Acorn

Based on published sources · Not tested by us · Sources checked 2026-10-01

Overview

Precision farming rover with separate software, electronics and mechanical sources; the documented Docker simulation substitutes fake sensor data and is not evidence of field performance. [S001] [S005] [S009] [S011]

Acorn's main repository contains software for the Twisted Fields precision farming rover. Its mechanical and electronics sources live separately. This review preserved those repository snapshots and examined the documented Docker simulation, without treating the snapshots as a tested hardware/software configuration. [S001] [S005] [S009] [S011]

Official website · Source code

Specifications

Detail	Description
Type	Precision farming rover; software and hardware repositories require configuration matching. Reported by source [S001] [S009] [S011] · Checked 2026-10-01
Intended users	Robotics developers able to reconcile experimental software with separately versioned hardware Editorial assessment [S001] · Checked 2026-10-01
Assembly	Not known
Calibration	Not known
Operating system	Linux-oriented Docker launch scripts Documented simulation route; no installation or cross-platform execution performed. Reported by source [S005] · Checked 2026-10-01
Computer needed	Host computer with Docker and Docker Compose for the reviewed simulation route; separate CM4 board designs are preserved. Reported by source [S005] [S011] [S014] · Checked 2026-10-01

3D preview

Preview not available yet. A model has not yet been prepared and approved for display on this page. This does not mean the project lacks CAD files; see Source files and licenses for the reviewed source availability.

Assembly and use

What the simulation actually exercises

The simulation guide describes two containers: the normal server and a simulated vehicle. It explicitly says the vehicle stubs out hardware and returns fake sensor data. That can support navigation-software development and integration testing, but it does not validate steering hardware, GNSS accuracy or behavior in a field. [S005] [S006]

The launch scripts are designed for Linux and require Docker and Docker Compose, with host ports including port 80 available. The guide calls the route early alpha quality. It describes loading a path, clearing an autonomy hold and activating the simulated vehicle, with separate main and motor processes visible through tmux. No containers or vehicle code were run here. [S005]

The simulation configuration extends the vehicle configuration, whose settings include privileged access, host networking and device mounts. That makes host configuration part of the documented environment; a source checkout alone is not a ready-to-run or isolated test installation. Those files were read as source, not executed. [S006] [S007]

Mechanical and board archives have different contents

The mechanical repository preserved at b38484cd4b082d9f2225f9568dff14d85ba919be contains an Onshape link and a license, rather than exported CAD payloads. Its permissive CERN Open Hardware Licence describes source rights, but this review did not export or validate the linked mechanical design. [S009] [S010]

The electronics snapshot contains a CM4 robot-board directory with KiCad schematic and PCB source plus Gerber outputs. That is stronger evidence of preserved board artifacts, but it still does not establish a complete manufactured rover, a matched controller firmware release or a current delivered BOM cost. [S011] [S014]

Check licenses at the component level

The main project source uses Apache-2.0. A steering-reference directory, however, explicitly says the license of its copied external PDFs is unknown. The catalog does not apply the project license to those third-party documents. [S003] [S008]

The selected CM4 board carries CERN-OHL-P terms. Its bundled SnapEDA symbol/footprint models carry separate terms that distinguish integrated circuit designs from redistribution of individual library models. The mechanical and board grants should therefore not be read as one blanket permission covering every file in every repository. [S010] [S012] [S013]

The preserved sources support a more precise starting point for development: identify the simulation environment, preserve actual design payloads, and then reconcile hardware and firmware revisions. No compilation, assembly, motion test or agricultural field trial was performed by this review. [S005] [S009] [S011] [S014]

Cost

No current, complete configuration-specific build cost has been established for this profile.

Source files and licenses

Available project sources support research coverage; complete build and commercial qualification remain separate.

