robot brain!

[knightimer]

um, if i want to make a robot do stuff with it's sensors like go towards an object, go away from an object, or go around an object, who do i do it? programming? i think its programming but! how do i do it by programming?? programmning is hard, sum1 help me..please?

[knightimer]

"can i program the IR Rangefinder so the robot avoid the obstacles instead of chasing them?"

Admin you said in another post: "The IR rangefinder returns the distance away from an object. Your robot can do anything you want with that data: build a map, avoid objects, calibrate a catapult aiming angle, edge detection . . . the list goes on.

My most recent project involves a camera finding an object, then using a rangefinder to find the distance away so that my robot arm can grab it."

um how do you build a map, avoid objects, calibrate a catapult aiming angle, edge detection, etc???

[Admin]

um, if i want to make a robot do stuff with it's sensors like go towards an object, go away from an object, or go around an object, who do i do it?

What you want is called a microcontroller. These are programmable circuits/chips that can control hardware.

You can either build one:
http://www.societyofrobots.com/step_by_step_robot.shtml

Or buy one:
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_parts_list_microcontrollers.shtml

um how do you build a map, avoid objects, calibrate a catapult aiming angle, edge detection, etc???

edge detection
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_sumo.shtml

reactive mapping, avoiding objects
http://www.societyofrobots.com/sensors_sharpirrange.shtml

im working on another tutorial for pathfinding with maps as we speak

[knightimer]

oh thanks admin, btw, you no the link you gave me that shows the list of microcontrollers? (http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_parts_list_microcontrollers.shtml) do they all work the same as eachother? do they work/are they the same as the microcontroller you built in the $50 tutorial?? and since i'm from Australia...how much would the $50 robot cost anyways? each part would be different and to ass them up...i dont no, can you tell me please? THANKS and HELP

[knightimer]

oh btw admin, wat program do you use atm for yur programming? is it the one we can access from the website?

and if i want to learn more about programming, how do i?

[Admin]

oh thanks admin, btw, you no the link you gave me that shows the list of microcontrollers? (http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_parts_list_microcontrollers.shtml) do they all work the same as eachother?

http://www.societyofrobots.com/microcontroller_tutorial.shtml

do they work/are they the same as the microcontroller you built in the $50 tutorial??

Some of them do, see next point.

wat program do you use atm for yur programming? is it the one we can access from the website?

Depends on what microcontroller you use. If you use an ATmega, then yes you use the one on my site. Each microcontroller requires a different compiler, so just do a google search on that.

how much would the $50 robot cost anyways?

Im not from australia . . . but I would assume shipping would be more . . . I think most people say they end up spending about $100 because of added equipment and shipping costs . . .

if i want to learn more about programming, how do i?

http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=1760.0
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=1631.0
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=1014.0
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=1535.0

[knightimer]

heys sorry admin if i'm being a bother..but wat is PID control? i cant figure it out?! sorta, yur site is confusing me and i'm lost now. also there was sumthing about, oh yeh i think i asked this already but do we have to use the ExacT same board as the one you used on yur tutorial? i think you should say that in yur awsome tutorial!

[Admin]

wat is PID control? i cant figure it out?! sorta, yur site is confusing me and i'm lost now.

This might help a bit:
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=1756.0

Yea, PID can be very confusing at first. Basically all you are doing is having your robot do three things:
1) Robot knowing what it is doing
2) Robot knowing what it should be doing
3) Robot making corrections proportional to the mistakes that it makes

In equation form:
(What it is doing - what it should be doing) * tweak constant = correction that robot should make

In technical form (for a line following robot):
(line_location - robot_location_from_line) * k = motor_commands

It gets more complicated then this, but the majority of the time this is all you need to get a basic control system to work on your robot.

[knightimer]

Heys admin, um do we have to use the 356 hole bread board you used in yur tutorial for the $50 robot? or can we use an any sized one?

[awally88]

Hey Knightimer,

I'm from Australia as well, I'm currently starting the $50 Robot, I found the AVR chip which admin suggests in the tutorial however it's around $20 (from Jaycar electronics) rather than the $3 in the states. Instead im getting PIC chips from Microchip as I can get them for free I will have to write another program rather than admin's but hopefully it should all work out. 

Where are you from, if you are from Adelaide I think there is a robotics club run through Adelaide Uni that might be starting up soon, hopefully.

Awally88

[Admin]

I found the AVR chip which admin suggests in the tutorial however it's around $20(from Jaycar electronics) rather than the $3 in the states.

Have you tried other sites like mouser.com or digikey.com?

do we have to use the 356 hole bread board you used in yur tutorial for the $50 robot? or can we use an any sized one?

So the 356 hole bread board is the smallest board I'd recommend using. You can basically use any board you want, but try to get one with holes and 'copper pads' which makes soldering much easier. This is also the cheapest board I was able to find . . . If you plan to add a lot of experimental electronics to your robot later in the future, a larger board is probably better anyways.

[awally88]

I found the AVR chip which admin suggests in the tutorial however it's around $20(from Jaycar electronics) rather than the $3 in the states.

Have you tried other sites like mouser.com or digikey.com?

In Australia that is sorry, this was what I found that wouldn't need shipping from overseas.