"NV-DRD" Arduino-Based Object-Avoidance Bot

Let's Make Robots Robots
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My bot's a pretty strightforward Arduino-based, two-wheeled, autonomous, ultrasonic avoidance bot. The chassis is the "Magician Chassis" from Sparkfun. I painted it a 2011 Dodge Charger color called "Green with Envy," hence the "NV" in the name. It's Arduino-based and the motor shield I'm using is Adafruit's. Its got two power supplies, each turned on by one of the two lighted switches on the top of the bot. Four AAs power the wheel motors (green switch) and one 9V for the circuitry, servo motor it uses to "turn its head," and the Paralax Ping))) sensor (the blue switch).

If you're a Farscape fan, the antennas might look familiar. I wanted to do something reminiscent of the "DRD" maintenence robots aboard Moya. I used some wire tubing, a couple of white, jumbo LEDs, some 18 gauge wire to provide some stiffness, and a couple of rubber grommets to hold them to the base. I may do something more to the end of the antennas, to give them a bit more of a finished look, but I'm pretty satisfied with the look for now.

Oh, the Magician Chassis came with a ball-and-socket caster for the rear of the bot, but I didn't like how it would drag through the carpet in my house and get stuck in the grout lines on the tile flooring, so I used a couple of plastic furniture "slider" casters instead. I simply drilled a couple holes in one, then flipped it over, stuck in a couple of small bolts, stuck it to another caster, then bolted them both to a small, holed peice of steel that in turn is attached to the same hardware that the ball-and-socket caster was.

 

My 1.0 code can be seen here (Processing, obviously): http://pastebin.com/6q0taukp

My current 2.0 alpha (but working!) code is here: http://pastebin.com/0tFCkAF0

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Object-avoidance via ultrasound

  • Actuators / output devices: one servo, Two DC motors
  • CPU: arduino - atmega328
  • Operating system: Arduino
  • Power source: One 9V battery, Four AA
  • Programming language: Processing
  • Sensors / input devices: Ping))) sensor
  • Target environment: indoor
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://community.robotshop.com/robots/show/nv-drd-arduino-based-object-avoidance-bot
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cool robot mate,very clean

cool robot mate,very clean design! welcome to LMR!

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Thank you!

Thank you!

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Very nice!

Very nice! It might be cool to put IR leds in those headlights and make proximity sensors outof them. Love the custom paint job.

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I like these switches on the

I like these switches on the back :wink: and ofcourse the snail eyes :wink: (Farscape…yesa there rings a bell now :wink: - DRD)

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Thanks! I like the switches,

Thanks! I like the switches, too. My only complaint is that the blue switch is so much brighter than the green, but LEDs are just that way.

7

Thanks! I hadn’t thought of

Thanks! I hadn’t thought of using IR LEDs in the antennas. That’s a gret idea!

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I got a solution!!! Just

I got a solution!!! Just turn the blue one down to the brightness of the green one :wink:

 

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Maybe it’s neive and newbie

Maybe it’s neive and newbie of me, but as far as I know they’re not inherently adjustable. I’m using them to complete the circuit between my batteries and the microcontroller, so I can’t communicate with them directly.

I’m using PWM to turn down the antenna LEDs to 1/5 their brightness, because they’re distractingly bright otherwise.

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I see, so they just hook

I see, so they just hook into the circuit. Yeah, it’s up to you -> you could open the switch and separate the LED from the main circuit and power them via an additional cable driven by the Arduino.