Introducing TurtleBot
TurtleBot is a mobile robot that can be purchased as a kit or fully assembled. Several companies in North America and around the world sell TurtleBots. The TurtleBot2 model is shown in the following image:
Turtlebot 2
A list of manufacturers can be found at: http://www.turtlebot.com/manufacturers/
The main items that comprise the TurtleBot 2 model from bottom to top in the preceding image are as follows:
- A mobile base that also serves as support for the upper stages of the robot
- A netbook resting on a module plate
- Another module plate used to hold items
- A vision sensor with a color camera and 3D depth sensor
- The top most module plate used to hold items
We will discuss the main items briefly here and provide more details for the base and the netbook later in this chapter. Overall, the TurtleBot model stands about 420 mm (16.5 inches) high and the base is approximately 355 mm (14 inches) in diameter.
The particular base in the authors' TurtleBot is a Kobuki mobile platform...
