Datasheet

Mechanics
Like its cousin the X80, Sputnik is a balance of speed and strength with portability and
precision. The wheel-based platform’s two 12V DC motors each supply 300 oz.-
inches(22kg.cm) of torque to the robot’s 18 cm (7 in.) wheels, yielding a top speed in
excess of 1 m/s (3.3 ft/s). Two high-resolution (1200 count per wheel cycle) quadrature
encoders mounted on each wheel provide high-precision measurement and control of
wheel movement. Weighing only 6.1 kg (13.5 lb.), the system is light, but it can carry an
additional payload of 10 kg (22 lb.).
Sensors
Sputnik offers full WiFi (802.11g) wireless, multimedia, sensing and motion capabilities
and comes with a wide range of sensor, camera, and audio modules, sufficient to serve
in any variety of applications. The robot offers broad expandability as well for projects
that may require additional sensors, even specialized modules. Powered by separate
RC servo motors, the integrated camera head can pan and tilt independently.
Architecture
The technology underlying Dr Robot's WiFi robots evolved from its Distributed
Computation Robotic Architecture, originally developed for Dr Robot’s Humanoid (HR)
Robot. Using this approach, high-level control of the robot is maintained by a remote or
local PC/server communicating by a secure wireless link. Low-level functionality is
managed by an onboard digital signal processor (DSP) while computationally intensive
operations are performed offboard. The result is a robot that’s lighter, draws less power,
runs longer and is dramatically less expensive than a fully bundled or self-contained
system. Moreover, since primary processing resides in a server, any hardware upgrades
to the central unit are shared by all the robots it controls.
With its integrated high bandwidth (11Mbps) WiFi 802.11 wireless module, the SPK-1
series robots can upload all sensor data (including encoder sensor readings) to a PC or
server at rates in excess of 10Hz. Similarly, streaming audio (8KHz 16bits) and video
(up to 4 fps) either for direct monitoring or for processing by high-level AI schemes is a
snap. Commands and instructions sent to Sputnik via the same wireless link also pass
at rates exceeding 10Hz, providing real-time control and access.