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Yet Another Cat toy (with a twist) — Parallax Forums

Yet Another Cat toy (with a twist)

firestorm.v1firestorm.v1 Posts: 94
edited 2009-06-17 13:34 in Robotics
I know that the laser-cat toy thing has been done, but this is one that I haven't seen anyone do.

This was the product of two events happening in quick succession:
1) Green Laser pointers hit woot and at $15, I couldn't pass it up.
2) I was bored and the cats were restless.

This had initially started off as a computer controlled laser, but I developed it into a fully remote-controlled laser cat toy.

Parts used:
One bi-color LED with common cathode.
One bi-color LED (the one from the What's a Microcontroller kit)
Two Continuous Rotation Servos (BOE BOT kit)
One "Standard" 180 degree servo (WAM kit)
IR detector (from BOE-BOT kit)
Piezo speaker (from BOE-BOT kit)
Tiewraps
40 cents (What? I needed a spacer and 4 dimes fit the bill just right.)
Some jumper wire
2 4.7K resistors
1 22 ohm resistor

Features:
- Uses Sony Remote control codes. I used the cable company's remote control :P
- Powers on in "Safe" mode, will not start moving/firing until it's been "turned on" via the power button on the remote.
- Uses the 4-way D-pad to move the laser and the "OK" button to fire/shut off the laser.
- Audible alerts on machine state, laser on, laser off, enabled, disabled.

I apologize in advance for the MS Paint drawn schematic.

Video of the test:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mudYHKZNP30
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laser cat toy v2.bs2
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Cat toy-sideview.jpg
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laserdot.jpg
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schematic.bmp
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Comments

  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2009-02-27 23:32
    I like how you used the BOE chasis as a turn table for your laser. Very simple. BTW, the laser looks really bright. Does it hurt the eyes?
  • firestorm.v1firestorm.v1 Posts: 94
    edited 2009-02-27 23:36
    Well, I used it for a bit and the cats seem more content to go after the laser beam itself rather than the dot on the wall. After I started building it and cackling maniacially while coding it I decided that for safety's sake I'd better replace with a red laser if I want to build this into a full model.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2009-02-28 01:13
    I agree with SRLM: nice use of the BOE-Bot wheels! But, yeah, unless you want a blind cat on your hands, that laser has got to go.

    -Phil
  • EzsynnEzsynn Posts: 119
    edited 2009-02-28 01:23
    For some accuracy, Try adding the encoder Kit.

    http://www.parallax.com/Store/Robots/RoboticAccessories/tabid/145/CategoryID/22/List/0/Level/a/ProductID/80/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName

    Dead Reckoning rules! Just mount them on the servos.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    BWIN ON DA POWAH WIFIN U!!!
    (This means the Plutonium Isotope Nuclear Fission And Fusion Reactor Battery Pack you've been hiding inside your jacket!!!)
  • J. A. StreichJ. A. Streich Posts: 158
    edited 2009-03-02 21:40
    Ezsynn, dead reckoning is a navigation scheme, and wouldn't apply to pan and tilt. Not that encoding couldn't be used to measure the angle the laser makes with the horizontal and vertical. Personally I think attaching a compass and tilt sensor would yield more accurate data and allow for more interesting applications. Firestorm, any plans to extend the idea?

    Didn't I read a long time ago about someone who did something similar to mark where certain things were in hardware drawers? Anyone else have any potential uses for such a thing?
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2009-03-02 22:35
    @ J. A. Streich

    It was (I believe) Ken who had the idea of using it to find parts on a wall. It's somewhere in the completed projects forum, but I don't think it ever got further than a laser and servos (no database program).
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    edited 2009-03-04 19:38
    SRLM & J.A.,

    I think that was Beau's project.

    Ken
  • the joshanatorthe joshanator Posts: 3
    edited 2009-06-17 00:47
    how do you connect the wheel to the motor?
  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,566
    edited 2009-06-17 04:59
    To follow-up on Kens post... There was a project that I did using a laser pointer to find parts...

    http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=549166

    ...It worked great, until I moved. It's just not as organized is all, and I don't have the laser up at the moment. I ended up putting flat white paper on the front of all of the drawers to prevent bad reflections. At the distance I had the laser, and the servo's that I was using, the resolution of the "grid" was about 1 cm so I could easily capture the physical position of each drawer in memory, and then just assign an index value to it corresponding to the contents. A simple program written in Visual Basic looked for duplicates, as well as whatever item you were looking for.

    ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
    Beau Schwabe

    IC Layout Engineer
    Parallax, Inc.
  • the joshanatorthe joshanator Posts: 3
    edited 2009-06-17 13:34
    ·roll.gifI HAVE AN IDEA FOR THE RED LAZER!!!roll.gif
    **BILL OF MATERIALS**
    1.One rubber grommet-13/32" hold from parallax
    2.one lazer pen from wal mart

    the build is simple, simply atach the rubber grommet around the lazer and then find a way to mount it on!
    dont forget to move the rubber grommet every time you move the robots positoin to 2.
    in fact·I think Ill just go create my own page about my robot!

    Post Edited (the joshanator) : 6/17/2009 1:43:17 PM GMT
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