''Micro-GPS'' Solution from Evolution Robotics Featured on WowWee's New Rovio Robot

By Mariella on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008

NorthStar Autonomous Navigation System has met this year's CES with a bang with its new micro-GPS solution -- the NorthStar 2.0 system.

NorthStar has developed a new technology which can make autonomous robots that are truly aware of the environment they're moving in. That's why it's called micro-GPS -- while your GPS systems are guiding your vehicles, the NorthStar 2.0 could be used to guide the robot around your house. The NorthStar 2.0 technology was demonstrated in CES 2008 using WowWee's new Rovio robot.

The Rovio can be navigated via simple go-to commands (for example, go to kitchen) and it can direct itself autonomously towards where you want it to. If you wish, you can also navigate it remotely to take pictures of your house while you're away to ensure everything's okay. If you don't have the time to navigate it, you can set it to "patrol mode" to automatically send you pictures of parts of your house if wish to do so. It can even direct itself to a recharging station when the batteries are low.

In short, you're getting a security system in the form of an advanced robot for around 1/1000th of the price for the same systems used in industrial, scientific and research applications. The Rovio telepresence robot will roll on Q2 '08 for USD$299.

via Press Release