Hardware PlatformNAO is a programmable, 57-cm tall humanoid robot with the following key components:

Body with 25 degrees of freedom (DOF) whose key elements are electric motors and actuators

Sensor network, including 2 cameras, 4 microphones, sonar rangefinder, 2 IR emitters and receivers, 1 inertial

board, 9 tactile sensors, and 8 pressure sensors

Various communication devices, including voice synthesizer, LED lights, and 2 high-fidelity speakers

Intel ATOM 1,6ghz CPU (located in the head) that runs a Linux kernel and supports Aldebaran’s proprietary

middleware (NAOqi)

Second CPU (located in the torso) 27,6-watt-hour battery that provides NAO with 1.5 or more hours of autonomy, depending on usage

AudioNAO uses four microphones to track sounds, and its voice recognition and text-to-speech capabilities allow it to communicate in 8 languages.

Sound Source Localization

One of the main purposes of humanoid robots is to interact with people. Sound localization allows a robot to identify the direction of sounds. To produce robust and useful outputs while meeting CPU and memory requirements, NAO sound source localization is based on an approach known as “Time Difference of Arrival.”

When a nearby source emits a sound, each of NAO’s four microphones receives the sound wave at slightly different times.

For example, if someone talks to NAO on its left side, the corresponding sound wave first hits the left microphones, then the front and rear microphones a few milliseconds later, and finally the right microphone.

These differences, known as interaural time difference (ITD), can then be mathematically processed to determine the current location of the emitting source.

By solving the equation every time it hears a sound, NAO can determine the direction of the emitting source (azimuthal and elevation angles) from ITDs between the four microphones.

This feature is available as a NAOqi module called ALAudioSourceLocalization; it provides a C++ and Python API that allows precise interactions with a Python script or NAOqi module.

  Sound Source Localization

  Audio Signal Processing

Two Choregraphe boxes that allow easy use of the feature inside a behavior are also available:

Possible applications include:

Human Detection, Tracking, and Recognition

Noisy Object Detection, Tracking, and Recognition

Speech Recognition in a specific direction

Speaker Recognition in a specific direction

Remote Monitoring/Security applications

Entertainment applicationsAudio Signal Processing

In robotics, embedded processors have limited computational power, making it useful to perform some calculations remotely on a desktop computer or server.

This is especially true for audio signal processing; for example, speech recognition often takes place more efficiently, faster, and more accurately on a remote processor. Most modern smartphones process voice recognition remotely.

Users may want to use their own signal processing algorithms directly in the robot.

The NAOqi framework uses Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) to send and receive audio signals over the Web.

Sound is produced and recorded in NAO using the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) library.

The ALAudioDevice module manages audio inputs and outputs.

Using NAO’s audio capabilities, a wide range of experiments and research can take place in the fields of communications and human-robot interaction.

For example, users can employ NAO as a communication device, interacting with NAO (talk and hear) as if it were a human being.

Signal processing is of course an interesting example. Thanks to the audio module, you can get the raw audio data from the microphones in real time and process it with your own code.

Tactile SensorsBesides cameras and microphones, NAO is fitted with capacitive sensors positioned on top of its head in three sections and on its hands.

You can therefore give NAO information through touch: pressing once to tell it shut down, for example, or using the sensors as a series of buttons to trigger an associated action.

The system comes with LED lights that indicate the type of contact. You can also program complex sequences.

Tactile Sensors

  Human robot interaction

Sonar RangefindersNAO is equipped with two sonar channels: two transmitters and two receivers.

They allow NAO to estimate the distances to obstacles in its environment. The detection range is 0–70 cm.

Less than 15 cm, there is no distance information; NAO only knows that an object is present.

ConnectivityEthernet and Wi-Fi

NAO currently supports Wi-Fi (a, b, and g) and Ethernet, the most widespread network communication protocols. In addition, infrared transceivers in the eyes allow connection to objects in the environment. NAO is compatible with the IEE 802.11g Wi-Fi standard and can be used on both WPA and WEP networks, making it possible to connect to most home and office networks. NAO's OS supports both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections and requires no Wi-Fi setup other than entering the password.

NAO's ability to connect to networks offers a wide range of possibilities. You can pilot and program NAO using any computer on the network.

Here are a few examples of applications NAO users have already created:

Based on NAO's IP address, NAO can figure out its location and give you a personalized weather report.

Ask NAO about a topic and it connects to Wikipedia and read you the relevant entry.

Connect NAO to an audio stream and it plays an Internet radio station for you.Using XMPP technology (like in the Google Chat system), you can control NAO remotely and stream video from its cameras.

Infrared

Using infrared, NAO can communicate with other NAOs and other devices that support infrared. You can configure NAO to use infrared to control other devices (“NAO, please turn on the TV”). In addition, NAO can also receive instructions from infrared emitters, such as remote controls. And of course, two NAOs can communicate with each other directly.

Infrared is already the most common method of controlling appliances, making NAO easily adaptable to domotics applications. NAO can also detect whether an infrared signal received is coming from the left or right.

