Cheap robotic platform
Hi everybody!
I wonder if anyone tried to hack "e VAC" by "Sharper Image". It's a robotic vacuum cleaner with 5" wheels, good motors and·sensors. You can get refurbished one for $70- including shipping. The problem is it has hard wired "brain". I'm thinking about hooking up BS2 or Javelina and other Parallax stuff to it to allow behavior programming. Does anybody have such experience?
Thanks!
VK
I wonder if anyone tried to hack "e VAC" by "Sharper Image". It's a robotic vacuum cleaner with 5" wheels, good motors and·sensors. You can get refurbished one for $70- including shipping. The problem is it has hard wired "brain". I'm thinking about hooking up BS2 or Javelina and other Parallax stuff to it to allow behavior programming. Does anybody have such experience?
Thanks!
VK
Comments
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
csavage@parallax.com
Thanks a lot!
VK
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There are 10 kinds of people in the world;
those who understand binary and those who don't.
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Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
csavage@parallax.com
You either have to have an h-bridge or the thing has to draw almost no power. Can't we assume that 'extra' circuitry here implies minimal rather than none?
And, you would likely need TWO h-bridges [noparse][[/noparse]one for each motor if the wheels are driven independently or one for drive and one for steering in a tricycle configuration]
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G. Herzog in Taiwan
To make life easier here is the link:
http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/catalog/productview.jhtml?sku=SI727RED
So we got here a fully functional robot. It actually does what they claim. So far I use it as intended for vacuuming and a bit as RC vehicle. People already·used 'Roomba' for robotic platform with 'Javelin' stamp:
http://www.roombacommunity.com/internals_jav.html
I believe that 'e VAC' has more potential due to lower price, bigger weels and more powerful motors. I own 'Roomba' as well·but 'e VAC' looks more hackable.
Take care!
VK
How do we get the word out to all the unsatisfied SI customers that there is a potential market to the robot world? I understand that these things didn't work all that well as automated cleaning systems. I saw a number of references to the brush getting bound up and battery life.
I don't have a lot of interest in robots right now, but I'll probably snarf one of the refurbished units up to put on the shelf for later. - Hey, I can give it to my wife as a "helper" and when she says it doesn't work so hot, snarf it up for my use! Get brownie points and a toy, all at once.
John R.
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There are 10 kinds of people in the world;
those who understand binary and those who don't.