Author Topic: have you built the $50 robot? (Read 44253 times)

SmAsH · « **Reply #90 on:** July 26, 2009, 06:12:14 AM »

nope, dick smith, potassium chloride... this isn't the right place to be discussing this

tlf · « **Reply #91 on:** August 01, 2009, 12:19:17 PM »

It works

A few weeks ago I was thinking I should try to get a hobby, maybe making something. Soon the ideas of robots came to mind, as it involves putting things together (which I have not done much of, and wanted to do a bit), electronics (which I know in theory and have a little experience in from college lab work, but never did anything at home - but it always have been fascinating me, and I have wanted to learn more) and programming (which I do for a living).

So after a quick google search, I found the tutorials here, and decided to try to build the 50$ robot. It ended up costing quite a bit more (particularly since I had to get all the tools I've been using too, and prices are higher here in Norway generally), but finally today I got something to work!

The main challenge was to get the light sensors to work. I didn't find photoresistors, but found some photo diodes. But after a couple of tries, and studying the theory of the current to voltage conversion and doing the math, I finally got it to work. I am not 100% satisfied with the sensitivity, but at least I can guide the robot around with a flashlight now.

Here are some pictures:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv5ocZnG024[/youtube]

Joker94 · « **Reply #92 on:** August 01, 2009, 05:52:09 PM »

nice job tif, it looks like a great robot. And well made to.

sonictj · « **Reply #93 on:** August 04, 2009, 09:18:16 AM »

I built the $50 robot, but could not get my board to work. I built the board three times lol ! I found out many months later it was a programmer problem . I had to do a manual firmware update on my ispmkii. I was unlucky enough to have gotten my programmer out of a batch that had bad firmware. Anyways that caused me to buy an arduino which is why this bot uses one. This is definitely the worst robot I've ever created. Its fun looking where I came from though.

$50 robot, the first bot I ever built
[youtube]vCjoMvmK33A[/youtube]

Then there is woody who proved to be a very cool platform
[youtube]SgPHQ5h_wlQ[/youtube]

GatorKS is my latest
[youtube]pcNQixSV63A[/youtube]

I've built 7 robots so far, more depending how you count. The $50 robot is where it all began.

mshorter · « **Reply #94 on:** October 25, 2009, 10:24:41 PM »

Pictures and my tutorial

http://mshorter.blogspot.com/

Gertlex · « **Reply #95 on:** November 16, 2009, 09:21:30 PM »

I had higher caliber parts lying around when I did a robot in the style of the $50 one. E.g. an axon and a separate servo controller.

And Legos.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~erelson/Images/Photovore01.png

I did that summer 08. (I did this summer 09)

There are two photoresistors, so the robot is a photovore. There's a touch sensor mechanism at the front too. It's a simple pcb button removed from some old electronics. I added a third servo for steering, which was fun too. The axon uses the sensors, and sends signals to the servo controller to control the servo. That sort of makes me lazy

(aka no looping to continuously tell the servos what position to be in)

And I chose Legos because... I just build stuff as I go, frequently, rather than do both the designing and building separately.

Could have sworn I had more pics, but I never got around to following up on the bot. It's still down in the basement.

Loco Robo · « **Reply #96 on:** November 29, 2009, 04:17:58 PM »

Well, I finished my $50 Robot about a week ago, but I don't have a camera to take pictures.

I used the HS-322SD instead of the HS-311 because it had Karbonite gears.
I used ABS "6 wheels instead of cardboard for obvious reasons.
I used Shapelock for body, caster, and servo mount because I don't have access to machinery.
I used regular AA batts instead of a battery pack because AA's are just awesome.

Time spent soldering- 7hrs (Yes, I suck at it)
Time spent actually programming- 10 mins
Time spent troubleshooting the programming- 15hrs
Time spent modifying servos- 2hrs
Time spent shaping body- 3hrs
Time spent building- 30 mins
Time spent playing with it- 10 hrs and rising.

Great tutorial!

LOCO ROBO

Borot · « **Reply #97 on:** January 27, 2010, 06:28:54 AM »


photovore_1.avi

28 · « **Reply #98 on:** January 28, 2010, 09:12:06 AM »

I was really lazy and only build the electronics part. I also did it in a breadboard. I just wanted it to work ASAP so yeah. =p

Mines really ghetto. =p I'm going to dismantle it soon enough. =p

It's a nice tutorial to start with. It's really easy and will give beginners some result.

Rhuarc · « **Reply #99 on:** July 19, 2010, 09:03:48 AM »

Would just like to thank those who put up this tutorial and website. It is really informative and user friendly especially for someone like me who has been wanting to do robotics for ages but just never got around to it

alystric · « **Reply #100 on:** August 14, 2010, 04:46:51 PM »

I built mine a year or two ago...but never did manage to post it. I'm thinking that maybe I'd like to try another robot soon. It was a fun experience. Thanks to everyone who made the tutorial possible.


URL]

Xyver · « **Reply #101 on:** August 25, 2010, 01:27:12 AM »

Yup, I got mine to work. But... I kinda cheated. I made it with an Arduino. In my defence, i had to translate all the code into a new language haha. It doesnt really get "stuck" in a box of light, but it follows a flashlight. I then upgraded it, and now it has sonar and IR sensors! So, technically now its an obstacle avoider... and cost more then 50$...

PICS!

Joker94 · « **Reply #102 on:** August 25, 2010, 01:52:00 AM »

how did the caster wheel go?

i have a side project and i need a caster and i didnt even think of a caster like that.

Xyver · « **Reply #103 on:** August 27, 2010, 04:15:24 PM »

Mine? The castor works quite well. I found it at home depot, there was a bunch of bins of them for different weights. They were between 2-5$ each. I think mine is rated for 10 pounds. Kinda overkill for a robot thats 1 pound, but it was the right size.

madsci1016 · « **Reply #104 on:** August 27, 2010, 04:20:01 PM »

Is the breadboard on top only for power distribution?

Xyver · « **Reply #105 on:** September 08, 2010, 04:04:11 AM »

For now... I'm sure ill find uses for it in the future. It seemed like a good thing to add. For now, Im working on line sensing, and color sensors.

euchrid · « **Reply #106 on:** November 24, 2010, 01:16:18 AM »

Here's mine....it cost me way more than $50 though......


Ned the Photovore

jorg · « **Reply #107 on:** January 13, 2011, 03:20:13 PM »

I have finished my first robot too, it costed me about 80 euros because I live in Belgium. I hope it isn't the last one. I think it's OK, only the battery is a Little bit oversized.
Here are some pictures:

greasemonkey94 · « **Reply #108 on:** March 04, 2011, 08:29:08 AM »

Hello,

I have built this robot, it isnt the 50$ robot and i cheated
by using the arduino ,but in my defense a programmer would
have been really expensive to ship here.

here is a video of it in action.Ive already made a separate topic in the robot videos area. i hope
im not spamming, if you think i am, ill delete this.


Arduino Robot with Sharp IR

greywanderer012345 · « **Reply #109 on:** August 21, 2012, 09:16:44 PM »

I tried to keep to the minimalist spirit of the project. I hugely altered the code, and did not use SoRUtils or Webbotlib. The sensors are mounted under the chassis so that it only follows light on the ground. This setup allows the bot to be controlled by a flashlight beam it follows.

cokelat70 · « **Reply #110 on:** September 09, 2012, 01:03:49 PM »

This is my first try to make robot,


Photovore robot

thanks societyofrobots

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Author Topic: have you built the $50 robot? (Read 44253 times)

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