Atomyk-x |-| The Firefighter Robot

Let's Make Robots Robots
1

Initial Post - 24/02/2009:

 

This is a Firefighter Robot, (note that the cointaner of water is a old cointainer of pills):

Wich is not completed, it needs a infrared sensor that will enable the "bomb of water", that is a jet of water from a car (here we can also detect a connecting pole wich is to programme the robot ;) ):

But, before I go further, this robot uses a Picaxe 40x:

It uses a LM293D to control the motors, (all the printed circuit boards are made at home), to moves itself it uses tracks wich I improve adherence with tape...

 

 

As actuators/output devices it has 2 servomotors (Futaba S3001) changed to DC and to 360º (so now they're normal motors), a servomotor used as a servo to rotate the SRF005, a water pump that jets water ;), and that's it about actuators...

 

As a CPU it has a Picaxe 40x, wich is connected: to a LM293D to coordenate the two motors; and with the control of the water pump; And this makes the Operative System of Atomyk-x...

As Power Source it has two 9,6v 2000Mah (Racing Pack) connected in parallel to feed the motors, two square 9v standard rechargeable batteries connected in parallel to feed the Picaxe and the sensors, and more two square 9v standard rechargeable batteries connected in series to feed the water pump...

The Programming Language is Picaxe Basic...

As sensors/input devices it has two SRF005 sonars to navigate, a S320115 follower of lines to detect and follow lines (this one is not applied yet)...

Here is its "control panel", with one on/off switch, one green button for start, and one red one for stop/reset, and connecting poles to recharge all the batteries:

The target environment for this firefighter is indoor, but it can also navigate outdoor in not a highly rough environment...

Here I leave some videos that can show the potential of this robot, I really enjoyed his construction...

I'm having some problems with is programming, when it has been done I will update this post, and show to you new videos...

I leave here also his programme, if anybody can help me, I would be very grateful to that person, this robot will go to a competition in June, on IPG (Instituto Superior Técnico da Guarda in Portugal), and so here I leave also the website of this competition: http://robobombeiro.ipg.pt/

In this website is a highly detailed arena, and the navigation should be applied to that arena:

If someone can help me, I would be very grateful....

Note: Sorry for the bad quality of the pictures/videos....


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UPDATE - 25/02/2009:

So in order to fullfill the request of OddBot, here are two new videos of Atomyk-x |-| The Firefighter Robot squierting water, and fighting the fire:

 

  • Video 1 - Atomyk-x extinguishing a fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyx_awPD0Xg

 

  • Video 2 - Explanation about the mechanism that has extinguished the fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsfn7SE7hdI

 

I hope you have enjoyed this two new videos as much as I do!!!... ;) -> Bye...

 

 

 

It Navigates around via ultrasounds, It "Firefights" the fire (a candle ;) ), Avoid Objects

  • Actuators / output devices: 2 x servomotors Futaba S3001 changed to DC and to 360º, 1 x servomotor Hi-Tec HS311, 1 x water pump from a Opel Corsa
  • Control method: Totally Autonomous
  • CPU: PICAXE 40X1
  • Power source: 2 x 9'6 v 2000Mah Racing Pack, 4 x 9v Standard Rechargeable Square Batteries
  • Programming language: Picaxe basic
  • Sensors / input devices: 2 x SRF05 Ultra Sound, 1 S320115 Tracker Line Kit, buttons
  • Target environment: indoor, Arenas, Outdor, a House with a candle and many objects ;)
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://community.robotshop.com/robots/show/atomyk-x-the-firefighter-robot
2

**Interesting robot. Id like**<br><p>Interesting robot. Id like to say "lizards" is far cooler than "tracks" or "treads" will ever be.

How are you going to detect the flame? You could try a couple of thermisters on the bot to monitor overall temperature change. It would give you a good idea of when you enter the general area of the flame. I experimented with putting a black paper shroud around a thermister once. The ADC reading would steadily rise after putting my hand about 20cm in front of it. An actual flame should give a much more solid and responsive reading.

Or you could plop down the money for a heat sensing array.

3

Correction and detection of the candle…
Thanks for the correction, and I don’t need to detect the flame, because belows the candle there is a white circle, and that circle will be detected by the infrared sensor, so problem resolved…Thnks for the opinion…

4

Robot…
Do you like my robot???

