Hi Everyone Here is my Boe-Bot. It's a fun kit from Parallax that comes with a great book and bunch of parts. I knew absolutely nothing when I started and going through their lessons has taught me a lot.(well a lot more than I knew before) He has been configured to do most the basic stuff including: Dead Reckoning Drive Perfect Circles Navigating with bumpers Photovore/Photophobe Follow a Flashlight Beam Navigate with Ir LEDs Navigate with Ping
In the video he is navigating with Ir LEDs and receivers
UPDATE 10/19/2011:
Well sorry it took me forever to actually make this post. In response to ignoblegnome and Ro-Bot-x's comments I made a short clip using the same hardware setup but with frequency modulation. It could definitely a little smoother and more responsive but I hope this helps to show how useful these can be depending on how you program them.
Thanks
Actuators / output devices: Two servos modified for continuous rotation
Did you guys ever by mistake or chance read the BOE Bot manual (actually it’s called Robotics with the BOE-Bot)? I have learned SO much about beginner level robotics from it! I am still amazed people do not use the proximity sensors on their bots, they are so simple and cheap! True, you do not get distance readings, but most people don’t get much farther that the LMR SHR that can be done a lot cheaper with a proximity sensor. I mean why cringe on a Sharp or a ultrasonic sensor? Just beacuse of looks? BOE Bot manual teaches that using different frequencies you can get detection range good enough to drive around avoiding objects. Same sensors can be used to center on a charging station or communicate to other robots. So, why not use them?
I looked at every kit and tutorial when I decided I wanted to build a bot and I went for the Boe-Bot mainly because of the course book that comes with it. All of Parallax’s documentation is extremely well put together and I think worth the price just for that. As Ro-Bot-x said you can go to their site and download a pdf version, its worth looking through. Also the kit is a real kit, as in you build all the circuits on the breadboard, unlike something like the Pololu Pi3 that to me seems mostly about the coding and prebuilt addons.
And I’m not just recommending it because I have an extra unopened one for sale!
Stay with it. I am a Parallax fan. Join their forum. They help alot with Parallax stuff. Crazyrabbit is there too. I also have some old robots here as Prettybird. That account quit working. Crazyrabbit is also on facebook.
I also started with the BOE-bot when I was a microcontroller/robot virgin. Hehe. Its really a great starter kit for an absolute beginner like me. Then also have a great support online and email whenever your stuck on something. I really enjoyed this kit but unfortunately other sensors or interfacing hardware are too expensive for a highschool budget(back when. hehe). Even the chip itself are a little on the expensive side when you decided to try to upgrade or improve your dear boebot. All-in-all, its a great gateway kit for robotics.
