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yet Another First Robot (yAFRO)

Robot – work in progress
 
lordofthedonuts's picture
By lordofthedonuts
@ November 17, 2008
A simple "first robot" that navigates around using IR
Cost to build: 
$85

So, here's my first robot (yAFRO)

It has nothing exceptional other than running on Arduino instead of PICaxe and being built form an old snakes and ladders board. I choosed this track geometry to make it different than the usuall Tamiya tank chassis. 

 

I still have much to do; the motor driver still doesn't work and I have to learn how to program the Arduino.

 

Since it's Arduino it can't be powered by only 4 AA batteries, do you have any good idea what type of battery I could use?

I chose not to use normal 9v batteries because I want something a bit more powerful, maybe 6 or 8 AA batteries, I don't know.

I'll update it when I have anything done.  Maybe even some videos if I have it running.

 

*CORRECTIONS, I changed AAA for AA, my error.*

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By guibot
@ Mon, 2008-11-17 20:42
guibot's picture

beautiful design!!  congrats  ;)

i guess you can use a 9V battery for the Arduino and sensors and 4 AA batteries for the motors 

By ericski
@ Mon, 2008-11-17 19:47
ericski's picture
I used 4xAA for the servo power (which I attached to wheels) and a 9V for the Arduino.  It has the added benefit that I can disable power to the wheels while programming/testing.
By james hedman
@ Mon, 2008-11-17 10:22

I am not sure if you have seen the battery backpack for the arduino. i am just learning all this too, but i think that it will meet your needs to power the arduino, but I plan on using other batteries to run the motors.

Liquidware : Lithium BackPack

By lordofthedonuts
@ Tue, 2008-11-18 01:42
lordofthedonuts's picture
I have seen the Lithium backpack, it's too expensive to me, the arduino cost about 30$ and the Lithium backpack is 47$ but it can be charged via USB wich is very cool.
By Nicola
@ Mon, 2008-11-17 10:08
Nicola's picture

There are plenty of batteries to choose from. Pololu have many, or you can just go to a local model car shop, they surely have great choice.

Nice chassis, looking forward to see it completed :)

By lordofthedonuts
@ Tue, 2008-11-18 01:18
lordofthedonuts's picture

I've considered RC Hobby batteries (NiMh or LiPo) but I didn't want to buy a charger for them my budget is relatively limited.

 

thanks, for your help though.

By OddBot
@ Mon, 2008-11-17 04:47
OddBot's picture

I like it, a good design for climbing over objects.

I don't know anything about Arduino's but regardless of MCU, a low dropout voltage regulator would probably be a good idea and if possible run your motors/servo's off of a seperate battery as they generate a lot of electrical noise that can be hard to eliminate. With a small robot I'm building now, the servo's tend to twich a bit no matter how much I try to filter/decouple the supply. Others have reported similar problems when using a single batterypack.

By lordofthedonuts
@ Tue, 2008-11-18 01:44
lordofthedonuts's picture

 

I don't know if I'm gonna get electrical noise problem, the motors the aren't yet running...

Just soldering a capacitor to one of the lead of the motor and onto the motor case  doesn't solve the problem ?

BTW, the Arduino has an integrated 5v regulator.