[Dprglist] Recommendations for Robot Platform
Carl Ott
carl.ott.jr at gmail.com
Sun Nov 24 16:03:10 PST 2019
Hi David,
Thanks - those are some neat looking resource. I am constantly amazed at
the variety that's out there. It's never been easier to just pick something
and dig in...
BR
Carl
On Thu, Nov 21, 2019 at 4:27 AM David Steele (Carr) via DPRGlist <
dprglist at lists.dprg.org> wrote:
> Another avenue that the diy individuals may like is DroneBot Workshop -
> Build your own Electronics, IoT, Drones and Robots.
>
> There are easy to follow online instructions for building your own robot
> using aluminum and acrylic. Plus the YouTube videos are clear and easy to
> understand and follow.
>
> https://dronebotworkshop.com/build-a-real-robot/
>
> Regards,
> Davis Steele
>
>
> On Nov 21, 2019 4:10 AM, "David Steele (Carr)"
> <David.Steele at Halliburton.com> wrote:
>
> Carl,
>
> I recently discovered Patton Robotics while searching for information
> related to the Teensy 4.0 (a 600MHz ARM Cortex-M7 Arduino-like processor).
>
> Brian Patton sells robotic parts and kits. Plus he has online tutorials,
> coding examples and even a curriculum for a
> teaching robotics:
> https://pattonrobotics.com
> https://pattonrobotics.com/products
>
> https://www.pjrc.com/store/teensy40.html
>
> Regards,
> David
>
> On Nov 19, 2019 1:16 AM, Murray Altheim via DPRGlist <
> dprglist at lists.dprg.org> wrote:
>
> External Sender: Use caution with links/attachments.
>
>
>
> Carl Ott <carl.ott.jr at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > Can y'all help build a short list of robot learning platforms that
> > are good for coming up to speed with robot platforms? I'm looking
> > for kit options with an emphasis on software - e.g. how to read
> > sensors and write & implement algorithms to drive actuators.
> >
> > *Any recommendations for kits w/in these constraints?*
> >
> > 1. wheels *with encoders*
> >
> > 2. relatively minimal mechatronics effort & tools needed to get started
> >
> > 3. enough sensors or easy / off-the-shelf plug-n-play extensibility for
> > DPRG style contests, e.g.
> > ** line following
> > ** wall following
> > ** quick trip
> > ** 4 square
> [...]
>
> Hi Carl,
>
> Perhaps this is a good time to introduce myself, as I just joined the
> mailing list a few days ago, having recently seen David Anderson's
> autonomous robots demo on YouTube. If David is on this list I'd like to
> thank him: his obvious enthusiasm and pragmatic approach is quite
> inspiring. From links on his site and others I've since been reading up
> on subjects like subsumption architectures, etc., and found this mailing
> list.
>
> Back in 1979 I built a robot using an 8085-based single board computer,
> a couple of large DC motors and a chassis made out of aluminum and some
> circular PC boards found in a surplus shop in Des Moines, Iowa, that
> were apparently from the insides of a missile. It was an ambitious
> project for a high school student and I never quite got the ultrasonic
> sensors working properly, but it was a good learning experience, a lot
> of fun, and led eventually to an IT career.
>
> Over that career I had the fortunate experience of working at NASA
> Headquarters for a few years, where as a fellow Mac enthusiast I met
> David Lavery, the head of the robotics division. At the time he had a
> Mars Sojourner rover sitting on his desk. I remember marvelling at the
> beauty of the machining of the wheels, and wishing I had that kind of
> budget (and a machine shop). While setting up a demo I also had the
> opportunity to pilot a telerobotics sled under the ice in Antarctica.
>
> Years have passed and I now live in New Zealand, where most of my
> creative energy has over the past few years been in music (I have an
> improvisational abstract band named Barkhausen; we just finished our
> second CD).
>
> The combination of experimenting with some DIY microcontroller-based
> Eurorack synthesizer modules and the advances in the world of Raspberry
> Pi has found me back into robotics. For the past few months I've been
> purchasing various playthings from Pimoroni and Adafruit and doing
> some experimenting.
>
> And planning...
>
> I decided to purchase an OSEPP tank robot ($89), with the OSEPP motor
> encoder kit ($27). I also bought the OSEPP wheel kit in case I'm not
> happy with tank treads. Things are beginning to arrive via the mail,
> sometimes a bit of a wait on this other side of the world.
>
> My total set of inputs and outputs are as follows:
>
> Inputs:
>
> * bumpers (6 subminiature lever switches, ala Anderson's SR04)
> * infrared sensors (Sharp GP2Y0D815Z0F with Pololu carrier,
> with a range of 0.5 cm to 15 cm)
> * sonar (processed through an Ultraborg)
> * motor odometry (using OSEPP motor encoders)
> * 9-DoF orientation (Adafruit 9-DOF Absolute Orientation IMU
> Fusion Breakout - BNO055)
> * ToF/LIDAR (Pimoroni VL53L1X Time of Flight Sensor Breakout)
> * audio In (Adafruit I2S MEMS Microphone Breakout - SPH0645LM4H)
> * several state setting toggle switches, including power kill
> * Pi camera (for telerobotics)
>
> Outputs:
>
> * motor controller (using a Thunderborg)
> * servo control (provided by Ultraborg, for Sonar & LIDAR)
> * audio out (Adafruit STEMMA Speaker - Plug and Play Audio Amplifier)
> * LED indicators, plus 11x7 LED Breakout
> * display screen (Adafruit Mini PiTFT - 135x240 Color TFT Add-on
> for Raspberry Pi or PiTFT Plus Assembled 320x240 2.8" TFT
> + Resistive Touchscreen)
>
> I've been using a Raspberry Pi Zero W and a 3 B+, will probably use the
> latter in the robot.
