This robot was built to learn PID control of motors, I use IR shining through holes in the one of the gears in the gear box.
IR is used for Ring Edge detection and finding the other robot.
I has been modified to test various ideas such as playing with the cheap 433MHz RF modules.
Wheels are turned Alu and the body is Al sheet and angle.
The electronics are all on Perf board, mainly wire wrapped.
Mini Sumo Robot, uses IR for ring and other robot detection
- Actuators / output devices: Tamiya twin gearbox
- Control method: Autonomus, PIC16F88, built to play with PID drive control
- CPU: PIC16F88
- Operating system: NIL
- Power source: AAA NICADS 7.2V
- Programming language: Assembler
- Sensors / input devices: IR and encoders on gearboxes
- Target environment: Sumo Ring
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://community.robotshop.com/robots/show/old-mini-sumo-robot
Looks really cool, how well
Looks really cool, how well did it do in competition? I’ve got a Tamiya Twin based minisumo, has problems burning out the motors a bit, did this happen to this robot? 7.2 volts is higher than I had used.
Competition
The sad thing is I haven’t found anyone local to fight, pushing a wooden block off is a bit boring now.
I have not had any problems with the motors so far, they do smell a bit after awhile, I am only running at about 35% duty cycle, I suspect if I had stickier tires I would have problems. The tires are just the tamiya ones.
I am using L293’s which do burn off a few volts, mine are heat sinked, I was thinking of building a new one shaped like a wedge useing a printed circuit board this time with Alu sides and back, the block shape is governed by the space taken up by the wire wrapped boards.
Wedges can be good, there
Wedges can be good, there have been a few tough ones I remember. There are some interesting videos on Youtube of matches, fun to watch. Seattle and Portland seem to have the toughest competition in the US. No other bot-builders around you can convince to build something?
I was running Allegro A3951SB h-bridges, which also lose a couple volts, but running full on, withurethane tires for some grip that I’d poured. Was planning to rebuild that robot with some of those Faulhaber right angle gearmotors, but haven’t progressed far yet.