5

Well…

It seems like the tracks work very well… lol

I wanna see it cool down your desk ablaze… :smiley: that would be freaking cool…

I just wanna see it fight some fires. And WTF costs $643.299??? Seems like this guys would cost $175 at max… unless it is not USD or something.

I WANNA SEE IT PUT OUT FIRES!. Another cool idea is a robot that starts the fires. I shall call him "FIRE STARTER"! muhahahahaha! lol :stuck_out_tongue:

Good job so far though.

6

Really awesome robot,
Really awesome robot, excellent work. Has it been in a fire fighting competitoin yet? Which class are you trying for? Looks like a great competitor, hope it does well.

7

I will think in the idea of

I will think in the idea of a new robot that starts fire… :wink:

I put the money in the: http://www.xe.com/ucc/po/ and that’s the value, it costs to me about 450€…

8

No it will be in June, it
No it will be in June, it will try for the standard class, and yeah I really hope it does very well…

9

do you connect batteries in

do you connect batteries in parallel?

i think it’s not a good practice…

10

Yes, I connected them, but
Yes, I connected them, but why it’s not a good practice, and what’s the solution for having a stronger duration for the batteries, if not connecting in parallel?

11

i tought there could be

i tought there could be selfdischarge between the tow pack

expecially if there is a difference in cell health

but probably i am wrong because google shows manny result about this setup
12

No I don’t ever noticed that
No I don’t ever noticed that possible self-discharge beetwen the two batteries, and I intend to continue using this policy…

13

I want to see more opinions
I want to see more opinions about my robot…More activity!!!

14

Well now I found this:"We

Well, now I found this:

“We know that the voltage is equal across all branches of a parallel circuit, so we must be sure that these batteries are of equal voltage. If not, we will have relatively large currents circulating from one battery through another, the higher-voltage batteries overpowering the lower-voltage batteries. This is not good.” -> from: http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_11/5.html

But like the two batteries I’m using have an equal voltage, there are no problem…But thanks for the warning…

15

You put a lot of effort in

You put a lot of effort in this bot! Good work!

Why did you put the sonar in the left corner? This way it can´t detect an obstacle on the right side…
I think the other sonar on the left is to follow the walls, am I right?

Good robot :wink:

16

Where did you get the water
Where did you get the water pump? What voltage does it run on? And I dont remember seeing anything that actually sees the fire?

17

I don’t have any interest on
I don’t have any interest on detecting objects on the right side, that sensor is to cover both sides: to the left to cover walls with the one in the back and this in the front, and then to cover the front, avoiding contact with objects…An so you’re wright really the other sonar together with this is to make the robot follow walls…Thanks for the appreciation…

18

I get the water pump from an
I get the water pump from an old Opel Corsa, from the pump that squirts water to the glass of a car, it runs on about 18v, and it not need anything to detect fire, because in the contest belows the candle will be a white circle (and the floor is black), so with the infrared sensor that I will add later, I can sord of now the position of the candle to extinguish, I know that is not a real situation, but in the contest we can use that, and really a thermal/flame sensor is very expensive, so that’s kind of a way to save some money, because so far I’ve already spent a lot (more than I expect)…

19

fire extinguisher

I like the idea of a firefighter robot!

So is your code designed to move from point A to point B in the room? Or go from anywhere in the room to the fire?

Do you still want help with your code? I think an easy solution would be to go counter-clockwise around the room (turn left whenever possible, right if not) and time how long it takes to get from one object to another. Once it’s gone 246 cm, turn once more and you’re there. But I suspect you already had that in mind. :slight_smile:

 

Do you have a smoke detector that sends the robot scurrying out of stasis?

–tangent: did anyone else read the last Stephen King Dark Tower book? there’s an amusing scene with some centuries-old firefighting robots scurrying out of stasis to try and fight a fire.

20

The code is and will be

The code is and will be designed to the robot go from anywhere in the room for the fire, as you said, and that’s why I still need some help in the code, all of you can see the code above (I think), in the section attachments, but:

https://www.robotshop.com/letsmakerobots/files/ATOMYKX.bas

Well the code done so far is here, if someone can help me, I would be very grateful to/with that person…

And no, I don’t have any smoke detector, and the candle will be detected with the white circle below tha candle, by a infrared sensor that will be connected…

And your solution is what I’ve in mint, really, but putting that thought in pratice is appearing to be a very hard task to me, since I’m not a very gifted programmer…

So I repeat, if someone can help me…Please Help!!!.. :wink: