Reconfigurable and Modular Mobile Robotics Platform for Remote Experiments

Abstract

In this paper a hardware and software architecture
 based on a modular approach for a recon?gurable mobile robot
 is developed with intended use as remote experiment. A Field
 Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) was chosen as control unit for
 the robot and allows the implementation of custom hardware and
 software by the user. FPGA con?gurations are downloaded to the
 robot using a selectable wireless interface. Users can take control
 of all elementary robot hardware, and an on-system recovery
 mechanism is included to ensure a fallback to a golden image in
 case of errors in downloaded bit streams.