Evolution Robotics made some deep price cuts to their robotics software platforms and robot kits. Universities and teachers can get up to 90% off on the non-commercial version of ERSP 2.0. ERSP is robot development software that has vision, obstacle avoidance, developer tools and apps for designing custom robots. You have a choice between Windows and Linux versions and can also pick up the ER-1 robot kits for $249.
Evolution was getting lots of press, and lately not much. What the sales guy said when he stopped in Dallas, was they weren't at break even with the prices they had then.
Didn't they announce a ER2? I don't see it on the site now.
So do additional discounts and shrinking product line mean they're at the end of their road? Anyone have an inside track?
My sense is that they are refining their offering, having realized the robot "platform" (their older SDK, and the ER-1) is no longer required to interest OEMs in their software. This especially seems likely with the site offering pages in both Japanese and Korean.
If I were a betting man, I'd say the hardware is being phased out completely. They'll retain their IP in the vision system -- indeed, they announced a few months ago that they licensed it to Sony. I don't think Evolution has ever been about the physical robot, but licensing the vision and other software property.
-- Gordon Author: Constructing Robot Bases (Forthcoming) Robot Builder's Sourcebook, Robot Builder's Bonanza
It does still need a laptop for their software to work though. Although you could substitute a PC of some sort that'll run off of a battery, such as the mini-ITX models. I suspect their discontinuing that model, but it's doubtful whether a newer one will come out to replace it
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