Qbo, the open source robot, gets detailed, looks cute
By Tim Stevens 
posted May 21st 2010 9:51AM
posted May 21st 2010 9:51AM
It's the future and we're still waiting for our personal jetpacks, but it looks like robot helpers in every home are closer than ever, with thecorpra's Qbo getting us ever closer. Okay, so without arms he's unlikely to be much of a help around the house, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't make a useful addition to your abode. He's peppered with sensors of various types, has stereo high-def webcam eyes, microphone ears, and even an LED mouth. Inside his belly rests a Mini-ITX motherboard festooned with WiFi, Bluetooth, an Intel Atom processor and NVIDIA Ion graphics, all running some flavor of Linux. Yes, that means he could stream YouTube videos in HD... if only he had the appropriate outputs. There's no mention of price or availability at this point but something tells us he won't be free as in beer. Full picture with specs after the break. 
I want
Oh, I beg your pardon. I thought you were someone else.
@SeeThreepio. 3PO, what did I say about getting into conversation with humans, when you should be scrubbing the Death Star's toilets and preparing the food? Don't make me de-activate you
@Lord Vader
Pardon me, Lord Vader. I believe you are mistaken. I was not talking to the human; I was trying to speak with this tiny new droid. I don't know where it learned to communicate, but it has a most peculiar dialect. I believe it said for you to insert your lightsaber in your Sith rectum and turn it on.
@thefrataline I concur! I want one now! for $500 :)
Don't blame me! I'm only an interpreter!
@thefrataline NO!!! KILL IT WITH FIRE!!!
Open source means that some evil genius out there will just start Skynet with this thing.
no arms?
@dan991199 Right?! How's he supposed to flip pancakes or grab beers without arms?
@abelock
maybe something related to cost cutting.
@dan991199 It looks like they have a placeholder waiting for the arms to be built.
I will buy it in a heart beat if it runs Android 2.2 !!
oh wait.
Who care's if he doesn't have arms to help---he's cute. That's all that matters in robotics. Robots need to be cute or a giant transformer-like weapons platform. There's no market for in-between.
the us air force likes open source. i guarantee they'll have these reprogrammed and equipped with guns and other killing/maiming stuff.
it's either them or me
I DONT TRUST ROBOTS WITH EYES O_O
@AnonymousTrain
ಠ_ಠ
I guess the designer took the term "3rd leg" to heart.
@lecti +1
@lecti Totally--it's rolling on its dingus!
@lecti
LOL.
So when will they make robot bluetooth headsets that wil whisper in your ear?
march of the penguins
That looks like one of the robots from the movie Black Hole.
@lifeandjava YES! Came here intending to say just that, and here it is.
Tiny little guy, too.
That said, there's one thing that's keeping this in the "maybe" category for me, and that's the lack of USB. I don't consider it very "open source" in a useful sense if it has no limbs/manipulators and no way to connect new equipment.
Still, if it's under $500, I'll probably get one.
it actually has potential but it should have a mini projector !
Where's my Rosie the Robot? Without arms, how is this one supposed to get to the stacks of dishes in the sink, dust my place, and vacuum all this dog hair? And no mouth to sass back.
I hate the future.
Skynet... nay its just a vacuum.
So what does it do? Besides being adorable.
Hero 1 is a lot less boxy than I remember.
preordered mine.
ehm i don't get the concept is there a programm running within the linux os or is linux somehow itself controlling the robot?
as a software developer i'm kind of interested in this thing(although not for work just as a hobby) anyone know the languages you can use? hopefully not assambler cause i blow at assambler.....
@gboehm If it runs a Linux or Windows OS on that ION board, you should be able to use any programming language, depending how you actually control the motors. I have a feeling it could be serial based. If it isn't, I'm sure they'll have a few libraries for controlling the motors.
I don't mind no arms, but as a pleasure bot legs and boobs are a must.
Paint it white and call it EVE.