Robot Sensor Turret idea + How much is compass sensor affected by servos?

Dennis Ferron

Since I can't afford to buy sensors for all of my many robot projects, I hit upon the idea of putting all my sensors on a socket mount "sensor turret" that I could move from one robot to another as needed. It would consist of six to eight object detectors, such as a Ping ))) sensor, a noncontact IR temp sensor, IR distance sensor, etc., mounted facing all directions on a hexagon or octagon shaped circuit board, mounted on a servo. You'd rotate the turret on a servo, and take measurements from all of them at each stop, so you get 360 degree sample with all types of sensors. There'll be a SpinStamp in the middle to read all the sensors, so you only need four wires (+5V, GND, Serial In, Serial Out) to interface to all the sensors. (The rotation servo would be integral to the unit, controlled by the Spin Stamp.)

Inside the turret, I plan to put a 2-axis accelerometer and a compass module. The Parallax GPS module. could go on top in the middle later. Anyhow if I'm using the compass module and I'm turning the turret with a servo, is the servo motor going to make the compass not work? How far apart must they be? Are there steps I can take to shield them? I'm thinking that perhaps since the turret is rotating, I could use multiple samples with the compass facing different directions to get a more accurate reading.

BTW, Parallax, this hexagonal sensor turret board ought to be a product. Think what you could do with a boe-bot equipped with one of these out front on the Ping mounting bracket kit.

SRLM

This may help:

http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=742053

Dennis Ferron

Thanks SRLM. Lots of good info in your thread.