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Hand Tracker

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JoeBTheKing's picture
By JoeBTheKing
@ June 17, 2011
Tracks things
Cost to build: 
$55
Time to build: 
14 hours

 

***Update: Fixed some spelling***

***Update: Video added***

 

    A few weeks ago our school was told we were going to have a science fair so I went to work brain storming ideas.  After a while I decided that I wanted to do something that had to do with robotics.  Then I narrowed it down again and decided that I will explain how robots work.  After that I started to work on the project but thought it would be boring to just have a poster and a few pictures of my past robots, so I made a small robot to go along with it.  

   When I started thinking of what kind of robot to build I knew it would have to have a few qualities.  First, it would have to be a quick build since I only had about two weeks to work on it.  Next,  it would have to be made with only parts I had so I would not have to wait for shipping.  After that, it would have to be an easy build but not so easy that I did not learn anything.  Finally, I wanted this robot to interact with the people viewing my project.

   With all this in mind I decided to make a hand tracking robot.  First, I took a Dagu pan/tilt sensor mount of an old project and put a Dagu IR array sensor on it and wired it up to a picaxe 28x1.  Then, once it was all together I put it in a tupper ware container for prototyping.  Once I did that I started coding it, and this turned out to be the hardest part.  After I finally got the code running alright I worked on the final enclosure with some help from my dad.  The final enclosure was a little box with a pexi-glass slide in lid to show  all the brains with the "head" mounted on the back.  Also I put in an arcade button that you would have to push and hold to turn the robot on.  I used the button so that once people moved away from it and let the button go it would turn off to save battery power.

   Over all I think this project went nicely and looked good.  Also I think I am really starting to get basic.  Finally,  I would like to thank everyone who helped me with my coding problem.

(I will post some video later when I can get someone to help me hold the camra)

P.S.  I won 1st Place in the science fair.

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By targetdg15
@ Sat, 2011-11-26 16:26
targetdg15's picture

what does pan/tilt code look like on the picaxe? This is the first project I have seen use it... Thank you, its very cool!

By JoeBTheKing
@ Sun, 2011-11-27 06:57
JoeBTheKing's picture
For your question I don't understand what your asking. If you were just looking for moving the pan/tilt setup it was moved with 2 servos. The code would look like this: servo 0, 150 'centers the panning servo servo 1, 150 'center tilt servo 'Now looking straight foward wait 2 'wait 2 seconds servo 0, 180 'look right servo 1, 180 'look high 'Now looking high right wait 2 'wait 2 seconds This all depends on your setup though. I lost he original code for this robot a few weeks back when my laptop died but if you were wondering about the tracking part it looked something like this: Main: Readadc 0, b0 'Read right sensor Readadc 1, b1 'Read left sensor If b0>b1 then servo 0, 180 'turn right wait 2 else servo 0, 120 'turn left wait 2 endif goto main Then I would go on and do the same thing with the tilt servo. The code I used for this project could still be refined a little more to track smoother but it worked okay. Another example of the pan/tilt with this sensor is Oddbot's Mr. General. I hope I answered your question but if not please ask.
By JoeBTheKing
@ Sun, 2011-11-27 07:02
JoeBTheKing's picture
All my spaces keep getting deleted in my comment... I just tried it 3 times and no luck, so tommorrow I will update this post with more about the coding for you.
By OddBot
@ Sat, 2011-06-18 06:36
OddBot's picture

Looks good. Can you  post a video?

By JoeBTheKing
@ Mon, 2011-06-20 18:23
JoeBTheKing's picture

I will get one up soon.

By jmalt31
@ Fri, 2011-06-17 22:26

I agree with Catus about the type of thinking - I like this a lot, but I am not familiar with that sensor I will have to check it out

By JoeBTheKing
@ Fri, 2011-06-17 22:42
JoeBTheKing's picture

And its not to expensive.  I got mine for around $8 pre-made.  Here's the page on LMR about it and there are places that carry it under websites. http://letsmakerobots.com/node/11293#new

By Cactus
@ Fri, 2011-06-17 19:14

"After that, it would have to be an easy build but not so easy that I did not learn anything."

This type of thinking is nice to see.  Congratulations on a successful build and your award.

By JoeBTheKing
@ Fri, 2011-06-17 19:43
JoeBTheKing's picture

I love big challenges but I was on to strict of a deadline to overcomplicate things to much.