Parallax Parts Win Again!

erco · 2013-09-05 18:07

Woo Hoo! I just got word that my BS2E & PING-based Terminator won Jameco's "Coasterbot" contest (build a bot using a CD as a chassis). This makes three robot contest wins with Parallax parts for me, including Trinity Firefighting 1994 and ROBOT Figure 8 in 2008.

I was working on this bot as I approached my 10,000th post in August, and with all that pressure, I made a purposeful effort to feature Parallax parts, plus a few erco-approved goodies (RoboVoice chip, clear dollar breadboard and a laser sensor). There's more info in the Robotics forum, but I figured I'd mention it here as not everyone visits that forum.

Pics & video attached here. Yeah, I know my floor is dirty! It started out clean, but it's hard to make a perfect video with twins running through my studio (in and out of the back door) every 5 minutes. Quite frankly, I am overjoyed that the words "I gotta go potty" aren't heard in the background.

Martin_H · 2013-09-05 18:12

Congratulations, it is an impressive robot.

Mike Cook · 2013-09-05 18:15

Congratulations!

That a pretty impressive bot that you made.

Ron Czapala · 2013-09-05 18:19

Great job erco!

Congrats,
Ron

Bob Lawrence (VE1RLL) · 2013-09-05 18:29

Wow Congratulations! I've been a happy Jameco customer for many years. Great project.

ElectricAye · 2013-09-05 18:58

Cool! Nice looking bot.

mindrobots · 2013-09-05 19:31

Most excellent!!!

I wonder how many entries used something other than an Ard____?

And your little guy brought home the bacon!!! YAY!

Matt Gilliland · 2013-09-06 09:08

Congratulations erco!!! WTG :thumb::thumb:
-MattG

Whit · 2013-09-06 14:39

And not a bit of plywood... Congrats my friend!

NWCCTV · 2013-09-06 14:40

Way to go erco!!!!

Bill Henning · 2013-09-06 14:45

Well done!

GordonMcComb · 2013-09-06 14:47

You could your NOT win?!

Duane Degn · 2013-09-06 16:05

Congratulations erco.

That's a great robot!

xanadu · 2013-09-06 16:21

Very nice!

skylight · 2013-09-07 13:55

You know what's coming next.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us3dQ0nnlHY

erco · 2013-10-02 14:44

Jim Carey (the REAL one, who works in Parallax Customer Service) found this contest summary today from Jameco. After a few tweaks, it's succinct but accurate.

http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/workshop/challenge/challenge-coasterbot2results.html

vanmunch · 2013-10-02 15:12

Awesome! way to go, I like the "Ha Ha Ha"

erco · 2013-10-02 20:42

Third place also used Parallax parts: a BoeBot, 4 PINGs, and possibly a ColorPal or TAOS color sensor.

But for the life of me, I don't see a CD or DVD anywhere on the bot. Perhaps that Plexiglas disk on top counts...?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8uQMVIfBUM

erco · 2013-10-14 20:39

I just found this old newspaper account of my first BS1 project, a robot which won the very first Trinity Firefighting Robot contest, way back in 1994: http://articles.courant.com/1994-04-18/news/9404180144_1_robots-hot-wheels-maze

That contest is still going strong, 20 years later: http://www.trincoll.edu/events/robot/

mindrobots · 2013-10-15 08:11

Wow, Mr. erco! They had robots way back then?????

We were at a fall harvest festival this weekend and they had some old cars (lots of Ford Model A's and a few Model T's ..... my dear daughter asked (pointing to a Model T pickup) if that is what cars looked like when I was young.....

OK, I know I'm old but Model T's?!?!??!?

Parallax Parts Win Again!

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