SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE, Carnegie Mellon

Bossa Nova Robotics, a company founded by Robotics Institute PhD alumnus Sarjoun Skaff, announced Oct. 23 at the RoboBusiness Leadership Summit that it is producing mObi, the first commercially available robot that uses a unique locomotion technology pioneered by the Robotics Institute's Ralph Hollis in his Ballbot robot.

Like Ballbot, mObi has no wheels or legs, but balances and moves atop a large sphere, similar in size to a bowling ball. The robot balances dynamically, enabling the robot to be made both tall and slim. Its size, combined with the ability to move omnidirectionally, makes it particularly suitable for maneuvering in human environments.

"mObi is the pre-cursor for the future of personal robots," said Martin Hitch, CEO of San Francisco-based Bossa Nova. "Our unique ballbot technology will provide researchers and developers with an incredible platform for developing consumer-facing applications ideal for business and home environments."

Hollis, research professor of robotics, unveiled his Ballbot in 2006. The robot remains an active research project in his lab. Bossa Nova has licensed the technology from CMU, but the spherical-locomotion technology used in mObi is patented by the company.

mObi initially will be offered as a research platform. Bossa Nova's iLoveRobots division previously has produced toy robots that incorporated Robotics Institute technology.

The announcement was profiled in Gizmag on October 25: Bossa Nova Robotics unveils mObi personal ballbot

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Contact:

Byron Spice
412-268-9068
bspice@cs.cmu.edu

m0bi

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About Carnegie Mellon: Carnegie Mellon is a private research university with a distinctive mix of programs in engineering, computer science, robotics, business, public policy, fine arts and the humanities. More than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive an education characterized by its focus on creating and implementing solutions for real problems, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation. A small student-to-faculty ratio provides an opportunity for close interaction between students and professors. While technology is pervasive on its 144-acre Pittsburgh campus, Carnegie Mellon is also distinctive among leading research universities for the world-renowned programs in its College of Fine Arts. A global university, Carnegie Mellon has campuses in Silicon Valley, Calif., and Qatar, and programs in Asia, Australia and Europe. For more, see www.cmu.edu.