>
> Power will be from an 18V Makita power tool battery, sourced through
> the Thunderborg. I'm considering purchasing a PiJuice to separate the
> motor power from the Pi, but that's not really necessary.
>
> I'm pretty impressed by the Pimoroni Breakout Garden series of I2C and
> SPI modules. In particular, the ToF modules from Pimoroni and Adafruit
> (I've tried both) are amazing. The Pimoroni one has three range settings,
> and on long range measures up to 4 meters with high accuracy. Mounting
> one of these on a servo-controlled scanner provides an enormous amount
> of functionality for quite low power, weight and cost. I'm curious to
> compare how this works against an ultrasonic sensor. I will be mounting
> both on top of the servo, hoping to take advantage of the pros and cons
> of each.
>
> One of the benefits of many of the Pimoroni and Adafruit modules is
> that there's a python library available for each, with examples. This
> has allowed me to get things up and running quickly.
>
> Carl, I realise the total cost of my project exceeds your core budget,
> but I think it'd still be quite functional with just some bumpers and
> one of the long range sensors, e.g., the ToF sensor mounted to a servo
> (which comes with the tank project). If tank treads are an issue for
> DPRG contests OSEPP sell silicon wheels that fit on the same hubs, or
> you could repurpose the OSEPP 2-Wheel Balancing Mechanical Kit by adding
> a ball caster.
>
> I also realise that the above isn't a list of resistors and capacitors
> and ICs, but rather mostly finished components. I consider myself rather
> old-school, but with the availability of what's effectively a LIDAR unit
> for around $18 and the ability to have a tiny 3 gram circuit board provide
> nine sensor types (including two kinds of compass orientation, angular
> and linear accelerometers, gravity vector and ambient temperature) for
> about $35, well, kinda hard to think I'd build that myself. It is 2019,
> not 1979 after all. I can build a robot that is in some ways comparable
> to that Sojourner robot for about $800 dollars. Amazing.
>
> I don't have any sense yet of the kinds of projects that DPRG members
> create (i.e., what might be typical).
>
> If there's any interest in the project I would consider blogging about
> it as it progresses. I can for example explain some of my experiments in
> using Bluetooth as a means of mapping and orientation. These experiments
> will obviously progress better once I have a functional robot.
>
> My thanks for your patience in reading what turned out to be a long
> message; I'm happy to answer any questions. I hope this has been helpful.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Murray
>
> ...........................................................................
> Murray Altheim <murray18 at altheim dot com> = = ===
>
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.altheim.com_murray_&d=DwICAg&c=PskvixtEUDK7wuWU-tIg6oKuGYBRbrMXk2FZvF0UfTo&r=bmd3-eHvz8rWPqqbuyNFhtJ8IOIwEIOa0NDwscNoELg&m=7LmQCi-A71q1ZMwerRHgv_lpDj5Ugytn23IKx-5gNXM&s=Ckkbeo_wNFx0nWAmIrMKSvVzCPqTioHsOgzrOymoCVc&e=
> === ===
> = = ===
> In the evening
> The rice leaves in the garden
> Rustle in the autumn wind
> That blows through my reed hut.
> -- Minamoto no Tsunenobu
>
> _______________________________________________
> DPRGlist mailing list
> DPRGlist at lists.dprg.org
>
> https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__lists.dprg.org_listinfo.cgi_dprglist-2Ddprg.org&d=DwICAg&c=PskvixtEUDK7wuWU-tIg6oKuGYBRbrMXk2FZvF0UfTo&r=bmd3-eHvz8rWPqqbuyNFhtJ8IOIwEIOa0NDwscNoELg&m=7LmQCi-A71q1ZMwerRHgv_lpDj5Ugytn23IKx-5gNXM&s=SCoiIQJrP_HaKU_4o0EAxl9Mz8qvA1qtGdXd3HYjuig&e=
>
>
>
> This e-mail, including any attached files, may contain confidential and
> privileged information for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any
> review, use, distribution, or disclosure by others is strictly prohibited.
> If you are not the intended recipient (or authorized to receive information
> for the intended recipient), please contact the sender by reply e-mail and
> delete all copies of this message.
> _______________________________________________
> DPRGlist mailing list
> DPRGlist at lists.dprg.org
> http://lists.dprg.org/listinfo.cgi/dprglist-dprg.org
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.dprg.org/pipermail/dprglist-dprg.org/attachments/20191124/b8d1f050/attachment-0001.html>
More information about the DPRGlist
mailing list