Created: Blog entry

Started this weekend with the 2nd version of my IOIO-SHR (Start Here Robot). Because Santa brought me a Rover 5 chassis on christmas, this would become the chassis for it. I got the 2WD version including wheel encoders and the motor controller board.

Here are some shots from the assembly test.

The IOIO is mounted on a carrier board with 3 pin headers for all IOs. Some Jumpers are available to select the supply voltage for the IO headers, 3.3V, 5V from the IOIO or external servo voltage.

FezBridge is an Implementation of the Android Debug Bridge (ADB)  on a .NETMF device, the Fez Domino from GHI electronics. It is based on the MicroBridge project from Inopia alias Romfont. The ADB is available on most Android phones (Andropid v1.6 or higher). This is one of the advantages against the Android Open Accessory mode. which runs only on a few phones.

At the Google I/O 2011 the new Android Open Accessory Development Kit (ADK) has been published. This allows to connect Accessorys to your Android phone and communicate between the Accessory and the Android via USB. The Accessory has to implement an USB Host, while the Android acts as a USB client.

This is my complete robot family. 24 robots so far. Build over the last 15 years. Some of them are dead or incomplete. But most of them works.

A higher resolution image can be found in my flickr album, including tags of every single robot.

I've made some testing with the ultrasonic sensor from Dagu. Tests were made on the platform the sensor is build for, the Asuro. The sensor works pretty well, most of the the time. The range of obstacle detection is from 0..25cm. Sometimes the sensor dismiss an obstacle, when the objects is not directly in front of the robot.

 The video gives some impressions, how this sensor works.

My current project is a start here robot with .NET Micro Framework using a FEZ Domino board from GHI Electronics. The FEZ Domino is pin compatible to Arduino, but has more processing power (ARM7 core with 72MHz clock), 3 UART, 2SPI USB host and micro SD-Card support.

After building some Arduino based robots I think it's time for a change. Before I start build the robot itself some testings were needed to find out if the FEZ Domino is a worthy successor for the Arduino and can I use my existing Arduino shields.

For my next "top secret" robot project I need 2 ultrasonic sensors. Playing around with the Maxbotix MaxSonar EZ1, which perfectly matches in size for this task, I stumbled across the following problem.

This is one of the main part for my contribution of the LMR Dagu contest. It looks like a small camera and yes indeed it is a camera. But this camera didn't give you a video or picture output. Mhhm, than it must be defect you may think.

My next robot project will be a tank based plattform, but first I need to finish YAABR. After I see this spy toy at Amazon I need to buy one. It is a very good fabricated toy and also very pricy. I paid 50€ for it at myby.com, at Amazon you get it for 56$. For that money you get a tank platform with wireless video camera (320x240 bw, 2.4GHz) and microfone, a RC control (27MHz) and a head-up Display with LCD screen and ear phone. Not bad.