Clearpath Robotics debuts indoor research robot

Clearpath Robotics has developed an indoor research robot called Dingo, designed to accelerate robotics research and education.

Dingo will be offered in two drive configurations – differential and omnidirectional – making it suitable for a wide range of indoor robotics applications ranging from autonomous navigation, mobile manipulation and mapping. Its lightweight, compact design and accompanying tutorials make it ideal for classroom and lab teaching.

“Dingo offers the reliability and flexibility our customers expect from a Clearpath robot, at an approachable price point,” says Julian Ware, general manager at Clearpath Robotics. “We have seen a gap in the market for a system with these capabilities and believe Dingo is a cost-effective, ROS-ready indoor platform suitable for bench-top and laboratory testing. The lower cost also makes the use of multi-robot systems more accessible than with other robots.”

With a focus on modularity, Dingo will launch with a range of computing options, and the ability to greatly upgrade battery power, allowing users to fully customize the robot to their specific application. Dingo can reach speeds of 1.3 metres per second and carry a payload of up to 20kg.

Designed for end-to-end integration and customization, Dingo includes wheel encoders, programmable front-facing LED lights and a payload mounting system, as well as tool-less access to user power and communication ports for integrating sensors, manipulators and other third-party hardware.

Like all of Clearpath’s mobile robots, Dingo comes with the Robot Operating System (ROS) preconfigured and a Gazebo simulation model.