of fact, since the charger can charge and discharge at the same time, our ROSbots robot is entirely capable of autonomously charging itself (once we write the software to do so)!

Item 3 enables us to mess with ROS+OpenCV Computer Vision applications right out of the box.

Item 4 enables the robot to move easier over rough surface such as carpet. We don’t move as fast as before but make up for it with more responsive control.