Society of Robots - Robot Forum

Mechanics and Construction => Mechanics and Construction => Topic started by: galannthegreat on February 07, 2009, 05:57:06 PM

Title: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 07, 2009, 05:57:06 PM
Give me some feedback :)
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: frodo on February 07, 2009, 06:00:01 PM
looks cool. are you going to have another platform or cover over the top of that?
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: airman00 on February 07, 2009, 06:00:52 PM
What tools did you use to cut the squares and the round body?
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: frodo on February 07, 2009, 06:01:31 PM
CNC, perhaps? CAM?
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 07, 2009, 06:04:58 PM
well, to answer both, I've designed it to flip over (motors and caster wheel) and to have room for another level which i have sitting in my room. I asked my dad to ask for a fovour at a local machine shop of which he knew the owner of and he just gave my dad a scrap piece of aluminum and i drew out my plan (just two circles) and i sent it back there and he popped it on the CNC plasma cutter, and voila, two perfect circles. The slits were made by me and my good 'ol dremel.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 07, 2009, 06:06:52 PM
And today I'm finishing up my PCB's, got all my wiring done, and I'm going to try out a few progs for it(test out servo motion, IR detection, and motor drivers).
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: frodo on February 07, 2009, 06:08:04 PM
plasma cutter? wow, sounds high-tech. suppose its handy to know the owner of a hardware store.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 07, 2009, 06:15:26 PM
I initially asked to get them milled for an even more perfect cut but for just two discs it would've costed about 100 bucks for the work (which is unbelievably overpriced, but i guess it takes into account that there is only a few guys trained to do that kind of work efficiently and perfectly).
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 07, 2009, 07:54:44 PM
Here are some more views:
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: Joesavage1 on February 08, 2009, 01:54:19 AM
Looks Cool.  ;D

Joe
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: frodo on February 08, 2009, 05:36:09 AM
just a question. how is it going to flip over?
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 08, 2009, 04:24:35 PM
i made it so if i need to have more stuff on it i can flip over the whole thing and move the caster to the underside, giving it more ground clearance and better wieght distribution (instead of the motor mounts being pulled down they will pushed down onto). This in turn will also give me more space for another level and more room for gadgets and stuff.

PS the picture "bottomsideup.jpg" shows a good view of what it may look like.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: frodo on February 08, 2009, 04:30:28 PM
yes but how will it flip over? springs, pneumatics?
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 08, 2009, 04:37:48 PM
oh, thats what you mean. I was basically saying if i wanted to do quick and simple upgrades that these options would be availiable to me, not a flipping over kind of robot... but actually that wouldn't be a bad idea to incorporate that kind of system into a later robot, maybe a turtle robot (no pun intended).

PS more pictures will be coming either later this evening of the bot put together or tommorow
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 10, 2009, 12:47:55 PM
First picture is the basic layout of my MCU board, second one is the parts taped down to show roughly what goes where.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: frodo on February 10, 2009, 04:35:24 PM
when you've finished, please video it and put it on the forum :) looks really good so far. did you make that MCU yourself?
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: HyperNerd on February 11, 2009, 03:33:32 AM
I built my Sparky robot about a year ago, much like this one. Turns out that is was a really great and stable design, with loads of room for prototyping.

As for your robot, how about adding some cool LED eyes? ;D

 -HyperNerd
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 11, 2009, 11:45:47 AM
I made the MCU board myself and it turned out great.

