BEATRIX: An open source humanoid head platform for robotics teaching and research
Gorkem Anil Al,
Nicholas Hedworth,
Douglas Tilley,
Samer Ahmed,
Richmond Afeawo,
Uriel Martinez-Hernandez
Affiliations
Gorkem Anil Al
Multimodal Interaction and Robot Active Perception (inte-R-action) Lab, University of Bath, Bath, UK; Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK
Nicholas Hedworth
Multimodal Interaction and Robot Active Perception (inte-R-action) Lab, University of Bath, Bath, UK; Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK
Douglas Tilley
Multimodal Interaction and Robot Active Perception (inte-R-action) Lab, University of Bath, Bath, UK; Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK
Samer Ahmed
Multimodal Interaction and Robot Active Perception (inte-R-action) Lab, University of Bath, Bath, UK; Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK
Richmond Afeawo
Multimodal Interaction and Robot Active Perception (inte-R-action) Lab, University of Bath, Bath, UK; Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK
Uriel Martinez-Hernandez
Corresponding author at: Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK.; Multimodal Interaction and Robot Active Perception (inte-R-action) Lab, University of Bath, Bath, UK; Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, UK
This paper introduces BEATRIX, a novel robotic head designed to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical experience in the field of robotics at universities. The BEATRIX robot comprises a head actuated by a neck-like mechanism with three stepper motors, two cameras and two microphones for acquisition of visual and audio information from the environment. The robot can be connected to any external computer for the design and implementation of algorithms for applications in human–robot interaction. The proposed robotic platform has been used successfully with undergraduate and master students implementing tasks such as face detection and tracking, sound detection and tracking, robot control and graphical user interfaces. This paper includes lists of all the robot components, assembly instructions, and links to all CAD and software files, facilitating replication and further exploration. The robot design and integration of visual and audio sensors enables the development of engaging educational tutorials and robot experiments, enhancing the teaching and learning experience in robotics.
