October 2012 – Daddio Robotics

Check out the latest Mechanized Stroller.

Robotic Stroller Conversion Kit Now Available for Purchase

Seattle, Washington – October 8, 2012 – For those of you who have the all-terrain strollers, now there is an easy way to turn your stroller into an autonomous robot. Purchase Xandon Frogget’s kit and within an estimated 20 minutes, you can convert your stroller into a robot that will drive autonomously. Or you can put it in ARAS mode and let the “autonomous robot assisted steering” drive itself around and avoid obstacles. This kit is intended for geek moms, dads or anyone looking for a solid platform for learning and discovering robotics.

There are three kit configurations for sale: Basic, Medium, and Complete Kit. The basic kit starts with all the hardware you need including either a Kinect or ASUS Xtion Pro but the buyer must provide the laptop/netbook and the stroller. The Medium is all the hardware including either a Kinect or ASUS Xtion Pro and a Netbook, but the purchaser provides the stroller. The complete kit includes all the hardware, the netbook, and the stroller. The kits are expected to retail for $2,500 – $3,500, depending on the configuration. (* See update at bottom)

The kit connects easily to most jogging strollers that are similar to the BOB Jogging Stroller and does not require any destructive modification. When you are done playing, you can return the stroller to its original configuration unharmed.

The wheelchair motors are rated for up to 300lbs, in case you need to use it as a porter to replace your Sherpa. And did we mention it is so quiet and that you can drive it around the house at night while everyone is sleeping?

In the demo video, Frogget is using a rooted NookColor to control the interface, showing off some of the unlimited possibilities. The sample code is written in Processing and can be modified easily so that any hackable device can steer it including a smart phone or Wii remote with Wii Wheel. Using software like Apple’s FaceTime or Google+ video chat, the robot can be teleoperated and provide a telepresence for grandparents everywhere, including the zoo.

The robotics stroller conversion kits will be built-to-order beginning mid October 2012. Please contact sales@daddiorobotics.com for purchases or inquiries.

Update August 3, 2013: We have suspended our current stroller conversion kit in order to focus on the new prototype. Apologies for all those who had been dreaming of getting a kit for fall 2013. Check back as we have exciting news coming.

I needed some running lights for a robot I have been working on; Brake lights, Turn signals, accessory lights etc. After reading an article the other day on how to make your own infinity mirror, I got the idea to use it on the robot and give a depth effect to the lighting system. I made up a prototype to be sure the effect would be easy to reproduce and look nice. I then spent several hours cutting and creating the aluminum housing, sandwiching a row of 11mm addressable RGB LED’s between a mirror (on the back) and a one way mirror (on the front). I ended up with these four corner lights for the robot. There is still some finishing work to do before mounting them, but the infinity mirror effect looks very nice I think. Mostly the lights will be used to display status and movement intent and will be greatly subdued so as to not look like a Vegas show. Of course there is always robot party mode where the robot plays disco and creates an interactive piano on the bed for little girls to jump around.