Abstract
WR-X is an integrated platform for use in high-performance robots, making it possible to build simple, low-cost ultra-high-performance robots that can withstand the rigors of full-scale research use. Using WR-X makes it easy for anybody to build a wide variety of robots simply by combining modules as with a Lego construction set. To keep costs low and realize suitability to a wide range of uses, WR-X's actuator employs a standard over-the-counter RC servo used in radio-controlled models. Using an RC servo for a robot's actuator presents a wide range of difficulties. To overcome these, we developed specialized servo-control hardware to control the RC servo motor directly at a high level. This has made it possible to achieve an actuator with linear torque properties for use in ultra-high-performance robots, using a low-cost RC servo. Furthermore, we also developed an accelerator for conducting hardware-based image-analysis computation, in order to achieve real-time image analysis, which had been difficult with traditional small robots. This system has successfully computed the positions of eight physical objects on a screen in a mere 15.7[μs], achieving a speed increase to approximately 60,000 times the speed of software-based computation.
