Content in “Basic”

First Real One...

Chris the Carpenter — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:00:56 +0200

Primary image

What does it do?

A nice, simple base running on good ol' Fritz code

Well folks,

Here's another entry based on Fritz's great code. One goal I had was to not have anything soldered directly to the main board. Instead I installed another board for hard connections and to allow me to expand in the future. I am thinking of this as a great, solid test bed for additional sensors and experimenting with code.

Cost to build

$200

Embedded video

Finished project

Number

Time to build

20 hours

Type

tracks

URL to more information

Weight

My first robot - Ziltoid the omniscient

cjmtama — Sat, 03 May 2008 22:50:19 +0200

Primary image

What does it do?

Navigates and avoids objects

Ok, This is my first go at it. I will post more pics and some video as well.
Yes I did name him Ziltoid based on a Devin Townsend project. This is the first incarnation of Ziltoid here, I will work on a second one, probably just modify this one with speakers and sound. Ok, I had a little fun with the 2nd video. It does not explain anything, but it was fun to play with. Enjoy!

Ok, I can go over what I used now and costs. But first, thanks to Fritsl for the inspiration

and his how to build your first robot tutorial. Could NOT have done this or want to attempt

to do this without your guidance. The above tracks and chassis are from SUPERDROID

ROBOTS for $15. The chassis is solid and the parts that came with it to put it together

were tooled very well.

The two motors are from SOLARBOTICS, 143:1 ratio , 90 degree for

$11.50. I think next time I would go with a faster ratio, but this worked for a starter bot.

Since I really did not have some of the proper tools for this kind of project, I had to go

and get some basic stuff, like a glue gun, a better soldering iron and an extra pair of

hands/alligator clip circuit board holder. So add in an extra $40 bucks or so for that stuff.

Of course the whole thing is controlled by PIXAXE-28X starter pack with USB programming

cable. This was kind of the big single cost which was a total of about $73 from SPARKFUN.

The only problem I had, was once it came, the software CD was melted and un-usable.

No problem though, just went to the PICAXE web site and got the editor and manuals for free.

Add in L293D -Dual H-Bridge Motor Driver for about $3.50 from SOLARBOTICS. I could

not find the PICAXE servo upgrade kit anywhere that did not cost me an arm and a leg for

shipping, so I just used the 330 ohm resistor and had to do some searching for header

pins to hook up the servo and IR sensor. Found some 1X10 header pin connectors at

IEC for about $0.31 for 10. Problem here is that I bought like 10 sets for about $3.10

and paid over $9.00 for shipping. Lesson learned? Yea, buy whatever you can at the same

site at the same time and save on shipping. Used a Hitec HS-322HD servo from ROBOTICS

CONNECTION for $9.

I used the Sharp GP2D120 IR sensor with the IR sensor cable from ROBOTICS CONNECTION.

Cost for those was $9 for the sensor and $3 for the cable.

Other than the basic design change with tracks instead of wheels, the only other change

made was I added some header pins to the A/B motor outputs and connectors to the wires

from the motors so I could easily add/remove the motors and or board to another project

If I needed to. This was an awesome first time experience and thanks again to Fritsl and

everybody here for there input and knowledge. Hopefully this will help some other beginner

start on his, or her's robot. Now on to Ziltoid II.....INDEED HUMANS!!!!

Cost to build

$167

Embedded video

Finished project

Complete

Number

Time to build

20 hours

Type

URL to more information

Weight

Boe-bot for The Chair Challenge II

TigPT — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:18:22 +0200

Primary image

What does it do?

It complete the requirementes asked in "The Chair Challenge II"

Find out my new project here.

Hope it respect all parameters in the challenge:

"The Chair Challenge!"

Requirements:

Robot can be placed in any position and place operator prefers before start
Robot must then spin around it´s own center at least 10 times before step 3. (so we know it is actually navigating on it´s own)
Now the robot should try to drive around each of the 4 legs of a chair, like the orange arrow

Result:

Robot was placed at the chair left side, in it direction.
The robot spins 10 times over itself before start the task.
The robot drives around each of the 4 legs, like the orange arrow.

Picts:

Code:

"The Chair Challenge!"

Requirements:

Robot can be placed in any position and place operator prefers before start
Robot must then spin around it´s own center at least 10 times before step 3. (so we know it is actually navigating on it´s own)
Now the robot should try to drive around each of the 4 legs of a chair, like the orange arrow

Result:

Robot was placed at the chair left side, in it direction.
The robot spins 10 times over itself before start the task.
The robot drives around each of the 4 legs, like the orange arrow.

