Hi everyone =)
Jax
Posts: 10
···· My first post!· =D·
I have been thinking for some time about getting a microcontroller starter package to kick off some of my robot ideas.··A·few·of which will be the focus of this post.· The only thing that has kept me from really starting is lack of coding skill (which the book from the starter kit teaches), and the expense of buying multiple stamps for multiple projects.· I remember reading about small cheap 8 and 16 pin dip IC's and that has kept me from trying a Basic Stamp out.· Mainly cause if I could learn to·code "insert 4/8 bit family of microcontroller name here", buying an all purpose controller might be a spendy error.· I dont know.· So I will post my robot projects and let you decide what I should do.· One thing is for sure.· If I do go with another chip I would have to manually build a circuit board for it.· Something that is my weakness.
Robot project 1.· Cylinder Bot.· The main and first robot I would love to make.· I want to make a simple cylinder shaped·robot that can face moving objects.· This has been sparked by those skeleton robots you see in stores during·Halloween that look to the left or right when you trigger one of its 2 light sensors.· So I thought it would be neat if I acumulated about 7 photoresistor light sensors and arranged them in a row.··They would be spread out of course·so that the robot can effectively·detect objects straight forward (Sensor 4), a bit to the left and right (Sensor 3 and 5), more to the left and right (sensor·2 and 6) and straight 90 Degree left or right (Sensor 1 and 7).· The robot would turn at a slow or moderate pace to "face" the sensor that detected movement.· So if sensor 1 (90 Degree left) picked up movement, the robot would turn left until sensor 4 was aligned where sensor 1 was facing.· To fix the problem of overshooting or undershooting the target, the robot would have a count sensor that counts the "dots" drawn on one of the wheels (the wheel used for turning)· Each dot would be marked just right so the robot·rotation range is·based on how much the wheel moved.· So unless the robot slipped or lost traction, it would always face the target.· The sensor 4 would be used to advance forward for a preset time or distance.· Would this be hard to·achieve with a Basic Stamp?· Would be alot of fun to make it.· Any other ideas as to how my robot would·face or even follow·moving objects would help.· I know Ultrasonic sensors have been done but its not for me.··I dont know about IR sensors being useful.· And a camera is too complex let alone expensive.
These below are my later goal robot ideas.· Comment on them if you like.
Robot project 2.· Ear Robot.· A voice recognition robot that responds to specific·commands.· I have NO idea how hard it would be to get the robot to function to voice commands.· Maybe its beyond the scope of most affordable microcontrollers and maybe even requires some special and well made code by engineers.· It would be cool though if you could command a robot to do things such as "lift hand" "move forward" or "flashlight" to activate its white LED's.· I have a theory that I could butcher an electronic toy for a "Voice Command" circuit.· But they are custom made for a specific job and tough to modify.· Besides, it would be wierd if I said "Beg" to get my robot to launch a ping pong ball. LOL!
Robot project 3.· Talking Robot!· Who wouldnt want to make their robot yell "BEER!!" while serving some drinks!· Dont know how to synchronize·actions to the voice or program multiple "messages" to say at specific times.· Would be super cool if I could do that and would be among the most useful of all the projects.
And finally robot 4.··Special Sensor·Bot.· This one is a tricky one to understand but basically it uses touch sensors to play a light pattern.· The dome shaped robot would have spots on the surface.· Touching them would cause the robot to play patterns of lights along the border.· The challenge of this one is trying to get the robot to detect your finger placed on the plastic dome at specific spots.· So it works maybe by capacitive or induction.· There should be no metal objects or·push button·switches·that you have to touch to activate the spot.· I have seen plastic toys that respond to touch on the plastic surface.· I am not sure how its done but I have noticed a foil and a wire leading from the foil under the plastic.· If you ever take apart a Tekno you will see such a sensor on the forehead.
Well thats pretty much it.· There are a few others but I'll save those for later.
