I’m sure by now all of you are sick of hearing about the lovable little embedded Linux bot, the Zybot. Since his inception, I’ve been pestering you with every mechanical update, code update, and his trade-show appearances; I mean, this isn’t twitter.
However if you are tired of the constant updates… that’s too bad! Because I have some exciting news about the Zybot; he’s made his educational debut in Japan.
Professor Tomonori Izumi at Ritsummeikan University discovered the Zybot, and decided it would be a great teaching platform for his program. Professor Izumi’s research generally covers architectures, design methodologies, and applications of dynamic reconfigurable systems… making the Zybot an ideal fit.
Ritsummeikan University had been an established institution since 1869, and Professor Izumi is not new to the Digilent FPGA board. He uses the Nexys 4 DDR and Zybo currently to train around 20 students per year in his lab.
The Zybot uses the Zybo as it’s brain, (an FPGA with Arm Core processors) giving Professor Izumi the power and configurable hardware he needs to properly train his students about embedded Linux.
Before adopting the Zybot for his training, he added some of his own improvements. He added his own chassis to make the Zybot more compact, and less likely to tip over. I personally love that he lifted the body of Zybo so he could fit more electronics without the addition of another platform.
He also added his own camera, and added a new battery holder and battery, since the LiPo batteries I used are not as readily available in Japan.
Now, watch Professor Izumi’s new and improved Zybot in action.
Along with using the Zybot in his classes and making improvements, he has graciously agreed to open the material and share it on his website. Stay tuned for more information on this new and improved Zybot!
