In this chapter, we saw the differences between a microcontroller, a microprocessor, and a single-board computer. After understanding their differences, we looked at the boards that are commonly used by the robotics community. Also, we covered how to use such boards with ROS and take control of their GPIOs to control external peripherals such as motors or sensors. We looked at different types of GPU boards that have a good advantage over normal SBCs. To select a suitable embedded board for any application, it's suggested that you try out benchmarking, where we can choose boards based on test results. We also learned how to create a skill with Alexa and connect it with ROS. This chapter helped us to install ROS and exploit its hardware capabilities for robot applications.
In the next chapter, we will learn how to provide intelligence to our robot through a well-known...