Society of Robots - Robot Forum

Software => Software => Topic started by: Conscripted on June 14, 2009, 10:38:24 PM

Title: Game playing robot arm
Post by: Conscripted on June 14, 2009, 10:38:24 PM
Hello all. I've finished $50 dollar robot. I posted some pictures in this (http://www.societyofrobots.com/robotforum/index.php?topic=8202.0) thread. I'll add a sharp ir sensor to it in the next few days but I'm already thinking about my next project. I would like to build a robotic arm that can play Tic Tac Toe. I don't think a vision system is practical for me yet so I thought I might add a sensor for each possible move. It could be a micro switch or maybe a photo detector not real sure. I have three problems that i will need to overcome.

1. How would I monitor 9 sensors and be able to move three or four servos too?
2. I've never built a robotic arm
3. My programming skills are very weak.

Would it be possible to take a tic tac toe game written in C from the web and modify it? As I see it all the decision making would be programmed already. I would need to modify it code to move the arm to set positions instead of display the information on a screen. Would A program written in C for a PC port easily to AVR?

Thanks for any input provided.

Conscripted
Title: Re: Game playing robot arm
Post by: Ro-Bot-X on June 15, 2009, 06:16:00 AM
I've seen Lego robots playing Tic-tac-toe. They were using the old RCX system, so the sensors were pretty limited. Most of them used a probe with 3 touch sensors attached to a resistive multiplexor, that would give out different voltage for each sensor combination. The probe would touch the game surface for each line, and the sensors would be actuated if a piece were to be found, the result being stored in an array. The robot would know which of the pieces were his and which were it's oponent's so after probing, a move would be calculated and a new piece added to the game.

To better understand the concept, please take a look at the best Lego Connect 4 robot:
http://www.teamhassenplug.org/robots/fullcontact/ (http://www.teamhassenplug.org/robots/fullcontact/)

And a description of an older Lego ATic-tac-toe robot with code:
http://www.marioferrari.org/ttt.html (http://www.marioferrari.org/ttt.html)

And here is a vid of a Lego robot - oh, and I forgot to mention that the robots must clear up the table after the game!
[youtube]XhfGQGGFb68[/youtube]
Title: Re: Game playing robot arm
Post by: Admin on June 17, 2009, 03:53:01 PM
1. How would I monitor 9 sensors and be able to move three or four servos too?
Well, its exactly like how the $50 Robot monitors 2 photoresistors. Just look at the code and expand it. The $50 Robot can only do 8 analog sensors. You'd need an Axon for more :P

Quote
2. I've never built a robotic arm
http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_faq.shtml#robot_arm (http://www.societyofrobots.com/robot_faq.shtml#robot_arm)

Quote
3. My programming skills are very weak.
practice practice practice
(and take some classes and read some books)
Title: Re: Game playing robot arm
Post by: SmAsH on June 17, 2009, 04:12:13 PM
1. How would I monitor 9 sensors and be able to move three or four servos too?
Well, its exactly like how the $50 Robot monitors 2 photoresistors. Just look at the code and expand it. The $50 Robot can only do 8 analog sensors. You'd need an Axon for more :P
how does it do that? i though it only had 6 analogue ports?
Title: Re: Game playing robot arm
Post by: Admin on June 17, 2009, 04:19:04 PM
Oops sorry just 6 ADC. I was thinking of the SMD version of the ATmega8 (which has 8 ).


edit:
Code: [Select]
8) looks like 8) to the forum . . .
Title: Re: Game playing robot arm
Post by: dellagd on June 17, 2009, 06:34:51 PM
I'll put this in my list of projects-to-do
Title: Re: Game playing robot arm
Post by: Metal Slug 2 on June 17, 2009, 08:54:00 PM
I'll put this in my list of projects-to-do
Me 2  ;D...just one more of dozens I have planned for over the summer...
Title: Re: Game playing robot arm
Post by: Conscripted on June 17, 2009, 10:21:15 PM
Well, its exactly like how the $50 Robot monitors 2 photoresistors. Just look at the code and expand it. The $50 Robot can only do 8 analog sensors. You'd need an Axon for more :P

For the sensors I only need to know if there is a piece present or not. Would it be possible to make a voltage divider or multiplex the sensors to indicate which positions are filled and which aren't?

Conscripted
Title: Re: Game playing robot arm
Post by: SmAsH on June 18, 2009, 06:40:17 AM
you could use an ir emitter detector pair if its possible to have one on each side, or if not you could use a sharp ir...
Title: Re: Game playing robot arm
Post by: dellagd on June 18, 2009, 06:33:36 PM
This makes you think.
Why don't more people use lego to build robot chassises?  I mean the guy in the vid made something like a gantry crane! I might try this...