14 DAY TRIAL // The Smart t-shirt that Intel is putting together would have probably been enough of a hint on its own that Intel is going to branch out this year, but Chipzilla has decided to go with double the shock and awe factor.
So, in addition to the technological shirt worn by the Intel CEO at the Code Conference, the company has also introduced a robot.
And not just any robot, but a 3D printed robot called Jimmy, and priced at $1,600 / €1,175. Well, the assembly kit is. If Intel ever starts selling it already assembled, it will probably cost a bit more.
The 3D printed (or 3D printable) robot will be made available by the start of 2015, maybe even before the end of 2014. It would be a nice enough present for Christmas after all.
The bot would be like “a smartphone with legs” and be customizable, as well as programmable. Its artificial intelligence will be able to “understand” programmed commands.
Jimmy is intended as a sort of home chore assistant, and will be sold through the website 21stCenturyRobot.com.
As you may or may not have guessed, Jimmy may be 3D printed, but that only goes for the plastic parts.
The actual circuitry still needs to be done normally, and the heart of everything is an Intel Edison, that PC the size of an SD card that got unveiled back at CES 2014, in January.
It's actually somewhat surprising that a robot is acting as the launch platform. Whatever Edison-based gadgets came out so far don't count because they've already faded into obscurity.
Robots and 3D printing technology are the two fields that, in addition to wearable electronics, Intel intends to establish a strong presence in.
The company disregarded the field of smartphones, and because of that, it didn't have an already developed, low-power platform when tablets came out.
Because of that, it continues to fail to actually score relevant design wins in those areas. Obviously, the company doesn't want to repeat that mistake with wearable gadgets, robots and 3D printers.
Sure, in 3D printers, it won't have much of a stake, since Arduino boards are mostly used there, and printers in general don't need superpowered hardware. A good PC will do any day.
3D printed robots are a different matter though, because only the frame and struts can be 3D printed, not the circuits/machinery driving them. At least not yet, hence Edison's suitability.