I currently trying to build a low-cost Bot with following features:
Precise controlled movements
Low-to-mediocre speed (10-20 feet per minute)
External host controllable via Bluetooth
10-15 ounces payload carrying capacity
Battery operable
Please note that this bot may have wheels (as in RC Cars) or Pods (as in RC robots) for movement.
Is it possible to have wheels on a bot with features 1-5 (mentioned above) ?
Also, in case of bot with wheels, is it possible to scale speeds from (10-20 feet per minute) to (50-60 feet minute) ?
I am aware of some components like RS232 to Bluetooth Dongles with DB9M RS232 port (available from various vendors like SerialIO, IOGear etc), which can be connected to SSC-32 controller DB9F RS232 port.
Should the Dongle have its own power source or derive power from SSC-32 ?
I need your valuable inputs on deciding on type of components required to build this bot.
I believe the rich and vibrant community here can provide the insights.
this isn’t going to be very helpful but it probably won’t be “low cost” (but probably under $1k. maybe $400-ish)
also, i am a bit of a fan of Parallax, so i would recommend their Basic Stamp II. They are simple to wire and have a powerful yet easy to learn language called Pbasic. that’s just me though, I know a lot of people prefer Atmel and stuff.
I had some success modifying an RC car from Walmart or something. if you find a nice big monster truck kinda thing, and drive it around with a couple pounds of weights on it, that should make a nice base for your robot, if you want to go the cheap way. but using a car would be fast and less accurate. you may want to build from scratch using some gear motors and sheet aluminum or something. if you want real precision, use modified servos or motors with encoder wheels.
Also, I wouldn’t recommend using the SSC32 as a main controller. it is designed to be a “slave” unit that receives serial commands from a different board. Basic Stamp is good for that, you could use it to send serial commands to the SSC32.
you will also need a motor controller to drive your motors, such as these lynxmotion.com/Category.aspx?CategoryID=10
Here’s a bluetooth module i found online. it has a TTL output which is generally easier to use than RS232 when working with robots. hvwtech.com/products_view.asp?ProductID=922
alright thats all the random stuff i can think of for now, so good luck!
