1. Cost: Software: Portability: Size/Form: Expandibility: All people love AIBOs, but AIBO this isn’t. Some people love table-top robots, though more and more undergraduate students see them as toys. A tool, not a toy (not AIBO-cute!) Human-scale robotics. Disappoints small-robot lovers Anything that speaks serial Remarkably, the wired version when used with a laptop onboard is the far more powerful platform. Many will prefer to run the computation off-board, however. $160 for the wired version. $230 for the wireless (bluetooth) Shipping: just keep the box Carrying: it has a handle For demos, contests, exhibitions, or simply trying things out, this is an important, often overlooked criterion. Try shipping your lego ‘bot in its box. Just carrying it to another room can be fatal (it’s happened to me!) The true advantage here is that any language and OS supporting a serial port will work, i.e., everything. Two plusses because of the newness of the codebase. No proprietary SW 100% python drivers & visualizer Windows, MacOSX, Linux Runs in Pyro (python robotics) That is, you can use your Handy Board, Acroname BrainStem, Basic Stamp, cell phone, PDA, laptop or desktop computer to run the roomba. But, the additional sensors don’t come with the platform, as they do with Lego’s NXT. Buy as needed…. Ruggedness: A commercial household item. Built-in recognition of drop-offs Simply no competition here. Computation: user-provided While some might consider user- provided computation a downside, the real question is “why pay for special- purpose computation when you/your department already has far more than you use?” Hence peripheral robots…. ? Ratings are my personally-biased & subjective opinions. (I don’t have a stake in any commercial venture.) Best available As good as others Not as good as others Do keep in mind this table is being paid for by RoboDynamics, though somehow I am not… which perhaps says more about my business acumen than anything else. (Z Dodds 5/2/06) ? Roomba as resource for AI education and research?

2. A Look at Robot Resources Lego NXT Cost: $250 Availability: Fall 2006 Size: tabletop Ruggedness: medium Expandability: medium Handy Board 2 Cost: $650 Availability: Fall 2006 Size: tabletop+ Ruggedness: medium Expandability: high Khepera Cost: $2000 Availability: now Size: tabletop Ruggedness: low Expandability: high $ Sony AIBO Cost: $2000 Availability: ebay Size: human-scale Ruggedness: medium Expandability: low KIPR’s XBC Cost: $550 Availability: now Size: tabletop Ruggedness: medium Expandability: high Hemisson Cost: $300 / $780 wl Availability: now Size: tabletop+ Ruggedness: medium Expandability: medium Z Dodds 5/2/06

3. Autonomous Roombas RS232 Serial Port + Roomba These products are available at www.roombadevtools.com available in summer, 2006 Z Dodds 5/2/06 USB Port + Roomba Bluetooth + Roomba Basic Stamp + Roomba $155 Quantity discounts are also available. $160 $230 Bluetooth radioRoomba Red USB interfaceRS232 interface Already have a roomba? Interfaces are available separately.

4. Our roomba – Your laptop Demos and trial runs available Thursday 10am Thursday 4pm Friday 10am Friday 4pm Interested further? Components, complete systems, and Visual Basic software is available at www.roombadevtools.com Open-source python software: www.cs.hmc.edu/~dodds/erdos We also have laptops - and you’re welcome to get a roomba! $160 wired - $230 wireless Z Dodds 5/2/06

5. Roomba as resource for AI education and research? Cost: Software: Portability: Size/Form: Expandibility: Anything that speaks serial $160 for the wired version. $230 for the wireless (bluetooth) Shipping: just keep the box Carrying: it has a handle No proprietary SW 100% python drivers & visualizer Windows, MacOSX, Linux Runs in Pyro (python robotics) Ruggedness: A commercial household item. Built-in recognition of drop-offs Simply no competition here. Computation: user-provided ? A tool, not a toy (not AIBO-cute!) Human-scale robotics. Disappoints small-robot lovers Z Dodds 5/2/06 Try one out

6. Roomba as resource for AI education and research? Cost: Software: Portability: Size/Form: Expandibility: Anything that speaks serial $160 for the wired version. $230 for the wireless (bluetooth) Shipping: just keep the box Carrying: it has a handle No proprietary SW 100% python drivers & visualizer Windows, MacOSX, Linux Runs in Pyro (python robotics) Ruggedness: A commercial household item. Built-in recognition of drop-offs Simply no competition here. Computation: user-provided ? A tool, not a toy (not AIBO-cute!) Human-scale robotics. Disappoints small-robot lovers Z Dodds 5/7/06 Hardware URL: Software URL: These docs’ URL: www.cs.hmc.edu/~dodds/erdos/docs www.roombadevtools.com www.cs.hmc.edu/~dodds/erdos/software