ROBOWORKS Rosbot Mini ROS Education Robot
Prepared by: Wayne Liu & Tara Hercz
21 February 2023
Version #: 20230330
Summary
Rosbot is designed for ROS (Robot Operating System) developer, educator and students. The heart of Rosbot is the fully programmable software framework and configurable hardware architecture based on the most popular robotic platform – ROS.
Rosbot comes with three categories:
- Rosbot Mini – Suitable for ROS beginners and low budget projects.
- Rosbot Pro – Suitable for ROS developers and educators who need a versatile system for rapid prototyping or teaching.
- Rosbot Plus – This is the 4WD version of Rosbot with Independent Suspension Systems. This category is serious enough to be considered for industrial and commercial development.
Rosbot comes with popular ROS controllers such as:
- Jetson Nano
- Jetson TX
- Xavier
- X86 Industrial PC (Built-to-Order Option)
Key Component
Product Specifications
| Product Name | Rosbot Mini | Rosbot Pro | Rosbot Plus |
| Motor Reduction Ratio | 1:27 | 1:18 | 1:18 |
| Max Speed | 1.3m/s | 1.65m/s | 2.33m/s |
| Weight | 5.92kg | 19.54kg | 35.16kg |
| Max Payload | 10kg | 35kg | 22kg |
| Size | 445*358*125mm | 774*570*227mm | 766*671*319mm |
| Minimal Turning Radius | 0.77m | 1.02m | 1.29m |
| Battery Life | About 8 hours (no load), About 7 hours (fully load) | About 4 hours (no load), About 2.5 hours (fully load) | |
| Power Supply | 22.2v 5000mah battery + 2A current smart charger | ||
| Steering Gear | HWZ020 20kg torque digital servo | WH060 60kg torque digital servo | |
| Wheels | 125mm diameters solid rubber wheels | 150mm diameters solid rubber wheels | 254 mm inflatable rubber wheels |
| Encoder | 500 line AB phase high precision encoder | ||
| Suspension System | Coaxial Pendulum Suspension System | 4W Independent Suspension System | |
| Control Interface | iOS & Android App via Bluetooth or Wifi, PS2, CAN, Serial Port, USB | ||
Introduction of ROS Controllers
There are 3 types of ROS Controllers available for use with the Rosbot based on Nvidia Jetson platform. Jetson nano is suited more towards research and development. Jetson TX is ideal for product prototyping. Jetson Xavier is used more often in research and commercial applications. X86 Industrial PC is designed for robust commercial applications and it is only available for Built-to-Order configurations.
The following table illustrates the main technical differences between the various controllers available from Roboworks. Both boards allow high level computation and are suited towards advanced robotic applications such as computer vision, deep learning and motion planning.
Sensing System: LiDAR & Depth Camera
A Leishen LSLiDAR is installed on all Rosbot variations with either the N10 or M10 model being used. These LiDAR’s offer a 360 degree scanning range and surroundings perception and boast a compact and light design. They have a high Signal Noise Ratio and excellent detection performance on high/low reflectivity objects and perform well in strong light conditions. They have a detection range of 30 metres and a scan frequency of 12Hz. This LiDAR integrates seamlessly into the Rosbots, ensuring all mapping and navigational uses can be easily achieved in your project.
The below table summaries the technical specifications of the LSLiDARs:
Additionally, all Rosbots are equipped with an Orbbec Astra Depth Camera, which is an RGBD camera. This camera is optimized for a rage of uses including gesture control, skeleton tracking, 3D scanning and point cloud development. The following table summarizes the technical features of the depth camera.
STM32 Board (Motor Control, Power Management & IMU)
The STM32F103RC Board is the microcontroller used in all Rosbots. It has a high-performance ARM Cortex -M3 32-bit RISC core operating at a 72MHz frequency along with high-speed embedded memories. It operates in -40°C to +105°C temperature range, suiting all robotic applications in worldwide climates. There are power-saving modes which allow the design of low-power applications. Some of the applications of this microcontroller include: motor drives, application control, robotic application, medical and handheld equipment, PC and gaming peripherals, GPS platforms, industrial applications, alarm system video intercom and scanners.
| STM32F103RC | Features |
| Core | ARM32-bit Cortex –M3 CPU Max speed of 72 MHz |
| Memories | 512 KB of Flash memory 64kB of SRAM |
| Clock, Reset and Supply Management | 2.0 to 3.6 V application supply and I/Os |
| Power | Sleep, Stop and Standby modes V supply for RTC and backup registers BAT |
| DMA | 12-channel DMA controller |
| Debug Mode | SWD and JTAG interfaces Cortex-M3 Embedded Trace Macrocell |
| I/O ports | 51 I/O ports (mappable on 16 external interrupt vectors and 5V tolerant) |
|
Timers | 4×16-bit timers 2 x 16-bit motor control PWM timers (with emergency stop) 2 x watchdog timers (independent and Window) SysTick timer (24-bit downcounter) 2 x 16-bit basic timers to drive the DAC |
| Communication Interface | USB 2.0 full speed interface SDIO interface CAN interface (2.0B Active) |
Steering & Driving System
The Steering and Driving system is integrated with the design and build of the Rosbot. Depending on the model purchased it will be either a 2 wheel or 4 wheel drive, with both options being suitable to a variety of research and development purposes. The wheels on all Rosbots are solid rubber with snow-protection grade tires. There is a coaxial pendulum suspension system, and the top range Rosbots are equipped with shock absorbers with independent suspension systems, ensuring it is able to successfully navigate difficult terrain.
Steering and Driving Technical Specifications
Rosbot Chassis Design Diagram
Battery Technical Specifications
All Rosbots come with a 5000 mAh battery and a Power Charger. Customers can upgrade the battery to 10000 mAh or 20000 mAh with additional cost. The 20000 mAh battery is too large to house within the enclosure of any Rosbots. It can only be installed on the top of the Robot chassis.
Copyright © 2023 Roboworks. All rights reserved.
