How would you arrange PINGS?

TylerSkyler

Hi All, I'm faced once again with the task of arrange my pings for obstacle avoidence on my 4wd skid steering robot. How would you set them up to be effeicent and effective? All suggestions and ideas are welcome and apprciated. This post is to generate ideas for effecient and effective arrangments(sorry if this is in the wrong place I thought this Forum seemed most fitting).

Here's a picture of the bot:

Thanks,


Tyler

GordonMcComb

As I am cheap I prefer to use a turret to spin a single sensor. As long as the turret stops long enough for the ping the sweep won't introduce any bad effects. You don't mention a budget, but a single turret with one Ping on each side would be under $100. The turret has to be elevated enough so that the "back side" Ping isn't obscured by electronics or anything else on the robot. If that's not possible, a Ping on a separate turret doesn't add too much extra cost.

I prefer not to have a zillion of any single type of sensor. I like augmenting sensors like ultrasonic with maybe a low-end IRPD on each corner, and I still like mechanical whiskers for those times sound and light sensors just can't see the object. This way there's sensor fusion, plus it's easier (and maybe cheaper) than making arrays out of a single sensor type.

As you build your bot feel free to post pics, and let us know how you like that Lynxmotion base. Jim and his son make some nice platforms.

-- Gordon

TylerSkyler

Sorry for not metioning budget. I have 4 ping sensors and the means to make stands or other things to secure them and i also have 2 standard parallax servos with the Ping mounts for them. I don't want to have to buy anything I don't need.

Thanks for the reply!

Thanks,

Tyler

GordonMcComb

In that case, and assuming you're not planning to use the other two Pings for something else, two on turrets front and back, and two as low as possible on the front and back bumper.

It's helpful if you have servos that can do a true 180 degree spin. That way you can, for example, point them both to the side and do wall following. (Drive so the two Pings are the same distance from the wall.) When that job is done, you can spin them around for some other task.

If you're getting fancy with the turrets you can construct at least one that's X/Y. Tilt it straight up and use it as a control device. Or have it scan up and down to determine animal-like objects, which tend to have a small profile down low, but a larger one higher up.

-- Gordon

TylerSkyler

@Gordon You suggested updating on my robot and the lynxmotion base so here it goes:

Here is the robot Now:

I'm liking the base so far, but it's 300 dollars after the base, motor controller. So far all I have added to the bot is the wood board on the front holding the servos and PINGS. Everything else it mounted on the panel that came with the bot. I'm using the Parallax GPS with the onboard prop. I love it it's very good for easily getting gps data(especially with the smart mode enabled). The PC board next to the propeller it used as a "port" to inside the bot. i think next i'll add a PING on the front and Back bumper now...mabye.


Cheers,

Tyler