Model 1

This is my first robotics project.

I happened to have a used file cabinet that seemed like the perfect platform for housing electronics, essentailly begging to be made into a robot.

I salved some automotive wiper motors and scrap steel to make a powered chassis that the file cabinet basically "sits" on top of. There are plans to incorporate many other used parts and features, but for right now I need to concentrate on getting some feedback or tach signals from the wiper motors and work on PWM motor control. The wiper motors do have LOTS of torque for their amp draw.
It currently boots, drives forward,  and turns to demonstrate the motors.

Brains: Raspberry Pi
Motor controller: Pololu VNH5019 motor controller

Motors and Chassis:
Wiper motors from a chevrolet S-10/blazer for differential drive setup.
(note: wiper motors must be isolated from eachother because one lead is always tied to ground, causing a short if current is reversed on one motor)
Front castor wheel to allow turns. (from Home Depot)
Chassis: L-channel steel welded with a MIG welder.

Body:
2 drawer file cabinet, edited slightly with hingers to allow lower drawer access as "flip-down" door

Power Supply: 1 Automotive top-terminal 12 volt battery,
cheap switching USB power supply/charger to power 5volt accessories and RPi.
DieHard battery "maintainer" functions as a charger.

Current Features:
Easy access upper drawer for control electronics and wiring
Easy battery access
Cigarette lighter
onboard battery charger
Super cool beige color option *thumbs up*

Future plans:

1. To get both motors to work at the same speed (addition of hall sensors or use the park sensor of each wiper motor for tach signal)
2. To hook up 12 volt to 120 volt inverter
3. more powerful deep-cycle battery
4. voice recognition and speech synthesis\
5. Cameras or room-mapping system
6. onboard GPS for constant time updates and location
7. mechanical relays. (I would like to route the power of the motor controller through multiple relays to allow control of 8 or so more motors)
8. Some service lights
9 analog volt guage
10 analog amp guage
11. More status LED lights

Currently have a video on youtube of it running about and accidentally slamming into a wall. I set the time on the demo program for too long and it did manage to bang into the wall, thus demonstrating the need for some pretty good obstacle avoidance.The robot weights quite a bit and I want its movement to be very "polished and refined" before I let it drive about.

, I hope to have a higher-resolution camera for filming in the future.

Thanks for viewing.