Jimmy the 3D Printed Open Source Humanoid Robot Alternative to Nao

There is no doubt that the future of robotics is 3D printing and open-source license for both software and hardware. Such robots are already a reality as we had already reported. This group of alternatives to Nao the humanoid from Aldebaran Robotics has grown a little more bigger with advent of Jimmy (see Videos 1, 2 and 3). Jimmy can walk fast and have smooth movements, at least for upper limbs. He also comes with voice synthesis (as demoed in Video 1) and thus fulfills part of the goal of being social.

The concept of Jimmy is the brain child of Intel futurist Brian David Johnson (see Video 4). Both the use of 3D printers and making everything open source were there from Jimmy’s inception. The whole idea of this “21 century robot” is described in a free book that is aimed to be collaborative too. It builds on science fiction stories that serve as guidelines for developers willing to contribute to Jimmy’s development.

This first version of Jimmy can already be bought from Trossen Robotics. But, only research labs can afford its $16000. The reason behind this high price tag is the quality of the hardware (see Table 1). It includes dynamixel servos and an Intel NUC single board computer with an i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of hard drive. The operating system is a ful Linux Ubuntu. Besides, Jimmy has USB and HDMI connectors that allow connecting a mouse, a keyboard, and a monitor, making development and test much more easier.

Video 1: Intel CEO Brian Krzanich Introduces Jimmy at the Code Conference

Video 2: Overview of Jimmy

Video 3: Jimmy in Action

Video 4: Intel Futurist Brian David Johnson introducing the concept of Jimmy

Height
68.5 CM / 27 Inches
Weight
6 kg / 13.2 lbs
DOF
20
Walking Speed
30 CM / S
Runtime
45 minutes
Actuators
12 x MX-106 / 6 x MX-64 / 2 x MX-28
Sensors
Gyro, Acceleromter, web cam, microphone
Processor
Intel NUC 4th Gen I5, 32 gig HD, 4 gig RAM
Sub Controller
CM730 (Arbotix PRO coming soon)
Hand Held Controller
PS3 Gamepad
Battery
4 cell 14.8V 4000 mAh LiPo
OS
Choice of Ubuntu 14.04 or Yocto Open Embedded Linux
Code
Open Source C++ framework based on the

DARwin-OP software with integrated REST based API

Frame
5052 Aluminum Metal Brackets
Body Panels
3D printed Nylon

Table 1: Jimmy’s Specs

One Comment

  • Can the frame be 3d printed, there for lowering the cost? When can I get the plans for the frame and download for the body? Will the body parts be on Thingiverse?

    Reply

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