Fujitsu's HOAP-3, Programmable Linux robot

zmcnulty writes "Fujitsu Automation announced their "HOAP-3" robot yesterday, a 60cm (24in.) robot with a dash of open-source goodness. The robot contains a Pentium M 1.1GHz processor and runs RT-Linux, but Fujitsu also said they'll be releasing the internal interface info for programmers to take a stab at. The original Japanese press release is available here, and at my site we have a translation of the Japanese ITmedia article covering it. No price until it actually hits stores."

so whats the point

[sydres]

an expensive toy I'd rather build my own and learn litlle something about engineering, programming embedded systems and, robotics

Re:so whats the point

[beppu]

Some of us don't know that much about hardware, but are still intrigued by the software aspect of it. Hardware is the Body; Software is the Mind; and We are the Soul. All parts are required.

Re:so whats the point

[e2d2]

Which part is the Tremendously Large Balls(tm)?

I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. I knew it was wrong but I said it anyway. I should be whipped with a JTAG-ICE RS-232 chord.

Re:so whats the point

[bemenaker]

Are you always so specific?

Re:so whats the point

[Lemmeoutada Collecti]

Linux, of course, or the OSS OS of choice

w00t! Linux Death Machine!

[Anonymous Coward]

From TFA:

"the versatility of this robot is made clear in the impressive list of options including a Magnetic Linear Accelerator and High ROF Riot Shotgun"

Sweet.

Re:w00t! Linux Death Machine!

[Anonymous Coward]

Upcoming Gartner Inc. report: Linux KILLS!

Re:w00t! Linux Death Machine!

[itzfritz]

i hoap it doesn't shoot me in the ass. hoapfully its programmable to not take over the world.

Re:w00t! Linux Death Machine!

[beppu]

This article reminds me of this flash animation:
http://www.ubergeek.tv/article.php?pid=54 [ubergeek.tv]

Re:w00t! Linux Death Machine!

[bedroll]

Stephanie Speck: You're a machine from that dumb war lab - I am so stupid!
Number 5: Stupid - foolish, gullible, doltish, dumbell.

Re:w00t! Linux Death Machine!

[cloudofstrife]

I would just like to be the first to welcome our impressively-armed HOAP-3 rulers. May their reign be long and (hopefully) peaceful.

Wait, they don't actually have those. I'm glad I RTFA.

Re:w00t! Linux Death Machine!

[kalleguld]

Oh no, is this just more FUD from MS saying Linux is for terrorists?

Re:w00t! Linux Death Machine!

[AuMatar]

So, when does the robot army attack Redmond?

now if we can just get them to swarm

[VolciMaster]

This must be the week for robot stories (the $800 swarming robot [slashdot.org]).

Re:now if we can just get them to swarm

[FleaPlus]

I'm just wondering if/when the following robot story is going to hit slashdot:

New Scientist: Robot hand performs remote breast checks [newscientist.com]

Re:now if we can just get them to swarm

[ch-chuck]

Robot hand performs remote breast checks

Wow, wait untill the porn industry gets a hold of that one.

Re:now if we can just get them to swarm

[Shadow Wrought]

New Scientist: Robot hand performs remote breast checks

I believe this, or a similar topic, has been covered to death in the "polls" section.

That's a manipulator, not a robot.

[TERdON]

Technically, a robot has to have some kind of autonomous control. Doesn't have to be built in, but it should be non-human (normally a computer).

The link you provided is about a manipulator. Definition: a robot, but without the parts that make them do things (the "brains" - the controller), and with an interface for manual control instead.

Of course, robots are really cool, so also the people not really into robotics tend to say they do it. For Random L. User, that's kinda ok, but at least we geeks here on Slashdot should be able to differentiate between fake "robots" (ie manipulators) and the real, automonous, stuff.

Re:That's a manipulator, not a robot.

[e2d2]

Well techinically speaking a robot does not have to be autonomous. It could simply be a remotely controlled device:

From American Heritage Dictionary:
Robot.. 2. A machine or device that operates automatically or by remote control.

So it does fall within the definition.

But this is a grey area as far as definition goes. It's up for debate as to what a robot really _is_. If it's simply a remotely controlled device then I have a "flying robot" at home that can do some pretty cool stuff. That's why many robo

Re:That's a manipulator, not a robot.

