Hi everybody, I just had this crazy idea, and where else if not here to post it.
What about if we all build the first online open source robot as a community? I’ve seen some projects and profiles of the members here, and there are professionals, students and enthusiastic, which means that we all can contribute in the project.
I explain myself better: The objective of the project would be to create a robot where everybody contribute, sending Programs, Source Code, Electronics Schemes and real applications for the robot to create the first robot (as much complete in applications) made 100% online by people from all over the world in the LMR community. This would be advertising for the LMR site and who knows, perhaps we all become famous and we would be part of history because we would create the first robot as a global and online community.
The goal would be to present the robot in some international congress like the ‘’Robocup’’ or the ‘’Eurobot’’ by next year (2009) and also publish the advance with some white papers and articles. Also we would meet each other finally on that event.
I guess that we all can find sponsors to afford the construction of the robot and the main idea would be to keep the robot free and in an open source way to let people know our work and keep the contributions for the future.
I know this sounds crazy but if is not here, where else can I post my idea?
I think that open source is the future, and community work is the best way to get it on, yes, we can think in something like that, something that can run in a lot of difrente machins, like a Robot Vitrual Machine (comapring with Java VM) that can work with the hardware that we have, so each one of us can make our own test robot at home and contribute, and we can also make a big machine to use as final project to all the parts we done.
Have i expressed me well? think that ppl that know about java will understand it!
Just comment so we can brain-storm the ideas and go on.
Absolutely! I’m on board with that. I see another advantage: when we come to source the parts, we might be able to buy in bulk, effecting a cost reduction per robot. Also, one of my problems is sourcing parts in the UK. I can only assume that others in the UK have a similar problem. If there were sufficient numbers, though, shipping could be spread over several of us, making import much more economical.
Where do we start? I se the following tasks (In no particular order): 1) mechanical design
2) electrical design
3) software design
First, though, we need a consensus on what the basic functions should be including drive (wheels, tracks, legs, etc.). Perhaps we should decide on a weight or other bulk? Let’s do SOMETHING…
Perhaps anyone who’s interested might post a list of their abilities? A kind of Curriculum Vitae.
I’m a software engineer. I can program PICs in their native RISC assembly. Not so hot on C, but I do program embedded control computers for a living. Also, an electronics enthusiast and I dabble in mechanical engineering.
God created the integers; all else is the work of man - Leopold Kronecker
Maybe we create a set of modules which are pluggable? Maybe based on a common bus? Say we pick I2C, for example. We’d build I2C interfaces to an RS-232 converter, a servo controller, an ultrasonic sensor, a radio control receiver, a 20A motor controller.
That would be soooo sweet.
God created the integers; all else is the work of man - Leopold Kronecker
i agreed with the I2C, think i agreed with the I2C, think we can start thinking in our I2C projects, so we can make a I2C robotics modules universary library…
I like the I2C idea and the robotic modules. It would give us some standard guide.
I guess we should start thinking on the applications that we would like to develop for the robot.
Here some ideas:
Line Follow, Obstacle Avoid, Gripper, Multiprogramming Task, Internet Protocol, RF Control, Space Recognition, Reprogrammable Robot, Learning Task.
Please give more ideas, then we pick some applications and we start thinking on how to build the robot.
PS: I like the Curriculum Vitae idea, I’m Mechatronics Engineer. I can develop the entire virtual robot so we can give us an idea of how it must looks like. I also can help on some mechanical advices for the design and some C++ programming stuff.
Well, we can think in maping system, using walk + compass + sonar sensors to keep making the zone, maybe in future with video, and image recognition. and possibly with gps module but don’t think is important, since its 2 easy to work with, nothing to explore, and is limited to outspaces… i prefere the indepentend maping!!!
I’m Informatic Engenhiering student, i love electronics and software…
“Follow a person” is my current project anyway (https://www.robotshop.com/letsmakerobots/node/655). I’d be happy to share the platform. At the end of the day, I would hope that a “modular” solution should lend itself to anything. For example, in my current project, I’m using old windscreen wiper motors from cars. I would be happy to make the driver board for that an I2C device, so that if we develop some shared code, somone could plug in a driverboard for a pair of smaller motors or a pair of stepper motors or the like.