Code:

'(I know it is not that cute.. it may be simplified, but i was afraid of gaping time to finish the task, since I'm with school projects in hands.. maybe I tune it up later)

' {$STAMP BS2}
' {$PBASIC 2.5}
' {$PORT COM6}

'---------- VARS ----------'
pulseCount VAR Byte
irdetectleft VAR Bit
irdetectrigth VAR Bit
fase VAR Byte
'---------- TEST ----------'

'---------- START ----------'
GOSUB Spin '5 Spins on it own center
GOSUB Spin '5 Spins on it own center
fase = 0
'--------- MAIN CODE ---------'
DO
FREQOUT 8,1,39500 'activate IR
irdetectleft=IN9
FREQOUT 2,1,39500 'activate IR
irdetectrigth = IN0
'-- states machine --'
SELECT fase 'find beguin position
CASE 0
IF (irdetectleft=0) AND (irdetectrigth=0) THEN
fase = fase + 1
LOW 1
ELSEIF (irdetectrigth=0)THEN
GOSUB Slow_Spin
HIGH 1
ELSE
GOSUB Soft_Spin
ENDIF

CASE 1 'turn around the first chair leg
GOSUB Slow_Around_Leg
HIGH 1
GOSUB Forward
GOSUB Around_Leg_Large
GOSUB Forward
GOSUB Slow_Around_Leg
GOSUB Slow_Around_Leg
GOSUB Slow_Around_Leg
LOW 1
fase = fase + 1

CASE 2 'find and sping on the 2nd leg
IF (irdetectleft=0) AND (irdetectrigth=0) THEN
GOSUB Slow_Around_Leg
HIGH 1
GOSUB Forward
GOSUB Around_Leg
'GOSUB Forward
LOW 1
fase = fase + 1
ELSEIF (irdetectrigth=0)THEN
HIGH 1
GOSUB Slow_Forward
ELSE
HIGH 1
GOSUB Slow_Forward
ENDIF

CASE 3 'find and sping on the 3rd leg
IF (irdetectleft=0) AND (irdetectrigth=0) THEN
GOSUB Slow_Around_Leg
HIGH 1
GOSUB Forward
GOSUB Around_Leg
GOSUB Forward
GOSUB Slow_Around_Leg
LOW 1
fase = fase + 1
ELSEIF (irdetectrigth=0)THEN
GOSUB Slow_Forward
ELSE
GOSUB Slow_Forward
ENDIF

CASE 4 'find and sping on the 4th leg
IF (irdetectleft=0) AND (irdetectrigth=0) THEN
GOSUB Slow_Around_Leg
HIGH 1
GOSUB Forward
GOSUB Around_Leg_Large
GOSUB Slow_Around_Leg
GOSUB Slow_Around_Leg
GOSUB Slow_Around_Leg
GOSUB Forward
LOW 1
fase = fase + 1
ELSEIF (irdetectrigth=0)THEN
HIGH 1
GOSUB Slow_Forward
ELSE
HIGH 1
GOSUB Slow_Forward
ENDIF

CASE ELSE 'stop at end of task
DO
GOSUB Stay
LOOP
ENDSELECT
LOOP
'---------- SPIN ----------'
Spin:
FOR pulseCount = 0 TO 255
PULSOUT 13,850
PULSOUT 12,850
PAUSE 45
NEXT
RETURN
Soft_Spin:
FOR pulseCount = 0 TO 10
PULSOUT 13,770
PULSOUT 12, 770
PAUSE 45
NEXT
RETURN
Slow_Spin:
FOR pulseCount = 0 TO 5
PULSOUT 13,755
PULSOUT 12,755
PAUSE 45
NEXT
RETURN
'---------- BASIC ----------'
Stay:
FOR pulseCount = 0 TO 255
PULSOUT 13,750
PULSOUT 12,750
PAUSE 45
NEXT
RETURN
Forward:
FOR pulseCount = 0 TO 40
PULSOUT 13, 650
PULSOUT 12, 850
PAUSE 20
NEXT
RETURN
Slow_Forward:
FOR pulseCount = 0 TO 50
PULSOUT 13, 740
PULSOUT 12, 760
PAUSE 20
NEXT
RETURN
'---------- LEGS ----------'
Around_Leg:
FOR pulseCount = 0 TO 110
PULSOUT 13,735
PULSOUT 12, 850
PAUSE 40
NEXT
RETURN
Around_Leg_Large:
FOR pulseCount = 0 TO 150
PULSOUT 13,735
PULSOUT 12, 850
PAUSE 40
NEXT
RETURN
Slow_Around_Leg:
FOR pulseCount = 0 TO 10
PULSOUT 13,735
PULSOUT 12, 850
PAUSE 40
NEXT
RETURN

Cost to build

$130

Embedded video

Finished project

Complete

Number

Time to build

5 hours

Type

wheels

URL to more information

Weight

390 grams

Entry in the toy car contest

Chris the Carpenter — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 23:50:45 +0100

Primary image

What does it do?

