robots.net blog for c6jones720

12 Jun 2009

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:49:29 GMT

Hi Guys,

I though I would share my latest robotics project. Im building a robot tank. I was planning to be able to remotely control the tank either using a normal radio control handset or with a wireless network.

I built a pair of Electronic speed controls for the tank tracks using Picaxe 18 Microcontrollers. The speed controllers take in standard 1-2ms PWM signals and convert them into output PWM drive signals for the motors lasting between 0-18ms.

There are lots of analogue circuit diagrams on how to do PWM motor control for radio control type stuff but not much in the way of microcontroller based projects I found, so I just did it myself and it worked.

I would definatly use picaxes to do PWM motor control again, even though the BASIC interpreter is a bit slow the chips are more than fast enough to do motor control.

I have a picaxe.net server and I was planning to use that as an onboard computer but Im afraid it just isnt man enough for the job. I was planning to use the I2C output from the board to control extra I/O by sending the Picaxe.net server TCP/IP commands but it just didnt work out. - Not a problem Im going to use a SheevaPlug server to do that job instead..

http://www.plugcomputer.org/

5 Aug 2008

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 12:18:11 GMT

Love the new look. Its a lot easier on the eyes!

12 Aug 2007

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 09:32:05 GMT

There is some interest at the moment on docking robots with thier chargers on 914pcbots.com. I see Chris Schur has posted his research document on this subject. Good stuff! I have posted a link to it on the other site.

Its funny the more advances I see in robotics the more it seems to tie in with human psychology and intraction.

18 Jan 2007

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 12:51:48 GMT

Im going to pick up my Android PCBs from the manufacturer tomorrow. It took a while and cost a bit but its all ready now for installation.

The really annoying thing is that I designed the servo controllers to communicate to the PC via RS232 serial. In the time between giving my design to the manufacturer and receiving it I more or less redesigned it with USB electronics instead which are totally superior to my RS232 design in every way!

13 Dec 2006

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 13:46:51 GMT

Got an email today from the guys that are making my android PCBs. Looks like they are going to be building them over the next few days.

I'll probably have something ready by Mid January. Annoying thing is they are only building the surface mount stuff so I have to do the thru hole stuff myself. Still it gives me a chance to replace the H bridge transistors with power mosfets for some serious robot kick!

12 Dec 2006

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 12:52:15 GMT

Just in case any robotics guys in the Avon & Somerset region are interested, theres something going on at the HP labs.

HP SCIENCE LECTURE ANNOUNCEMENT

The next HP Science Lecture takes place as follows:

Date: Wednesday 24th January 2007 Time: 5pm UK Title: Walking with Robots: a new kind of engagement between humans and robots Abstract: http://www.hpl.hp.com/news/lectures/Abstracts/Winfield.html Speaker: Alan FT Winfield, Associate Dean (Research) UWE, Bristol Venue: Cabot Auditorium, Building 3, HP Laboratories, Bristol and broadcast Live to Palo Alto

HP Science Lectures are open to the public. Please forward this message to any friends or colleagues who might be interested. A drinks party is held following the lecture to give the audience an opportunity to meet the speaker in person.

Registration for the lecture IS A REQUIREMENT and places will be booked on a first come first served basis. Please either reply via email to debra-marie.duffety@hp.com, or contact me on the number below.

Debbie-Marie Duffety Executive Assistant Media Technologies Lab Hewlett Packard Laboratories Tel: 0117 3128759 Fax: 0117 3129937

11 Oct 2006

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 11:56:59 GMT

Ive decided to have all of my Android Electronics assembled for me. I started building the circuits shown on my blog http://c6jones720cybernetix.blogspot.com/ by hand using Veroboard but I soon realised that with one SSC and up to 8 servo motors per limb, using Vero was just too much hassle. I dont mind paying a few hundred quid for the assembly costs. Im going to revisit robot vision in my spare time. I recompiled some of Motter's examples. He really is a true genius but I think I'll do things my way instead..

14 Mar 2006

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 12:53:27 GMT

Lost all the work on my Hard disk! - How annoying thats about 4 or 5 years of stuff.

9 Feb 2006

Thu, 9 Feb 2006 12:57:51 GMT

Did I mention Ive got a new blog? You can see the last android I built here: http://c6jones720cybernetix.blogspot.com/

Im working on a new one because the old one was too flexible.

26 Sep 2005

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 12:38:57 GMT

Well the other day I built another dual servo controller so now I have three controllers.

Ive got a full sized bipedal robot with six degrees of freedom. I have only to calibrate it before I write software to make it walk