I am curious if anyone is using it on a wheeled robot for normal navigation (not just backing away when running in to something). I am referring to ones that don't drive wheels independently; your standard rc car conversion or similar. I am implementing functions for it, but currently only in "traditional rc" mode. In autonomous mode, I would go in a circle to get 5 feet behind me. I think I am answering my own question; I am not sure how I will get to a point less directly to the side less than 2 turning radii away. Hmmm....
OTOH, it is an Arduino Fio; can't get much more Italian than that...
If you use reverse in an autonomous robot, I would like to know what logic you use to decide to back up instead of circling.
After giving this more thought, I am tempted to change my implementation to have my turn functions always back up. I have “bear” functions that are used to adjust heading one way or another at speed. “Turn” means aim in my implementation. I want the same navigation code to be able to control this rc truck, which has reverse, and a boat, which does not. The boat can pretty much pivot, though, so lack of reverse is not a hardship. The rc truck doesn’t pivot, but comes closer to it in reverse. By closer to pivoting, I mean being able to point in another direction without moving far from the spot it is at.
I am using tabs in the Arduino IDE, kind of like libraries (which this should become). I have a “Seek” tab/file that will control motion toward specified coordinates by calling functions in the Motor tab/file to stop, go forward or turn/bear in a given direction. There are also tabs/files for compass and GPS. I am copying them around carefully using dates to keep the shared ones in sync between a couple of different projects. So the idea is that the very same Seek code I use in the boat is also used in the rc truck.
When you get down to the part where he decides which way to turn, there is one potential problem with the logic. Lets say you have a turning radius of 3’ in a forward direction and you want to get to a point less than 6’ away. You will circle it for eternity or your battery dies, whichever comes first.
Because I am homing to transmitted coordinates from a potentially moving target, an adjustment to target something that nearby is a very real possibility. I need to back away with wheels cut the other way. That gives me a tighter radius so the adjustment will be made sooner with less source displacement and the ability to aim at any target, no matter how close by it is.
