The CURI-4 platform was developed to investigate a layered behavioral control scheme for a mobile robot. CURI-4 is a small tethered robot equipped with a camera and a gripper for grasping objects. The tether carries data as well as power. The main robot components are 2 DC motors with gearboxes for the drive mechanism, 4 RC type servo motors, a small CCD camera and custom electronics for the motor control. The drive configuration is a tripod with 2 individually powered wheels and a static caster skid. One servo controls the pitch of the camera, 2 servos are used in the gripper, and the fourth servo is used for a leg that allows the robot to tilt raising and lowering the gripper. The camera can be positioned so that it can image it’s own gripper in order to see what it is picking up. Continue reading →