ZMP Inc is releasing the RoboCar, a car robotics research platform, which can be used by researchers of automotive technologies and autonomous movement technologies as well as by universities and companies as an educational material. The platform is a 1/10-scale car robot and weighs r 3kg. The main body of the platform is equipped with CCD stereo cameras, an image recognition module that employs the IMAPCAR image recognition chip manufactured by NEC Corp, WiFi communication module, a gyro sensor, a three-axis acceleration sensor, a total of five rotary encoders mounted on the motor and the four wheels and eight infrared range sensors. It is controlled by the Linux operating system. It also includes wireless LAN capability, and information obtained through sensors on the car robot can be collected in a PC to be shared by multiple robot cars. The robot can also be remote-controlled and run autonomously by using the built-in image processing and CPU boards.

The model without the exteriors will cost around $6,119 and with the exterior parts designed by designer Kota Nezu will be sold for ¥1.298 million.

[Techon]