Ultimately, if I write code to control it, someone should be able to plug my code into their 'bot and it should work. The core controller could be identical to mine (Microchip PIC based), but since we’re going modular with a common bus, someone else might choose to use an Atmel board and rewrite the software for that: the I2C motors drivers would be pluggable.
God created the integers; all else is the work of man - Leopold Kronecker
What about a topo mapping What about a topo mapping robot? Treads would allow "steep" climbs, accelerometers could provide fairly good speed/position/attitude readings. Combined with sonar and IR, it may be very accurate.
I’m not sure I would give it a function yet. For my money, I think we should prepare a list of functions which could be added. I would hope we could describe a “Sensor and Control Array” based on I2C, handing out responsibility to various groups for the design and documentation of each element. Once we know what inputs and outputs we CAN manufacture, then most of the hard work (and probably most of the coding) is already done. All that remains is to script some high level code around it.
…and this “high level” code should be done in a fashion that a partially-trained monkey could use it.
I ony suggested a person follower because that’s what I’m working on and I’d be happy to manufacture it from generic modules.
I DO like the idea of a LARGE mapper, though. The next logical step from tha being an electronic postman! YES!
God created the integers; all else is the work of man - Leopold Kronecker
I may not have the electrical part. I may not be able to help with programming / electrical part. I have just started to experiment with this stuff myself, I can contribute by offering my machining skills. I am a machinist with 15 years experience, though I am in the United States and own my own shop (mill, lathe, welders, saws, etc.). Depending on size parts may or may not be shippable.
My only question is how to best collaborate (and listen Ice is back with my brand new invention… sorry!!!). Do we work together on the web? Or does 1 person make something and mail it to the next that adds somethign else? Do we make a $$$ limit on how much someone can add? I think it would be fun to get a box in the mail, open it up, (save all mailing labels so we know where it went) add something, and mail it to the next person. Eventually we would have a robot with a well traveled passport and possibly something cool.
Also it would be cool if everyone had to make 2 improvements: 1 functional (add a motor, some code to do something, etc) and 1 cosmetic (add paint, glue something, etc personalize that adds a bit of everyone who did something)
i think you didn’t i think you didn’t understud… at less what i got is that we will make individual modules, (project) so they can work all together, and we documentate them, and share the project of them, to everyone be able to make one… you can test your parts of the work in your house, and share your work via web, and at the end, when we think we have enuff things to make a robot, we think in put all together, and build the reall robot!!!
Hey, I like the ideas. In one hand the objective would be to build everything via ‘’web’’, means we all put our talent, so the robot will be like ‘’free open robot’’, so any of us can build it by their own, I mean someone has to build the robot with all the specifications and the stuff and can upload the process of construction. It means that the mechanical design (planes and measures), the electronics schemes (board and connection components) and the programming (source code) will be open so it would be just to add into the robot. I guess depending on the personal free time and the economic facilities the idea would be that everyone builds the same robot, because it will be a very complete robot where all of us would contribute so it will be a robot with a lot of applications.
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In the other hand the idea of one robot travelling around the world sounds really cool. Our robot would travel more than ‘’ASIMO’’. <o:p></o:p>
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Now I guess we should start thinking on the robot itself, a robot to do what?
By the way, I was just thinking and also would be really cool the Time Zone Difference. While in one part of the world someone makes the contribution on a day, the others are sleeping and when they wake up the next day, the robot will have something new to work on, while the others are sleeping and waiting the new contributions…
The “to do what” question is one I’ve been trying to avoid. In fact, earlier I alluded to figuring out what “modules” we are capable of building and putting the end result together later. I would be tempted, for example, to build an I2C motor controller aimed at the 12V 20A range. The controller has no purpose other than to be included in a robot which wants 12V 10A motors.
Where to draw the line is one question. There are already I2C ultrasonic distance measuring devices and compasses, etc. I feel , however, that they are extortionately over-priced and believe that a $40 ultrasonic sensor could be manufactured for less than $20.
In many cases, I suspect the software to be the most expensive component of these systems. I once wrote a program for a friend who offered to pay me for the work. I calculated that three evenings a week for 2 months at an average engineering rate of $60/hour, the program would cost him around $3,000. He nearly choked, but because I enjoyed writing the program, I settled for a nice bottle of wine instead.
God created the integers; all else is the work of man - Leopold Kronecker
