This section contains technical information relevant to the Nova compute and sensor architecture, and the Nova Carter robot.
Weight: 48 kg
Payload Capacity: 50 kg
Length: 725 mm
Width: 500 mm
Height: 556 mm
Wheelbase Type: Differential (2x front drive wheels + 2x rear casters)
Drive Wheel Diameter: 280 mm
Maximum Speed: > 12 km/h (3.3 m/s)
Battery Capacity: 1033 Wh (36V, 8+ hrs operation time)
Charging Time: < 3 hrs (20% to 80% capacity)
Connectivity: 2.4 and 5 GHz WiFi (2x2 MIMO, 802.11 k/v/r), Bluetooth 5.0/BLE
Operating Environment: Indoor conditions, wheelchair-accessible spaces
Refer to documentation from Segway Robotics for more detailed product information.
Nova Carter is based on the NVIDIA Nova compute and sensor architecture, which prescribes a specific list of sensor requirements and the system design for an Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) built around the NVIDIA Jetson Orin. Nova Carter uses the Jetson AGX Orin Developer Kit.
The block diagram below illustrates how the Nova system architecture is implemented on Nova Carter. Specifics on the sensors and other system components used are also provided in tables.
Nova Carter Sensor Suite
Sensor Type |
Sensor Name |
I/O |
Part Name |
Manufacturer |
Details |
HFOV |
VFOV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stereo Camera | Front Stereo | GMSL2 | Hawk LI-AR0234CS-STEREO-GMSL2 | Leopard Imaging | 2.3 MP RGGB | 121.5 | 73.5 |
| Stereo Camera | Rear Stereo | GMSL2 | Hawk LI-AR0234CS-STEREO-GMSL2 | Leopard Imaging | 2.3 MP RGGB | 121.5 | 73.5 |
| Stereo Camera | Left Stereo | GMSL2 | Hawk LI-AR0234CS-STEREO-GMSL2 | Leopard Imaging | 2.3 MP RGGB | 121.5 | 73.5 |
| Stereo Camera | Right Stereo | GMSL2 | Hawk LI-AR0234CS-STEREO-GMSL2 | Leopard Imaging | 2.3 MP RGGB | 121.5 | 73.5 |
| Camera | Front Fisheye | GMSL2 | Owl LI-AR0234CS-GMSL2-OWL | Leopard Imaging | 2.3 MP RGGB | 202.0 +/- 3 | 127.2 +/- 2 |
| Camera | Rear Fisheye | GMSL2 | Owl LI-AR0234CS-GMSL2-OWL | Leopard Imaging | 2.3 MP RGGB | 202.0 +/- 3 | 127.2 +/- 2 |
| Camera | Left Fisheye | GMSL2 | Owl LI-AR0234CS-GMSL2-OWL | Leopard Imaging | 2.3 MP RGGB | 202.0 +/- 3 | 127.2 +/- 2 |
| Camera | Right Fisheye | GMSL2 | Owl LI-AR0234CS-GMSL2-OWL | Leopard Imaging | 2.3 MP RGGB | 202.0 +/- 3 | 127.2 +/- 2 |
| IMU | Front Stereo IMU | I2C | BMI088 | Bosch | 12.5 - 1600 Hz | ||
| IMU | Chassis IMU | I2C | BMI088 | Bosch | 12.5 - 1600 Hz | ||
| Magnetometer | Chassis Magnetometer | I2C | BMM150 | Bosch | 10 Hz | ||
| Barometer | Chassis Barometer | I2C | BMP390 | Bosch | less than or = 200 H | ||
| 2D Lidar | Front 2D Lidar | Ethernet | RPLidar S2E | Slamtec | 10 Hz 0.12 deg resolution 0.05-30m range | 360 | |
| 2D Lidar | Back 2D Lidar | Ethernet | RPLidar S2E | Slamtec | 10 Hz 0.12 deg resolution 0.05-30m range | 360 | |
| 3D Lidar | 3D Lidar | Ethernet | XT32 | Hesai | 5-20 Hz 0.09-0.36 deg resolution 0.05-120m range | 360 | 31 (+15 / -16) |
Nova Carter System Devices
Device Name |
I/O |
Part Name |
Manufacturer |
Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Compute | Misc. | Jetson AGX Orin™ Developer Kit | NVIDIA |
|
| WiFi/BT Card | M.2, 2.4GHz, 5GHz | AW-CB375NF | Azurewave | Included with Jetson AGX Orin™ Developer Kit |
| GMSL Adapter Board | CSI, I2C to GMSL2 | LI-JAG-ADP-GMSL2-8CH | Leopard Imaging | 8-CH GMSL2 board for NVIDIA® Jetson AGX Orin™ Developer Kit |
| GPIO Board | CAN, USB | Segway Robotics | Provides CAN transceivers and RGB LED control. Specific for Nova Carter and not for individual sale. | |
| Data Storage | M.2 NVMe | 980 PRO 2TB SSD | Samsung | Mounted at /mnt/nova_ssd/ |
| Network Interface Card | PCIe, 10 GbE | X540-10G-2T-X8 | Intel | External-facing network connections. Connected to rear IO panel. |
| Ethernet Switch | 1 GbE | TL-SG1005I | TP-Link | Internal sensor network connections. Connected to 10 GbE port on Jetson. |
| Wheelbase | CAN | RMPLite 220 | Segway Robotics | Handles motor control and battery management. Provides system power. |