Thanks for your help and advice on this.
Fastenjaw
I have been thinking for some time about getting a microcontroller starter package to kick off some of my robot ideas.··A·few·of which will be the focus of this post.· The only thing that has kept me from really starting is lack of coding skill (which the book from the starter kit teaches), and the expense of buying multiple stamps for multiple projects.· I remember reading about small cheap 8 and 16 pin dip IC's and that has kept me from trying a Basic Stamp out.· Mainly cause if I could learn to·code "insert 4/8 bit family of microcontroller name here", buying an all purpose controller might be a spendy error.· I dont know.· So I will post my robot projects and let you decide what I should do.· One thing is for sure.· If I do go with another chip I would have to manually build a circuit board for it.· Something that is my weakness.
Robot project 1.· Cylinder Bot.· The main and first robot I would love to make.· I want to make a simple cylinder shaped·robot that can face moving objects.· This has been sparked by those skeleton robots you see in stores during·Halloween that look to the left or right when you trigger one of its 2 light sensors.· So I thought it would be neat if I acumulated about 7 photoresistor light sensors and arranged them in a row.··They would be spread out of course·so that the robot can effectively·detect objects straight forward (Sensor 4), a bit to the left and right (Sensor 3 and 5), more to the left and right (sensor·2 and 6) and straight 90 Degree left or right (Sensor 1 and 7).· The robot would turn at a slow or moderate pace to "face" the sensor that detected movement.· So if sensor 1 (90 Degree left) picked up movement, the robot would turn left until sensor 4 was aligned where sensor 1 was facing.· To fix the problem of overshooting or undershooting the target, the robot would have a count sensor that counts the "dots" drawn on one of the wheels (the wheel used for turning)· Each dot would be marked just right so the robot·rotation range is·based on how much the wheel moved.· So unless the robot slipped or lost traction, it would always face the target.· The sensor 4 would be used to advance forward for a preset time or distance.· Would this be hard to·achieve with a Basic Stamp?· Would be alot of fun to make it.· Any other ideas as to how my robot would·face or even follow·moving objects would help.· I know Ultrasonic sensors have been done but its not for me.··I dont know about IR sensors being useful.· And a camera is too complex let alone expensive.
These below are my later goal robot ideas.· Comment on them if you like.
Robot project 2.· Ear Robot.· A voice recognition robot that responds to specific·commands.· I have NO idea how hard it would be to get the robot to function to voice commands.· Maybe its beyond the scope of most affordable microcontrollers and maybe even requires some special and well made code by engineers.· It would be cool though if you could command a robot to do things such as "lift hand" "move forward" or "flashlight" to activate its white LED's.· I have a theory that I could butcher an electronic toy for a "Voice Command" circuit.· But they are custom made for a specific job and tough to modify.· Besides, it would be wierd if I said "Beg" to get my robot to launch a ping pong ball. LOL!
Robot project 3.· Talking Robot!· Who wouldnt want to make their robot yell "BEER!!" while serving some drinks!· Dont know how to synchronize·actions to the voice or program multiple "messages" to say at specific times.· Would be super cool if I could do that and would be among the most useful of all the projects.
And finally robot 4.··Special Sensor·Bot.· This one is a tricky one to understand but basically it uses touch sensors to play a light pattern.· The dome shaped robot would have spots on the surface.· Touching them would cause the robot to play patterns of lights along the border.· The challenge of this one is trying to get the robot to detect your finger placed on the plastic dome at specific spots.· So it works maybe by capacitive or induction.· There should be no metal objects or·push button·switches·that you have to touch to activate the spot.· I have seen plastic toys that respond to touch on the plastic surface.· I am not sure how its done but I have noticed a foil and a wire leading from the foil under the plastic.· If you ever take apart a Tekno you will see such a sensor on the forehead.
Well thats pretty much it.· There are a few others but I'll save those for later.
Thanks for your help and advice on this.
Fastenjaw
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