FINISHED: LazyBee Security Bot - Laptop Based solution for Dummies

Hi all,

 I'm from The Netherlands and have a nice little girl that wants me to build a robot. Well, easier said then done so far. Since I'm an IT consultant I wanted to use a windows based solution to control the bot over the internet. Why? Because windows can do lot's of things that will be pretty hard to programm otherwise. Well for me that is..... With the laptop solution it will be pretty easy to talk, see and even play with my daughter. She will be at home, I will be on my lunchbreak :)

Looked for some advice and some projects that go arround but so far all are pretty complicated and require pretty much skill to realise.

So here's the plan, I will add the progress as I go along.

Build a driving chassis - Done

Set up a laptop that can control servos and dc motors - Done

Set up wireless comms with the home network and the internet - Done

Make the bot accessible by using RDP (I love microsoft) - Done + Teamviewer (free internet tool)

Hooking up all the goodies (like a webcam and so on) - Done, the bot uses Skype amongst others

Dive into sensors and a way to make the bot smart........ Done, got it roaming and smoking

UPDATE, 21th june 2010:

Since I smoked the board with the sensors and basically reached my goal, a roving platform carrying arround a laptop with webcam etc. I'll close this project  for now. I'll get another control board and start up a new project shortly. Well I already started one but didn't get arround the pictures yet. Anyhow, for a first robot this was a good project that gave lots of learning experiences already. Things can only get better now ;) Sorry for making it kind of a mess, all has to do with a lesson I learned long ago when modelling planes and ships, get the equipement first so you know things will fit. Somehow I forgot (so there's lots of different platforms in this post, all just not good enough). The new bot will be smaller, lighter and yes, MEANER. :)

UPDATE, 6th may 2010:

Well, since Madrid was that inspiring, with Frits breaking futuristic cars, Antonios contemplating about his next project, Tinhead raging against his valkyrie and Rik picking barfights I had to come up with something new. Size is were it all starts. Let me elaborate on that; build a robot, post it on the internet and before you know you are stuck somewhere on the globe with a bunch of people that made the same mistake. Some are lucky and some are less fortunate. Lucky the ones that can walk home with a small bot, unlucky the ones that have to travell far with a small bot, really unlucky the ones that have to travell far with a heavy bot. Totally (*&#!*@! the ones that have to travel to Romania with a CNC machine. ;)

So go small.

Since the bot carries the laptop I couldn't go much smaller then the laptop itself. The weels looked too big so I had to replace them (well to be honest I started over the whole thing). I also added 2 extra ping sensors.

It's still under construction....... I have so many wheels at the moment :)

Still need to sand the edges. The upper part is just a try out, that will change a lot as soon as some new parts arrive.

My son loves it, to much. Pretty happy I used1.8cm furniture wood and aloi. It can take a beating. My daughter is still in doubt, a robot or a Hercules action figure?!

And just when things where to good to be true an evil spirit took control of the bot. I was lucky enough to carry arround an empty bottle of red wine so I was just in time to get myself a spirit in a botlle. It's been on the table for the last 30 minutes but I think I will open it. The freaking thing won't shut up! :)))

So remember kids! Robots have souls and are alive!