Nova Carter External Interfaces
| Loc. | Connection | Details |
| Rear IO Panel | USB-C | Connected to Jetson USB-C flashing port. (UFP and DFP) |
| DisplayPort | Video and Audio from Jetson DisplayPort. | |
| Ethernet | 10 GbE, external network connection via PCIe NIC | |
| Top IO Panel | Power | 12V DC, 50W (fused) |
| Ethernet | 1 GbE, internal Nova sensor network on Jetson 10 GbE port | |
| Unpopulated | Empty panel connections for optional user expansion |
The sensor reference origin is placed at the center rotation point of the robot at ground level (between the drive wheels). This is located 140 mm behind the frontmost point of the robot, and 585 mm forward of the rearmost point (tow hook). Positive yaw rotation is clockwise about the Z axis. All transformations are rounded to the nearest tenths place after the decimal point.
System Origin On Ground Rotation Axis - Isometric View
Hawk Stereo Camera and Owl Fisheye Camera Sensor Reference Origins
Hawk Stereo Camera Location Transformations
| Hawk | Y (mm) | X (mm) | Z (mm) | Yaw (deg) | Pitch (deg) | Roll (deg) |
| Front | 116.3 | 0 | 344.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Left | -355.4 | -166 | 344.4 | 90 | 0 | 0 |
| Right | -355.4 | 166 | 344.4 | -90 | 0 | 0 |
| Rear | -579.7 | 0 | 344.4 | 180 | 0 | 0 |
Owl Fisheye Camera Location Transformation
| Owl | Y (mm) | X (mm) | Z (mm) | Yaw (deg) | Pitch (deg) | Roll (deg) |
| Front | 120.1 | 0 | 374.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Left | -231.7 | -169.9 | 344.4 | 90 | 0 | 0 |
| Right | -231.7 | 169.9 | 344.4 | -90 | 0 | 0 |
| Rear | -583.54 | 0 | 374.4 | 180 | 0 | 0 |
XT32 3D Lidar and RPLidar S2E 2D Lidar Sensor Reference Origins
XT32 3D Lidar Location Transformation
| Y (mm) | X (mm) | Z (mm) | Yaw (deg) | Pitch (deg) | Roll (deg) | |
| Center | -231.7 | 0 | 526.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
RPLidar S2E 2D Lidar Location Transformation
| Y (mm) | X (mm) | Z (mm) | Yaw (deg) | Pitch (deg) | Roll (deg) | |
| Front 2D Lidar | 26 | 0 | 418 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Back 2D Lidar | -489.4 | 0 | 418 | 180 | 0 | 0 |
Nova Carter Sensor Fields
Note: The illustrated FoVs are approximate, and the ranges have been truncated for improved visualization. Touchdown distances are measured from the Nova Carter Front or Side most facing panels on the electronics enclosures.
The following figures show visualizations of Nova Carter sensor fields of view.
Fisheye Camera FoV - Top View
Fisheye Camera FoV - Side View (Front and Rear sensors)
Fisheye Camera FoV - Back View (Left and Right sensors)
Stereo Camera FoV - Top View
Stereo Camera FoV - Side View (Front and Rear sensors)
Stereo Camera FoV - Back View (Left and Right sensors)
2D Lidar FoV - Top View
3D Lidar FoV - Side View
Nova Carter has a modular design to make it adaptable for multiple use-cases. It ships with two different Top Modules:
3D Mapping Top Module: Equipped with Hesai XT-32 3D Lidar for 3D mapping and ground truth depth data collection.
Basic Cargo Top Module: A plate that can be used to enable payload transport while protecting the 2D Lidars from damage.
You can also design your own top modules to use on Nova Carter. The top IO panel provides 50W 12V DC power and an Ethernet connection for the internal Nova sensor network. This is a separate network from the rear IO panel Ethernet port. Blanking plates on empty ports provide expandability for other connections if you want to install your own.
Alignment pins at the top module mechanical interface ensure that topper modules can be removed and reinstalled into the same position. This allows for extrinsic calibration between sensors to be maintained even if multiple top modules are used on the robot.
To create your own top module, refer to the bolt pattern below. For more information, see product documentation from Segway Robotics.
Top Module Bolt Pattern