Robot nest
Archiver
Posts: 46,084
Have any of you stampers created a nest for your robot to go back to by
tracking an IR signal or something similar?
[noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
tracking an IR signal or something similar?
[noparse][[/noparse]Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Comments
an idea:
Make a clear plastic cylinder with a couple of metal bands around it and
position it vertically somewhere in the room. Put some LED's inside the
cylinder for the robot to look for and a v-block affair with a couple of
contacts on it to make the charging connection. The robot can hit the
base from any direction and make contact pretty easily.
> Have any of you stampers created a nest for your robot to go back to by
> tracking an IR signal or something similar?
transformer arrangement. The primary is in the "nest" and the secondary
is in the robot. So the robot just has to get close and switch on the
secondary. Of course you have to use AC and rectify it at the robot, but
that would allow for very crude positioning to work, no grime on
contacts, no reversed contacts, etc.
Probably inefficient if you were trying to build a battery-powered nest,
but otherwise...
Al Williams
AWC
* Floating point A/D
http://www.al-williams.com/awce/pak9.htm
>
Original Message
> From: Bill Boyer [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=YN0Sxrbt6hm73Tldeygy_UY0CH8B4WV82g2zb_4WXtmNnXkwpxdmfnwdXjBFfXVk44VyqR4t0kLp5yODFtU]daweasel@s...[/url
> Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2003 10:55 PM
> To: Basic Stamp List
> Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Robot nest
>
>
> I have pondered a home / charging station, but not built one
> -- here is an idea:
>
> Make a clear plastic cylinder with a couple of metal bands
> around it and position it vertically somewhere in the room.
> Put some LED's inside the cylinder for the robot to look for
> and a v-block affair with a couple of contacts on it to make
> the charging connection. The robot can hit the base from any
> direction and make contact pretty easily.
>
> > Have any of you stampers created a nest for your robot to
> go back to
> > by
> > tracking an IR signal or something similar?
>
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the
> Subject and Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
>
toothbrush that charges exactly in this manner. But in that case there's a
donut shaped charging station with the battery-handle fitting down inside. I
think there's a coil of wire wound onto a core (like a spool of fishing
line) to transfer flux to a similar small coil in the handle. Sort of like a
de-gaussing coil to erase audio tapes. Of course, a torrid winding scheme is
probably incorrect for this thing since it concentrates the flux into the
core, not the center.
I envision a flat floor charging mat with a 6" diameter primary winding and
a ring of LED's around the edge. This could be just 1/4 inch thick with
ramped edges if you were careful. Then the robot simply drives onto the pad,
centering itself between the LED"s with maybe a center LED to final
alignment. A similar 6" diameter secondary winding on the "floorboards" of
the robot would then be centered over the primary floor coil, and I'll bet
it would transfer enough juice for a medium-fast charge. BTW, a pressure
switch under the mat would only feed AC to the coil when the robot was on
the pad, and be careful of duty-cycle. You can easily build a coil that will
run for 5 minutes then start overheating, so most of them have a thermal
safety of some sort. Leaving this on unattended could be a fire hazard, so
test carefully and provide a thermal shutdown way below the flashpoint.
Also, you probably want to step down the voltage going to the primary coil
via a transformer so you're only working with 12 to 24 volts AC. I don't
think I would want to plug the primary coil directly into the wall output...
too many things to go wrong. Then just do a ratio thing to get the proper
charging voltage you need, remembering a 1:1 ratio will give you unity
voltage, while a 2:1 primary to secondary radio will drop the voltage by a
factor of two. A simple full-wave bridge rectifier will give you about 1.4
times the AC voltage (peak vs. RMS) on the filter cap (minus the diode
voltage drops, etc). Of course it will be pretty inefficient, but certainly
have the cool factor. I'm thinking the LED's should do a marquee cycle like
a UFO landing strip....
Mike Sokol
Original Message
From: "Al Williams" <alw@a...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 10:04 AM
Subject: RE: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Robot nest
> I've often thought it might be interesting to just use an air core
> transformer arrangement. The primary is in the "nest" and the secondary
> is in the robot. So the robot just has to get close and switch on the
> secondary. Of course you have to use AC and rectify it at the robot, but
> that would allow for very crude positioning to work, no grime on
> contacts, no reversed contacts, etc.
