$200 Robot Contest deadline coming soon

[Admin]

As many of you know, the first deadline for the contest is in 10 days:
http://www.societyofrobots.com/free_robot_contest.shtml

You have one month left to finish your robot (August 10th) with a chance of me paying for it all.

To make this easier for me, can everyone that is participating make a single post here declaring their entry? (dont email me, Im having trouble keeping track of everything)

Include two things:
1) Small paragraph that describes what your robot will do when its finished.
2) A single picture that represents your robot as a whole (yes, a CAD image is also ok).

IF YOU ARE NOT ENTERING THE CONTEST, DO NOT POST HERE
IF YOU ARE NOT ENTERING THE CONTEST, DO NOT POST HERE
IF YOU ARE NOT ENTERING THE CONTEST, DO NOT POST HERE

ASK ALL QUESTIONS IN ANOTHER POST, PLEASE!
ASK ALL QUESTIONS IN ANOTHER POST, PLEASE!
ASK ALL QUESTIONS IN ANOTHER POST, PLEASE!

Make it good: this is also a sort of 'pre-advertising' to win you more votes later.

As soon as you do this, I will set up a web account for you (if you do not yet already have one).

FYI, Im arranging for a secret 3rd place prize

[Brandon121233]

I already made my tutorial...and am going to edit it more.

Anyway, my tutorial is kind of what I would consider to be the second step after admins $50 bot. Walbot as I have named it is a sturdy, well engineered expandable platform for a robotics base. Currently in the tutorial, it describes how to make that platform into a wall avoiding robot, that utilizes 3 sensors ( one sonar, and two side IR range finders) to avoid walls, obstacles, your cat/dog, etc... Since it uses gearhead motors it goes much faster and has much more power than a robot built with servos. This also gives people some experience with using H-Bridges in designing their robots. A neat thing about Walbot is that new "layers" or tiers can always be added just by making another layer shape, and more standoffs. When time and money permit, I will (plan) be writing some more chapters discussing how to add a Pocket PC to Walbot, giving it abilities such as following a line drawn on the touchscreen, using the Bluetooth and or WiFi enabled PDA to control the robot via the internet or maybe even your cell phone, and I also plan on adding line following abilities.

heres a pic of it so far:

and a short video:
[youtube=425,350]JCCA7ct2jf8[/youtube]

[maverick monk]

I'm entering;

My robot is being built to prove that it is possible to make a tracked robot on a tight budget. I also wanted a base that would be durable and versitile, somthing i can expand on in future builds, to show others that you can build a "all-terrain" robot for less than $150 and fund a large chunk of it with donations and sponsors. Although it helps to work at a collage and/or have a degree and a job to fund your hobby, I want to show that it is not a necessity and that any determined mildly intelligent individual can build a functioning robot.

[GHF]

I'm building my robot to show that one doesn't need big bucks to experiment with quadrotor helicopters. My "QuadriCotor" will be basically a flying research platform. The design has durability and safety in mind, to protect people from the blades, the blades from the walls, and the operator from battery explosions. The tutorial will show how to work with less common parts like carbon fiber and brushless motors. However, it'll be kept simple by using inexpensive off-the-shelf parts where possible and avoiding the use of power tools (so far, I've only had to use a cheap cordless drill). To give the user more freedom in control and to improve performance, the actual high-level will be kept off of the helicopter, where the single PIC 16F88 would limit program complexity and speed, and instead controlled through a C/C++ interface on a much faster PC using RS-232 and a pair of radio links. The tutorial will also use A123System's new battery technology to avoid using relatively volatile and expensive lithium-polymer batteries. This is probably not for the beginner, not because it's particularly complex, but because the costs would get out of hand without a stash of electronics and microcontroller development tools and whatnot, as well as the time that one needs to dedicate to the construction (particularly the motors).

I meant to post a video demonstrating the power of the propulsion system, but my power supply had died. It was a dangerous test anyways.
~edit~
Got a new power supply to test it with:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6677274045599296149

[Ro-Bot-X]

In a couple days my daughter will be 10 months old. She likes to throw toys on the floor. My wife asked me to build a robot that will find toys on the floor, grab them and lift them to my daughter's walker so she can play with them again. This will be my entry for this contest.

