Need some help with Robotics

RJ-Roboflo

Ok first off I'm new to this site, in fact I just found it through YouTube, lol. Besides that though I found this website to be really interesting, and helpful for a school project I have to do. I have to complete a TE or Technical Exhibition to graduate from my high school. For a TE I have to come up with a topic that pertains to my shop (which is Electronics) and do research on it as well as make a product (a phyisical model of my topic). I chose to do "Self Driven Automobiles". In my shop we mostly cover the basics of Electronics, the core; how components work criteria. So the whole 'robotics' idea behind my topic is kinda touchy for me since I don't know much about it, but that's the whole point of the TE to learn about your topic. So now onto my point as I've bored you into the reasoning of this new thread...I wanted to know if anyone could give me some of their wisdom on robotics and maybe point me into the right path of what I would need to make a simple self driven model RC car. And possibly anyone that could show me some sites that I could really get some good information on my topic. Thanks in advance =D

Post Edited (RJ-Roboflo) : 11/12/2009 10:10:25 PM GMT

allanlane5

A "Self-driven automobile" is very close to an "autonomous robot", so it's possible that the BOE-Bot would work for your physical platform as a proof-of-concept. You might want to add a Ping with the bracket, because it looks really cool, and it gives your "auto-bot" a moveable ultra-sonic sensor to 'look' at its surroundings.

The BOE-Bot kit comes with IR-based collision-avoidance detectors, so that would be useful too. And there's few cooler looking things for a Technical Exhibition than a robot moving itself down a road, avoiding obstacles -- perhaps driving itself on a 'loop' in front of a presentation board. You might also want to add a line-follower kit, for that "I'm an automobile following the white line" effect.

And if you want to make a more ambitious platform that is more car-like, with the BS2 that comes with the BOE-Bot and the servo's and the collision-avoidance hardware, you'd be all set.

allanlane5

Another possibility, by the way, would be to build your 'car' using the Lego Mindstorms kits. But that would probably look more clunky and more toy-like than the BOE-Bot.

RJ-Roboflo

Ok awesome, I honestly didn't think I'd get a reply so quickly =D

And yea, I wanted to do more than just a robot moving itself down the road as you said. And that BOE-Bot sounds really cool...I hope its not to expensive, I'm about to go check it out in the store.

P!-Ro

It's a little expensive, but the BS1 can do some of it and be cheaper. I guess it all depends on whether you think you will work with it more after your project or not. BTW--I too, am in high school.

SRLM

Here is my high school senior project: http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?p=741023

GWJax

Personally I would get a R/C car from a thrift store "working or not" and use the chase and motors to connect to your MCU. The R/C car may already have the Hbridge circuit in it so that would be less soldering you would need to do. An excellent book that you can get that will show you how to do this mod and other options as well is "The Robot Builder's Bonanza ISBN 0-07-136296-7" If you PM me I'll show you where you can download it from but not sure how much it is. My hard copy cost me $24.95 US. plus shipping.


Jax

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If a robot has a screw then it must be romoved and hacked into..

Instinctz

Come on, go full scale and buy and old car, design some image recognition to detect and predict road maps!

P!-Ro

I went almost full scale and built everything with a five horse engine and a pile of metal, but that would explain why it's taking so long to get things done. lol I'm deturmined I guess

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PG

RJ-Roboflo

Lol I don't have the time nor the money to be going full scale, and considering the area I have to present my TE.

And SRLM, that's a pretty cool project you got there. I wish I knew how to program these robots, might have to search the site to see if there's something that could teach me. I'm a fast learner, and I really like to work with robots, so this should be fun.

Kinda wish I woulda found this website in my freshman year....

By the way can anyone tell me what the red thumbs down icon on my thread means?

Post Edited (RJ-Roboflo) : 11/12/2009 3:22:04 AM GMT

Franklin

If you hover over it it will tell you it is to ignore threads from that person.

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- Stephen

P!-Ro

>Kinda wish I woulda found this website in my freshman year....

...and wish I found it when I was 12. If you wish to program in pbasic, the language srlm's robot uses, go to the parallax downloads section.
http://www.parallax.com/tabid/535/Default.aspx

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PG

erco

XLNT·book on the subject: http://product.half.ebay.com/_W0QQtgZinfoQQprZ30468143

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·"If you build it, they will come."

RJ-Roboflo

Just a little update on my project..

I've decided I'm getting the BOE-Bot kit.

Once it arrives and I tinker around with it I'll get some more updates on the project and I'm sure have some questions to ask.

Microcontrolled

You won't have much trouble learning PBASIC, I was able to program the BOEBOT when I was 11!! The basic stamp is good for learning, but now I use the Propeller for it's cheaper price and better capebilitys.

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Computers are microcontrolled.

Robots are microcontrolled.
I am microcontrolled.

But you·can·call me micro.

Want to·experiment with the SX or just put together a cool project?
SX Spinning light display·
Want cheap wholesale electronic parts?
Transistor parts wholesale

Mike Green

Sure the BS1 is cheaper than any of the BS2 Stamp modules (unless there's a sale), but it's very very limited in program size (by almost an order of magnitude) and doesn't have many of the features of the BS2. Nonetheless, it's very useful for small project. This doesn't sound like a small project at all though.

To save money, consider using the OEM Stamp (look at the price and size in the Parallax webstore). Also consider both the Propeller and the SX Protoboards. They're a little more difficult to program, but not much, particularly with the free SX/B compiler and the different free Propeller programming tools. Catalina is a C compiler for the Propeller and there are several free Spin compiler/assemblers.

RJ-Roboflo

!Update On The Project!

Just got my Boe-Bot! (with BS2) Well really I just finished configuring with it for the night. But so far its awesome, the programming is cake....and I'm already looking for parts that I could order and make my product do more things for my presentation.
I really wanna add some front wheels to the chassis to give it more that 'car' look. Might have to hit up Radio Shack lol. And I wanna make a 'car-like' body to it.

Well anyways just wanted to update the thread. I'll try and post some pictures once i get some more addictions to it instead of the standard Boe-Bot.

allanlane5

Be a little careful, here. The BOE-Bot uses "differential steering" -- namely moving one wheel forward faster than the other to make a 'turn'. If you add front wheels to the unit, it won't be able to 'steer' this way any more. Then you'll have to add a 'steering servo' to turn the front wheels -- which can be done, but is a little more complicated than a simple "differential steering" technique.

Still, you can put on the front wheels, discover this doesn't work, and take them off again, I suppose.

Still, thanks for the update, I'm glad it's working for you!

P!-Ro

If you use plastic wheels on a hard surface they will just slide and it won't matter. The only reason for them would be the looks.

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PG

RJ-Roboflo

I think Im going to take an RC-Car and strip it and use its chasis and body, and use the Parallax board as the brain lol

Just gotta get an RC-Car and get some 'design' plans for what I want to do and ill post some pictures

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~l_-R0b0fl0-_l~