Content in “Arduino”

I want an arduino feivel...

mattmitch — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:54:22 +0200

would it be possible to have an arduino use led's as sensors? like this ---> http://letsmakerobots.com/node/272

If so how would I code it ?

PhilBot (Aspiring Phil Collins Robot)

RobotRookie — Sat, 03 May 2008 23:16:29 +0200

Primary image

What does it do?

Drives around and finds something to drum on, while avoiding walls.

After seeing so many great drumming robots on LMR, I figured it was time for me to build one of my very own. I have never built a robot, or done anything quite like this, so this will be a learning process. I bought an Arduino a month or so back after reading about it constantly in my favorite magazine, MAKE. With a little help from TheCowGod, who also used the Arduino in his drumming robot, I have put together the start of PhilBot.

I also picked up a motor shield for the Arduino from Adafruit. It is a great way to use the Arduino to control multiple motors, and servos. It offers a lot of simple code to make the most out of your motors and servos. I used the body design of Brandon from Society of Robot. I used the same motor and motor mounts as well.

This morning I spent some time in front of the band saw and drill press and built the body. It was pretty quick and painless, and cleaned it all up with a bench sander. Overall, I am very pleased with the way it turned out.

I decided that before I worry about drumming, I need to get this thing to drive around, avoid walls, and find objects to drum on.

I bolted everything together and ran some code that I had written ahead of time. I am not happy with the wheels I have, but it is really hard to find wheels that will work well with a 3mm motor axel. I will probably have to fabricate something myself. I also quickly realized that my "looking" servo is far too slow. For the most part, PhilBot ran pretty well for its maiden voyage with all new code. There is still plenty of work to do, but he seemed to at least stay away from walls and obstacles, yet found a few things to drum on.

I got my new servo this morning. I picked up the Hitec HS-81 servo. This was nice and cheap ($15 at my local hobby shop), and it is fast! I cut a (somewhat sloppy) hole into the surface so the servo sits nicely inside and tapped some holes for a couple screws to hold it in place. After letting Philbot run around a bit, it quickly became obvious that my slow servo was the cause for a lot of the problems I was having before. Now it is time to fidget with the code...

I ran out of room for another motor on my motor controller (only 4, 2 for front drums, 2 for wheels). So, I am using the extra servo slot I have for the bass drum. I am also going to use the bass drum as my third leg while I am not drumming. When I find something to drum on, I will lift up the leg, the robot rear end will sit on a couple rubber feet, and it will turn into a drum. I don't know if it will work yet, as I am waiting for the JB Weld to cure. The ball is actually a top that you spin. I stuck the dowel end into a hollow aluminum pole. Also notice my new flat battery (6V 1000 mAh) that will fit nicely in between the two layers to run the motors/servos. Oh, and one more thing. The drive shafts will be trimmed down, just haven't gotten there yet, nor do I know if I am going keep these wheels...but I don't have any other options for a 3mm axel. More photos and hopefully a video once I get the two drumsticks installed and the code a little more fine tuned...

Cost to build

$100

Embedded video

Finished project

Number

Time to build

Type

wheels

URL to more information

Weight

how to program for pololu on arduino...

mattmitch — Sat, 03 May 2008 05:52:22 +0200

now that I got my pololu controller how do i use it with arduino? (as in coding)

thanks

~Matt

My pololu controller came !!!

mattmitch — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:34:54 +0200

Sweetness my pololu controller came,(Dang that thing is small :)

I just finnished my SAT test (I am home schooled so that means no more school untill september!! :),

and I just got a summer job, this week is so awesome !!!!! :P

so here comes the hard part, coding :)

~Matt

Gripper Bot

TigPT — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 21:25:24 +0200

Primary image

What does it do?

Will be able to catch things with a grippe

Foto Album

I'm thinking in make a robot where i can make my things my way.. so i'm making it to be line follower, but to future update to gripper.

Last updated foto

From now on i will start to upload fotos to here.. to don't spam the main topic.

http://picasaweb.google.pt/tig.rodrigues/GripperBot

Cost to build

Embedded video

Finished project

Number

Time to build

Type

URL to more information

Weight

Driving a motor with arduino...

mattmitch — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 03:53:14 +0200

I need some help with driving dc motors with arduino. I have already looked at the arduino site and all I found was this http://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoShields and no guide or parts list.

