1st robot
- Actuators / output devices: Tamiya twin gearbox
- CPU: Picaxe 28x1
- Power source: 4, 5V
- Programming language: Picaxe basic
This is my first robot. It can't do much now, but drive ahaead, since there are no sensors on it yet.
It's a simple robot made from a Tamiya Twin gearbox and some Tamiya wheels. The body is created from some old toys I had lying around. The rear end is supported by some plastic gizmo, that I found. What you probably can't see is, that the support is not perfectly centered, so in the first test, it dragged the robot to the left. I'll find a way to center the thing and maybe find something with less friction.
One other problem is that the gearbox is open. When it tried to drive over the carpet, the carpet got stuck in the sprockets and the vehicle stopped. I'll have to mount a cover under it to avoid this.
For sensors, I think I'll start out with a line follower. Then later, I'll go for a distance sensor.
UPDATE:
I just added a servo and a range sensor:
...making it a "real" robot. Next task is to program it to avoid crashing into stuff.
I see this robot as more of a "platform" than a real robot. The frame can be used to add all sorts of sensors and test them. The frame in the front could be used to mount a pcb with line sensors, for example.
Hope you like it
In supermarkets they have
In supermarkets they have trolleys. In some, on the trolleys, there are ads for whashing-powder etc. These ads are made out of plastic, and you can take it off easily. This plastic is stif, but like paper; perfect to cut with a scissors, and tape over the open parts of the gearbox :)
/ Frits
Nice tip. You should put it
You're so right about the
You're so right about the things sticking to the grease... I have vivid memories of very sandy gearboxes in old Tamiya R/C cars :-).
Very nice and colorful vehicle you have created! You sure have lots of holes to mount sensors and stuff - endless possibilities! :-)
- Jimmy
Colourful indeed :) It's an
A) Hey, how's the gearing
A) Hey, how's the gearing and motor-juice? Can it pull itself etc?
B) What´s that smart cable-thingey, the blue one on the SRF05? Did you attach that to the cable yourself? How?
C) Try - if you want - to paste this code and see what it does, just for the fun of it: http://letsmakerobots.com/node/254 Tell me if you can make it work?
Thanks for sharing!! I think it is a cool idea, good thinking with a test-platform! (and robot in the same)
/ Frits
Questions, questions so many questions
A) I'll get back, when I finish the first program
B) My sensor came without cables, but with an angled row of pins. The connector is from an old computer-connector. Think it was a dual USB port. I removed one row of wires and moved one of the wires (only 4 wires are used).
C) Later. I'll try my own code first. ;)
First problem: The little
Half a tennis table-ball
Half a tennis table-ball often works wonders :)
/ Frits
or just make something that
or just make something that holds a table tennis ball inside and lets it rotate freely - that'll give you close to zero resistance.
- Jimmy