Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)Content
General FAQsQ: Why should I get a RoboticApp application?A: Chances are that, if you are reading this, you already own a robot that collects dust (or some other type of personal robot). What you may not realize is that your robot is more than just an intelligent vacuum cleaner. It is a feature rich programmable robotic platform. The RoboticApp applications build on the capabilities of today's robotic platforms to provide you with new ways of using your robots and leverage your investment. Q: What RoboticApp application should I get?A: It all depends on your needs. If you want to experiment with your robot, you should get RoboChat. If you want to remote control your robot using a Web browser from anywhere in the World, you should get RoboControl. If you want to use your robot for remote monitoring, you should get RoboControl with RoboWebCam. If you want to use your robot for telepresence, you should get RoboControl an use it with Skype. If you want to remote control your robot using an iPhone from anywhere in the World, you should get iRoboControl from the Apple App store and get RoboServer from this website. If you want to interact with your robot using speech, you should get RoboFriend. Q: How can I get a RoboticApp application?A: Some RoboticApp applications are available on this website and others are available exclusively on the Apple App Store. RoboChat and RoboServer are free and can be downloaded from this website. RoboControl and RoboFriend can be purchased from this website using major credit cards or your PayPal account (all transactions on this website are managed securely using PayPal). iRoboControl and RoboWebCam can be purchased exclusively from the Apple App Store. Q: Do I need to be a robotic or computer expert to setup and use the RoboticApp applications?A: No. Each application is provided with an easy to use installer and very detailed instructions on how to setup and use it. No homemade electronics or programming is required. However, basic computer skills are required. If you have problems setting up or using your application, you can contact us at info@roboticapp.com. RoboChat FAQsQ: What is RoboChat?A: RoboChat is a chat application for your robot. It lets you send text commands to your robot and receive sensor data from your robot. It is a command line interface application that runs on Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. Q: What hardware do I need to run RoboChat?A: RoboChat requires a robot (Roomba or Create) with a Bluetooth device (RooTooth) and a computer running Windows (XP, Vista, 7 or 8) with Bluetooth wireless. RoboChat runs on the computer and interacts with the robot using Bluetooth wireless. Q: What software do I need to run RoboChat?A: RoboChat requires no special software. Q: Can I run RoboChat on other operating systems than Windows?A: Not currently. Q: Can I run RoboChat remotely over the Internet?A: No. RoboChat is an application that needs to run on a computer that is within Bluetooth range of your robot (up to 100 meters or 330 feet). Q: What was new in RoboChat 1.0?A: RoboChat 1.0 released in November 2011 included the following new capabilities:
Q: What was new in RoboChat 1.1?A: RoboChat 1.1 released in April 2012 included the following new capabilities:
Q: What was new in RoboChat 1.2?A: RoboChat 1.2 released in October 2012 included the following new capabilities:
Q: What is new in RoboChat 2.0?RoboChat 2.0 released in April 2013 includes the following new capabilities:
Q: What is the price of RoboChat?A: RoboChat is free. Order your copy of RoboChat. RoboControl and iRoboControl FAQsQ: What is RoboControl?A: RoboControl is a remote control for your robot. It provides interaction with your robot using a Web graphical user interface. It lets you send commands to your robot using control buttons and receive sensor data from your robot. It is a Web application that runs on any browser, any device and any platform. It is optimized for Safari on iPhone/iPod touch running iOS. Q: What other capabilities does RoboControl provide?A: RoboControl provides mobile remote monitoring using and iPod touch mounted on your robot and RoboWebCam providing you with a means to ensure everything is fine at home while you're away. It also provides telepresence using an iPod touch mounted on your robot and Skype turning your robot into an avatar allowing you to interact with loved ones when you wish you were there. It's like having Skype on wheels. In this configuration, it runs on PC or Mac (laptop or desktop) with a Web browser and Skype. Q: What hardware do I need to run RoboControl?A: RoboControl requires a robot (Roomba, Create or Mindstorms NXT) with a Bluetooth device (RooTooth required for Roomba and Create, no extra Bluetooth device required