[TERdON]

I'm not sure how good the "American Heritage Dictionary" really is. Haven't seen it, ever (I'm in Europe). Especially for terms that really are used more or less by specialists, like this one. I do know, however, that the word is used very sloppilly among mere mortals (ie non-/.-ers) - giving everything, including the kitchen sink, the attribute "robotic". That does not mean they're right.

The definition I learnt, I learnt in robotics class. Anything remote-controlled is NOT a robot, it's a manipulator. Or

Re:That's a manipulator, not a robot.

[chr1973]

The word "robot" was coined by a Czech playwriter (Capek?) meaning worker. AFAIK, robot does *not* imply autonomous. Just take a typical pick-and-place robot (e.g. the ABB Piccos) - it does its job without needing direct human oversight, but I'd never call it autonomous...

Is a Piccos remote controlled? Depends on how you look at it. Besides the emergency stop, there is often a way to activate/disable the robot's program remotely...

I did my Phd on walking robots... sometimes we controlled it (steered) usin

Re:That's a manipulator, not a robot.

[TERdON]

Ok, it's a bit fuzzy. But I still claim the definition I learnt still would be usable. Autonomous, for me at least (not a native english speaker so I may be using the wrong word here, perhaps it should be automatic or something?), to me just means it keeps on going after you live it. Also I didn't say there couldn't be an alternative manual way to control things. (almost any robot has manual control also)

Re:That's a manipulator, not a robot.

[e2d2]

It would be nice if there was a new term to distinguish the two, it would help avoid confusion about the machines capabilities.

It's a robot and completely open source plans

[technoextreme]

Dictionaries are annoying. They usually post the scifi definition. The machine that I see is a bipedal robot. Obviously it needs some type of programming for it even to be controlled by remote control. It's practically impossible for anyone to try and control such a machine manually. Personally I would go for the open pino platform. The website has plans for a bipedal robot and it's completely open source. This system just appears to use an open source operating system. I would want to build the open

Re:It's a robot and completely open source plans

[TERdON]

You really didn't read the grandparent, did you? I was talking about the "boobiebot" that got linked in in the gp. NOT the main story.

Whoops that is a robot too....

[technoextreme]

Whoops... Anyway your definition still is not appropriate for that device. Replace walking robot with robotic arm and pretty much my point remains valid. The device still needs some autonomous programing for it to work. Especially if you don't want it to squeeze the boobies too much.:)

IS NOT!

[TERdON]

No, it isn't, it's still manually controlled. It won't squeeze boobies unless you use the joystick (pun intended? don't know), and tell it exactly how to move to squeeze boobies...

You didn't read the article did you

[technoextreme]

No, it isn't, it's still manually controlled. It won't squeeze boobies unless you use the joystick (pun intended? don't know), and tell it exactly how to move to squeeze boobies...

This is really getting ridiculous. The control system on that thing has to be a hundred times more complicated than you are making it out to be. First of all the robot system has to translate the movements of the doctors hand into some type of control signal. Then the signal is sent to the robot and the robot has to move it

Re:You didn't read the article did you

[TERdON]

Hey, I didn't say manual control was EASY. Don't put words in my mouth, please. It might be just as difficult. It's just not automatic. Even if it's incredibly complicated, it's still manually controlled (even if it's over the internet), and thus, it's not a robot, it's a manipulator.

There has to be autonomous control!!!!!!

[technoextreme]

I give up. I can use your definition and try and show to you it's a robot. I can try and explain that it's nearly impossible to build a robot without autonomous control that can be controlled halfway across the world. Impossible. Impossible. Imagine if the thing was performing surgery. The lag would kill the person if the robot did not react on it's own. That tiny fraction of a second can kill.

Autonomous control =|= robot.

[TERdON]

Also note the other thread of answers where I admitted that autonomous perhaps wasn't the perfect word (I'm not a native english speaker). "automatic" might be better. The word I'm thinking of is at least "självständig" in swedish. Basically, it doesn't need user control to work. The boobie manipulator does need direct human control, even though it might need to pass the user input through a really complicated system, even one including some kind of partial autonomous control (but now we're on the

Re:Autonomous control =|= robot.

[technoextreme]

I agree with what you are saying but there is a particular area of robotics that this can fit under. The term is called telerobotics. It's basically the use of robotics to create give the person a feeling of being in another place. This allows them to control whatever the want to. This is the best information that I could find unfortunately. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telepresence [wikipedia.org]

Re:now if we can just get them to swarm

[douthat]

Is there really such a shortage of people who are willing to do this job that hospitals are willing to fork out the requisite capital expenditure for one of these things?

