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Please help me!!!!! Project with boe-bot — Parallax Forums

Please help me!!!!! Project with boe-bot

GaboGabo Posts: 10
edited 2007-09-21 03:07 in Learn with BlocklyProp
I have this project and i need help programing the boe-bot. My problem is I need the robot to autonomously navigate in a semi-professional billiards table. It also has the find·3 balls of certain color·and push them out of the table all the way to the bags. I need help programing the robot with basic stamp2.

I was planning to use the gripper for boe-bot, HM55 compass, TCS230 color sensor and a·Boe-bot with wheels.

I just need someone to get me on track with with program.<!-- Edit -->

Post Edited (Gabo) : 9/20/2007 6:21:36 PM GMT

Comments

  • dandreaedandreae Posts: 1,375
    edited 2007-09-20 18:27
    I suggest using the CMU Cam for this project.· The CMU Cam has·the ability to read the colors from a greater distance.· Here is a link for more information:· http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=30051.

    Dave

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    Dave Andreae

    Parallax Tech Support·
  • GaboGabo Posts: 10
    edited 2007-09-20 18:41
    ·

    ·Ok thanx, yeah i wanted to use the CMUcam but they bought the tcs230 instead, would it be very difficult to use it????

    ·Well I think the thing you can help me first is how to use the HM55 to navigate through the Billiards table, let`s say reach the ball and take it with the gripper to the bag, how can I make this??
  • Skywalker49Skywalker49 Posts: 172
    edited 2007-09-20 19:14
    Gabo, couple of questions

    1. What is a semi-professional billiards table? Is that the one with 6 holes ?
    2. Does each ball has to drop in an assigned basket or is any basket for any ball acceptable ?

    Ed
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2007-09-20 20:44
    The TCS230 is really not designed for identifying colored areas (balls) at a distance. If your BOEBOT somehow wandered up to within three or four inches of a ball, the TCS230 would let it identify the ball color. The active area is about 4mm on a side at one inch ... that would be 64mm on a side at 5 inches. Much beyond that the ball would blend into the background color.

    How were you going to locate the balls on the table? If your BOEBOT has to wander around like some kind of nearsighted BOT, it will tend to push other balls to the side which may or may not be what you want.
  • GaboGabo Posts: 10
    edited 2007-09-20 22:51
    Yes the semi-professional is the one with 6 holes and each color ball has to drop in an assigned basket, let`s say the blue balls must be placed in the blue basket by the boebot.

    Well I didn`t bought the boebot and it`s parts. In first place they assigned me the project above, when I began with the project around like a month away i thought that i would use the CMUcam, but the past weekend they let me know that the sensor they had was not the CMUcam, it is the TCS230.

    So, the original idea is to locate the balls by using the color sensor, but i think that the TCS230 in this case is useless. Any other ideas or suggestions you can give me??? The idea is that i must go take a ball of certain color with the gripper, and then take it to the asigned basket. How can I achieve this, any code or program suggestions???
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2007-09-21 00:28
    It's too early for code or program suggestions. Your main problem is how to accomplish the task at all.

    How did you intend to mount the TCS230? Have you looked further into its capabilities, say by looking at application notes, etc. for hints of how it could be used at a distance? Again, I ask how you intend to detect the presence of a ball right in front of your BOEBOT? Your BOEBOT has no clue what's around it except for the the color right under the TCS230 sensor.

    Maybe you'll have to do some experiments with the TCS230 mounted in different ways to see what kind of signal you get from it with different balls at different distances and with different backgrounds.· The existing sample programs should be enough to get you started.

    This is not a project where an answer is likely to be sitting out somewhere for you to just pick up and modify slightly.· You're going to have to do some experimenting and information gathering with the tools at hand.

    Post Edited (Mike Green) : 9/21/2007 12:33:31 AM GMT
  • GaboGabo Posts: 10
    edited 2007-09-21 02:19
    Yeah that part I know, that`s what I`m trying right now; I will notify any results, but what I`m talking about is that if you have any ideas about how to do it that will help me. I will really thank you
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    edited 2007-09-21 03:07
    The Nuts and Volts column on this sensor should provide some ideas and sample code for determining colors (here: www.parallax.com/dl/docs/cols/nv/vol4/col/nv98.pdf). There are other sample and test programs on the Parallax product page (here: www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=30054).

    My personal opinion is that you have an inadequate set of sensors for the task at hand in that, other than the TCS230, you have nothing for detecting the presence of a ball and the TCS230 is not particularly good for that. If this is all you have because of some rules, then you'll have to make do somehow.

    Again, start with some experimentation using the TCS230 as a ball detector. Where and how would you need to mount the TCS230 to accomplish that. It may be that the TCS230 won't work at all at this task or that it needs to be mounted on some kind of bracket, possibly controlled with another servo. I have no idea since I don't know whether (or how) the TCS230 might work in this fashion.
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