Willow Garage, the company behind the PR2 robot (touted as the world’s most advanced personal robot platform) has announced the launch of the PR2 SE. A modified version of the original PR2, the PR2 SE will be a one-armed robot instead of having two arms (though the second arm can be added later if needed). With its capabilities limited, it is said that scientists and engineers will be able to explore the innovative capabilities for personal robots at a much faster pace.
With the PR2 SE, Willow Garage is hoping that it can help to expand the research, engineer and roboticist community. The PR2 SE will be sold at a lower price $285,000 with an additional 30% discount if the person buying the robot has a proven track record in contributions to the open source community. Sounds like a pretty good deal for folks who have been working with the PR2 for awhile and are looking to get a new one for more experiments. Find out more.