If so, I'll start a group of volunteers to, umm, help lower the cost of healthcare. ... just doing my part. :)

Design Flaw

[izznop]

If I'm going to invest all this money in a robot, shouldn't it at least be big enough to bring me a beer. Seriously, I cold 40 of Colt 45 Double Malt would render this thing completely useless.

Re:Design Flaw

[bedroll]

Seriously, I cold 40 of Colt 45 Double Malt would render this thing completely useless.

Mixing Colt 45 with roman numerals.. isn't that an oxymoron?

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Re:Design Flaw

[bemenaker]

It will still carry a Mickey's Wide Mouth!!!

Clippy

[Anonymous Coward]

First thing I'll do: install Win2k + Office so the robot has a "Clippy" personality. Just imagine such a helpfull robot!! Always looking after me: "Looks like you want to stab your mother-in-law. Want me to do it? [Yes][No][Cancel][Cancel the Yes][Cancel the No][Whatever]"

GREAT!

Re:Clippy

[TERdON]

Hmm, shouldn't that be exactly why they used Linux - there's a bug in the Windows Robot Laws Subroutine. Some programmer forgot to enter the 1st law...

Re:Clippy

[3waygeek]

Isn't that how Sirius Cybernetics got its start?

Sure I could build my own

[Fox_1]

it stands about 60cm tall and weighs some 8.8kg. a camera, microphone, speaker, expression LED, audio recognition function, voice synthesis function, and image recognition function. A distance sensor, grip sensor, acceleration sensor, and so forth have been added, and all of these can be controlled from a PC using wired or wireless LAN. But I think I'd have more sucess modding this one. And unlike one I made myself this one doesn't require diapers, bottles or wreck the family car in 16 years.

Re:Sure I could build my own

[ectizen]

... expression LED ...

Hey, my computer's got one of those! Unfortunately, it can only express:

• I am turned on
• I am turned off

I get so confused...

Gentle introduction to embedded programming?

[ReformedExCon]

The press release (at least the translation) doesn't make any mention of what the HOAP-3 is actually useful for. Rather, Fujitsu is releasing the internal specs and interface specs to the robot, so it seems like it is actually up to the owner to figure out what to do with the thing.

I imagine that learning how to control the hardware through existing device drivers and then eventually through writing your own device drivers would be an absolutely fun way to go about studying the subject. I am trying to st

Re:Gentle introduction to embedded programming?

[iomanip]

Fear Fujitsu's code. At a certain lab where I work, my friend has been doing research with the HOAP-2 for the past year and lets just say that Fujitsu doesn't have the nicest code available to work with. They certainly leave it up to the owner to figure out what to do with the thing.

The first hack...

[Valiss]

...should be a get(beer) function.

Re:The first hack...

[Locke2005]

But then, what would we need girlfriends for? Oh wait, this is slashdot...

Re:The first hack...

[TERdON]

Here's another, similar joke. To get it fully, you should ignore the fact you're a slashdotter - imagine you all do have gfs.

- Why did God create blondes?
* The sheep couldn't fetch beer in the fridge.
- Then, why did God create brunettes?
* Neither could the blondes.
- Well, then why should you study automation?
* To be able to build a robot so you finally can get your goddamn beer!

Re:The first hack...

[Seriman]

You're thinking too small. It's beer() called with various flavor bitflags. He'd be a portable micro-brewery.

Re:The first hack...

[zippthorne]

Beer object aparantly poorly designed. It should be beer.get("guinness","pint").

Voice synthesis

[ch-chuck]

"Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!!"

Actually pretty cool toy - wonder what the battery life is. "Command override: I must find a power source in 3.23 minutes beep".

Re:Linux

[bemenaker]

This is the funniest post I have read all day. :) hehehehehe I can't help it, but I just can't take this post serious.

Re:Linux

[aug24]

Couldn't agree more. D'you think our anonymous, cowardly friend is suppressing his real feelings? Gay this, gay that, he's gotta be over-compensating ;-)

J.

power hungery

[oringo]

The robot needs 24V DC at 10A as stated on the press release. I don't know how the robot is going to roam around...maybe with a 50kg battery pack strapped on the back? It will probably break down from just carrying the battery pack.

Re:power hungery

[Walt Dismal]

A type 27 marine 12v battery on a little wagon can supply 1KW hr. So the robot could roam, with a cart behind it, for 4 hrs.

