The ultrasonic range finder sounds like a smart move to keep your rover from running into objects while it is navigating a way point course.
You might want to check out this website: norrislabs.com/. Steve has written articles for the summer and fall issues of Robot magazine.
In the summer issue he described using the TSA and in the fall issue he described using an IR beacon guided security robot based on the iRobot Create chassis. I have built the IR beacon guided security robot and am using it around the house for security purposes.
As I have said before, I plan to use the TSA tracking system with my scaled down version of your third generation rover.
Implementing the 900MHz transreceiver setup is not hard and I can provide examples of how I implemented it with Basic Stamps.
Regards,
TCIII
I’ve gotten quite a few emails from people asking about setting up a web page to control a microcontroller or robot so I took time out this winter to create a few video lessons. I use MS Visual Web Developer Express 2008 to create a simple web page to control a toy bull dozer. I’ve included downloads of my Rover programs as well. If you’re interested, visit my project page at:
My rover has been running on it’s car battery and trickle charger all winter and is still going strong! I’ll be shipping it north for it’s final deployment in May.
Your rover is by far the most impressive ive seen on the forum, way beyound any of the ones i’ve built. This is ultimately what I would like to accomplish.
Thanks Joe, you’re always very kind. Your advice on skid steering last year was right on the mark. I really enjoy visiting this forum to see all the exciting things people are working on. I’m astonished at what the folks here are able to build. Really great stuff!!!
My son and I built the rover. He’s a mechanical eng at Clemson University here in SC. I’ve got 25 years experience in building machines and control systems for industry.
I agree, the members of lynmxotion forums are very kind, hard-working and truly amazing and surprising people. Its deffinately fun for me to see what you guys are coming up with. Its always something new and exciting - including this project! Well done again, and as I said before, Im deffinately into and most likely persuing to build a very larger rover similar to this one over the summer in my spare time.
Been looking over that website, excellent job with Turtle!
The video tutorials are great, now someone just needs to cover how to use that method with the SSC32 instead of the cubloc
This is my first post, so I don’t think I can post links yet, I may still be a computer… but search youtube for “WowWee Rovio”. They are making an in house rover that you can control over the internet. It looks like it has a base that projects a star map on the ceiling for it to navigate with. Not sure how it would do the room to room navigation… looks like a fun toy though.
