Clearpath Robotics, a manufacturer of mobile robotic platforms for research and development, and Open Robotics, primary maintainers of the Robot Operating System (ROS) and Gazebo simulator, have announced TurtleBot 4 – the next generation open-source robotics platform.
The TurtleBot 4 aims to build on the success of previous versions by providing a low-cost, fully extensible, ROS-enabled reference platform for robotics researchers, developers, and educators.
The mobile base of the TurtleBot 4 is built on the iRobot Create 3 educational robot which provides an IMU, optical floor tracking sensor, and wheel encoders for accurate positioning and localisation. It also includes a suite of sensors including infrared, cliff, bump, and slip detection, along with a 26Wh li-ion battery for powering additional sensors and accessories.
Additionally, all onboard sensor data is available as ROS topics via the network-connected ROS 2 API. The mobile base provides a payload capacity of 9kg and is capable of driving continuously at speeds of up to .306 m/s with the safety system engaged and peak to .46 m/s in override mode.
Fully integrated with the mobile base is a Raspberry Pi 4 computer running Ubuntu 20.04, ROS 2 and onboard sensor drivers, a front-facing stereo camera, and 2D lidar. Additional sensors and accessories can be easily integrated with the system using an accessible powered USB hub and the top mounting plate. A programmable LCD screen allows users to display information from any of the ROS topics. The platform’s IP address is also displayed allowing users to connect quickly to the robot.
“This year marks ten years since we started working with the Open Robotics’s founding team on the Turtlebot 2.” said Bryan Webb, president of Clearpath Robotics. “We are very excited to continue our support for the open-source community by providing the latest and greatest technology for robotics research, development, and education. The Turtlebot 4 offers more computing power, better sensors, and a world-class user experience at an affordable price point.”
TurtleBot 4 will ship fully assembled with ROS 2 pre-installed and configured along with detailed user documentation, an Ignition Gazebo simulation model, demo code, and a suite of tutorials, allowing users to get started out-of-the-box with AI-based testing and SLAM.
TurtleBot 4 will be available from Spring next year.
