iRobot Launches Create 3 Educational Robot Platform with Python 3, ROS 2 Support
Designed with education and experimentation in mind, the Create 3 packs a lot of features — but no vacuum.
Robotics specialist iRobot has officially launched its latest educational robot platform, the Create 3, now boasting support for ROS 2 and Python and being built atop the latest Roomba i3 Series design.
"iRobot is committed to delivering STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math] tools to all levels of the educational community, empowering the next generation of engineers, scientists and enthusiasts to do more," claims Colin Angle, chair and chief executive of iRobot. "The advanced capabilities we've made available on Create 3 enable higher-level students, educators and developers to be in the driver's seat of robotics exploration, allowing them to one day discover new ways for robots to benefit society."
Built on the same core as the company's Roomba i3 robotic vacuum range, the Create 3 comes with compatibility with the Robot Operating System (ROS) 2 and a Python-based "web playground" plus standalone Python 3 support — which also includes compatibility with the smaller and cheaper iRobot Root, providing a single Python library for developing atop both platforms.
The robot itself includes two drive motors, a six-LED RGB lighting ring, an integrated speaker, and sensors including two user-programmable buttons, two-zone front bumper, two wheel encoders, four infrared cliff sensors, six infrared obstacle sensors, a downward-facing optical flow sensor for odometry, a 3D gyroscope and accelerometer, and a battery level monitor.
For connectivity, the Create 3 offers Wi-Fi and Ethernet over USB for use with ROS 2, while those using the new Python software development kit (SDK) or the previous iRobot Coding App can connect over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). An internal 26Wh lithium-ion battery is included in the bundle, along with a docking station for charging, with the robot able to power external hardware via a USB port offering 3A at 5V or a payload power output header rated at 2A at an unregulated nominal 14.4V.
The Create 3 is available to order now from the official iRobot Education store at $299.99, for June delivery. A simulated variant is also available on for use with Gazebo and Ignition Gazebo, downloadable from GitHub under the permissive BSD 3-Clause license. Note, however, that neither the real robot nor its simulation offers the ability to clean your floors.