LED eyes... hmm, maybe I can add those on the scanning turret sensor.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: horo333 on February 11, 2009, 12:30:14 PM
wow, cool :D :D :D
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 11, 2009, 05:03:11 PM
thanks
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: pomprocker on February 11, 2009, 05:39:42 PM
I'm thinking of learning how to etch my own PCBs. What recommendations do you have for learning
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 12, 2009, 10:54:57 AM
If you have a decent budget and you are willing to purchase these tools, these would be great for starting out etching your own pcbs:
http://www.pulsarprofx.com/PCB/a_Pages/3_Direct_Etch/3b_The_15min_PCB/The_15min_PCB.html (http://www.pulsarprofx.com/PCB/a_Pages/3_Direct_Etch/3b_The_15min_PCB/The_15min_PCB.html)   --- check out the site and also check out this vid on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKEe3otWstM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKEe3otWstM)
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: SmAsH on February 15, 2009, 01:08:23 PM
well to get started into etching i would reccomend getting some blue copy paper? the paper you iron and it transfers.
or a laser printer (or if yuor circuit isnt to complicated) you can use a sharpie. :) for the etchant the cleanest one i know of would be ammonium persulphate. i try to steer clear of ferric chloride and ferric sulphate. its just a matter of preferance.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: ArcMan on February 15, 2009, 05:58:20 PM
Hey!  Another PIC guy.  Sweet.  We're definitely in a minority on this board.  :)
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 16, 2009, 02:55:05 PM
Quote
well to get started into etching i would reccomend getting some blue copy paper?

Basically get some glossy photo paper from your office supply store or TTS paper from Pulsar, and I don't know if they still make it, but Press'n'Peel works great.

Quote
Hey!  Another PIC guy.  Sweet.  We're definitely in a minority on this board.

Yes this is definately true, I personally love PIC's but I'm thinking about trying AVR's for abit and if I don't like 'em I'll stick with PIC's for awhile.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: SmAsH on February 18, 2009, 04:58:12 AM
well if you've got a laser printer you can use gloss paper (if your using inkjet use blue copy paper). and ive heard somewhere (i think it was instructables) that you can use magazine paper?? i might test this sometime   ;D
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: frodo on February 18, 2009, 05:09:00 AM
for the etchant, ammonium persulphate is probably the cleanest but the most expensive. i would stick with ferric chloride as it is quite cheap in comparison. magazine paper is fine paper as a cheap alternative, yes.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: SmAsH on February 19, 2009, 04:51:30 AM
wow i really gotta try that, and i spoke to my electronics teacher today and yes you can print it onto any glossy paper with a laser printer (most photocopiers!!). but the only problem i can see with magazine paper is that it might jam. but yes, whatta ya mean ammonium persulphate is expensive? its about $10aud which is about 6usd?? for 400g of the stuff which will make you approx 1 and a half liters of etchant! and its reuseable!
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: frodo on February 21, 2009, 06:23:57 AM
its cheaper than it was then. about the same price as ferric chloride. if thats the case, choose whichever etchant you want to use ;)
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: SmAsH on February 25, 2009, 12:34:19 AM
a correction for before $10au for 600g ;D for convenience id say ammonium persulphate because you dont have to take it to a chemical disposal place.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on February 25, 2009, 11:19:18 AM
Just use what you find cheapest.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: Hawaii00000 on February 28, 2009, 08:47:46 PM
I found a really old etching kit in the corner of a radio shack store and got it for $4!!!! It came with everthing.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: frodo on March 01, 2009, 09:40:16 AM
nice, cheap and convenient! Bargain there Hawaii00000. home PCB etching is really productive because you don't have to get people to make them for you.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on March 01, 2009, 05:28:15 PM
You can also do some pretty cool artwork with extra space on your boards
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: SmAsH on March 01, 2009, 11:37:04 PM
good place to put your name/site addy ;)
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on March 06, 2009, 12:57:10 PM
Ok, I am now working on my program for this bot, because now I have the help from a very good book I recently aquired so hopefully within the next few weeks I'll post some YouTube vids for you guys.
Title: Re: What do you think of my first robot platform?
Post by: galannthegreat on March 12, 2009, 10:46:37 AM
Well last night I had a chance to show off the work that I have done at my school. All the grads have to do a presentaion about themselves and in it I showed this bot, even though I had only programmed my MCU to make the servo scan back and forth and make the wheels turn forward, they all seemed very impressed even if I didn't. :)