Tank wars!

Description:

September 16, 2009: 

This is a small platform I'm designing to test different control algorithms for my undergrad thesis. It's simple so far, consisting of a pic18f452 microcontroller, USB to UART board and dual motor driver board, both from Sparkfun and the ubiquitous tracked chassis from Tamiya. Optical encoders are present, but not incorporated into the circuit yet.

 As of a few minutes ago, I got a simple Python script running that accepts input from the keyboard to control movement. The video should show that. 

 That's about all for now, it's going to get more exciting when the second one is built and the IR platform is attached. As the title suggests, the demonstration for my thesis is going to be a tank wars like game pitting a series of algorithms up against a human player. : ) 

 I'm still not very good at controlling it yet.....