Open-source robotics

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An open source iCub robot mounted on a supporting frame. The robot is 104 cm high and weighs around 22 kg

Open-source robotics (OSR) is where the physical artifacts of the subject are offered by the open design movement. This branch of robotics makes use of open-source hardware and free and open-source software providing blueprints, schematics, and source code. The term usually means that information about the hardware is easily discerned so that others can make it from standard commodity components and tools—coupling it closely to the maker movement[1] and open science.

Current systems

Open source gantry robots

Name Description Type
RepRap 3D printer robot 3D printer
Contraptor CNC plotter. plotter
FarmBot CNC-style horticulture horticulture

Open source robot arms and hands

Name Description Type
OSRA[2] Oomlout Open-source robotic arm. Robot Arm
Yale Open Hand Project[3] Customizable, 3D-printed, adaptive robotic hand from Yale University.[4] Comprehensive documentation is available but CC-BY-NC license not compatible with the Open-source hardware definition. Robot Hands
Robotarm.org Community of many partially complete robot arm projects. Robot arm
Evil minion Completed robot arm, CAD files and software available. Robot arm
Open Source Ecology Includes plans for an industrial robot arm. Robot arm

Open source mobile robots

Name Description Type
e-puck mobile robot An open-hardware, education oriented, mobile robot. education
Ardumower[5] open-source robotic lawn mower based on Arduino Mega -
Arduino Robot The Arduino Robot is the first official Arduino on wheels[6] Arduino based.
Hexy[7] Open-Source, Low-Cost Hexapod Kit[8] Hexapod
Leaf Project[9] - -
OpenROV[10] Open-source underwater robot education and exploration
Pulurobotics[11] Open-source autonomous mobile robot Education, application, able to carry heavy loads, inexpensive, ROS compatible but not using ROS.
Thymio[12] Thymio is an educative robot with two wheels and many sensors programmed with Aseba Education.
Vorpal The Hexapod[13] Vorpal is a low cost, 3D printed, MIT Scratch programmable Hexapod Robot Education.
Open-source Micro-robotic Project An open-source space swarm robot project. -
OPSORO An Open Platform for Social Robots Social Robots,

Education
OSCar Open source car (e.g. for self-driving). Car

Open source aerial robots

Name Description Type
ArduPilot[14] Flying robot frameworks with hardware and software based on Arduino, an Open-source hardware platform. Quadcopter and UAV
OpenPilot Flying robot framework with hardware and software based on STM32 microcontroller
LibrePilot[15] Focuses on research and development of open-source software and hardware to be used in a variety of applications including vehicle control and stabilization. Robotics - Unmanned autonomous vehicles, Multirotor, Fixed wing, Cars
Paparazzi Project Flying robot framework with hardware and software based on the Lisa/S chip
Slugs Flying robot framework with hardware and software
PX4 autopilot Flying robot framework with hardware and software based on the STM32F427 Cortex M4 core with FPU

Open source humanoid robots

Name Description Type
iCub Backed by European Union funding and used in many universities. Humanoid
DARwIn-OP Used in ICRA and RoboCup contests Humanoid
InMoov[16] An open-hardware and open-source 3D printed life-size humanoid robot. As software MyRobotLab[17] is used. Comprehensive documentation is available but CC-BY-NC license not compatible with the Open-source hardware definition. Humanoid
Poppy-project[18] The Poppy project aims at building an Open-source humanoid platform based on robust, flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. Excellent documentation[19] Education, Research, Humanoid
DoraBot[20] DORA Open Source Robotic Assistant, opensource general purpose service robot. Project last updated in 2012.[21] General Purpose
NimbRo-OP[22] Similar concept as DARwIn-OP with 20 DoF, but larger (95 cm height), fisheye camera, and faster onboard computer. ROS based open-source software. Used by team NimbRo for RoboCup Humanoid TeenSize soccer competitions. Humanoid robot used for playing soccer and human-robot interaction.
Tingu Open-source humanoid robot project. humanoid
DroidBot Android Robot controlled over Bluetooth by App Inventor[23] Arduino components
r-One[24] An Advanced, Low-Cost Robot for Research, Teaching, and Outreach Education
Salvius[25] Open-source humanoid robot project, made from salvaged junk parts.[26] Started in 2008, last updated May 2016. Humanoid
Vizzy[27] A humanoid on wheels for assistive robotics Humanoid

Open source assistive and domestic robots

Name Description Type
Autobed[28] Web-controlled robotic bed developed by the Healthcare Robotics Lab at Georgia Tech.[29] Robotic bed
OADR OADR, Open Autonomous Domestic Robots – An open source system for domestic cleaning robots using low-cost hardware[30] Domestic robots
Open-electronics DIY Arduino-Powered Robotic Vacuum Cleaner An open source vacuum cleaner[31] Robotic vacuum cleaners
CesNieto DIY Vacuum Robot DIY An open source vacuum cleaner [32] Robotic vacuum cleaners
LibreRVAC Free/Libre/Open-Source firmware for vacuum cleaning robots [33] Robotic vacuum cleaner firmware

