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Author Topic: Robot that presses a button? Please help :)  (Read 2998 times)

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Offline zen1thbl4derTopic starter

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Robot that presses a button? Please help :)
« on: May 02, 2013, 09:02:36 AM »
Hello!
I am interested in making a very small robot that presses (and releases), every different times, a button (either that is a button of the television, a button of the microwave oven, etc.). Moreover, Ι want this small robot to be working by everything except socket plug, by batteries or charging for example. From where would you advise me to start in order to make something like this? Keep in mind that I have absolutely no idea about robots and such. Searching this task however for a bit, I found out that the "Lego Mindstorms" might be a good solution to this maybe?
Thanks a lot  :)
« Last Edit: May 03, 2013, 01:29:30 PM by zen1thbl4der »

Offline ROBOT420

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Re: Robot that presses a button?
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2013, 09:07:57 AM »
Will it be permanently attached to the item it controls, or free standing and just next to the item it controls?
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Offline zen1thbl4derTopic starter

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Re: Robot that presses a button?
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2013, 09:36:32 AM »
Free standing, I will have just to move it next to the button I would like to be pressed.
« Last Edit: May 02, 2013, 09:39:44 AM by zen1thbl4der »

Offline ROBOT420

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Re: Robot that presses a button?
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2013, 10:26:05 AM »
How far would it have to travel before contacting then button. It sounds like a servo motor would do it as long as the travel was not too far.
Don't know jack, but want to know it ALL....let the journey begin!

Offline zen1thbl4derTopic starter

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Re: Robot that presses a button?
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2013, 11:19:35 AM »
Thank you for your interest at first. Sadly, I am thinking of constructing the robot in my house while the button will be in my working place, and the distance between the two of them is very long. Ι don't even have the choice of sockets there, that's why I want it to be working with batteries or charging only :-\ Still any suggestions? May the Lego Mindstorms tool be a good choice for making this?
« Last Edit: May 02, 2013, 11:35:27 AM by zen1thbl4der »

Offline jwatte

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Re: Robot that presses a button?
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2013, 12:23:14 PM »
Yes, you can build this with Lego Mindstorms, pretty easily.
A cheaper solution might be a simple $10 micro hobby servo, an ATTiny microcontroller (or an Arduino) and a rechargeable battery pack.
The main challenge will be to line the actuating (moving) part of the robot up with the button, and keeping it lined up. Duct tape may work, or hot glue.
Another challenge might be to know when to turn on. If you need accurate timing, neither Mindstorms nor Arduino will give that to you. You may need to hook up a dedicated clock timer, like the Chrono-Dot.

Offline zen1thbl4derTopic starter

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Re: Robot that presses a button?
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2013, 03:50:54 PM »
Thanks for your reply. Truth is I need definite precision in my timing. I will search for the options you gave me tho  :)

Offline Duane Degn

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Re: Robot that presses a button?
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2013, 04:44:43 PM »
When do you want the robot to press the button? Do you want it remotely triggered? If so how? Cell phone?

As mentioned, the servo part of this is pretty easy (maybe not for someone completely new to microcontrollers though). I agree with jwatte, an ATtiny should be able to take care of the servo part just fine.

Using a Lego Mindstorms is certainly an option but it would be a much more expensive solution.

Offline zen1thbl4derTopic starter

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Re: Robot that presses a button?
« Reply #8 on: May 03, 2013, 03:46:06 AM »
Remotely may complex the situation so I was thinking the robot itself to have two buttons, on and off. Turning it on will cause the robot to do the action of pressing/releasing (the button it is near to) every certain but different times.

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Re: Robot that presses a button?
« Reply #9 on: May 03, 2013, 06:50:51 AM »
 Im sorry if im oversimplifying what you want to do and i dont mean to be negative just realistic, but you can already buy timer plugs and things that turn socket on and off at timed intervals. Just use one of them - you can get digital versions that should be easy enough to modify if you really need a random timing element built in. Pressing standby button on tv remotes can be solved by hacking the tv remote too, but im pretty sure you can find some kind of joke gadget designed to do that as a novelty.

 Dont be put off, and still build a robot but for the tasks you want performing a physically moving robot is just overkill and too much

Offline zen1thbl4derTopic starter

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Re: Robot that presses a button?
« Reply #10 on: May 03, 2013, 01:23:51 PM »
Hello! You are absolutely right but, trust me, I have my reasons of wanting a very small robot and nothing else. Not something mandatory special, just a piece of a moving stick would be more than enough for me :D
« Last Edit: May 03, 2013, 01:28:55 PM by zen1thbl4der »

Offline Duane Degn

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Re: Robot that presses a button?
« Reply #11 on: May 04, 2013, 11:14:47 AM »
Remotely may complex the situation so I was thinking the robot itself to have two buttons, on and off. Turning it on will cause the robot to do the action of pressing/releasing (the button it is near to) every certain but different times.

What does "every certain but different times" mean?

Do you want to learn how to do this kind of stuff (robotics) or do you just want a solution to this one problem? If you just want a solution to this one problem, you'd probably be better off paying someone to make this for you since it's likely a trivial matter for someone who has used a microcontroller to control a servo before. However, it will likely take a while for you to learn enough to do it yourself.

If you like this kind of stuff, then the time spent learning should be fun but if you're just after the end product the time spend learning to create your device will more likely be frustrating.

Offline zen1thbl4derTopic starter

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Re: Robot that presses a button? Please help :)
« Reply #12 on: May 04, 2013, 01:35:06 PM »
Sorry, my english language isn't the best. I mean the first pull for example will be at 10 sec after the device has be turned on, the second at 8, the next at 23 and then a loop.
I think I want more a solution to this problem but the more I learn from this procedure the better. I have thought the choice of paying someone do it for me (I don't know how much will it cost and where should I ask though, do you? :o) but this I think will be only in case I completely fail as I am willing enough to devote some time learning :D

Offline jwatte

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Re: Robot that presses a button? Please help :)
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2013, 09:17:58 PM »
How do you intend to provide the different times to the device? (Where do the "10" and "8" and "23" seconds in your example come from?)

I think you can use a Micro Maestro servo controller from Pololu, a cheap micro servo of some sort, and a rechargeable battery of some sort (6V NiMH battery pack, say) and solve this very easily. The Micro Maestro can be "scripted" using the software from Pololu to wait for certain times, and set the position of the servo after that time. Add a switch to be able to turn off power to the servo entirely, to save on battery, and you're home free.

Micro Maestro, $20: http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1350
Mini servo, $6: http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1049
Batteries, $16: http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/2223
Voltage converter to power Maestro even when batteries are low, $6: http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/2118/pictures
MOSFET switch to control power to servo (can be controlled by a digital pin on the Maestro), $10: http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/1211

This contraption can be assembled with wooden sticks and hot glue and a couple of bits of wire. Or go for a nice project enclosure, some screws, and a crimped wire harness, if you want it to look fancy.

Note that I sourced all the parts from Pololu so you only pay shipping once, and used parts that are largely ready-to-use. You may have to solder a bit for the voltage converter and switch, and splice the battery power wiring. If you wanted to build this on the absolute smallest budget possible, it would be lower, but require a lot more work and electronics know-how. Plus paying shipping to the cheapest provider of each of the needed components...

Offline zen1thbl4derTopic starter

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Re: Robot that presses a button? Please help :)
« Reply #14 on: May 06, 2013, 07:59:50 AM »
Trust me, I will figure out in a few days about the exact different times :D Thanks so much for your detailed answer

 


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