>
> Probably inefficient if you were trying to build a battery-powered nest,
> but otherwise...
>
> Al Williams
> AWC
> * Floating point A/D
> http://www.al-williams.com/awce/pak9.htm
>
>
>
> >
Original Message
> > From: Bill Boyer [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=wwt66ybT246QztrgsvDD63sPJm47GJtTmCVhf214rMl7t96E8CbdIqfjuDnC3BQcY33O99FXhd4drg]daweasel@s...[/url
> > Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2003 10:55 PM
> > To: Basic Stamp List
> > Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Robot nest
> >
> >
> > I have pondered a home / charging station, but not built one
> > -- here is an idea:
> >
> > Make a clear plastic cylinder with a couple of metal bands
> > around it and position it vertically somewhere in the room.
> > Put some LED's inside the cylinder for the robot to look for
> > and a v-block affair with a couple of contacts on it to make
> > the charging connection. The robot can hit the base from any
> > direction and make contact pretty easily.
> >
> > > Have any of you stampers created a nest for your robot to
> > go back to
> > > by
> > > tracking an IR signal or something similar?
> >
> >
> >
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> > basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the
> > Subject and Body of the message will be ignored.
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
secondary)...but with tracks or wheels, wouldn't youhave to have quite the
chunk of power going through one of these 'platform transformers' in order
to charge the BOT properly.
This is obvious inefficient...BUT, with BOTS being radio controlled...would
the BOT be controllable when it nears the charging base?
But now that I think of it....you wanted the BOT to go back there on it's
own. But wouldn't the 'noise' from the charging station wreak havoc on any
other sensors on the BOT.
How about a multiple RF/IR setup. Have an RF beacon reporting where the
station is...and then use a photodiode at the station and have the BOT
'line-up' with it and plug itself in.
Certainly there's LOTS of ways to do this.
sb
Original Message
From: Mike Sokol - ModernRecording [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=5rVcx0FkcKCskXF73IQ3Ml20QE-W3htZfda0bUrHShKMFpsQp1a6KT_cIu-9cLd6siCVW_2W4QNxAZTpgLhPMQ]mikes@m...[/url
Sent: September 5, 2003 9:33 AM
To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Robot nest
The air core transformer is definitely workable. My kids have an ultrasonic
toothbrush that charges exactly in this manner. But in that case there's a
donut shaped charging station with the battery-handle fitting down inside. I
think there's a coil of wire wound onto a core (like a spool of fishing
line) to transfer flux to a similar small coil in the handle. Sort of like a
de-gaussing coil to erase audio tapes. Of course, a torrid winding scheme is
probably incorrect for this thing since it concentrates the flux into the
core, not the center.
I envision a flat floor charging mat with a 6" diameter primary winding and
a ring of LED's around the edge. This could be just 1/4 inch thick with
ramped edges if you were careful. Then the robot simply drives onto the pad,
centering itself between the LED"s with maybe a center LED to final
alignment. A similar 6" diameter secondary winding on the "floorboards" of
the robot would then be centered over the primary floor coil, and I'll bet
it would transfer enough juice for a medium-fast charge. BTW, a pressure
switch under the mat would only feed AC to the coil when the robot was on
the pad, and be careful of duty-cycle. You can easily build a coil that will
run for 5 minutes then start overheating, so most of them have a thermal
safety of some sort. Leaving this on unattended could be a fire hazard, so
test carefully and provide a thermal shutdown way below the flashpoint.
Also, you probably want to step down the voltage going to the primary coil
via a transformer so you're only working with 12 to 24 volts AC. I don't
think I would want to plug the primary coil directly into the wall output...
too many things to go wrong. Then just do a ratio thing to get the proper
charging voltage you need, remembering a 1:1 ratio will give you unity
voltage, while a 2:1 primary to secondary radio will drop the voltage by a
factor of two. A simple full-wave bridge rectifier will give you about 1.4
times the AC voltage (peak vs. RMS) on the filter cap (minus the diode
voltage drops, etc). Of course it will be pretty inefficient, but certainly
have the cool factor. I'm thinking the LED's should do a marquee cycle like
a UFO landing strip....