Drives around, looks for bright light, goes to the side that is brightest

Well folks,

Here is not only my first picaxe project that sorta worked but also my entry in the toy car contest. I have no idea what the car used to be but it is actually still remote controlled! I found it was easier to hack the remote rather than the car itself. I am using an 18x in an axe090 board and a darlington driver to talk to the old remote. The "drive tword the light" code could use a little work but the concept is sound. I think I have a side-job sold so a ping sensor and the IR remote should be in my future -maybe even a proper base and tracks, etc. I think this is a good first step, I am learning more each night and mad thanks to fritz for all the wonderful code. More to come soon!

Cost to build

$50

Embedded video

Finished project

Number

Time to build

3 hours

Type

wheels

URL to more information

Weight

Little 8

fritsl — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:06:59 +0100

Primary image

What does it do?

Very cheap but fun little beginners robot. It think' it has a brains within a Picaxe 8

From building big, nasty, with large shovel, 2 cores, multiple sensors, soundsystem etc, I got tired of that.. and decided to see what fun I could have with a little Picaxe 8 on a board ($16, total prize for robot is about $40).

Version II of this fella here: http://letsmakerobots.com/node/101

I have since recieved some interest in how to build this extremely easy and cheap robot, and so I hereby transform this post to a small and simple tutorial:

Shopping list:

Can be bought from Picaxe:

1axe023 Is just plu'n play all in one, no soldering needed, just a screwdriver, use the manual that comes with the board.
1 USB Download Cable if you do not have one allready.
1 (free) Programming editor
1 5V Voltage regulator Read more and see how to connect here
2 "bumper-switches"

You can get this from anywhere:

1 9V battery
Some sticks and something to cut them
Screwdriver
Soldering iron and led
Some pieces of wire and something to cut it with
Some different types of glue or tape etc
a table-tennis ball and a knife to cut it

- And then you need some motors with wheels. I recomend these, used in my robot.

I like the challenge of only having 8 pins and 128 bytes of code etc. But be aware; you get a funny robot, but it is blind, can only sense a bumper in front, and you really do not have much memory in it etc.

What I did after building this, was i set it up with Easy Radio serial wireless input on the only pin left for anything. This made it possible to control this little robot by another robot, which opens new windows etc.

Some friends and i in our local club also had a contest of making it draw the number 8 on a piece of paper with a marker glued to its back.. Good fun little fast and chep robot!

A stick, some switches, and a sliced up table-tennis-sized ball for "the third wheel"

To get the 9V down to 5V, I use a voltage regulator.

I was just mounting with some glue, the strips just tohold things in place..

An angle grinder may look like an extreme tool for such a small job - but I use it quite often. Just turn it on, hold it steady against something, and anything you stick in there is just vanishing, nice and smooth - compared to cutting such small parts. I also use it for acrylic (Plexiglass), again it is perfect to make little cuts and markings.

Just follow the instructions that comes with the board - it cannot be more simple, hook up the 2 motors.

The motors I recomend are incredible! Fast and strong, even though I only feed them 3.5V due to the 1.5V drop from the Motor Driver. So I actually had to make a "tale-bumper" (red square) as it was lifting the front a little too much :D With the bumper on it turned out quite cool, as it is just as capable of navigating on only the rear-wheels.. there is nothing else but a glider in front anyway.

All needed now is some code and the battery.

TIP: Get rechargeable batteries (and a recharger) - Or you will soon have used as much on batteries as on the Robot itself!

REMEMBER: If you make anything like this, to take a picture and show me :)

Here is the code used in the robot on the video. Don't mind that the names of the sub-routines does not make sense to you. Fact is that nothing in this code makes much sense, it was just the fun I had at the time when I shoot the video :)

I will have a closer look at this soon, but on request, here the code from the video:

symbol fw = 20
symbol bc = 200

b0= 175

''''''

dav:
random w5

for w3 = 0 to w5
if pin3 = 1 then
gosub bum
end if
next w3

b0= b0 +1
random w5
if b0 < w5 then goto hest

random w5
if w5 > fw then
high 1 low 0'ForwardRight
endif

random w5
if w5 > fw then
high 4 low 2'ForwardLeft
endif

hest:

random w5
if w5 > bc then
high 2 low 4'ReverseLeft
endif

random w5
if w5 > bc then
high 0 low 1'ReverseRight
endif

goto dav

bum:
w4 = 32212
return

high 2 low 4 high 0 low 1'Reverse
pause 300
if b0 > 175 then
high 1 low 0'ForwardRight
high 2 low 4'ReverseLeft
else
high 4 low 2'ForwardLeft
high 0 low 1'ReverseRight
end if
pause 300

b0 = 175
return

Cost to build

$40

Embedded video

Your browser is not able to display this multimedia content.

Finished project

Complete

Number

Time to build

5 hours

Type

wheels

URL to more information

Weight

75 grams

My second robot

fritsl — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:55:29 +0100

Primary image

What does it do?

Drives really fast, but poor, as both rear wheels turn the same, and no weight on front

This time I wanted a faster robot. No turning head, just some parts from old toy, mocked up, and getting much too high voltage!

It went completely beserk, but frankly; It was quite a poor robot, haha. (But fun)