Robo Caddy's first outing...

Comments

• stamptrol Posts: 1,731

  2008-09-23 11:56 edited 2008-09-23 11:56

  Nice job.
  
  One has to imagine a squirrel or rabbit going past the caddy and it taking off to chase it.
  
  Cheers,
  
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  Tom Sisk
  
  http://www.siskconsult.com
  ·
• Timothy D. Swieter Posts: 1,613

  2008-09-23 13:30 edited 2008-09-23 13:30

  Very cool use of Parallax products. You mentioned you would change the ultrasonics out, were they difficult to calibrate or program? Did they not perform as well as you wanted?
  
  Nice job!
  
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  Timothy D. Swieter, E.I.
  
  www.brilldea.com·- Prop Blade, LED Painter, RGB LEDs, uOLED-IOC, eProto fo SunSPOT, BitScope
  www.sxmicro.com - a blog·exploring the SX micro
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• Duffer Posts: 374

  2008-09-23 17:36 edited 2008-09-23 17:36

  Nice to see a project actually make it into the field (onto the course).
  
  Setup on the right edge of the fairway at about 200 yards, close the club face 3-5 degrees, make your regular swing "down the line". If it goes straight, you're on the right edge of the fairway. If it draws, which it should, you're in the middle of the fairway and long. If you over do·it and try to steer the ball left and end up hooking it, you're on the left side of the fairway. In all three cases, the ball is still in play.
  
  Duffer
• parts-man73 Posts: 830

  2008-09-23 18:24 edited 2008-09-23 18:24

  How was the reaction from other golfers??
  
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  Brian
  
  uController.com - home of SpinStudio - the modular Development system for the Propeller
  
  PropNIC - Add ethernet ability to your Propeller! PropJoy - Plug in a joystick and play some games!
  
  SD card Adapter - mass storage for the masses Audio/Video adapter add composite video and sound to your Proto Board
• deno Posts: 242

  2008-09-24 11:18 edited 2008-09-24 11:18

  The squirrels and rabbits are to small to be noticed by the transducers.· As far as the other golfers, most didn't notice, as they were looking for there balls in the rough with there head down.· And, I picked a tee time late in the afternoon when there are less players on the course.
  
  I think that control with a joystick might be a better way to control Robo Caddy.· This way, you can send Robo out in front of you, and when you pick your club, I will be able to send Robo over to the wife so she can pick her club.· Yes, Robo can carry two sets of clubs....I will make the joystick transmitter package small...there are some nice small 'thumb' type· 2 axis resistive joysticks out there.
  
  Deno
• Timothy D. Swieter Posts: 1,613

  2008-09-24 11:39 edited 2008-09-24 11:39

  Why not have both modes? After a couple holes of driving my thumb would probably get tired.
  
  If there is enough room for adding more clubs why not also add a cooler to carry a couple cold beverages?
  
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  Timothy D. Swieter, E.I.
  
  www.brilldea.com·- Prop Blade, LED Painter, RGB LEDs, uOLED-IOC, eProto fo SunSPOT, BitScope
  www.sxmicro.com - a blog·exploring the SX micro
  www.tdswieter.com
• deno Posts: 242

  2008-09-25 11:40 edited 2008-09-25 11:40

  Yes...there is already room for another set of clubs.· The wife's.....
  
  I don't think that pushing a joystick around with one's·finger is anymore taxing then turning a steering wheel on a golf cart....
  
  Yes..there is a drink holder, but coolers are not allowed on most courses...they want you to buy from there drink cart.
  
  My request to a company for info on there 'small' joystick has fallen on deaf ears...anyone got any links on a small, resistive, 2 axis joystick.··(just the joystick...no circuitry)?
  
  Deno
• Bruce Bates Posts: 3,045

  2008-09-25 12:06 edited 2008-09-25 12:06

  Deno -
  
  If you're looking for something simple and reasonably inexpensive, this may be the ticket:
  http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/JS-5/JOYSTICK/-/1.html
  
  Regards,
  
  Bruce Bates
  
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  When all else fails, try inserting a new battery.
• Chris Savage Parallax Engineering Posts: 14,406

  2008-09-25 18:10 edited 2008-09-25 18:10

  Well, you wouldn’t have any proportional control with that Joystick…I can’t find it right now but someone just posted in the last week or so a link to a miniature joystick module that Radio Shack used to carry. It had a black plastic base about 1” square and a small aluminum shaft that was threaded for adding a handle. These had two small post on the sides.
  
