Author Topic: Finally started documenting my current robot. (Read 8170 times)

madsci1016 · « **on:** December 30, 2009, 02:57:55 PM »

Details on my blog:

http://www.billporter.info/?p=95

"It is powered by 2 Li-Ion packs i built myself; has GPS, 3 axis compass, Xbee 900Mhz radio and an Axon as the main MCU. Eventually it will have an array of ultrasonic range finders for obstacle avoidance."

What do you think?

z.s.tar.gz · « **Reply #1 on:** December 30, 2009, 03:15:14 PM »

Very professionally done, or at least looks of it.

madsci1016 · « **Reply #2 on:** December 30, 2009, 03:32:24 PM »

Thanks.

I guess I am good, or just good at faking it, lol.

SmAsH · « **Reply #3 on:** December 30, 2009, 05:09:07 PM »

Robot porn! Cover your circuits!
That robot looks delicious, well done on it mate!
Where did the chassis come from, bought or made?

madsci1016 · « **Reply #4 on:** December 30, 2009, 06:36:01 PM »

Quote from: SmAsH on December 30, 2009, 05:09:07 PM

Robot porn! Cover your circuits!
That robot looks delicious, well done on it mate!
Where did the chassis come from, bought or made?

Quote from: www.billporter.info

The base chassis is a Lynx-motion 4WD rover body.

bought, and a bit over-priced, especially when i had to replace two motors with ones that I could attach encoders to.

http://www.lynxmotion.com/Category.aspx?CategoryID=1

SmAsH · « **Reply #5 on:** December 30, 2009, 07:00:02 PM »

A bit overpriced

How much would you say this project has cost all up so far?

z.s.tar.gz · « **Reply #6 on:** December 30, 2009, 09:07:34 PM »

200 bucks for a chassis!? Crap! That's my whole robot!

madsci1016 · « **Reply #7 on:** December 30, 2009, 10:47:27 PM »

Quote from: SmAsH on December 30, 2009, 07:00:02 PM

A bit overpriced
How much would you say this project has cost all up so far?

Too much. If i add it up I can no long be blissfully ignorant over how much i have spent. It is all worth it though, i have learned many things that have come in handy(and impressed the higher-ups) at my (well paying) job (that i was very lucky to find in this economy.) The batteries i scored on because i got the a few dozen Li-ion cells donated to me and i just spent $10 per pack assembling them with protection circuits. 14.4V 2.2aH packs, which are not bad at all for $10 bucks spent per pack. A few other things i took from my girlfriend's mothballed senior design robot.

Quote from: z.s.tar.gz on December 30, 2009, 09:07:34 PM

200 bucks for a chassis!? Crap! That's my whole robot!

Yes, but can your robot navigate rough terrain, communicate over 4 miles, and drive itself using GPS, inertial, and feature based navigation? ( I am working on the last two next). While 200 is a bit much, it is a well built chassis with motors and nice tough rubber tires. The plastic top is machined for many different types of cut-outs to add servos and such. I would recommend it to anyone trying to build a robot NOT limited to tile floors and sidewalks.

Like i said, i feel it is all worth it. I partially rationalize it but not buying video games, or new computer parts, staying off woot.com, etc

Joker94 · « **Reply #8 on:** December 30, 2009, 11:45:15 PM »

That is awsome

I hope to have that kind of money soon(well not as much but it wiill be more)

I bet you i impressed the higher up

Keep up the great work and the posting

Joker94

madsci1016 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 31, 2009, 09:30:44 AM »

Quote from: Joker94 on December 30, 2009, 11:45:15 PM

Keep up the great work and the posting

Joker94

Will do. I need to add some more about what I already have built. When i do, you guys will be the first to know.

madsci1016 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 01, 2010, 12:59:38 PM »

part 2 posted

http://www.billporter.info/?p=116

"Part 2 of my documenting of my robot project focuses on the just completed “Smart Motor Controller”. I call it a smart controller because, unlike other motor controllers on the market, mine utilizes feedback from the motors to precisely set wheel speeds and report back how far the robot has traveled."

Also, i am thinking about selling a kit to build a motor-controller like mine, and maybe open-source-ing the code. It doesn't seem there are any commercial products like this (at least cheap ones). Would anyone be interested in if if i were to sell / open source it?

Joker94 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 01, 2010, 05:55:57 PM »

Selling/ open sourcing it would be awsome as alot of teenage robot builders dont have the money for what your talking about so selling it and or open sourcing it would be great.

SmAsH · « **Reply #12 on:** January 03, 2010, 12:50:48 AM »

Madsci, will you be releasing source code at all?

little-c · « **Reply #13 on:** January 03, 2010, 04:29:50 AM »

I want one!

purely from lazyness. and a desire to not incinerate my fingers on mosfets again!

madsci1016 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 03, 2010, 09:01:00 AM »

Quote from: SmAsH on January 03, 2010, 12:50:48 AM

Madsci, will you be releasing source code at all?

