14 DAY TRIAL // It would seem that the times when we'll be able to build and own our own robots aren't that far away, since the Robotis / Virginia Tech RoMeLa DARwIn-OP (open-platform, hardware and software) humanoid robot is getting ready to hit the market for a price that's actually fairly interesting, especially if you're the type of person who's not afraid to spend a little cash in order to indulge in your passion for robotics.
As PlasticPals informs us, the DARwIn-OP is developed by RoMeLa at Virginia Tech in collaboration with Purdue University, University of Pennsylvania, and Robotis Co., and is open platform where users are encouraged to modify it in both hardware and software, and various software implementations are possible (C++, Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, etc.).
Another interesting detail is that the open source hardware is not only user serviceable thanks to its modular design, but also can be fabricated by the user, especially since the open CAD files for all of its parts, and instructions manuals for fabrication and assembly are available on-line for free.
The robot is 454mm (17.9 inches) tall, weighs 2.8kg, and has 20 degrees of freedom (head x2, 2 arms x3, 2 legs x6) powered by the new RX-24M servo (24kg/cm torque).
Furthermore, its primary controller is the Intel Atom Z530 (1.6GHz) with 1GB DDR2 RAM, 4GB flash disk (miniSD for more storage), 2 USB ports, and can run Linux, XP, and Windows 7.
Additionally, the device comes equipped with plenty of sensors, including a Gyroscope (3-Axis LYPR540AH), an accelerometer (3-Axis ADXL335), a Pressuremeter (2 x 4 FSR in Foot) and a camera module (2MP HD Logitech C905 camera).
The DARwIn-OP will also be available for a direct purchase from Robotis when it gets officially released, with pricing being rumored to be set at roughly 8,000 US dollars, which would make it one of the most affordable solutions of this type to make their way onto the market.