Hey, I was wondering. Is it possible to reformat (or change the firmware, or whatever) a toy's micro-controller to be able to be programmed by your own language (whatever that might be, RobotC, Java, etc.)?
Probably, but the short answer is that it is likely to be very difficult and very limited. A much better solution would be to simply remove it altogether and replace it with one of your own.
The micro that comes with it most likely has its program in masked ROM if it's a mass-produced item. So it won't be reprogrammable. SRLM's solution is the best: just unsolder it and replace it with a different one. Chances are the new one won't be pin-compatible, but you can always run wires from the new micro to pads on the board.
Few low-end toys use EEPROM that can be reprogrammed, and even those that do don't necessarily make the programming connections accessible. In most cases it's cheaper to mass produce using a mask process, cover the processor with a blob of epoxy for protection and have as few external connections as possible.
High-end reprogrammable toys (Pleo & probably Aibo) have USB connections and upgradeable firmware.
You can retrofit a processor into a toy's electronics if you work hard enough. Here are two videos of· R/C toys I modified by·bypassing the radio control signals and feeding output from a BS1 Project board into the H-bridge motor drivers:
I listened to an interview with Mark Tilden, who is a famous robotics researcher and the designer of robots for Wow Wee. In the interview he says he designed these robots to be easy to take apart with screws and such so that they could be hacked. There are not good schematics or technical information on them, so I don't think you could just reprogram them. But they might be able to be adapted as a chassis for a micro-controller based bot.
My son has a Roboreptile (not the Roboraptor) and it is a pretty good walker. You can find slightly used Wow Wee robots on eBay. One of the things I want to do at some point is try to adapt one of these things to hold a Prop chip.
I have seen a lot of hacked Robosapiens, and sadly most of them aren't nearly as good as they were originally. Tilden and the WowWee group really did their homework on those to get the best walking actions possible in an inexpensive mass-produced toy. I saw a video somewhere of early Robosapien 1 development, and it was a room full of young computer whizzes with prototypes hardwired to PCs. Hard to compete with that level of commitment.
BUT as an educational learning experience in interfacing, programming, electromechanics, and dynamics, buying a used Robosapien biped walker for $10 is the best deal in town. It will certainly teach an appreciation for what has been accomplished!
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Thanks GeorgeCollins, I have two Robosapiens myself (one RS1 and one RS2) and have just today opened RS1 just to have a look-see. I can believe that they have been specially designed to be easy to hack. Thanks for replying.
There is lots of info about hacking RS1 -- it's not hard and it's been done with AVRs, Stamps, PICs, etc. Google it.
Generally the approach to a good RS hack is NOT to redo the gaits, motion control, etc., but rather to trigger the existing gaits and motion control codes via an external micro. This lets the external micro manage extra sensors, lights, etc. and not deal with the actual details of motion control (think of it is as using the existing RS controller as a fancy motor/gait controller while your added micro deals with higher-level functions).
Comments
-Phil
High-end reprogrammable toys (Pleo & probably Aibo) have USB connections and upgradeable firmware.
You can retrofit a processor into a toy's electronics if you work hard enough. Here are two videos of· R/C toys I modified by·bypassing the radio control signals and feeding output from a BS1 Project board into the H-bridge motor drivers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZwkync_WLE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImriJO7DNac
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·"If you build it, they will come."
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SB 3:16
My son has a Roboreptile (not the Roboraptor) and it is a pretty good walker. You can find slightly used Wow Wee robots on eBay. One of the things I want to do at some point is try to adapt one of these things to hold a Prop chip.
You can google many Robosapein hack sites. I found something similar to what I was thinking of here home.planet.nl/~pruim006/index2.htm
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My Robots
BUT as an educational learning experience in interfacing, programming, electromechanics, and dynamics, buying a used Robosapien biped walker for $10 is the best deal in town. It will certainly teach an appreciation for what has been accomplished!
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·"If you build it, they will come."
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SB 3:16
Generally the approach to a good RS hack is NOT to redo the gaits, motion control, etc., but rather to trigger the existing gaits and motion control codes via an external micro. This lets the external micro manage extra sensors, lights, etc. and not deal with the actual details of motion control (think of it is as using the existing RS controller as a fancy motor/gait controller while your added micro deals with higher-level functions).
An example is here: home.planet.nl/~pruim006/pic_newbrains.htm
And one of the biggest unofficial hack sites: www.myrobosapien.tk/
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When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST
1uffakind.com/robots/povBitMapBuilder.php
1uffakind.com/robots/resistorLadder.php
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·"If you build it, they will come."
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SB 3:16