More then likely. I am an EE and really didn't have formal education in programming beyond the basics (and assembly, yuck) i self taught the high order stuff. I am in the process of having a real CS look over my code and give me some pointers.

I would love this to be my first major contribution to the community, but I am too proud, and want to make it a little more professional before i do.

I take it you are interested in it, Smash?

SmAsH · « **Reply #15 on:** January 03, 2010, 04:17:37 PM »

Quote

I take it you are interested in it, Smash?

Well, it would be an interesting code to look over, i have a weird thing where i see an awesome robot an i instantly want to see the code... Anyone else get that?
But it would make an awesome robot for my more advanced years

Hertz32 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 09, 2010, 07:11:22 AM »

Quote

i have a weird thing where i see an awesome robot an i instantly want to see the code... Anyone else get that?

i do 2

madsci1016 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 09, 2010, 11:06:23 AM »

Alright, since I can't argue with that...

Code posted. http://www.billporter.info/?p=127

Please feel free to leave a comment on my site. It is starting to get lonely. :-(

madsci1016 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 06, 2010, 01:25:28 PM »

Update on my work:

http://www.billporter.info/?p=174

"Compass Woes"

dunk · « **Reply #19 on:** February 06, 2010, 02:24:58 PM »

hey Madsci1016,
a common solution to the magnetic effect of motors and power wires is to put your compass up on a mast away from all the other electronics.
something non magnetic like plastic tubing or something.
not the prettiest solution but it works.

dunk.

madsci1016 · « **Reply #20 on:** February 06, 2010, 02:37:47 PM »

Well, if you look at my pictures, that's pretty much what i did. I put it up on 3/4" plastic stand-offs.

dunk · « **Reply #21 on:** February 08, 2010, 02:46:43 PM »

yea, if you continue to have problems, increase the distance.
most pictures i've seen of people using magnetic compasses tend to have the compass on a mast over a foot long.
hopefully you'll be good with your current solution.

dunk.

Hertz32 · « **Reply #22 on:** February 08, 2010, 03:05:49 PM »

Quote

a common solution to the magnetic effect of motors and power wires is to put your compass up on a mast away from all the other electronics.
something non magnetic like plastic tubing or something.
not the prettiest solution but it works.

who said robots had to be preety!?

Admin · « **Reply #23 on:** February 11, 2010, 02:53:31 AM »

For my robot fish, just having my batteries within a foot distance away from the compass totally warps the magnetic field. So calibrate your compass after everything is already positioned.

Oh, and if your bot drives up to your fridge, or passes over a metal beam under the floor, expect magnetic field warping . . .

For fine angle positioning, use a gyro. To account for gyro drift, use a digital compass as a global reference. aka Kalman filter

madsci1016 · « **Reply #24 on:** April 06, 2010, 10:34:14 PM »

WOOOOOO!!!

Ok, so i'm a little excited.

I just got back from watching SAGAR complete it's first autonomous mission. It ran a circuit of waypoints around my parking lot.

I'll have to do it again to capture video, I ran it at 11pm local time, in the dark. I had just finished coding the nav functions and couldn't wait to test. It worked decently, other then the Venus GPS seems to be garbage, and I had to stop and move it a bit so as not to hit a car or curb.

EDIT: more details on how it ran and how it works, here: http://www.billporter.info/?p=192

Ro-Bot-X · « **Reply #25 on:** April 07, 2010, 05:30:49 AM »

Wow! Now you can o to a RoboMagellan competition. Congrats!

Admin · « **Reply #26 on:** April 07, 2010, 06:55:32 AM »

Quote from: Ro-Bot-X on April 07, 2010, 05:30:49 AM

Wow! Now you can o to a RoboMagellan competition. Congrats!

Well not quite . . . in RoboMagellan, they put obstacles between waypoints . . .

madsci1016 · « **Reply #27 on:** April 07, 2010, 07:19:18 AM »

In a future addition, I'm going to add an array of ultra-sonics to the front for obstacle avoidance and path planing.

madsci1016 · « **Reply #28 on:** April 13, 2010, 05:47:35 PM »

Just captured a video of SAGAR's new operator panel. Check it out.

EDIT: WHOA!! SoR rewrites the youtube embed, so make sure to select HD when you watch this.

SAGAR Autonomous Robot Runs First Mission under Labview Control

Details here:

http://www.billporter.info/?p=195

parallax · « **Reply #29 on:** April 15, 2010, 06:34:49 PM »

You are doing some really incredible work here, madsci1016! Hats off to you!

I also would like to point out how incredibly great it is that you and your girlfriend can collaborate on projects like this! My GF is a fan and a supporter of my endeavors, but a techy she is not. I'm a little jealous

I would love to know more about how you are implementing the orientation sensor. I plan on using one for my hexapod before too much longer and have been researching them in depth. What I would love to know specifically:

*What hardware are you using?
*What kinds of issues have you run into?
*What kinds of solutions for those issues have you tried or plan on trying?
*Would you do anything differently?

Who knows? Perhaps we can help you with the noise issues you mentioned...

News:

Author Topic: Finally started documenting my current robot. (Read 8170 times)