Kirkland-based CoroWare, Inc. announced a new feature upgrade for the CoroWare Explorer product line that will greatly improve the duration and flexibility of mobile robotics projects – especially for educators and researchers working on outdoor field projects.

Mobile robotics researchers working on cognitive science and outdoor navigation experiments typically require many hours of experimental trials in the field, which is challenging for mobile robots that use traditional battery technologies. To address this need, CoroWare is upgrading its Explorer product line by adding a hot-swap battery feature for easy, field replacement of charged batteries without interruption. In addition to the upgrade, CoroWare will also offer additional Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery packs and intelligent battery chargers that will be priced and sold separately.

“From its inception, CoroWare has delivered affordable and flexible mobile robots that address the needs of university and government agency researchers,” said Lloyd Spencer, president and CEO of CoroWare. “With the addition of hot-swap batteries, researchers and students will be able to conduct longer term projects and experiments with CoroWare Explorer mobile robots.”

Originally released in 2009, the CoroWare Explorer is designed to withstand contact with common field elements that can damage or disable less rugged bots – including dirt and dust, leaf debris, shallow puddles, sand and gravel. Featuring a 2.0 GHz processor, and a robust, object-oriented software development system, the CoroWare Explorer empowers researchers and educators to rapidly deploy and develop robotics solutions. The robot’s top deck provides ample mounting space for additional hardware components such as laser range finders and environmental sensors. An open-ended design allows researchers and developers to modify and customize each robot to meet specific requirements. For information, visit http://robotics.coroware.com.