Good news for vintage robot enthusiasts;
Heathkit and its classic robot HERO, might be headed back from oblivion. This reincarnation is being disguised in the body of the 914 PC-BOT from White Box Robotics. Heathkit’s “Phoenix” robot will retain some roots with its pedigree, however. The Heathkit Educational Systems robot will be named
HE-RObot. Built on a Mini-ITX mobo with Intel Core Duo microprocessor and using Windows XP for its operating system (unlike the model 914 PC-BOT which can be outfitted with Ubuntu), HE-RObot is being built and priced towards the educational market. A market that sorely needs a sophisticated robot platform. The hobbyist DIY market, on the other hand, could suffer from sticker shock. The HE-RObot’s 914 PC-BOT counterpart is priced from $5,000 – $8,000 which could make the HE-RObot a tough sell to even the most rabid roboticist.—Dave Prochnow
(Image: Heathkit Educational Systems)