for Mindstorms NXT), a server computer running Windows (XP, Vista, 7 or 8) with Bluetooth wireless and Internet connectivity, and a client computer or device with a Web browser and Internet connectivity. For remote monitoring and telepresence, it also requires an iPod touch 4th generation with Internet connectivity, a windshield mount to attach the iPod touch to your robot (required for Roomba and Create only) and a solar charger to increase the autonomy of the iPod touch battery. Q: What software do I need to run RoboControl?A: For remote monitoring, the iPod touch requires RoboWebCam. For telepresence, the iPod touch and the client both require Skype. Q: Can I run the RoboControl server on other operating systems than Windows?A: Not currently. Q: Can I run RoboControl remotely over the Internet?A: Yes you can. RoboControl is a Web application that allows you to control your robot from any computer or device connected to the Internet using any Web browser. This means that you can send commands to your robot or receive sensor data from your robot from anywhere where Internet connectivity is available. Q: What are the limitations of RoboControl?A: Since RoboControl is a Web application, there may be a perceivable delay between sending a command and the execution of that command by your robot. With remote monitoring, the autonomy of the iPod touch battery with the solar charger is limited to up to 10 hours. With telepresence, the autonomy of the iPod touch battery with the solar charger is limited to up to 7 days. Q: What was new in RoboControl 1.0?A: RoboControl 1.0 released in November 2011 included the following new capabilities:
Q: What was new in RoboControl 1.1?A: RoboControl 1.1 released in April 2012 included the following new capabilities:
Q: What was new in RoboControl 1.2?A: RoboControl 1.2 released in May 2012 included the following new capabilities:
Q: What was new in RoboControl 2.0?A: RoboControl 2.0 released in October 2012 included the following new capabilities:
Q: What is new in RoboControl 3.0?RoboControl 3.0 released in April 2013 includes the following new capabilities:
Q: What is the price of RoboControl?A: RoboControl is $9.99. Order your copy of RoboControl. Q: What is the difference between iRoboControl and RoboControl?A: iRoboControl is an iOS native version of RoboControl that runs exclusively on iOS devices (iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and iPad mini). It requires the installation of RoboServer on a server computer to maintain Bluetooth connectivity with your robot. Q: Does iRoboControl provides the same capabilities as RoboControl?A: Yes. All the capabilities of RoboControl are available in iRoboControl except telepresence. Q: What software do I need to run iRoboControl?A: You need RoboServer on a server computer to maintain communication between iRoboControl and your robot. For remote monitoring, the iPod touch mounted on your robot requires RoboWebCam. Q: What was new in iRoboControl 1.0?A: iRoboControl 1.0 released in June 2012 included the following new capabilities:
iRoboControl required RoboServer to provide these capabilities. Q: What was new in iRoboControl 2.0?A: iRoboControl 2.0 released in October 2012 included the following new capabilities:
iRoboControl required RoboServer to provide these capabilities. Q: What is new in iRoboControl 3.0?A: iRoboControl 3.0 released in April 2013 includes the following new capabilities:
iRoboControl requires RoboServer to provide these capabilities. Q: What is the price of iRoboControl?A: iRoboControl is currently not available. RoboFriend FAQsQ: What is RoboFriend?A: RoboFriend empowers your robot with autonomy, intelligence and personality. It provides interaction with your robot using speech or text. It is a Web application that runs on any browser, any device and any platform. It is optimized for Safari on iPhone/iPod touch running iOS. Q: What hardware do I need to run RoboFriend?A: RoboFriend requires a robot (Roomba, Create or Mindstorms NXT) with a Bluetooth device (RooTooth required for Roomba and Create, no extra Bluetooth device required for Mindstorms NXT), a server computer running Windows (XP, Vista, 7 or 8) with Bluetooth wireless and Internet connectivity, and a client computer or device with a Web browser and Internet connectivity. To mount RoboFriend on your robot, it also requires an iPod touch 4th generation with Internet connectivity, a windshield mount to attach the iPod touch to your robot (required for Roomba and Create only) and a solar charger to increase the autonomy of the iPod touch battery. Q: What software do I need to run RoboFriend?A: No other software is required to run RoboFriend. Q: Can I run the RoboFriend server on other operating systems than Windows?A: Not currently. Q: Can I run RoboFriend remotely over the