Mike Sokol
Original Message
From: "Al Williams" <alw@a...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 10:04 AM
Subject: RE: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Robot nest
> I've often thought it might be interesting to just use an air core
> transformer arrangement. The primary is in the "nest" and the
> secondary is in the robot. So the robot just has to get close and
> switch on the secondary. Of course you have to use AC and rectify it
> at the robot, but that would allow for very crude positioning to work,
> no grime on contacts, no reversed contacts, etc.
>
> Probably inefficient if you were trying to build a battery-powered
> nest, but otherwise...
>
> Al Williams
> AWC
> * Floating point A/D
> http://www.al-williams.com/awce/pak9.htm
>
>
>
> >
Original Message
> > From: Bill Boyer [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=tqVpNB3GYWXr5PnejENmF8LEtay2L3DMxNVHVaV6Hfx7KAiLUdB6N3qajFER48-E-Ua_bmYnAwXPNUg5NA]daweasel@s...[/url
> > Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2003 10:55 PM
> > To: Basic Stamp List
> > Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Robot nest
> >
> >
> > I have pondered a home / charging station, but not built one
> > -- here is an idea:
> >
> > Make a clear plastic cylinder with a couple of metal bands around it
> > and position it vertically somewhere in the room. Put some LED's
> > inside the cylinder for the robot to look for and a v-block affair
> > with a couple of contacts on it to make the charging connection. The
> > robot can hit the base from any direction and make contact pretty
> > easily.
> >
> > > Have any of you stampers created a nest for your robot to
> > go back to
> > > by
> > > tracking an IR signal or something similar?
> >
> >
> >
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> > basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the
> > Subject and Body of the message will be ignored.
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject
> and
Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
Body of the message will be ignored.
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
robot is in position for 30 seconds (or whatever) then the charger primary
could run for 5 minutes (or whatever you decide). I don't think a 60 Hz flux
would disturb proper RF electronics, but that's certainly a consideration.
That's why I want the pickup secondary on the floor, even on it's own little
solenoid to drop into contact with the mat, then pulled up for ground
clearance. I also like the idea of a Tesla coil to beam power around the
room so your robot would be on constant charge in the room, but think that's
just a little crazy. I'm sure the Hi-Freq of a Tesla coil would be
problematic with all things of a semiconductor nature....
Mike Sokol
Original Message
From: "Brady,Steven [noparse][[/noparse]PYR]" <steven.brady2@e...>
To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 12:46 PM
Subject: RE: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Robot nest
> I'm not sure of the core size in transformers (distance from prim to
> secondary)...but with tracks or wheels, wouldn't youhave to have quite the
> chunk of power going through one of these 'platform transformers' in order
> to charge the BOT properly.
>
> This is obvious inefficient...BUT, with BOTS being radio
controlled...would
> the BOT be controllable when it nears the charging base?
>
> But now that I think of it....you wanted the BOT to go back there on it's
> own. But wouldn't the 'noise' from the charging station wreak havoc on
any
> other sensors on the BOT.
>
> How about a multiple RF/IR setup. Have an RF beacon reporting where the
> station is...and then use a photodiode at the station and have the BOT
> 'line-up' with it and plug itself in.
> Certainly there's LOTS of ways to do this.
>
>
> sb
>
>
Original Message
> From: Mike Sokol - ModernRecording [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=23D5muWKtNdmdBndd8yAdlHyKsm7lKOsEjyYRI_fbTEEB9SOVgWdbOYWL-gKzMnwUj2fJ5nlk8R_81-gaZL2Niqm]mikes@m...[/url
> Sent: September 5, 2003 9:33 AM
> To: basicstamps@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Robot nest
>
>
> The air core transformer is definitely workable. My kids have an
ultrasonic
> toothbrush that charges exactly in this manner. But in that case there's a
> donut shaped charging station with the battery-handle fitting down inside.