Re:power hungery

[Maximum Prophet]

The robomower from Friendly Robotics uses a 24V 17AH pack. This thing should get 1.7 hours from the same. - Mike

Automated, or Remote Control?

[delta_avi_delta]

" and all of these can be controlled from a PC using wired or wireless LAN."

I would hope they mean that how the robot uses these things can be programmed on a PC and dumped via W/LAN. If it needs to be within W/LAN range of a host computer serving its instructions, how am I ever going to build my rampaging mini-bot army, without devoting my Gauss-gun budget to portable hotspots...

Re:Automated, or Remote Control?

[Shadow Wrought]

how am I ever going to build my rampaging mini-bot army, without devoting my Gauss-gun budget to portable hotspots...

Not only that, but you'd be comitting the same faux pas of so many other EOs (Evil Overloads)- a central node whose destruction wipes out your army. Believe me, the Trade Federation is seriously regretting their use of WiFi over imbedded instructions.

Re:Automated, or Remote Control?

[Shadow Wrought]

Ah yes, nothing more ironic than pointing out a classic blunder while simultaneously failing to close an italics tag. w00t!

Re:Automated, or Remote Control?

[Daniel_Staal]

Encrypted VPN tunnelling man. Just tunnel the control instructions through the internet, and have the bot automatically pick up whatever open WiFi connection is avalible for it's internet connection

It limits the range outside of cities, but there are enough open hotspots to roam quite a ways. And if it had some way of returning to a hotspot when it dropped connection (eg: backup on no signal) you could quite easily explore the edges of the signals. Strap on a GPS unit and you could even map them, down t

Re:Automated, or Remote Control?

[ImaLamer]

duh [oreillynet.com]...

Rodrico (or whoever the psycho futurama robot is)

[Anonymous Coward]

but Fujitsu also said they'll be releasing the internal interface info for programmers to take a stab at.

So I can program it to stab?

One step closer...

[abscondment]

Well, we're one step closer to the dream [ubergeek.tv]. Now, if only these were fembots...

Merge!

[Sierpinski]

We just need to merge this robot with an "outer skin" like that from the RealDoll [realdoll.com]!

Wonder how long the backorder list would be for something like that...

What would happen...

[LegendOfLink]

If you told the robot:
rm -f *

Just don't say:

[RealProgrammer]

rm -rf /.

Re:What would happen...

[zenneth]

rm -f *

I think you just killed everyone in your family.

Re:What would happen...

[/dev/trash]

Since no one runs as root, that would just delete the home directory. No real biggie, the robot has backups right?
+++
My last.fm page [www.last.fm]
+++
Husi is where's it at [hulver.com]

Obligatory question, updated.

[marcello_dl]

Yes, but does it run?

what about an xbot?

[brontus3927]

yeah, but when are they going to build a robot out of an xbox? http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/?t=archives&date= 2005-07-06 [ctrlaltdel-online.com]

Getting that old itch again

[RealProgrammer]

Hello, Fujitsu? Get me Sales. SALES, dammit. Thank you. Damn foreigners. Sales? Yeah, gimme 5.3 million of your little robot guys. Yeah, I said 5.3 million. My minion, er, secretary will give you the details.

Hello, Colt? Get me Sales. SALES, dammit. Thank you. Damn kids. Sales? Yeah, gimme 5.3 million of your 7000D handguns. Yeah, I said 5.3 million. My, er, secretary will give you the details.

Now that I've made those calls, I can begin to plan the assault. I'll start by freeing Cuba, then use the good will to launch a surprise attack on Washington. They'll never know what hit 'em.

It's my destiny - I will rule the world!

Getting out of this room will be child's play. All I really need is to get out of the restraints so when they come to give me the pills they think I'm taking ...

Strange design

[roman_mir]

why does this robot have its mouth on its forehead? Is eating its primary-topmost function?

The robot contains a Pentium M 1.1GHz processor

[Johnny Mozzarella]

Can't wait to install Mac OS X for Intel on this bad boy!

Well, the obvious flaw seems to be...

[agraupe]

That is doesn't protect humanity from the Terrible Secret of Space. What use is it then?

Robo-one... Robot-one... Robo-one....

[technoextreme]

http://robogames.net/rules/robo-one.shtml [robogames.net] http://www.robo-one.or.kr/english/ [robo-one.or.kr] Muahahha.... Walking robots of doom. They are so cute. I could imagine the slashdot community getting involved with this.