Author Topic: What do you think of my first robot platform? (Read 5736 times)

galannthegreat · « **on:** February 07, 2009, 05:57:06 PM »

Give me some feedback

frodo · « **Reply #1 on:** February 07, 2009, 06:00:01 PM »

looks cool. are you going to have another platform or cover over the top of that?

airman00 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 07, 2009, 06:00:52 PM »

What tools did you use to cut the squares and the round body?

frodo · « **Reply #3 on:** February 07, 2009, 06:01:31 PM »

CNC, perhaps? CAM?

galannthegreat · « **Reply #4 on:** February 07, 2009, 06:04:58 PM »

well, to answer both, I've designed it to flip over (motors and caster wheel) and to have room for another level which i have sitting in my room. I asked my dad to ask for a fovour at a local machine shop of which he knew the owner of and he just gave my dad a scrap piece of aluminum and i drew out my plan (just two circles) and i sent it back there and he popped it on the CNC plasma cutter, and voila, two perfect circles. The slits were made by me and my good 'ol dremel.

galannthegreat · « **Reply #5 on:** February 07, 2009, 06:06:52 PM »

And today I'm finishing up my PCB's, got all my wiring done, and I'm going to try out a few progs for it(test out servo motion, IR detection, and motor drivers).

frodo · « **Reply #6 on:** February 07, 2009, 06:08:04 PM »

plasma cutter? wow, sounds high-tech. suppose its handy to know the owner of a hardware store.

galannthegreat · « **Reply #7 on:** February 07, 2009, 06:15:26 PM »

I initially asked to get them milled for an even more perfect cut but for just two discs it would've costed about 100 bucks for the work (which is unbelievably overpriced, but i guess it takes into account that there is only a few guys trained to do that kind of work efficiently and perfectly).

galannthegreat · « **Reply #8 on:** February 07, 2009, 07:54:44 PM »

Here are some more views:

Joesavage1 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 08, 2009, 01:54:19 AM »

Looks Cool.

Joe

frodo · « **Reply #10 on:** February 08, 2009, 05:36:09 AM »

just a question. how is it going to flip over?

galannthegreat · « **Reply #11 on:** February 08, 2009, 04:24:35 PM »

i made it so if i need to have more stuff on it i can flip over the whole thing and move the caster to the underside, giving it more ground clearance and better wieght distribution (instead of the motor mounts being pulled down they will pushed down onto). This in turn will also give me more space for another level and more room for gadgets and stuff.

PS the picture "bottomsideup.jpg" shows a good view of what it may look like.

frodo · « **Reply #12 on:** February 08, 2009, 04:30:28 PM »

yes but how will it flip over? springs, pneumatics?

galannthegreat · « **Reply #13 on:** February 08, 2009, 04:37:48 PM »

oh, thats what you mean. I was basically saying if i wanted to do quick and simple upgrades that these options would be availiable to me, not a flipping over kind of robot... but actually that wouldn't be a bad idea to incorporate that kind of system into a later robot, maybe a turtle robot (no pun intended).

PS more pictures will be coming either later this evening of the bot put together or tommorow

galannthegreat · « **Reply #14 on:** February 10, 2009, 12:47:55 PM »

First picture is the basic layout of my MCU board, second one is the parts taped down to show roughly what goes where.

frodo · « **Reply #15 on:** February 10, 2009, 04:35:24 PM »

when you've finished, please video it and put it on the forum

looks really good so far. did you make that MCU yourself?

HyperNerd · « **Reply #16 on:** February 11, 2009, 03:33:32 AM »

I built my Sparky robot about a year ago, much like this one. Turns out that is was a really great and stable design, with loads of room for prototyping.

As for your robot, how about adding some cool LED eyes?

-HyperNerd

galannthegreat · « **Reply #17 on:** February 11, 2009, 11:45:47 AM »

I made the MCU board myself and it turned out great.

LED eyes... hmm, maybe I can add those on the scanning turret sensor.

horo333 · « **Reply #18 on:** February 11, 2009, 12:30:14 PM »

wow, cool

galannthegreat · « **Reply #19 on:** February 11, 2009, 05:03:11 PM »

thanks

pomprocker · « **Reply #20 on:** February 11, 2009, 05:39:42 PM »

I'm thinking of learning how to etch my own PCBs. What recommendations do you have for learning

galannthegreat · « **Reply #21 on:** February 12, 2009, 10:54:57 AM »

If you have a decent budget and you are willing to purchase these tools, these would be great for starting out etching your own pcbs:
http://www.pulsarprofx.com/PCB/a_Pages/3_Direct_Etch/3b_The_15min_PCB/The_15min_PCB.html --- check out the site and also check out this vid on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKEe3otWstM

SmAsH · « **Reply #22 on:** February 15, 2009, 01:08:23 PM »

well to get started into etching i would reccomend getting some blue copy paper? the paper you iron and it transfers.
or a laser printer (or if yuor circuit isnt to complicated) you can use a sharpie.

for the etchant the cleanest one i know of would be ammonium persulphate. i try to steer clear of ferric chloride and ferric sulphate. its just a matter of preferance.

ArcMan · « **Reply #23 on:** February 15, 2009, 05:58:20 PM »

Hey! Another PIC guy. Sweet. We're definitely in a minority on this board.

galannthegreat · « **Reply #24 on:** February 16, 2009, 02:55:05 PM »

Quote

well to get started into etching i would reccomend getting some blue copy paper?

Basically get some glossy photo paper from your office supply store or TTS paper from Pulsar, and I don't know if they still make it, but Press'n'Peel works great.

Quote

Hey! Another PIC guy. Sweet. We're definitely in a minority on this board.

Yes this is definately true, I personally love PIC's but I'm thinking about trying AVR's for abit and if I don't like 'em I'll stick with PIC's for awhile.

SmAsH · « **Reply #25 on:** February 18, 2009, 04:58:12 AM »

well if you've got a laser printer you can use gloss paper (if your using inkjet use blue copy paper). and ive heard somewhere (i think it was instructables) that you can use magazine paper?? i might test this sometime

frodo · « **Reply #26 on:** February 18, 2009, 05:09:00 AM »

for the etchant, ammonium persulphate is probably the cleanest but the most expensive. i would stick with ferric chloride as it is quite cheap in comparison. magazine paper is fine paper as a cheap alternative, yes.

SmAsH · « **Reply #27 on:** February 19, 2009, 04:51:30 AM »

wow i really gotta try that, and i spoke to my electronics teacher today and yes you can print it onto any glossy paper with a laser printer (most photocopiers!!). but the only problem i can see with magazine paper is that it might jam. but yes, whatta ya mean ammonium persulphate is expensive? its about $10aud which is about 6usd?? for 400g of the stuff which will make you approx 1 and a half liters of etchant! and its reuseable!

frodo · « **Reply #28 on:** February 21, 2009, 06:23:57 AM »

its cheaper than it was then. about the same price as ferric chloride. if thats the case, choose whichever etchant you want to use

SmAsH · « **Reply #29 on:** February 25, 2009, 12:34:19 AM »

a correction for before $10au for 600g

for convenience id say ammonium persulphate because you dont have to take it to a chemical disposal place.

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Author Topic: What do you think of my first robot platform? (Read 5736 times)

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