News Release
VIA and SRI Team Up on Centibot Search & Rescue
Mission for Lost Linux Penguin at LinuxWorld 2003
LinuxWorld's Taste of Linux Theatre to be transformed
into an obstacle course to showcase the advanced navigation
and mapping capabilities of VIA EPIA Mini-ITX mainboard
based SRI robots
Taipei, Taiwan, 31 July 2003 - VIA Technologies, Inc,
a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies
and PC platform solutions, and SRI International, an
independent U.S. research institute, today announced
a live demonstration of "Centibots", SRI's
Linux-based robots, at IDG's LinuxWorld 2003 at the
Moscone Center in San Francisco from August 5-7. Demonstrations
will be held at the VIA booth 1776, and at the "Taste
of Linux Theater" event held at the show on August
6, the Centibots will navigate a course to find a hidden
Linux penguin doll.
The mapping and tracking Centibots are built from off-the-shelf
components, including the highly integrated, ultra compact
VIA EPIA M10000 mainboard. SRI's Artificial Intelligence
Center, one of the world's major centers of research
in artificial intelligence, is using the robots to study
distributed robotics. As totally self-contained, untethered
entities, these robots can determine their own location
and plan their own path, process images they see, make
decisions based on a continually expanding knowledge
base, and negotiate with other robots when teamwork
is required.
"The VIA EPIA M10000 mainboard gives the Centibots
the needed amount of computing power and flexibility,"
said Charles Ortiz, Ph.D., program manager of the Teambotics
program at SRI. "The small form factor, power efficiency
and rich connectivity enable our robots to be used both
as individual entities or when the scalability of a
coordinated robot team is needed."
On Wednesday, August 6 at 3:00pm at the LinuxWorld
Taste of Linux Theatre, opposite the VIA booth, the
robots will be shown a penguin doll and instructed to
find this "object of interest" within an obstacle
course. Once the penguin has been hidden, a preliminary
mapping robot with laser range finders will identify
the configuration of the maze, followed by a second
wave of tracking robots that search for the penguin
while sharing information and communicating with a command
center over a wireless network.
"The increasing role of robotics technologies
in everyday life is inevitable. Accelerating that process
requires a platform that is open to a worldwide community
of developers," said Richard Brown, Associate Vice
President of Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. "By
making the x86 architecture the foundation for robot
development, we are ensuring a quick learning curve
for humans and robots alike, maximizing the contribution
from the engineering and robot enthusiast communities
and advancing projects that drive new levels of robotics
innovation."
VIA recently launched its VIA Robotics Initiative in
response to the inexorable melding of mechanical robots
and the PC architecture that makes possible the performance
of many commercial and personal tasks in the home or
business based on trained or learned behavior.
About the SRI Centibots
SRI's Centibots project, sponsored by the U.S. Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), endeavors
to create a system whereby a team of robots can be sent
into an unknown environment, build a map in real time,
and deploy itself to search that environment. Ideally
suited for areas that are not safe for humans, such
as earthquake-damaged buildings or chemical spill sites,
the robots can sense environmental details that humans
cannot, and can build maps to facilitate searches for
people needing to be rescued.
The robots use the VIA EPIA M10000 mainboard, which
acts as the eyes and ears of the robot through highly
integrated connectivity features, and integrated sonar
on the robot's chassis, while the robot's voice is enabled
by the VIA Vinyl Six-TRAC audio. The mainboard's renowned
low power consumption, cool operating environment and
integrated USB 2.0 and Firewire facilitate functions
such as localization, map exploration and object tracking
using a top-mounted camera.
The robots run the Debian distribution of Linux and
use a software control system developed at SRI's Artificial
Intelligence Center that was first created as an integrated
architecture for robot perception and action. Whether
it is the first robot that determines the location of
the object, or other robots that approach the object
once found, SRI's artificial intelligence system enables
them to proceed in unknown or uncertain environments
along the most efficient path. An external outdoor antenna
and 802.11b wireless card ensure a robust signal range.
About the VIA EPIA M10000 Mini-ITX Mainboard
The VIA EPIA M10000 Mini-ITX mainboard is the second
generation 17cm x 17cm platform optimized for today's
killer digital video and audio applications, and is
compatible with Microsoft Windows XP/ME/2K and a variety
of Linux-based operating systems. Featuring the new
1GHz VIA C3® processor that provides greater digital
media performance, and the VIA CLE266 chipset with an
embedded MPEG-2 decoder and the integrated UniChrome
2D/3D graphics core, the VIA EPIA M10000 platform provides
smooth DVD playback and a rich overall entertainment
experience.
With the sizeable memory bandwidth of DDR266 SDRAM
and the high data transfer speeds of ATA-133, the VIA
EPIA M10000 ensures the highest performance levels required
of today's most popular digital media and productivity
applications. The user's digital media experience is
further enhanced by support for 5.1 surround sound,
courtesy of the onboard VIA Vinyl Six-TRAC audio. The
latest in high-bandwidth connectivity is supported with
IEEE 1394 and USB 2.0 connections, as well as S-Video
and RCA TV-Out (NTSC & PAL) and 10/100 Fast Ethernet
for seamless broadband connectivity. The VIA EPIA M10000
also offers support for the latest LVDS embedded LCD
panels, has one PCI slot for expandability options,
and is compatible with a full range of Mini-ITX chassis
as well as FlexATX and MicroATX enclosures.
The VIA EPIA M10000 Mini-ITX mainboard is available
in volume for an estimated retail price of US$199 from
VIA's global distribution partners listed on VIA Arena
at: www.viaarena.com/?PageID=254.
For more information on the full range of VIA EPIA M-Series
Mini-ITX mainboards, please visit:
www.viamainboard.com/product/epia_m_spec.jsp?motherboardId=81
About SRI International
SRI International (www.sri.com)
is one of the world's leading independent research and
technology development organizations. Founded as Stanford
Research Institute in 1946, SRI has been meeting the
strategic needs of clients for more than 55 years. The
nonprofit research institute performs contract research
and development for government agencies, commercial
businesses and nonprofit foundations. SRI's Artificial
Intelligence Center is one of the world's major centers
of research in artificial intelligence. Founded in 1966,
the AIC has been a pioneer and a major contributor to
the development of computer capabilities for intelligent
behavior in complex situations. For more information
about SRI's Centibots program, visit www.ai.sri.com/centibots.
SRI International PR Contact
International: Marty Mallonee
Phone: +1 (650) 859-2198
Fax: +1 (650) 859-4111
Email: marty.mallonee@sri.com
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