Other

Name Description Type
LH001[34] Open Hardware Medical-Research liquid handling robot. Project last updated 2011.[35] Liquid Handling
multiplo Building system with open-source hardware, electronics, software and documentation for prototyping robots[36] -
OHMM[37] Open-hardware mobile manipulator -
Open Automaton Project[38] - -
Q.bo[39] - -
Qwerkbot[40] Simple open-source robot from Carnegie Mellon University
Sparki[41] Introductory arduino-powered robot.[42] Education
Sparky Jr. Mobile Telepresence Research Project, Est. 1994[43] -
Open Robot Hardware Open Robot Hardware is intended to serve as a resource for efforts focusing on Open and Open Source mechanical and electrical hardware, with a particular focus on projects that may be useful in robotics applications, robotics research and education.[44] Open-Source Initiative/Community
Balanduino Arduino-compatible based on Arduino.[45] Licensed under BY-NC-SA, which is not compatible with the Open-source hardware definition. Bluetooth ready. Android app. Self-balancing robot
Orb Swarm[46] Kinetic art: autonomous spherical robots exhibiting complex motion. Project last active May 2013. Open software but no comprehensive list of hardware parts. Not compatible with the Open-source hardware definition. Exhibition-
TOAZ Artistic Robot: The World First Open-Source Carbon Fiber Transformable 4 Legs Robot under CC-BY-SA It is developed base on the Adafruit Feather Development Platform. Open-Source

Open source robotics middleware

Middleware are reusable hardware and software components that can be used in many different robotics projects.

Software components

By far the most common standard software are the interconnected,

Other systems include,

Hardware components

Many open source robots make extensive use of general open-source hardware (such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, RISCV) as well as robotics-specific sensing and control components which include:

Advantages

  • Long-term availability. Many non-open robots and components, especially at hobbyist level, are designed and sold by tiny startups which can disappear overnight, leaving customers without support. Open-source systems are guaranteed to have their designs available for ever so communities of users can, and do, continue support after the manufacturer has disappeared.
  • Avoiding lock-in. A company relying on any particular non-open component exposes itself to business risk that the supplier could ratchet up prices after they have invested time and technology building on it. Open hardware can be manufacturered by anyone, creating competition or at least the potential for competition, which both remove this risk.
  • Interchangeable software and/or hardware with common interfaces.
  • Ability to modify and fork designs more easily for customisation.
  • Scientific reproducibility - guarantees that other labs can replicate and extend work, leading to increased impact, citations and reputation for the designer.
  • Lower-cost. Costs of a robot can be decreased dramatically when all components and tools are commodities. No component seller can hold a project to ransom by ratcheting the price of a critical component, as competing suppliers can easily be interchanged.

Drawbacks

  • For commercial organisations, open-sourcing their own designs obviously means they can no longer make large profits through the traditional engineering business model of acting as the monopoly manufacturer or seller, because the open design can be manufactured and sold by anyone including direct competitors. Profit from engineering can come from three main sources: design, manufacturing, and support. As with other open source business models, commercial designers typically make profit via their association with the brand, which may still be trademarked. A valuable brand allows them to command a premium for their own manufactured products, as it can be associated with high quality and provide a quality guarantee to customers. The same brand is also used to command a premium on associated services, such as providing installation, maintenance, and integration support for the product. Again customers will typically pay more for the knowledge that this support is provided directly by the original designer, who therefore knows the product better than competitors.
  • Some customers associate open source with amateurism, the hacker community, low quality and poor support. Serious companies using this business model may need to work harder to overcome this perception by emphasising their professionalism and brand to differentiate themselves from amateur efforts.

Popularity

A first sign of the increasing popularity of building robots yourself can be found with the DIY community. What began with small competitions for remote operated vehicles (e.g. Robot combat), soon developed to the building of autonomous telepresence robots as Sparky and then true robots (being able to take decisions themselves) as the Open Automaton Project and Leaf Project. Certain commercial companies now also produce kits for making simple robots.

A recurring problem in the community has been projects, especially on Kickstarter, promising to fully open-source their hardware and then reneging on this promise once funded, in order to profit from being the sole manufacturer and seller.

Popular applications include:

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ [1]
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Arduino Robot. Licensing information and source files are not currently stated nor easily found. Not compatible with the Open-source hardware definition.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ My Droid Robot controlled by App Inventor
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Autobed
  30. ↑ Open Autonomous Domestic Robots Open Autonomous Domestic Robots – An open source system for domestic cleaning robots using low-cost hardware
  31. ↑ DIY an Arduino-Powered Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
  32. ↑ DIY Vacuum Robot
  33. ↑ Free/Libre/Open-Source firmware for vacuum cleaning robots
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ http://www.terk.ri.cmu.edu/recipes/qwerkbot-classic/
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ [2]
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ ROS.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  50. ↑ [3].
  51. ↑ BlueBots on Google Play.
  52. ↑ Amarino
  53. ↑ Android accelerometer/ Bluetooth / Arduino controlled robot.
  54. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  55. ↑ How to control Arduino board using an Android phone.
  56. ↑ Magician Chassis
  57. ↑ Ardumoto.
  58. ↑ Ardumoto- Motor Driver Shield
  59. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  60. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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