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  Chris Savage
  Parallax Engineering
• steve_b Posts: 1,563

  2008-09-26 13:08 edited 2008-09-26 13:08

  Very cool....hidden cooler? [noparse];)[/noparse]
  
  re: slice.
  close your face or get an offset club head....or only play dogleg rights! [noparse];)[/noparse] (I'm having the same problem with my driver this year...not enough practice)
  
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  <FONT>Steve
  
  
  
  What's the best thing to do in a lightning storm? "take a one iron out the bag and hold it straight up above your head, even God cant hit a one iron!"
  Lee Travino after the second time being hit by lightning!
  
• jslil Posts: 11

  2008-09-26 15:52 edited 2008-09-26 15:52

  Awesome application!
  
  how are you using the ultrasonics currently?
• deno Posts: 242

  2008-09-27 00:40 edited 2008-09-27 00:40

  To explain the operation of the ultrasonic sensors could get lengthy...I could post the code, and you could read it, but some of you might laugh at how I write code...
  
  Anyway, basicly, there are 3 ultrasonic sensors, left, center, and right.· The stamp polls each sensor, looking for me.· The total degrees of sensor field is about 120 degrees.·If the center sensor see me, then both HB25's engage to drive Robo straight.· However, if only the left or right sensor sees me, then one or the other HB25 drives only one wheel to bring the center sensor back into view.· I use the distance from sensor to me in a speed calculation to tell the HB25 how much power (speed) to apply. So there is a variable speed, depending on how close or far Robo is from me.· If I walk fast, Robo goes faster to keep up.· On the other hand, if I walk slow, then Robo does to.· The sensors reach out to 10 feet.· If Robo looses sight of me on the center sensor, Robo just stops. If Robo looses sight of me on the left or right sensor, Robo goes into a tight circle, looking for me.·I must step back into view, and Robo will aquire me again and follow.· Minimum range is 25 inches, where Robo will come to a complete stop.· I can then walk on and Robo will start to follow again, or I can push a "Stay put" button, select my club and hit the ball.· Upon returning the club to the bag, I push the "Follow" button and off we go looking for my ball in the rough....· There is also a push button that will apply a small amount of reverse to back up Robo if he is to close to my ball or swing.
  
  In addition to the above, I can control Robo with an RF, frequency modulated 4 button remote.· Actions with the RF remote are, pivot left, pivot right, straight, left turn, right turn.· And the last button on the remote ingages a heavy relay, which in turn supplies the HB25's with power.· This way, I can disengage, and engage the HB25...useful when first turning on the stamp to avoid a run-a-way condition of the HB25.
  
  A second stamp monitors 4 tilt sensor for uphill, downhill, left and right slope.· This simple data is continiously sent (SEROUT) to the above stamp.· The above stamp spends about 5 mSec's looking for this data (SERIN) and then uses that to add PWM to the HB25 for uphill, or subtract for downhill braking, or applying more PWM to only one wheel for operating on a tilting slope.· This last one has been tricky to write a speed algarithm for.· The tilt sensors activate at 10 degrees.· I orginnaly tried the Mimsic 2125, but it was to sensitive to vibration.· Golf courses are not that smooth.
  
  That should give you an idea of operation.· The most time was spent on developing the gear boxes, and chain drives.· The electronics was easy.
  
  Deno
• SRLM Posts: 5,045

  2008-09-27 01:41 edited 2008-09-27 01:41

  Sounds like your device could be used for lots of other "following" applications. Perhaps your could make an autonomous stroller to roll the kids around at Disneyland (or a friends kids...)
• Ugha Posts: 543

  2008-10-01 22:23 edited 2008-10-01 22:23

  Possibly dumb idea... could you use an IR beacon to make it follow ahead of just YOU?
  Maybe a circle of IR LEDs on a hat or belt or something? Since you can't see IR, you won't look like a christmas tree [noparse]:)[/noparse]
  Put some ultrasonics on the front to avoid running into anything/anyone, then one on the rear for ranging... to make sure it
  stays the correct distance in front of you.
  
  You'd have to make sure you find a frequency that won't trigger false readings due to sunlight, but besides that it should
  be fairly easy to keep you targeted.
  
  You could even use your small remote to tell it to swing in front of you or behind, based on the situation.
• CounterRotatingProps Posts: 1,132

  2008-10-02 00:56 edited 2008-10-02 00:56

  Extra Round of Golf Claps, Deno!
  
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  Buzz Whirr Click Repeat
• erco Posts: 20,261

  2008-10-02 20:34 edited 2008-10-02 20:34

  Deno:
  
  Very cool 'bot! Re: rolling downhill, might you use your tilt sensors to allow the robot to turn perpendicular to the downhill when stopped? That would obviate the need for a parking brake, providing it won't tip over sideways.
  
  erco
  
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  ·"If you build it, they will come."