Internet?A: Yes you can. RoboFriend is a Web application that allows you to interact with your robot from any computer or device connected to the Internet using any Web browser. In this configuration, you interact with your robot using text. This means that you can send commands to your robot and answer your robot's questions from anywhere where Internet connectivity is available. Q: What are the limitations of RoboFriend?A: Since RoboControl is a Web application, there may be a perceivable delay between sending a command and the execution of that command by your robot. With speech recognition, the bacground noise must be kept to a minimum for your robot to understand your speech correctly. Q: What is new in RoboFriend 1.0?A: RoboFriend 1.0 released in April 2013 includes the following new capabilities:
Q: What is the price of RoboControl?A: RoboFriend is $9.99. Order your copy of RoboFriend. RoboServer FAQsQ: What is RoboServer?A: RoboServer is a server for your robot. It interacts with your robot using a Bluetooth serial connection. It maintains a communication link between your server computer and your robot so that other applications such as RoboControl, iRoboControl and RoboFriend can send commands to your robot and read sensor data from your robot. RoboServer can send you email and SMS alerts if your robot is stuck or if the charge of its battery goes below a certain threshold. It allows you to keep track of your robot sensor data using dashboards from ThingSpeak.com. It can also feed your robot Facebook page with posts on your robot's activities. Q: What hardware do I need to run RoboServer?A: RoboServer requires a robot (Roomba, Create or Mindstorms NXT) with a Bluetooth device (RooTooth required for Roomba and Create, no extra Bluetooth device required for Mindstorms NXT) and a server computer running Windows (XP, Vista, 7 or 8) with Bluetooth wireless and Internet connectivity. Q: What software do I need to run RoboServer?A: No other software is required to run RoboServer. Q: Can I run RoboServer on other operating systems than Windows?A: Not currently. Q: Can I control RoboServer remotely over the Internet?A: Yes you can. RoboServer can be started and stopped remotely from any computer or device with a Web browser and Internet connectivity. Q: What are the limitations of RoboServer?A: Since RoboServer is a Web application, there may be a perceivable delay between sending a command and the execution of that command by RoboServer. Q: What other RoboticApp applications require RoboServer?A: RoboServer is already included in RoboControl and RoboFriend. It needs to be ordered and installed separately for iRoboControl. Q: What was new in RoboServer 1.0?A: RoboServer 1.0 released in April 2012 included the following new capabilities:
Q: What was new in RoboServer 2.0?A: RoboServer 2.0 released in October 2012 included the following new capabilities:
Q: What is new in RoboServer 3.0?RoboServer 3.0 released in April 2013 includes the following new capabilities:
Q: What is the price of RoboServer?A: RoboServer is free. Order your copy of RoboServer. RoboWebCam FAQsQ: What is RoboWebCam?A: RoboWebCam is a webcam for your robot. It provides sight to your robot by allowing you to see what your robot sees remotely from any computer or device with a Web browser and Internet connectivity. It is an iOS application that runs on an iPhone, an iPod touch, an iPad or an iPad mini with a front camera. It is optimized for the iPod touch. Q: What hardware do I need to run RoboWebCam?A: RoboWebCam requires an iPod touch 4th generation with a front camera, a windshield mount to attach the iPod touch to your robot and a solar charger to increase the autonomy of the iPod touch battery.
Q: What software do I need to run RoboWebCam?A: No other software is required to run RoboWebCam. Q: Can I run the RoboWebCam on other devices than iOS devices?A: Not currently. Q: Can I control RoboWebCam remotely over the Internet?A: No you cannot. RoboWebCam has to be started, configured and stopped directly from the iOS device. Q: What are the limitations of RoboWebCam?A: Since RoboWebCam acts as an Web server, there may be a perceivable delay between capturing an image and the reception of this image by an application connected to RoboWebCam. With remote monitoring, the autonomy of the iPod touch battery with the solar charger is limited to up to 10 hours. Q: What other RoboticApp applications require RoboWebCam?A: RoboControl and iRoboControl require RoboWebCam for remote monitoring. Q: What was new in RoboWebCam 1.0?A: RoboWebCam 1.0 released in October 2012 included the following new capabilities:
Q: What is new in RoboWebCam 2.0?RoboWebCam 2.0 released in April 2013 includes the following new capabilities:
Q: What is the price of RoboWebCam?RoboWebCam is currently not available. |