The Microvision Robot and its Capabilities

Abstract

This paper describes the Microvision, a multi-purpose robotic platform developed at the University of Minnesota's Center for Distributed Robotics. The Microvision is equipped with a scanning laser range finder, RGB cameras, depth sensor, IMU sensor, and audio stream capture ability that allow it to navigate and sense the surrounding environment. Created with the goal of being a small, low-cost robot, the Microvision provides the functionality to process multi-sensory data on-board in real-time. Robotic applications are readily developed using open source software and commercially available hardware making the Microvision a robust research platform.