Author Topic: Internet Control  (Read 2514 times)

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Offline Thomas CountzTopic starter

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Internet Control
« on: December 27, 2008, 09:19:14 PM »
Internet control is a topic that frequently comes up on this forum, for many reasons...IT'S AWESOME! However it seems no really solid solution has come to the occasion, therefore, leaving people, like me, to, yet again, bring up the question.

HARDWARE
From dunk we receive the solution of allowing a robot to first communicate to a computer, and then let that computer run as a server (http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=538.0). This solution is a very practical one for many applications, however the problems arise when one wants to allow for control when a separate computer is not present.

Then the other solution would be to jam the computer (laptop) right inside the robot allowing for a better wireless approach. This seems a more appropriate application for those who want a robot to make its way further about. However, this is not a very cost effective solution for most, and therefore, is strayed away from.

A third solution is similar, to jam a compact/mini computer into the robot. Such as Charm Labs's Qwerk or Apple's Mac Mini. These are not really much more affordable, (I have yet to find a price on the Qwerk however) the Mac Mini will run you $599.99 to $799.99 new from Apple, though of course, there's always eBay. From reading the little information I've gathered about the Qwerk, it seem utmost appropriate for most [larger] robot applications, simply due to size and weight, it wouldn't be recommended for smaller projects, as with the Mac Mini as well. 

Side not on Qwerk:
Qwerk seems to be a perfect solution for internet controlled robots, with feature like:
• 4 closed-loop 2.0 Amp motor controllers (supports both quadrature encoder and back-EMF
“sensorless” feedback)
• 16 RC-servo controllers
• 16 programmable digital I/Os
• 8 12-bit analog inputs
• 2 RS-232 ports
• I2C ports
• 2 USB 2.0 host ports for connecting standard USB PC peripherals
• 10/100BT Ethernet port
• Built-in audio amplifier with MP3, PCM and WAV audio support
It seems most fitting for a robot project...now to find a price..........

The forth and final solution, that I have researched the least, is to embed a small computer board into your robot. For example the FOX Board LX832 from ACME systems is an embedded Linux single board computer that can allow you build a web server right into your robot. This board will cost you upwards of $150, so it's not exactly cheap (depending on who you talk to), but offers the best solution (IMHO) for the lesser cost.

I hope this may have helped clear things up a little if you're planning on implementing internet control into your project. Though I only offer vague HARDWARE solutions to this problem, I hope that this will allow for you to branch off and research on your own. As I continue my research I hope that I can help you implement these solutions. 

Another simple solution would be to purchase a pre-made robot that offers internet control that you can expand upon. Sound like cheating? To bad. haha

There are sources that contain other information about different methods for achieving the same goal. These solution may not have been mention due to the lack of community support or documentation.
UPDATE

This article: http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20070430/finally-good-cheap-robot-brains-for-sale-qwerk/ advertises the Qwerk at $349.00 cheap for what it's capable of!



P.S. Sorry this is in the Software section, I planned to write about that as well.... :P
« Last Edit: December 27, 2008, 09:31:31 PM by Thomas Countz »

Offline Ro-Bot-X

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Re: Internet Control
« Reply #1 on: December 27, 2008, 10:50:45 PM »
Cool gadget...

Looking at other robotic cool gadgets I have found this one:
http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20080619/hasbro-and-tiger-electronics-amp/#more-14773

I reeeeaaally want to hack this robot!!!

« Last Edit: December 27, 2008, 10:51:39 PM by Ro-Bot-X »
Check out the uBotino robot controller!

Offline dunk

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Re: Internet Control
« Reply #2 on: December 28, 2008, 04:58:52 AM »
Quote
The forth and final solution, that I have researched the least, is to embed a small computer board into your robot.
here's a writeup i did on a few of the available options i looked at a year or two ago: http://mrdunk.googlepages.com/processor


dunk.

Offline Thomas CountzTopic starter

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Re: Internet Control
« Reply #3 on: December 28, 2008, 01:49:00 PM »
Also, I forgot about the tiny modules you can buy that run with the 802.11 b/g....they'll run you upwards of $100-$150. Some here
« Last Edit: December 28, 2008, 02:06:07 PM by Thomas Countz »

Offline hgordon

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Re: Internet Control
« Reply #4 on: December 28, 2008, 07:27:05 PM »
We use Lantronix Matchport with our robots -
    http://www.lantronix.com/device-networking/embedded-device-servers/matchport.html

Matchport cost is less than $100, though it is a 3.3V system.  If you are looking for a complete robot/wifi solution, you might look at the Surveyor controllers -
    http://www.surveyor.com/blackfin/
    http://www.surveyor.com/SRV.html

(shameless plug - we are the Surveyor builders, but this sounds similar to what you seek)
Surveyor Corporation
  www.surveyor.com

 


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