I
> think there's a coil of wire wound onto a core (like a spool of fishing
> line) to transfer flux to a similar small coil in the handle. Sort of like
a
> de-gaussing coil to erase audio tapes. Of course, a torrid winding scheme
is
> probably incorrect for this thing since it concentrates the flux into the
> core, not the center.
>
> I envision a flat floor charging mat with a 6" diameter primary winding
and
> a ring of LED's around the edge. This could be just 1/4 inch thick with
> ramped edges if you were careful. Then the robot simply drives onto the
pad,
> centering itself between the LED"s with maybe a center LED to final
> alignment. A similar 6" diameter secondary winding on the "floorboards" of
> the robot would then be centered over the primary floor coil, and I'll bet
> it would transfer enough juice for a medium-fast charge. BTW, a pressure
> switch under the mat would only feed AC to the coil when the robot was on
> the pad, and be careful of duty-cycle. You can easily build a coil that
will
> run for 5 minutes then start overheating, so most of them have a thermal
> safety of some sort. Leaving this on unattended could be a fire hazard, so
> test carefully and provide a thermal shutdown way below the flashpoint.
> Also, you probably want to step down the voltage going to the primary coil
> via a transformer so you're only working with 12 to 24 volts AC. I don't
> think I would want to plug the primary coil directly into the wall
output...
> too many things to go wrong. Then just do a ratio thing to get the proper
> charging voltage you need, remembering a 1:1 ratio will give you unity
> voltage, while a 2:1 primary to secondary radio will drop the voltage by a
> factor of two. A simple full-wave bridge rectifier will give you about 1.4
> times the AC voltage (peak vs. RMS) on the filter cap (minus the diode
> voltage drops, etc). Of course it will be pretty inefficient, but
certainly
> have the cool factor. I'm thinking the LED's should do a marquee cycle
like
> a UFO landing strip....
>
> Mike Sokol
>
>
Original Message
> From: "Al Williams" <alw@a...>
> To: <basicstamps@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 10:04 AM
> Subject: RE: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Robot nest
>
>
> > I've often thought it might be interesting to just use an air core
> > transformer arrangement. The primary is in the "nest" and the
> > secondary is in the robot. So the robot just has to get close and
> > switch on the secondary. Of course you have to use AC and rectify it
> > at the robot, but that would allow for very crude positioning to work,
> > no grime on contacts, no reversed contacts, etc.
> >
> > Probably inefficient if you were trying to build a battery-powered
> > nest, but otherwise...
> >
> > Al Williams
> > AWC
> > * Floating point A/D
> > http://www.al-williams.com/awce/pak9.htm
> >
> >
> >
> > >
Original Message
> > > From: Bill Boyer [noparse]/noparse]mailto:[url=http://forums.parallaxinc.com/group/basicstamps/post?postID=2ai6nRseEgI7jYQsPlLlmxWs2MNkKjmWeDWTLG8TsJV6stEzSFKHZeDoXTFxoG1142uEdvtB5vQ9]daweasel@s...[/url
> > > Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2003 10:55 PM
> > > To: Basic Stamp List
> > > Subject: Re: [noparse][[/noparse]basicstamps] Robot nest
> > >
> > >
> > > I have pondered a home / charging station, but not built one
> > > -- here is an idea:
> > >
> > > Make a clear plastic cylinder with a couple of metal bands around it
> > > and position it vertically somewhere in the room. Put some LED's
> > > inside the cylinder for the robot to look for and a v-block affair
> > > with a couple of contacts on it to make the charging connection. The
> > > robot can hit the base from any direction and make contact pretty
> > > easily.
> > >
> > > > Have any of you stampers created a nest for your robot to
> > > go back to
> > > > by
> > > > tracking an IR signal or something similar?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> > > basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > > from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the
> > > Subject and Body of the message will be ignored.
> > >
> > >
> > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> > > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> > basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> > from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject
> > and
> Body of the message will be ignored.
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> >
> >
>
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
> Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, just send mail to:
> basicstamps-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
> from the same email address that you subscribed. Text in the Subject and
Body of the message will be ignored.
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>