Unfortunately I was extremely busy finding an apartment because we have to move next week and I didn't get my CAD files ready to post. Sorry.

Basically, the robot will resamble a Johny 5 robot, with tracks (tamiya double gearbox) and a tail wheel, will use one servo for lifting up the body and another servo to open/close the arms that will grab toys. A third servo will pan a ultrasonic sensor to find the toys. Some IR and bumper sensors will make sure it will not get stuck behind the couch. The micro will be the ATmega8. I will may use a PIR sensor to locate my daughter.

I will post CAD or pictures soon. Please forgive me for not doing so at this time.

Edit: it looks like I'm going to slow things down, probably not going to be able to finish it in time. Oh well, good luck all!

[nikhil]

I am Nikhil Chandra, from India, I will be putting my robot which i name it as eBot. It can be classify as domestic assistance robot, which can be control through internet and also locally. It will also consist of video feedback and control system (web
based).

i have completed the initial structure part  and also some of software part
and working on electronics.

About photos: structure of the robot is inspired from R2D2 . Any ways i
have use some junk materials for constructing the structure. For the main
body i had use 2 buckets in inverted position, and aluminum channel pipes
for side support which also consist of wheels. At present structure is not
aesthetically good    but i will do at the final stage. I am using gear head
motor and Mega 162 controller for the robot.

[TrickyNekro]

I'm entering too!!!

 Right, now I'm on holidays not having much information with me but I'll have the tutorial ready soon enought...
 I'm building a tank robot which will be able to recharge itself through an array of sollar panel and have as a main 
 purpose the object avoidance and self maintaining...  The tank will be build from an old toy and will display the use 
 of several sensors: like sonar, IR, photovere and heatavoidance!!! I don't know yet which microcontrollers I'll use
 but will for sure use a BS2 as the main brains and some Atmel... (probably ATtiny2313 or ATMEGA . As soon as I
 finish my sketch - up design I'll edit my post and give links!!!


The project is almost finished... But right now I'm away...
Until then,
Warm regards,
TrickyNekro (Lefteris),
Greece

P.S. can you PM me for further details please, I'm a little bit confused...

[S. Karim]

My first entry will be a lego turret with pan and tilt capabilities for targetting objects. It comes with a small cartridge for open reloading and trigger system which shoot objects automatically or using digital switches if complete manual control is desired. It has a camera in the front for color tracking.

It uses 2 large wheels that propel at very high speeds powered through speed gear trains. Anything that fits between the wheels can be shot. Bullets can range from 1mm to 10mm, aka playing cards to large head wall nails.

My tutorial will be fairly short but it will teach about using the XBC controller with Interactive C software (which is what is used in the handyboards, so it should help handyboard folks too). I'll be teaching how to set up gear trains for speed rather than reduction (torque), I'll show how to track objects using the CMUCam, how to set up while loops and use the digital touch switches as well as where everything can be purchased.

Note that this robot wont be one everyone can duplicate exactly, because its made out of legos. However, dont underestimate it's power, this tutorial will have a little grabbag for everybody. The robot utilizes legos not only to be a model of what can be done with other materials but also as a means to broaden the age limit of robotics. However, anybody with some gears, a motor and servo controller, some tires, some actuators and some switches can build this at home from what will be taught in the tutorial. It'll have mostly small engineering concepts in it that I ran into and definetly I'll show how a few of the mechanics in here are built for anyone who wants to build it.

On August 10th, I'll compile a large video of the following:

* Panning & Tilting
* Good Ol' Fashion Manual Shooting Fun
* Automated Targetting & Firing
* Outtakes & Misses, Design Failures and Big F*Ups

Preview:

"FIREDRUMS 3000"



Practical Use?: Just to have some fun, shooting stuff. You can shoot legos, coins, cards, or any deadly object your mind can think of, including sharp nails you found in your walls. It tracks multiple colored objects, so yes it can shoot things at people wearing color t-shirts. I'll have an example of that in the videos just for you guys.

[Admin]

Voting has opened:
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=1881.0