Activ
Media Robotics
open architecture became the popular platform for the development of a variety of
alternative robotics software environments.
Many developers created software that interfaced directly with PSOS. Others extended
the capabilities of Saphira (PAI and P-LOGO are two good examples), while others have
implemented alternative robotics-control architectures, such as the subsumption-like
Ayllu.
Functionally and programmatically identical to the Pioneer 1, the four-wheel drive, skid-
steering Pioneer AT was introduced in the Summer of 1997 for operation in uneven indoor
and outdoor environments, including loose, rough terrain.
Except for the drive system, there are virtually no operational differences between the
Pioneer AT and the Pioneer 1: The integrated sonar arrays and microcontrollers are the
same. The accessories available for the Pioneer 1 also work with the Pioneer AT. Further,
applications developed for the Pioneer 1 work with little or no porting to the Pioneer 2s.
Pioneer 2 and PeopleBot
The next generation of Pioneer mobile robots—including the Pioneer 2-DX, -CE, and -AT,
introduced in the fall of 1998 through summer of 1999, improved upon the Pioneer 1
legacy while retaining its many important advantages.
particularly with applications software, Pioneer 2 works identically to Pioneer 1 models.
The
Activ
Media Robotics Pioneer 2 models DX, DE, DXe, DXf, and AT, and the V1 and
original Performance PeopleBot robots use a high-performance 20-MHz Siemens 88C166-
based microcontroller, with independent motor/ power and sonar-controller boards for a
versatile operating environment. The microcontroller has two RS232-standard
communications ports and an expansion bus to support the many accessories available
for your
Activ
Media robot, as well as your own custom attachments.
Sporting a more holonomic body, larger wheels and stronger motors for better indoor
performance, Pioneer 2-DX, -DXe, -DXf, and -CE models, like Pioneer 1, are two-wheel,
differential-drive mobile robots. The DXe and DXf models have pneumatic tires for more
robust and versatile mobility, as well as improved payload, than the solid tires of the DX
and CE. And they have a hinged top plate for easier access to the internal systems.
The four-wheel drive Pioneer 2-AT has independent motor drivers. Unlike its Pioneer AT
predecessor, the Pioneer 2-AT comes with a stall-detection system and inflatable
pneumatic tires with metal wheels for much more robust operation in rough terrain, as
well as the ability to carry nearly 30 kilograms (66 lbs) of payload and climb a 60-percent
grade. The newest version of the 2-AT, introduced in mid-2001, includes an integrated
joystick port for manual operation and a hinged top-plate for easier access to the
internal systems.
Other Pioneer 2-like robots include the PeopleBot robots, which were introduced in 2000.
They are architecturally Pioneer 2 robots, but with stronger motors and integrated
human-interaction features, including a pedestal extension, integrated voice and sound
synthesis and recognition—ideal for human-interaction studies as well as for commercial
and consumer mobile-robotics applications.
New Performance PeopleBot Plus
A newer, lower-profile version of the Performance PeopleBot appeared in the summer of
2002. The latest version with the
Plus
motor enhancements appeared in early 2003. Both
are nearly identical robots and, therefore, are included together in this manual. In fact,
5
Price/performance ratio included! The much more capable and expandable Pioneer 2 was introduced four
years later for just a few hundred dollars (US) more than the original Pioneer 1.
9