Open SourceWith over five years of experience in developing embedded systems for robotics platforms, Aldebaran Robotics is sharing its cross-platform build tools, the core communication library, and other essential modules with researchers, developers, and emerging projects in humanoid robotics.

By capitalizing on Aldebaran Robotics's extensive experience, users can concentrate their efforts on creating innovative and exciting applications.

In addition, users benefit from the strong innovation that characterizes the growing NAO community.

Robotics and its associated applications are still emerging fields of research.

Collaboration in exploring future applications and ongoing exchange within our user community are essential.

H25Secondary Education / Higher Education & Research editions

ALL PURPOSE HUMANOID ROBOT

INTEL ATOM PROCESSOR

ENHANCED AUDIO AND VISUAL CAPABILITIES

NATURAL MOTION REFLEXES

KEY BENEFITS

Fully programmable, open and autonomous: make the most of a full integration of state-of-the-art hardware and software

Easy to use and understand: achieve better project results and improve learning effectiveness

Attractive and motivating: highly increase and catch audience attention

USE CASES

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) training and exercises

Scientific researches in autism, personal assistance…

Communication tool for events such as opening house days

ENHANCED VISION AUDIO CAPABILITIES

 

CameraThanks to improved camera sensors, we provide higher sensitivity in VGA for better low light perception. For image processing

work on the robot CPU, you can use up to 30 images/second in HD resolution. NAO can move the head by 239°horizontally and

by 68° vertically, and his camera can see at 61° horizontally and 47°vertically. Result: NAO has a great capacity to sense his

environment.

Object RecognitionNAO has the capacity to recognize a large quantity of objects. Once the object is saved thanks to Choregraphe software, if he

sees it again, NAO is able to recognize and say what it is.

Face Detection and RecognitionIt's one of the best known features for interaction. NAO can detect and learn a face in order to recognize it next time.

Text to SpeechNAO is able to speak up to 9 languages. With a "say box" in Choregraphe you can insert text and modify voice parameters as

you wish. NAO will say the text correctly, with the right punctuation and intonation.

Automatic Speech RecognitionSpeech recognition is at the heart of intuitive humanrobot interaction. That’s why we have chosen the best technological partner,

Nuance, to develop stable and powerful speech recognition. NAO is now able to hear you from 2 meters away, recognize a

complete sentence or just few words in the sentence. The result: more fluidity and natural conversations.

Sound Detection and LocalizationOur environment is made of sounds that NAO, like us, is able to detect and localize in the space thanks to microphones all

around his head.

NATURAL MOTION REFLEXES

 

Smart StiffnessA unique feature which automatically adapts the power needed by the motors during the movements of the robot. Result: better

use of the drive components as well as energy savings for the battery.

Fall ManagerNAO may fall, but we taught him how to stand up by himself. We went even further and provided him with a fall detection system:

before hitting the ground, NAO protects himself with his arms.

Anti Self collisionThis motion feature prevents NAO's arms from colliding with the rest of his body. NAO always knows the position of his head,

torso, legs and arms: he avoids accidental and unwanted limb collisions.

Resource ManagerNAO's biggest challenge is to merge and order conflicting commands. He's able to interrupt/stop or adjust the behavior in

progress before executing a new required behavior

ELECTRICAL

INPUT 100 to 240 Vac - 50/60Hz - Max 1.2A

OUTPUT 25.2 Vdc - 2A

BATTERY Type Lithium-Ion

  Nominal voltage/capacity 21.6V / 2.15Ah

  Max charge voltage 24.9V

 Recommended charge current 2A

 Max charge/discharge current 3.0A / 2.0A

  Energy 27.6Wh

  Charging duration 5h

  Autonomy 60min (Active use) 90min (Normal use)

