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Can Robots Dance? — Parallax Forums

Can Robots Dance?

ercoerco Posts: 20,256
edited 2009-08-01 01:10 in Robotics
http://www.bofunk.com/video/9029/ultimate_tractor_square_dancing.html·shows some good old country fun, people driving tractors in square dancing patterns with some very precision maneuvering and coordination. I'm pretty sure·these use front wheel steering, but with a bit of work,·I can·imagine that these might be differential drive robots maneuvering around. Now I love the Parallax Toddler Hokey Pokey video,·and I'm having fun wondering what it would take to get several Scribbler or Boe-Bots to do synchronized, coordinated motion, something·like this. Encoders, odometry, proximity, heading, & velocity sensors would have to be integrated. Big headache, but properly done, it would be easy to create new dance routines. Imagine this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzyGZoFIGvs·with robots!

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·"If you build it, they will come."

Comments

  • PrettybirdPrettybird Posts: 269
    edited 2009-07-29 11:29
    ·Cute. Who said farmer's don't have fun.·· Boe Bots can organise too.



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxMZQUKk8JU
  • DgswanerDgswaner Posts: 795
    edited 2009-07-30 21:53
    I've thought about programing my bot to know several "dance moves" short basic locomotion patterns what all end the same place they start, then have it analyze an mp3 as it is played, then randomly, or systematically preform the dance moves..... or even more simply just hard code dance moves to a certain song. Those 12V motor kits can spin a bot fast enough to make John Travolta jealous!

    ahh yet another project I don't have time for!

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    DGSwaner
    "When in doubt, use C4" - Jamie Hyneman, Myth Buster
  • Steph LindsaySteph Lindsay Posts: 767
    edited 2009-07-30 23:53
    One time at an Educator's Course, we outfitted four Boe-Bots with RF receivers, and a transmitter on the PC. The Boe-Bots were placed in a square facing each other. Then the person on the PC was the "square dance caller" moving them backwards, forwards, rotating, and driving in a circle in unison. It did look like square dancing!

    We have an application in which a Boe-Bot controlled by an IR remote will "disobey orders" to drive into a wall, by checking its IR distance detection sensosr status before responding to the remote command. We generally use this 'Bot at trade shows where folks want to drive them around, and they are surprised by the "Bot's act of self-preservation.

    I imagine that by combining the two ideas above, one could direct a Boe-Bot square dance but give the 'Bots some "self-awareness" to avoid collisions or trigger autonomous interactions.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2009-07-31 19:01
    Very good thoughts, all. When the first RoboSapien first came out, a friend and I put our two together and triggered the demo dance routine. I was amazed that they stayed in perfect sync throughout the entire routine, well over a minute. No doubt that this is due to internal timing via a very fast clock. The toddler hokey-pokey demo shows one master unit and many slave units, which accomplishes the same effect. So syncing the motions·& motor outputs is possible. What is difficult·to guarantee is the uniformity of each·robot·displacement (step or rolling distance) which is required to·coordinate·each robot's location & orientation.

    It's always something with these robots. But if it was easy, everybody would be doing it...

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    ·"If you build it, they will come."

    Post Edited (erco) : 8/1/2009 1:57:39 AM GMT
  • Mike2545Mike2545 Posts: 433
    edited 2009-08-01 01:10
    I'm sure you have seen this video

    www.metacafe.com/watch/21429/japanease_robots/

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    Mike2545

    This message sent to you on 100% recycled electrons.
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