VIA Pico-ITX at the Heart of Modern Robots

Ultra compact board is platform of choice for robotics developers, as Pico-ITX-based robots strut their stuff at the Taipei International Robot Show

Taipei, Taiwan, 22 August 2008 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator of power efficient x86 processor platforms, today showcased VIA EPIA Pico-ITX-based entertainment robots at the Taipei International Robot Show (TIROS), being held on 21-24 August at the World Trade Center in Taipei, Taiwan.

With robotics development representing the cutting edge of technological progress, VIA' commitment to extremely compact form factors, robust performance, extensive feature sets and extremely low power consumption means that VIA's off-the-shelf EPIA boards are becoming an essential component for academic, hobbyist and commercial robot developers.

At the VIA booth there will be three compact robots provided by PlayRobot, a Taiwan-based robot developer and distributor of educational, scientific and entertainment robots for government, academic and research institutes, as well as robot kits for enthusiasts (www.playrobot.com). One, the popular Johnny 5 robot, has been fitted for the show with the very latest Pico-ITX board, the VIA EPIA P700 featuring the VIA VX800 unified chipset.

"With our focus on miniaturization, feature integration and that all-critical power efficiency, VIA has been enabling the increasing versatility and mobility of robotics for some time," said Daniel Wu, Vice President of the VIA Embedded Platform Division, VIA Technologies, Inc. "VIA's processor platforms are quite literally at the heart of this new robotic age."

More details of VIA's participation at the Taipei International Robot Show, along with pictures of the robots on show, can be found at: http://www.via.com.tw/en/company/events/2008-TIROS/index.jsp, or watch the dedicated video on the Technovoyance blog at: http://www.technovoyance.com/index.php/VIA-s-Pico-ITX-Drives-Robotics.html

Johnny 5 - Sparking the Imagination of Hobbyists

As robotics gains further traction with legions of hobbyists, the Johnny 5 kit from Lynxmotion is the ideal solution for entry-level enthusiasts who want to start building their own robot. Powered by a VIA EPIA PX10000G Pico-ITX board, the kit includes all the devices and software you need to build and program your own Johnny 5 robot. The adoption of compact x86 devices from VIA to power the robot means that software development is far easier, with a wide range of programming languages and mature applications available to hobbyist builders. More information about the Johnny 5 Robot can be found here: http://www.lynxmotion.com/Category.aspx?CategoryID=103, while an article with video of Johnny 5 dancing may be found at VIA Arena:
http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx?PageID=5&ArticleID=557

Military Robotics

Powered by a VIA EPIA Mini-ITX board, the Vecna Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot (BEAR) pushes military robotics to new heights of intelligence and mobility. Designed to rescue military personnel in combat situations, the Vecna BEAR can lift up to 600lbs with its powerful upper body and is controlled by hydraulics with dynamic balancing behavior to navigate buildings, landscapes and even stairs. The remarkable heat dissipation of the VIA board means that the Linux operating system of the central computer is stable and reliable. More details of the Vecna BEAR can be found here:
http://www.viaarena.com/default.aspx?PageID=5&ArticleID=529&P=1

VIA's EPIA Pico-ITX Powers Robotic Development

As the world's most compact x86 mainboard, VIA EPIA Pico-ITX boards are fast becoming essential components in modern robotics development. The strength of the VIA EPIA Pico-ITX form factor lies not only in the ruthlessly compact 10cm x 7.2cm form factor, but also in the low heat, power-efficient properties of the VIA C7 and VIA Eden platforms which offer unrivalled stability in extremely space constrained robotics designs. More details about VIA EPIA Pico-ITX boards can be found here: http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/spearhead/pico-itx/index.jsp

VIA's ultra compact platforms have been powering robots of all types for several years; read more at the VIA website: http://www.via.com.tw/en/initiatives/robotics/index.jsp

About VIA Technologies, Inc.

VIA Technologies, Inc is the foremost fabless supplier of power efficient x86 processor platforms that are driving system innovation in the PC, client, ultra mobile and embedded markets. Combining energy-saving processors with digital media chipsets and advanced connectivity, multimedia and networking silicon enables a broad spectrum of computing and communication platforms, including its widely acclaimed ultra compact mainboards. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, VIA's global network links the high tech centers of the US, Europe and Asia, and its customer base includes the world's top OEMs and system integrators. http://www.via.com.tw