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Evolution Robotics offers two types of services in the area of Embedded Systems, with a focus on delivering designs and services that provide breakthrough price-to-performance ratios for high-volume consumer products.
The Embedded Systems Group customizes ERSP® modules for low-cost, low-power, high-performance systems available for license by OEMs. ERSP software modules are optimized and embedded to form a complete system along with low-cost embedded hardware solutions that are ideal for targeting consumer markets. These solutions are designed to provide all control and processing functions for a product based on our technologies - vision and navigation, communication, sensing and motor control. This is accomplished through a modular architecture, which allows our embedded system designs to be licensed either in their entirety or in part.
Evolution Robotics offers standardized reference platforms through optimizing ERSP technologies onto a range of off-the-shelf, industry standard digital signal processors and RISC-based CPUs for complete, full featured vision-based robot control. Along with reference platform hardware evaluation boards, Evolution Robotics can provide complete embedded SDKs and Development Environments allowing partners to customize their use of ERSP technologies and to port their own modules and applications onto our designs.
Embedded Reference Designs
Complete Module for Specific Functional Areas
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Evolution Robotics Embedded Reference Designs are offered for evaluation and for licensing in three distinct forms, comprising feature sets unique to their product areas:
High-End Platform - Includes integrated wireless connectivity, high end video encoding, high quality audio functions, display capability, dedicated navigation processing, hardware for motor control and extensive sensor support, as well as industry-standard slots to enable expandability or additional peripherals. Ideal for telepresence, security, home entertainment and education products.
Mid-Range Platform - Includes dedicated navigation processing, hardware for motor control and extensive sensor support, along with standard connectivity ports for configuration, upgrade or communication with additional subsystems. Ideal for single purpose, utility products for applications such as cleaning, item delivery, warehouse functions, or site monitoring.
Low-End Platform - Includes processing for object recognition, and hardware for motor control and sensor support, along with standard connectivity ports for configuration, upgrade, or interfacing to a standard PC. Ideal for enabling object recognition functions and advanced robot control functions for product areas such as home entertainment, education, and object identification functions
In addition to the reference platforms above, Evolution Robotics also offers complete modules for specific functional areas. We currently offer products in the areas of Wireless Control, which allows a robot to leverage a host PC for powerful processing needs, and Motor Control, which provides low level motor control functions for both stepper and servo motors. These designs are available now for evaluation and for licensing in OEM products.
Wireless Module - Includes a RISC CPU and 802.11 wireless support for allowing high-level, intensive processing (such as vision based control) to be accomplished by a host PC on the network. The RISC CPU in the design allows low level robot control functions such as obstacle avoidance to occur on the robot itself, as well as managing the wireless network interface. There is significant support for expansion or interfacing to other modules in the form of serial ports and USB 1.1 (both Host and Device), with an integrated 4 port USB hub. Leveraging a host PC on a wireless network allows for rich processing and streaming multimedia applications while enabling a low consumer price point. This design is easily customizable for a variety of applications.
Robot Control Module - Includes a control DSP (digital signal processor) and highly integrated interface components to implement control functions for both DC Brush servo motors and stepper motors in a single module which is controlled via high level commands from an external system CPU. Two main drive motors can be independently controlled with each module. Hobby-type servos are also supported for easy control of accessory motors. The module accepts high level control commands from an external system CPU via either a USB Device or serial port. Support for both analog and digital sensors is also included. The intelligence in the Motor Control Platform allows precise low level motor control to be achieved in a system while offloading the external system CPU so that it can focus on higher level tasks. This module is easily customizable for specific applications, and is available for licensing for integration into a central controller design.
Click here to see the Robot Control Module Spec.
Embedded Design Services are also available. Evolution Robotics works closely with partners to embed ERSP technologies onto their systems, ensuring the solution will meet their specific product requirements. The embedded systems team has experience in the following areas:
Embedded hardware design
Embedded software design
Real-time operating systems
High-speed PCB design
Optimizing software for DSP architectures
Complex algorithm implementation in custom hardware via both field programmable gate array (FPGA) and "system on chip" application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design
Infrared sensor design
Servo-control loop design and implementation.
Next Steps
For more information on this or any other Evolution Robotics solution, please contact us.
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