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My robot Eric

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Ro-Bot-X:
This is the big robot that I'm curently building. It's name is Eric, because it is based on a ER1 kit made by Evolution Robotics. I have used the parts from the kit to build the base of the robot, but instead of a laptop I am using a mini ITX motherboard, Via Epia 800, housed in an old Compaq PC case, mounted on top of the base. The webcam is mounted on a pan/tilt head, together with a ultrasonic sensor, a PIR sensor (not installed yet) and a LED bar as a mouth. The robot also has a 6 DOF arm (only 5 installed at the moment), with a hand made using Legos, featuring adaptive fingers.

Technical data:

- Brain: Via Epia 800 mini ITX motherboard, with 256 MB RAM, a 1 GB Compact Flash Card, 12V ATX power adapter; the drive is controlled by ER1 RCM; the arm is controlled by an OOPic-R board (not a good choice, needs to be replaced); a USB wireless adapter allows for remote operation.

- Software: Win 98 and ER1 software for video recognition, driving and IR distance sensors, MS Speech software, a custom aplication writen in Python for behaviours and arm/head controll.

- Drive: Stepper motors from ER1 kit, no encoders; 1 caster wheel from ER1 kit, in the back of the robot.

- Power: One 12V 7Ah SLA battery for driving and electronics; one 6V 4Ah SLA battery for servo power.

- Arms: 2 arms, one with 6 DOF and one with 4 DOF (not built yet).

- Head: Pan and tilt servos; the head holds the webcam, the LED bar graph as a mouth, a US sensor, a PIR sensor; I am also considering mounting the microphone.

- Sensors: 4 Ping Ultrasonic sensors (3 on the base, 1 on the head), 4 Sharp IR sensors (3 in the front, 1 in the back), 1 Eltec PIR sensor (on the head), 1 Devantech Compass sensor (inside the body), 1 IR barier sensor (on the right hand), 1 Hall sensor (on the left hand)...


Right now the robot can be operated wirelessly or it can roam around the room saying the names of the objects it recognizes. It uses only the Sharp IR sensors to find obstacles. I have a problem with the Ping Ultrasonic sensors because the OOPic-R board can't read them. I will have to change the microcontroller to ATMega32 (just because I have one) and rewrite the code. It would be easier to change the sensors, but I can't buy new ones at the moment. PIR and Compass sensors are not installed yet; mainly because I was trying to solve the US sensor reading. Same goes for the IR barrier on the hand. The arm needs to be reshaped and the second arm be built. The second arm's task will be to open the refrigerator door, so it will look like a hook. The Hall sensor mounted on the hook will detect the contact with the door. For the moment, I can wirelessly operate the robot to go to the refrigerator, open the door, grab a Pepsi can and bring it to me.

Here is a picture of the robot:


You can see more pictures here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/11436019@N06/sets/72157601435781333

Let me know if you like it!

HDL_CinC_Dragon:
That looks pretty good! Almost looks professionally manufactured hehe :) I think its the computer tower :p

Great work man :) Keep it up

Admin:
I believe posted movies are in order ;D

Your design is interesting . . . normally they would call it a 'laptop on wheels' . . . but yours looks more like a 'robot on a PC' . . . :P
I like!

How much weight can the arm handle?

Ai-bot:
Hi

Good job! I was wondering what is the max speed it can go.

Ro-Bot-X:
I will try to make some measurements and a movie today, if I get it to work in my new apartment.

Height: 34"
Arm lenght: 14" from shoulder to the tip of the fingers
                 11" from the shoulder axle to the center of the gripper
Wheel distance: 13" from touch point to touch point on the floor
Wheel diameter: 4"
Depht: 15" from the back bar to the front Sharp IR sensor
Camera height: 33" from the floor to the camera center of lenses
Max speed: 50cm/sec, min speed 5cm/sec (from ER1 kit specs); it probably is a little lower, because of added weight - the PC case is too heavy, I need to replace it with something lighter; also the battery is double in size
Turning speed: max 90 degrees/sec, min 9 degrees/sec

I'll try to run it now, back latter with results.

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