Anyone here built their own robot?

[bsodmike]

As part of my MSc thesis, it is to design and build a robot integrating a control system and navigation system. Essentially, it's an omnidirectional robot with 3 omni-wheels at 120 degrees apart.

It will have a couple microcontrollers interfaced to an EPIA mini-ITX mainboard and some other bells and whistles.

I just sorted out the inverse kinematics today (proof/derivation) etc, and will be simulating it shortly and am also working on the PWM motor controller circuitry. I've just about ordered the balance bits I need to get the EPIA running, again...

So, long story short, have you built a robot yourself? It can be a micromouse, to a beerbot...share the gory details here

[Stringent]

You just want to enter Robot Wars don't you?

[bsodmike]

Robot Wars...LOL! Actually, that's far far simpler really. You just wireup the control to a remote with a couple actuators to drive whatever 'weapon' etc...

What I'm doing right now feels a tad harder since when I'm done, the robot should be able to navigate around mazes, obstacles, an office etc...all on it's own, and at the same time...explore and map out the 'terrain' hehe...

[TheAnimus]

so your at reading then?

[kalniel]

Does LEGO count?

[mikerr]

Heh, bullt a "robot" (1) attached to my zx spectrum way back in 1986,
the speccy was quite easy to interface to.

(1)really just two motors and two microswitches..... not a walker or anything!

Nowadays accelerometers/gyros and fast microcontrollers are cheap - I might get around to building a balancing robot of some kind.

[bsodmike]

Does LEGO count?

Hah, it actually does. We had dual-semester long module working as a team to design the usual 'ball collecting' bot in knock out type tourneys. (I say usual cause the MEngers in Leeds were doing the same thing, albeit NOT with lego, but designing and building all from scratch).

Many of the videos are here:
YouTube - bsodmike's Channel

Out robot performed the best in this round, collecting six balls before the spinner jammed on one...
YouTube - KCL Engineering GDP Group B vs. Group C Comp#4 2008

I did toy with the NXT for a couple weeks as well; I can only imagine the fun I could have had with that if I had more time.

[Stewart]

Build my own robot? Build my own robot?!

Dude, I was overthrown by my own robot!

Well, perhaps overthrown is an exageration... I was thrown over a fence by my own robot.

I'll build a scorpion robot and together we will have our revenge.

[Clunk]

[schmunk]

Hah, it actually does. We had dual-semester long module working as a team to design the usual 'ball collecting' bot in knock out type tourneys. (I say usual cause the MEngers in Leeds were doing the same thing, albeit NOT with lego, but designing and building all from scratch).

We did a similar thing with a wheeled robot collecting and depositing hockey pucks in the Cambridge Engineering course (in the 2nd year, IIRC), although we had to follow white lines and navigate ramps.

[Steve B]

i've built a robot controlled by a Wii Remote on two occasions.
The 1st had the Wii Remote being interfaced to my MacBook, with virtual COM link to PIC controlling DC Motors using H-Bridges.
The 2nd had the Wii Remote being interfaced to an NSLU2 running SlugOS and hacked libwiimote drivers, with a COM link to PIC controlling DC motors using H-bridges.

[bsodmike]

Ha, nice to see you here as well Steve ...hmm, I won't who's that on my MSN list...he's called Steve too ROFL!

I was in the lab today getting my station setup...this is where I'm at right now...



Ignore the PCB on the left, that's coming off and isn't mine...

[Steve B]

are you involved in the mechatronics side of things, actually making the motor mounts, or are you just concentrating on the sensors / interface?
I hope you're going to use H-bridges to drive those motors

[RavenNight]

I did a couple of robots... the first was a painfully simple timer controlled stepper setup, the second was a little classier.

Used an ancient toshiba laptop as the brains and hijacked the printer port for control, used that to get the thing moving and then wired up microswitches to get some sort of feedback, trying to get the damn thing to find it's own way round a maze was a nightmare, but rigging up a webcam on top led to some pretty awesome fun. Adding cameras is always good!

[stytagm]

I did one of the classic line following jobbies at school for a GCSE electronics project (was slightly overkill). I did it all myself, sensors were LDR's in plastic tubes, all the control was in simple logic gates (no microprocessor to be seen) and the motors were controlled with a couple of transistors each (which was the weak spot, they only ran for about 30 seconds before roasting, we used to chase it round with a can of freezer spray.

Ahhh, happy days.

I keep meaning to have another go, I bought some small micro controllers and a board, but the furthest I got was to make a few LEDs flash on and off.