Society of Robots - Robot Forum
Mechanics and Construction => Mechanics and Construction => Topic started by: MrWizard on April 01, 2009, 02:04:06 PM
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Hello Roboteers,
Little bit about my project. I am trying to create an alternative for the mindstorm on a smaller budget.
My son already has an extensive collection of Lego. So I decided to use Lego as a basis for the robot.
Lego is very versatile, quick and easy to build with. I have look at at the mindstorm products and they are well worth the money I must say.
But building a Robot controller and program it yourself is the extra fun ofcourse.
I am just starting with making the pieces fit to the lego system (not the nxt).
If somebody also experimented with this conversion..maybe we could share some ideas.
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wait so are you trying to make a sort of mindstorms thing? like have the mcu inside a block?
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No not the -brick- . I am using the 50 dollar controller and other selfmade parts.
I adapt it so I can use it with Lego parts and create a flexible kind of Minstorm with already bought Lego parts
The NXT is very nice but limited. So I am trying to build a flexible alternative.
I still use C programming as the main programming language.
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so are you building any kind of electronics into the bricks?
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so are you building any kind of electronics into the bricks?
Yes , next thing to get the light-resistors mounted on some brick. Have some IR modules ready also I have made 2 different models with IR , one amplified like in the tutorial and another model from another website..
I will post the test results. (all build with pots so I can use it also for line following)
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so are you building any kind of electronics into the bricks?
Small update on experimenting for about 2 hours.
Cheap mindstorm photorevore robot..
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I'm surprised more people don't just build their robots into lego chassis. Especially the experimental living room sort.
Mine:
(http://www-personal.umich.edu/~erelson/Images/Photovore01.png)
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A few years ago, some time before NXT talks were even out in the open, I used a lot the old Mindstorms kits. I still use them, but now I focus on the other type of robots. But at the time, being frustrated with the size and limitations of the RCX I thought about building a similar controller but smaller and cheaper and with more possibilities.
Since I didn't know much about microcontrollers, I chose something that was easy to program and small in size. Today I would choose a Mega168 or so...
So here is my microsize intelligent bricks that I've built at the time: Nemesis and Perseus bricks. If you Google the names you'll find more info about the micros. I have used them for line followers and mini sumo bots made out of Lego Technic and Mindstorms elements.
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wow you guys, these look great! these holidays im trying this!
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Lol, screw paying a fortune for the mindstorms kit when you can make your own augmented boards into lego mindstorms like things, and btw, these all look really awesome!!! Maybe i should try this out.
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A few years ago, some time before NXT talks were even out in the open, I used a lot the old Mindstorms kits. I still use them, but now I focus on the other type of robots. But at the time, being frustrated with the size and limitations of the RCX I thought about building a similar controller but smaller and cheaper and with more possibilities.
Since I didn't know much about microcontrollers, I chose something that was easy to program and small in size. Today I would choose a Mega168 or so...
So here is my microsize intelligent bricks that I've built at the time: Nemesis and Perseus bricks. If you Google the names you'll find more info about the micros. I have used them for line followers and mini sumo bots made out of Lego Technic and Mindstorms elements.
Nice work about the Lego-Bots you all...
I am already working on a smaller version , but same basic design.
Now I am trying to get some IR modules (self made, not Sharp) working.
Nice to know to have some fellow (Lego) roboteers who are also prototyping with Lego.
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I've made like 20 robots out of legos like 8+ years ago. I got them to do fairly advanced stuff too, like the wavefront algorithm and a robot that shoots rubber bands at flashlights. They used the old HandyBoard from MIT.
Reminds me, maybe I'll upload a video or two of them . . . just subscribe to my YouTube account and stay tuned . . .