MOTHER BOARD

CPUPROCESSOR ATOM Z530  

  Cache memory 512KB

  Clock speed 1.6Ghz

  FSB speed 533mHz

RAM 1GB

FLASH MEMORY 2GB

MICRO SDHC 8GB

CONNECTION

ETHERNET 1×RJ45 - 10/100/1000 base T

WIFI IEEE 802.11b/g

AUDIO

LOUD

SPEAKERSx2 lateral  

  Diameter 36mm

  Impedance 8ohms

  Sp level87dB/w

+/- 3dB

  Freq rangeup to

~20kHz

  Input 2W

MICROPHONE ×4 on the head  

  Sensitivity~40

+/-3dB

  Frequency range20Hz-

20kHz

  Signal/noise ratio 58dBA

IR

NUMBER x2 on front

WAVELENGTH 940nm

EMISSION ANGLE +/-60°

POWER 8mW/sr

INERTIAL UNIT

GYROMETER x2  

  Axis1 per

gyrometer

  Precision 5%

  Angular speed ~500°/s

ACCELEROMETER x1  

  Axis 3

  Precision 1%

  Acceleration ~2g

SOFTWARE

OPEN NAOEmbeded GNU/LinuxDistribution based on Gentoo

ARCHITECTURE x86

PROGRAMMINGEmbedded: C++ / PythonRemote: C++ / Python / .NET / Java / MatLab

CONTACT SENSOR

  H25

Chest Button X

Foot Bumper X

Tactile Head X

Tactile Hand X

CONSTRUCTION

DIMENSION (HxDxW) 573×275×311mm / 22.5x10.8x12.2 inch

WEIGHT 5.2kg / 11.4 lb

CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL ABS-PC / PA-66 / XCF-30

LANGUAGES

TEXT TO

SPEACH

English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese

AUTOMATIC SPEECH RECOGNITION

English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean

VISION

CAMERAS x2 on front

Sensor model MT9M114

Sensor type SOC Image Sensor

IMAGING ARRAY Resolution 1.22MP

  Optical format 1/6inch

  Active Pixels (HxV) 1288×968

SENSITIVITY Pixel size 1.9μm

  Dynamic range 70dB

  Signal/Noise ratio (max) 37dB

  Responsivity2.24 V/lux-sec (960p) 8.96 V/lux-sec (VGA)

OUTPUT Camera output 960p@30fps

  Data Format YUV422

  Shutter typeERS (Electronic Rolling

Shutter)

VIEW Field of view72.6°DFOV

(60.9°HFOV,47.6VFOV)

  Focus range 30cm ~ infinity

  Focus type Fixed focus

FRAMERATE

Resolution Local Gigabit Ethernet 100Mb Ethernet Wifi g

160×120px 30fps 30fps 30fps 30fps

320×240px 30fps 30fps 30fps 11fps

640×480px 30fps 30fps 12fps 2.5fps

960p 29fps 10fps 3fps 0.5fps

Note: using the video stream in remote highly depends on the network and the video resolution chosen. All frame rates depend on the CPU usage.

Values are calculated with a CPU fully dedicated to images gathering.

SONAR

EMITTERS x2 on front

RECEIVERS x2 on front

FREQUENCY 40kHz

SENSITIVITY -86dB

RESOLUTION 1cm

DETECTION RANGE 0.25m to 2.55m

EFFECTIVE CONE 60°

FSR ( FORCE SENSITIVE RESISTORS )

RANGE0 to 110Nx4 per feet

POSITION SENSORS

  H21 H25

MRE (Magnetic Rotary Encoder) x36

 Using hall effect sensor technology

Precision : 12bits / 0.1°

LEDs

EMPLACEMENT QUANTITY DESCRIPTION

Tactile Head ×12 16 Blue levels

Eyes 2×8 RGB FullColor

Ears 2×10 16 Blue levels

Chest button ×1 RGB FullColor

Feet 2×1 RGB FullColor

DEGREES OF FREEDOM

  H25

HEAD x2 DOF

ARM (in each) x5 DOF

PELVIS x1 DOF

LEG (in each) x5 DOF

HAND (in each) x1 DOF

 

 

MOTOR TYPE Brush DC Coreless  

POSITION OF MOTORS

    MOTORREDUCTION RATIO

HEAD JOINTS HeadYaw Type 3 Type A

  HeadPitch Type 3 Type B

       

ARM JOINTS ShoulderPitch Type 3 Type A

  ShoulderRoll Type 3 Type B

  ElbowYaw Type 3 Type A

  ElbowRoll Type 3 Type B

*Only on H25 WristYaw* Type 2 Type C

  Hand* Type 2 Type D

       

LEG JOINTS HipYawPitch Type 1 Type A

  HipRoll Type 1 Type A

  HipPitch Type 1 Type B

  KneePitch Type 1 Type B

  AnklePitch Type 1 Type B

  AnkleRoll Type 1 Type A

DESCRIPTION OF THE MOTORS

  MOTOR TYPE 1 MOTOR TYPE 2 MOTOR TYPE 3

Model 22NT82213P 17N88208E 16GT83210E

No load speed 8300rpm ±10% 8400rpm ±12% 10700rpm ±10%

Stall torque 68mNm ±8% 9,4mNm ±8% 14,3mNm ±8%

Continuous torque 16.1mNm max 4.9mNm max 6.2mNm max

SPEED REDUCTION RATIOTYPE A

  MOTOR TYPE 1 MOTOR TYPE 3

Reduction ratio 201.3 150.27

SPEED REDUCTION RATIOTYPE C

  MOTOR TYPE 2  

Reduction 50.61  

SPEED REDUCTION RATIOTYPE B

  MOTOR TYPE 1 MOTOR TYPE 3

Reduction ratio 130.85 173.22

SPEED REDUCTION RATIOTYPE D

  MOTOR TYPE 2  

Reduction ratio 36.24  

 

 

CERTIFICATIONS & APPROVALS

REGION CLASSIFICATION

Europe CE (Declaration of Conformity)

USA FCC

ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY EN 301 489-1 / EN 301 489-17 / EN 300 328

  EN 62311 : 2008 / FCC PART15, Class A

SAFETY IEC 60950-1:2005 (2nd edition)

 

©2011/2012 Aldebaran Robotics. December 2011.Data are subject to change without notice.

  Download NAO Datasheet H25

v1.12.3Release NotesChangelog

NAO V. 3.3 and V. 4.0

Dimensions are specified in millimeters.

NAO V. 3.2

Dimensions are specified in millimeters.