I have gone thru all of the lessons here http://www.ladyada.net/learn/arduino/ and ithas been really fun so far but I WANT TO BUILD ROBOTS! NOT BLINKIE LIGHTS! :)

whooo hoo ! my arduino came!!!!!

mattmitch — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:19:40 +0200

I just got my arduino diecimila today and I am trying to figure out what to do as my first project.

What do you guys think I should do?

I am a little tight on money untill this summer so my projects are sort of limited :(

Arduino vs Picaxe

fritsl — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:15:17 +0100

Should I go for Arduino or Picaxe for my next robot?

Let´s compare:

Scalability:
******************
Picaxe run on many different chips, all from the company called Microchip.
They range from 8 to 40 pins, and is available in surface mount as well as ordinary housing
Many different pre-made project boards are available, and not only those made by "The Picaxe-people"; Control 3 servos and some ins- and outs on something smaller than a machbox, at a very small price, and up to large 40 pins projects.
******************
Arduino is possible to do in many stange ways, quite diverse, even add it on a T-shirt etc. But for robots the most applicable would most likely be the 28 pin Diecimila with ATmega168. Only this has no motor driver on it, so you are basicly stuck, unless you buy the komplete motor kit, but then..

******************
The proto board for the picaxe is valued high, it actually makes the difference - you can build a robot just by adding motors and sensors, it is robot-ready!

Picaxe: 2 points
Arduino:0points
==================

Speed:
******************
Picaxe can run from 4 to 16 Mhz, but if you plan to use Picaxe Basic, you are best off using 4 Mhz
******************
Arduino runs on 16 Mhz
******************
Although not many robotic projects will have a processor- speed-issue (or they should use co-processors if speed really did matter), and although the Picaxe can run at the same speed, Arduino wins the speed-contest

Picaxe: 0 points
Arduino:1 points
==================

Programming language, posibilities, scalability
******************
The Picaxe language is easy, yet it is quite powerful, and plenty for most robotic useage, and has a wide area of actuators and sensors directly supported.

******************
Arduino is, however, more powerful than the Picaxe set of instructions, supports floating point, is documented on how to interact with all sorts of things. But if you just want to control servos, motors, sensors etc that Robots are often made from (and not MIDI-devices, Symbian Phones etc), Picaxe is a much more focused language. To read a temperature, you will have to write dozens of lines with Arduine, do bugtracking, wiring etc. With Picaxe you merely write "Readtemp and hook up the sensor", same for servo, Picaxe is just "Servo to this and that", Arduino is several lines and configurations.

******************

Picaxe: 1 points
Arduino:1 points
==================

Building speed - time from you recieve your materials till your robot is working:
******************
Picaxe is "plug and play" - you get up and running in no time, all included. The language is so easy, your dog can code it, yet it is quite powerful, and plenty for most robotic useage.
******************
Arduino an open source project - you will spend a lot of time before you get from 0 to 100, all included, and waiting for all the packages. The language takes some time to get into, is based upon Alpha software, it is more complex than Picaxe basic, which is in version 5.
******************

Picaxe: 1 points
Arduino:0 points
==================

Number of servos controlled and other perperials:
******************
A picaxe 18 (smaller than 28!) can control 21 servos on a standard board

Picaxe uses one-liners to communicate with servos, serial, I2c and every other protocol used for typical electronics and robot-building

******************
Arduino can "only" control "up to 20" servos, and uses more complicated code for doing the same protocols.

******************
Picaxe: 1 points
Arduino:0 points
==================

OS for programing-platform:
******************
Picaxe works only on MS, although Linux is under development.
******************
Arduino is supporting Mac OS X, MS, and Linux (with some tweaking)
******************
For a wider selection of platforms, Arduino wins.

Picaxe: 0 points
Arduino:1 points
==================

Price, pre-made protoboard with chips included:
******************
Picaxe 28 pin, incl darlington & Picaxe 28X £16.01 (inc. VAT)
******************
Arduino Diecimila 28 pin incl ATMega168 £18.51 (inc. VAT)
******************

Picaxe: 1 points
Arduino:0 points
==================

Total:

Picaxe: 6 points
Arduino: 3 points

Conclusion must be that Arduino should be used once the cheaper and faster to get started with Picaxe is no longer enough for your creations, but only if you want to do some more hard-coding to peripherals and soldering yourself.