Top 10 Semi-Autonomous Robots That Run Linux

At $499 and up, Parrot's BeBop is pricier than its AR.Drone, but it's more capable and autonomous. The BeBop features a dual-core SoC, a 14-megapixel, HD fisheye camera, and a WiFi-extending remote with Oculus Rift support.

Bluefin Robotics' 16-ft. autonomous mini-sub never found Malayasia Flight 370, but it's busy doing surveillance, oceanography, and archaeology work around the world. The Bluefin-21 can dive 2.8 miles, and uses side-scan sonar to build high-res 3D maps.

Built by Aldeberan and sold for $1,930 by SoftBank, the humanoid Pepper is billed as the world's first emotional robot. The self-learning bot has an "emotional engine,” plus voice and visual recognition, and can analyze human expressions and voice tones.

Savioke's 3-foot, rolling hospitality bot is being tested at a California hotel, where it delivers towels and snacks. The SaviOne has a touchscreen and camera and can operate an elevator with a wireless signal.

Like the Bluefin-21, Seabed Technologies' AUV is an autonomous yellow submarine designed to scour the seabed. The 2-meter long, twin-hulled SeaBED runs Ubuntu, and was recently used to research the thickness of Antarctic sea ice.

Pleiades' hackable Spiri runs Ubuntu and ROS on a dual-core i.MX6. Its three cameras include a 3D TOF range-finding cam. The autonomous, $945 quadcopter can follow a route or be programmed to hover or respond to stimuli.

Designed to work with humans, this industrial robot has a fast, 7 DoF arm with a dexterous gripper. Unbounded Robotics' $50,000 UBR-1 is more capable than last year's prototype, with more RAM and storage and a high-end laser scanner.