Clearpath and Open Robotics announce next-generation open-source mobile robotics platform for research and education

WATERLOO - October 21, 2021 - Clearpath Robotics, a manufacturer of mobile robotic platforms for research and development, and Open Robotics, primary maintainers of the Robot Operating System (ROS) and Gazebo simulator, today announced TurtleBot 4 - the next generation of the world's most popular open-source robotics platform. The TurtleBot 4 aims to build on the success of previous versions by providing a low-cost, fully-extensible, ROS-enabled reference platform for robotics researchers, developers and educators.

The mobile base of the TurtleBot 4 is built on the iRobot® Create® 3 educational robot which provides an IMU, optical floor tracking sensor, and wheel encoders for accurate positioning and localization. It also includes a suite of sensors including infrared, cliff, bump, and slip detection, along with a 26Wh Li-ion battery for powering additional sensors and accessories. As well, all onboard sensor data are available as ROS topics via the network-connected ROS 2 API. Finally, the mobile base provides a payload capacity of 9kg and is capable of driving continuously at speeds of up to .306 m/s with the safety system engaged and peak to .46 m/s in override mode.

Fully integrated with the mobile base is a Raspberry Pi 4 computer running Ubuntu 20.04, ROS 2 and onboard sensor drivers, a front-facing stereo camera and 2D LiDAR. Additional sensors and accessories can be easily integrated with the system using an accessible powered USB hub and the top mounting plate. A programmable LCD screen allows users to display information from any of the ROS topics. The platform's IP address is also displayed allowing users to connect quickly to the robot.

"This year marks ten years since we started working with the Open Robotics's founding team on the Turtlebot 2." said Bryan Webb, President of Clearpath Robotics. "We are very excited to continue our support for the open source community by providing the latest and greatest technology for robotics research, development and education. The Turtlebot 4 offers more computing power, better sensors and a world class user experience at an affordable price point."

"We're excited to be working with Clearpath Robotics to build the first TurtleBot designed with ROS 2 from the ground up to take advantage of the new capabilities." said Tully Foote, Co-Creator of the TurtleBot and Community & Business Development Manager at Open Robotics. "Clearpath has a track record of delivering high-quality robots with exceptional performance, documentation, and support. I can't wait to see what the ROS community is able to accomplish with TurtleBot 4."

TurtleBot 4 will ship fully assembled with ROS 2 pre-installed and configured along with detailed user documentation, an Ignition Gazebo simulation model, demo code and a suite of tutorials, allowing users to get started out-of-the-box with AI-based testing and SLAM.

TurtleBot 4 will be available starting in Spring next year. Click here to sign up to receive updates and be notified when pre-orders are accepted.

About Clearpath Robotics
Clearpath Robotics is a global leader in unmanned vehicle robotics for research and development, and provides hardware, software, and services to enable self-driving vehicle development, deployment, and operation. Clearpath works with over 500 of the world's most innovative brands in over 40 countries, serving markets that span industrial materials handling, mining, military, agriculture, aerospace, and academia. Clearpath is an award-winning company with recent awards, including Robotics Business Review Top 50 Company, Edison Award for Innovation, Business Insider Top 40 under 40, and Canada's Top 100 Employers. Visit Clearpath Robotics at www.clearpathrobotics.com.
About Open Robotics

Open Robotics is the global hub for two of the largest and most mature open source robotics and simulation projects: Robot Operating System (ROS) and Ignition Gazebo. We work with industry, academia, and government to create and support open source software and hardware for use in robotic systems around the world. Open Robotics is available for contract R&D, consulting, and custom application development for the global robotics community.