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Evolution Robotics' ER1 Reviewed

Posted by michael on from the caution-may-void-warranty dept.

Anonymous Coward writes "A useful review of Evolution Robotics' ER-1 by the boys at Techfocus. It covers: construction, customization, hardware requirements, best features, programming, durability of equipment -- and all that good stuff. One interesting factoid is that the robot can recognize objects until the object is blocked - up to 40% - by something (like a piece of furniture). Techfocus aptly points out the Orwellian implications... Another thing that rocked my world is the notion that the robot is not as much of a drag on CPU as one might suspect. TF ran the unit on an NEC Versa VXi running Windows 2000, with a 900mhz CPU and 128mb of RAM, and encountered absolutely no problems. Encouragingly, if you want to further customize your robot, why not just write a script in C or Perl -- the manual even points users toward an app primarily based in Linux. What's not surprising: it's pricey. Also some nice pictures of how the robot really looks right out of the box."

3 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. Real world robots by Lakers · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I've seen so many robot articles. Robots to mow your lawn, vacuum your carpet, walk your dog...

    Where are they though? I have yet to walk down my street and see a mowing robot or visit a friends house and see a robot cleaning the windows. Most of these articles will say that they will be available to consumers in the next year or so.

    Funny, I've been reading articles about robots for what seems like forever

    1. Re:Real world robots by immanis · · Score: 5, Funny

      "I have yet to walk down my street and see a mowing robot or visit a friends house and see a robot cleaning the windows."

      That's because I'm walking down the street a block ahead of you and kidnapping them to add to my evil army of homicidal housecleaning gardening robots.

      --

      best web host ever

  2. Orwellian Implications? by EnVisiCrypt · · Score: 5, Funny

    Techfocus aptly points out the Orwellian implications...

    robot: TARGET RECOGNIZED. PINCHERS ENGAGED

    me: OH NO! IT'S DELICATELY PINCHING MY ANKLES. DAMN THIS POLICE STATE I LIVE IN!

    Puh-lease. The image recognition will only be Orwellian to my cat, and *everything* is Orwellian to cats.

    --


    *everything* is Orwellian to cats.