Hi, pleased to meet SOR People

[dual]

Hi, I just registered for Society of Robots forum.
I have read the $50 tutorial forum and have studied the sensors section.

I just want to introduce myself, I'm dual, and I study Computer Hardware Engineering at the University of Florida. I'll be done in a few semesters.
And i'm pretty good with Embedded Microcontroller Systems and am proud to say I've won Design Competitions in my university.

But... I'm not as interested in Embedded Microcontroller Systems as much as I am in Robotics so here I am, wanting to learn about Robotics with the help of you guys here.

First of all, I would like to ask some tools of the Trade questions.

1.) For buying servos and motors, where do you usually buy them? Radioshack or is there a specific site that sells them, let's say SparkFun.
2.) I use AVR cause I'm very much familiar with most of its features. But if I want to implement computer vision with a camera, can an 8bit AVR accomplish processing? if so, what microcontroller should I use?
3.) For computer vision and image processing, is there any tutorial that you guys would like to recommend? someone had taught me OpenCV and what it does is it does image processing however using a camera connected to a PC. What I would like to learn is to implement it onto my Robot.
4.) I noticed that there is no dedicated Tutorial for specific stuff in the SOR website, or maybe I might have just missed it, is there any tutorial website that you guys recommend?

Thank you and I wish to accomplish my Robotics goals successfully with the help of you guys!

[SmAsH]

1. most sites have them, servo city is very popular... mostly, just look around for a good deal. check ebay too.
2. an atmega8 may be a bit shy on this. check out the tutorial on the blackfin camera http://www.societyofrobots.com/electronics_blackfin_camera.shtml . but yes, an 8 bit mcu can play nice with the blackfin but it will never be able to process the image from a camera, the blackfin processes it.
3. on robot processing or by pc? you could check out http://www.societyofrobots.com/programming_computer_vision_tutorial.shtml
4. WHAT! what lies! sor is full of tutorials! such as:
http://www.societyofrobots.com/sensors.shtml
http://www.societyofrobots.com/microcontroller_tutorial.shtml
http://www.societyofrobots.com/electronics_tutorials.shtml
http://www.societyofrobots.com/actuators.shtml
gah! anyway, hope this helped.

[dual]

I've read those articles but I would dub them reference guides, since I like to believe that tutorials are more technical and would more than likely include sample codes, schematics, etc, would you not think so?

I've read the articles on SOR but found none that constituted maybe a tutorial for Image Processing, one that involves wiring a Camera to your robot and writing a C code that the microcontroller then interprets as commands to process an image. That's actually what I was hoping I could find

[Admin]

1) http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_parts_list.shtml
2) http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_faq.shtml#camera_microcontroller

4) Sounds like you are asking for a 'step by step wire by wire' tutorial. The problem with them is that it is extremely hardware and software specific. If you decide you want to use a different library, or different mcu, the tutorial will be useless. The theory, after learned, will help you figure out the practical aspects on your own. More importantly, it'll help you know what to google search for

The $50 robot should teach you all you need to know to make a robot, step by step. After that, just follow the manual in your chosen vision library.

Or just use RoboRealm and call it a day

[dual]

So i skimmed the documentation on Roborealm and my current understanding regarding this is:
1.) Install Roborealm software on my Windows PC. On my robot, install a camera such as the DLink camera recommended on the roborealm website
2.) Setup Roborealm such that I can view what my robot sees through the camera.
3.) Process the images that I my robot sees on my computer.
4.) Based on the information that I gathered, prepare a set of commands to be sent wirelessly and probably using an XBEE installed on both the Robot and my Windows PC.
5.) Send those commands wirelessly to the Robot.

Am I correct here?

[Admin]

If you have a wired camera, you don't need wireless communication. You can even put your laptop on the bot.

Otherwise, all correct.

[dual]

If I was aiming for a very small robot, then the camera probably has to be installed on the Robot and not on the PC so I might have to have a pair of wireless XBEE RF modules to send my commands, however, would you as a Robot expert consider this system Autonomous even with the use of an image processor installed on a laptop PC?

 But for now, I wouldn't really focus on image processing yet. However I just bought the parts I need for my first basic robot. I bought regular motors that has two wires, positive and negative. I was debating whether I should get a servo or a regular motor. The salesperson told me that you have to hack a servo to get to spin 360 degrees and I was unsure if I can hack it, but now that I've read online how to hack it, I might return the two motors that I just bought and just get two futabu servos and just hack it.

Servos don't need HBridge right?

[Conscripted]

Servos don't need HBridge right?

That's correct. Inside the servo is all the control circuitry that it needs to function. Best of luck with your project.

Conscripted