Blinging out EDDIE
JonnyBritish
Posts: 8
Wondering if the Parallax team are considering addons for EDDIE. Perhaps some extra decks to raise the computer up or add decks for more sensors / circuit boards etc. Perhaps that great lighting you showed at Maker Fair New York where each EDDIE wa slit up with a different color
John O'Donnell
Microsoft
John O'Donnell
Microsoft
Comments
Yes, we are considering addons, but there's nothing decided yet. Right now we're working on getting more stock in!
Regarding lighting, you can actually do that now using our CCFL tubing & power inverter and connecting them to the AUX ports on the Eddie Board. (Which is actually one of the reasons we included them.)
Cheers,
Jessica
One of the easiest lighting improvements that could be made to an Eddie is to use LED tape. This stuff is everywhere on eBay and super versatile - attach it to curved surfaces, cut it to length, available in a variety of colors, sticky back and usually 12V so it can be driven with the Eddie control board. Unlike CCFL tubes it can also withstand a more hostile environment. Since Eddie robots can be used to deliver laundry, to walk a dog or chase a cat, or to deliver mail in an office the type of lighting you choose is an important decision if the robot runs into walls or other objects. I put LED tape on my quadcopter this weekend and have also used it on my personal MadeUSA robot bases (similar to Eddie).
Any lighting is good, however, whether CCFL or LED.
Ken Gracey
Question for Ken. With over 4000 tubes in stock and only 24 Inverters, (enough to drive to drive 48 tubes), how would we drive the tubes when the Inverters are gone? Is there another source you recommend?
Jim
Ouch, Jim. That's a problem indeed. I could have our Chinese engineers go to the component market and pick up more inverters, but I think we'll be ready to retire the CCFLs once we run out of inverters. I have a few in my secret stash at home for those who must absolutely have one. I don't think our customers would find pleasure in making their own inverters (400 VAC, if I recall). I guess we'll decide when this becomes a real problem. For now nobody [inside Parallax] knows it's an issue except you and I. Might be best to keep it that way so we can work on more productive projects around our core technology. . . .but these little time wasters can be so much fun!
Between you and erco it's no wonder that people like myself could become lazy. You guys can find things on the internet that I didn't even know existed.
Ken Gracey
The acrylic shelves are just cut from 3/16" plastic with a split piece of 3/8 soft tubing as shelve bumpers. My base is the same as Eddie's however; I purchased each component by themselves before Eddie and associated kits. I have planned to make Mr. Parallaxian do everything that Eddie can do -- however after reviewing Microsoft's Robotics Studio's abilities I am in the process of clearing off the acrylic shelves and putting one of my Windows 7 Laptop computer on good old Mr. Parallaxian. Oh, yes, now that the top-notch employees of Parallax are known as the Parallaxians I will be changing the name of my unworthy partner to maybe "I think I can - I think I can - I think I can".
Robert
post scriptum: Didn't mean to bend your ear so much.
We like it! "I think I can" doesn't cut it. "I knew I could" might work, but Mr. Parallaxian is fine by us.
Nice job! You must post a video...
-Matt
Nice work! As Darth Vader would have said: "Most impressive!"
I have a similar "Mr. Parallaxian" that I plan to use for a telepresence robot.
I have the original birch Robot Base kit and the newer HDPE Robot Base kit. The HDPE base is on the bottom with while the original base is on the top.
I stacked the two bases using four 1/4-20 threaded rods attached to the motor mount blocks in the bottom plate and the through holes in the upper base.
This type of interconnection between the two bases is fairly sturdy. I mounted a second SLA battery under the second base to power all of the electronics while
a second SLA on the bottom base powers the motors.
I am now waiting on the IR sensor mounts and the Eddie Propeller Controller Board to continue with my robot. Any chance of you sharing your code and schematic as an example?
Regards,
TCIII
Mr. Parallaxian appreciates the approval, and the name. I will put a few pieces back and at least have Mr. P show off a little bit in a video. Right now one of its shelves has a scar across almost the entire diameter. I still haven't determined the best way to solve the problem of; after losing navigational XBee signal from the hand-held-remote Mr. Parallaxian wants to keep going according to its last command -- this rarely happens but when it does, like going out of range or accidental power loss, it keeps going and hits hard. I'm not sure if anyone realizes how powerful those wiper drive motors are. With Mr. P out of control and up against a wall, and its drive wheels still turning on the proper surface, it can be a fire hazard -- an just as bad at my house Mr. P's signature in the carpet.
So'ooo, in comes an idea from the Parallax S2 robot of the sensing of the wheels slipping. I suppose I am a little sensitive to safety in the robot because I am planning some experiments with power wheel chair operations of which I myself am pretty much confined. Did you ever chase an uncontrolled robot down your neighborhood street in a wheel chair -- not a pretty site especially when it's winning?
Thanks for the compliment Tom. As far as sharing the code and schematic, yes I plan to make the code available to anyone on the forum as it is finalized or at least in its best working order. However, as most of it are objects and modification of objects listed in the object exchange. For example, I use Don Ternyila's wheel_controller.spin without modification for the drive system, although I have used just a portion his testharness object. I have used bits and pieces of many other objects listed with the exchange. The Remote Controller and the interface to the wheel controller is my original, along with a few other small objects, and the control and use of the communication cameras. I probably will first have available the finished code and schematic on the remote controller -- I do have to take the time to put the code in the proper format, credit property rights, and finish documenting my code before releasing to anyone. Tom, at this time the prep for release doesn't have the greatest priority in my schedule, but I will work on it as I go along.
The are selling the Kinect for $30 off plus a game!
Regards,
TCIII
The link to the CCFL tubing takes you to a page that says ' no products'
davee,
If you look in Post #5, Ken decided to discontinue the CCFL's because of lack of Inverters.
Jim
davee, the CCFLs from Parallax have been discontinued. There are simply too many better alternatives available now, like the LED tape lighting. The CCFL tubes also pose fragile handling and disposal issues.
Do you really want CCFLs, or could you look into some of the LED systems? Let me know because I don't mind doing a few eBay searches to help you out.
If you still want CCFLs, they're also available all over the place (just not Parallax).
Ken Gracey
The LEDs are bright! The overhead lights were on when I took the photos.
Rick
Way cool, the lights look great! It's amazing how much 'cooler' robots look when tricked out with LEDs. Thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Jessica
Reminds me of the time I got stuck on the Holo-deck...
-Matt