HERO (robot)
Series of domestic robots from the 1980s
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HERO (from Heathkit Educational Robot) is a series of several educational robots sold by Heathkit during the 1980s.
The Heath Company began the HERO 1 project in October 1979, with the first release in 1982.[1] Models include the HERO 1, HERO Jr., and HERO 2000. Heathkit supported the HERO robot line until 1995. The units were either sold as assembly kits or prebuilt by Heathkit for an additional fee. The 1980s models are considered collector's items, due to their rarity.[2]
For the most part, they cannot perform practical tasks, but are more geared toward entertainment and education above all.
HERO 1 (ET-18)
HERO 1 is a self-contained mobile robot controlled by an onboard computer with a Motorola 6808 CPU and 4 kB of RAM. The robot features light, sound, and motion detectors as well as a sonar ranging sensor. An optional arm mechanism and speech synthesizer was produced for the kit form and included in the assembled form.[3][4]
To make this power available in a simple way, high-level programming languages were created. For example, the ANDROTEXT language is a HERO 1 editor and compiler developed in 1982 for the IBM PC.[5][6][7][8]
HERO 1 is featured on a few episodes of the children's television program Mr. Wizard's World.[9][10] Byte magazine called HERO 1 "a product of extraordinary flexibility and function ... If you are interested in robotics, Heath will show you the way".[11]
| Release date | 1982 |
|---|---|
| Price | Kit US$1500 (equivalent to $5,004.31 in 2025), Assembled US$2,500 (equivalent to $8,340.52 in 2025)[12] |
| Discontinued | 1995 |
| Units sold | 14,000 (across 8 years) |
| Media | Assembly manual, user's manual, technical manual, and speech dictionary |
| Power | Batteries: four 6-volt gel cell Charger: 120/240 VAC, 50/60 Hz charger |
| CPU | Motorola 6808 |
| Memory | RAM: 4 kB Monitor ROM: 2 kB |
| Storage | Compact Cassette |
| Display | six 7-segment LEDs |
| Sound | Votrax SC-01 speech synthesizer[13][14] (Included with Assembled version and $149.95 option for kit) |
| Input | Hex keypad with 17 keys |
| Dimensions | 20 inches high x 18 inches wide (50 cm x 45 cm) |
| Weight | 39 pounds (18 kg) |
HERO Jr. (RT-1)
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A smaller version called HERO Jr. was released later. Heathkit intended it for the home market, and therefore made it less complex, and more self-contained. Like HERO 1, HERO Jr. has a 6808 processor, but only 2 kB of RAM. It has onboard speech synthesis, a Polaroid sonar range sensor, a light sensor, a sound sensor, and an optional infrared sensor. Other optional components include a pair of extra batteries to double the operational time between charges, from an estimated 4 hours to 8 hours. A remote control accessory allows users to drive the robot around. It includes a motion sensor that causes the robot to croak "SOM-THING-MOVE" when it detects a source of motion.
Heathkit released several add-ons to increase the robot's capabilities, including a transmitter to activate a home security system in the event it senses movement while on "guard duty". Also, additional cartridges with programs and games were produced, as well as a components to allow the user to directly program the robot.
The drive mechanism is backward compared to the HERO 1, with the drive and steering wheel in the back of the robot. The head section features an indentation to allow the robot to transport up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg). The robot can speak several phrases from various films that involve robots or computers. It is capable of remembering and repeating back its master's name, singing songs, reciting poems, acting as an alarm clock, and making its own combinations of phonemes to create a robotic gibberish.
| Release date | 1984 |
|---|---|
| Price | Kit US$599.95, Assembled US$1000[12] |
| Discontinued | Before October 1987 (Assembled)[15] 1995 (Kit) |
| Units sold | 4000 (across 8 years) |
| Power | Batteries:6 V 3.8 A·h x2, x4 optional |
| CPU | Motorola 6808 1 MHz |
| Memory | RAM: 2 kB, expandable to 24 kB Monitor ROM: 32 kB |
| Display | 9 LEDs |
| Sound | Votrax SC-01 speech synthesizer[14] |
| Input | Hex keypad with 17 keys |
| Dimensions | 19 inches (48 cm) high[16] |
| Weight | 21.5 pounds (9.8 kg)[16] |
HERO 2000 (ET-19)
The much more powerful HERO 2000 includes several onboard microprocessors, onboard speech synthesis, several sensors, and the ability to add expansion cards using a passive backplane.[17]
| Release date | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Price | Kit US$3,000 Assembled US$4,500[18] |
| Discontinued | 1995 |
| Units sold | 3000 (across 8 years) |
| Power | Battery: single 24 amp-hour battery, Charger: 120 VAC charger included |
| CPU | Intel 8088 (Main) 6 slave Z-80 processors (11 with optional arm) |
| Memory | RAM: 24 kB, expandable to 576 kB, Monitor ROM: 64 kB with integrated BASIC |
| Display | 16 head-mounted LED status indicators (eight are user definable) RS-232 serial port |
| Sound | Silicon Systems SSI 263 (analog formant) speech synthesizer[19] |
| Input | hexadecimal keypad RS-232 serial port |
| Dimensions | Height 32 inches (81 cm)[20] |
| Weight | 78 pounds (35 kg)[20] |
HE-RObot
The HE-RObot is the result of a strategic partnership between Heathkit and White Box Robotics, marketed to the educational market. When available, it cost up to US$8,000. Heathkit sold approximately 50 of these robots before bankruptcy in 2012.[21][22][23]
| Developer | White Box Robotics[24] |
|---|---|
| Release date | 2007 |
| Price | up to US$8,000 |
| Discontinued | 2012 |
| Unitssold | approximately 50 |
| OS | Windows XP Pro |
| Power | Batteries: 2 x 12V 9Ah Lead Acid Battery Charger: SONEIL 12V Intelligent Battery Charger (3A) |
| CPU | Intel Core Duo |
| Memory | 1 GB DDR2 RAM |
| Storage | 80 GB 2½ in. SATA Hard drive |
| Dimensions | Height 21 inches (53 cm) |
| Weight | 25 kg (55 lb) |
| Website | www |
See also
- 1980s in science and technology
- R.O.B. – Video game console peripheral
- Topo (robot)