Layer	Availability / license
mechanical design	available · CERN-OHL-P-2.0 Official mechanical repository links Onshape and supplies permissive CERN OHL text. That archive has only README/license; actual CAD payload was not exported or preserved. [S009] [S010]
electronics	available · CERN-OHL-P-2.0 Selected CM4 board source and Gerbers preserved under board-level grant. Bundled SnapEDA library models have separate terms, so this is not an unqualified license for every archive file. [S011] [S012] [S013] [S014]
firmware	not found · License not fully assessed Complete matched motor-controller firmware not preserved by this review; electronics files alone do not establish a bootable controller stack. [S001] [S011] [S014]
software	available · Apache-2.0 Project source under Apache-2.0; bundled external reference documents and dependencies retain separate terms. [S001] [S003] [S005]
documentation	available · Apache-2.0 Project documentation; steering-reference PDFs explicitly have unknown licensing and are excluded from a blanket reuse claim. [S001] [S003] [S005] [S008]

Selected simulation and source-architecture review does not assess a learned policy or training dataset.

References

Links identify the documentation and revisions used in this profile. Access dates record when each source was retrieved.

S001 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Upstream project overview
Accessed 2026-10-01 · README.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S002 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Repository revision and release metadata
Accessed 2026-10-01 · 9f4010dd37d95e8d9d8e61dd96ab94bd02b153b0
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S003 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Repository license
Accessed 2026-10-01 · LICENSE
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S004 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Pinned repository artifact inventory
Accessed 2026-10-01 · 9f4010dd37d95e8d9d8e61dd96ab94bd02b153b0 archive file inventory
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S005 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Acorn SIMULATION.md
Accessed 2026-10-01 · 9f4010dd37d95e8d9d8e61dd96ab94bd02b153b0 / SIMULATION.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S006 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Acorn docker-compose-simulation.yml
Accessed 2026-10-01 · 9f4010dd37d95e8d9d8e61dd96ab94bd02b153b0 / docker-compose-simulation.yml
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S007 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Acorn docker-compose-vehicle.yml
Accessed 2026-10-01 · 9f4010dd37d95e8d9d8e61dd96ab94bd02b153b0 / docker-compose-vehicle.yml
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S008 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Acorn docs/steering/README.md
Accessed 2026-10-01 · 9f4010dd37d95e8d9d8e61dd96ab94bd02b153b0 / docs/steering/README.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S009 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Acorn acorn-mechanical-designs README.md
Accessed 2026-10-01 · b38484cd4b082d9f2225f9568dff14d85ba919be / README.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S010 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Acorn acorn-mechanical-designs LICENSE
Accessed 2026-10-01 · b38484cd4b082d9f2225f9568dff14d85ba919be / LICENSE
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S011 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Acorn acorn-robot-electronics README.md
Accessed 2026-10-01 · ff52cafe59ae0856a2f3dfb782a64a45a7852526 / README.md
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S012 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Acorn acorn-robot-electronics cm4_robot_board/LICENSE
Accessed 2026-10-01 · ff52cafe59ae0856a2f3dfb782a64a45a7852526 / cm4_robot_board/LICENSE
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S013 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
Acorn acorn-robot-electronics cm4_robot_board/parts/License.txt
Accessed 2026-10-01 · ff52cafe59ae0856a2f3dfb782a64a45a7852526 / cm4_robot_board/parts/License.txt
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.
S014 · Twisted-Fields / project contributors
CM4 board fabrication file inventory
Accessed 2026-10-01 · ff52cafe59ae0856a2f3dfb782a64a45a7852526 selected archive inventory
Source notes
Source text inspected for the cited scoped claims; see profile claim notes.

Research and review details

Source research only; no installation, physical build or performance test performed. No affiliate links added.

Profile edited 2026-10-01 · Sources checked 2026-10-01 · Next review target 2026-10-31

Revision: 9f4010dd37d95e8d9d8e61dd96ab94bd02b153b0 (commit snapshot; no published stable release found). Combined hardware and software repository activity recorded 2024-07-06 [S002]

Correction guidance · Discussion is not enabled · Profile format 0.6.0-draft.1

Change history