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Vol. 6 No. 8 SERVO MAGAZINE DARPA AT THE GRAND PRIX • RC ROBOTICS • CPLD SERVO DRIVER • VEX MOTOR PWM August 2008
Full Page.qxd 7/9/2008 9:57 AM Page 2
Sharing Ingenuity
W W W. S P A R K F U N . C O M
a) Science
b) Technology
c) Engineering
d) Mathematics
e) All of the above
Events
30 Results and Upcoming Competitions
30 Event Report:
Mall of America Rotunda Rumble
Robot Profile
33
Columns Touro
08 Robytes
by Jeff Eckert
Stimulating Robot Tidbits
10 GeerHead
by David Geer
MAARS Robots Taking Off for War
62 Robotics Resources
by Gordon McComb
Robotics via Remote Control
PAGE 10
67 BasicBoard Robotics
06
Departments
4 SERVO 08.2008
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PAGE 28
SERVO 08.2008 5
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Published Monthly By
T & L Publications, Inc.
430 Princeland Court
Corona, CA 92879-1300
(951) 371-8497
FAX (951) 371-3052
Webstore Only 1-800-783-4624
www.servomagazine.com
SERVO 08.2008 7
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8 SERVO 08.2008
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Robytes
that don’t,” according to Morgansen. researcher Daan Hobbelen of the paper. The bot is compatible for use
“That has implications for what will Delft University of Technology (TU by up to five different people
happen in a group of vehicles. Can one Delft) has developed an advanced (presumably not all at once), and it
vehicle make the rest of the group do robot, called Flame, that includes a scanner (to which users
something just based on its behavior?” demonstrates that a robot can be present an access pass and a
Like the live fish, the robotic ones human-like, energy-efficient, and four-digit secret code) and a paper
communicate with each other, in this highly stable. The overall goal is to dispensing system. It even monitors
case using low-frequency sonar. Test provide insight into how people walk, how much toilet paper is left on the
results showed that although only about which ultimately can be applied roll. Can’t you feel the greenhouse
half of the transmitted communications to helping people with mobility gases abating already? For info on
actually get through, the Robofish problems via improved diagnosis and this and others in the winners’ circle,
programming allowed them to accom- rehab. Flame employs seven motors, visit mindstorms.lego.com/news/.
plish their task anyway. The next step a balance organ, and some propri-
will be to let them loose in the ocean, etary algorithms to ensure a high
where they will be programmed to level of stability. The robot can, for
trail a remote-controlled toy shark. example, apply the information
New Hall of Fame Inductees
Ultimately, they could be dispatched provided by its balance organ to place
to explore caves and ice-covered its feet slightly farther apart to
waters, track whales, map regions of prevent falling. According to
pollution, or harass baby seals. Hobbelen, Flame’s advanced ankles
have already provided motion scientists
with advanced insight into how the
complicated joint works. For details,
Walk Like a Man visit www.dbl.tudelft.nl.
Most bots walk in the rigid,
clunky movements that are typical of
industrial machinery, toy robots, and
people who buy their shoes at
TP-Bot Wins Award
Wal-Mart. This differs from the much
more fluid way humans generally
move, which basically consists of
falling forward in a controlled
manner. But, in pursuit of a PhD,
SERVO 08.2008 9
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MAARS Robots
Taking Off for War
SWORDS Military Robots Graduating to 2.0, MAARS Status
n 2005, I covered the SWORDS The SWORDS are unmanned unmanned, and controlled by the
GEERHEAD
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GEERHEAD
operator uses — offers advanced know when and where it’s safe to stairs. It can also use wheels to travel
command and control capabilities and tread or what precautions to take. more quietly on other terrain, to be
greater situational awareness around MAARS also uses Blue Force “stealthier.”
the robot. The system gathers a large Tracking, a satellite and GPS tracking Field personnel can equip the
array of situational feedback from the technology that informs soldiers on robot with a robotic arm, numerous
battlegrounds. the locations of friendly forces, enemy weapons other than those described,
SWORDS laid the groundwork for forces, and neutral areas. and a broad range of sensors. The
sensing battle hazards with heat, gas, The MAARS robot comes with robotic manipulator arm can lift about
chemical, and radiation sensors. These all-terrain tracks in the military style of 100 lbs. By replacing the gun turret
report to the soldier wirelessly so they the old tanks. With these, it can scale with the arm, soldiers can readily turn
the robotic war fighter into a device for
identifying and neutralizing explosives.
Exclusively at Jameco… MAARS can also sense its
environment via its seven multi-mode
The Lowest Prices… cameras. The operators can view
action the robot views in streaming
Guaranteed! video. The robot uses day and night
thermal vision. The robot also gauges
Save 3% to 5% Save 15%-25% Save 30% or more!
its location and distances using a laser
Looking to save on Save more when a Looking for killer deals?
thousands of Name Brand specific manufacturer is Jameco buyers often find
range finder. The soldier-operators
components? Jameco not required. Major Brand Factory Overruns from know where they are pointing the
offers these popular semi’s are sourced some of the industry’s robot’s weapons in relation to the
products for 3% to 5% from 5-6 specific major biggest names. That robot’s surroundings, other people,
below market price, and manufacturers, plus we means savings of 30% and themselves because of these
we guarantee it! also offer Jameco Brand and more to you! cameras. At about 350 lbs., the
and Generic passives for complete MAARS system is the largest
even greater savings. member of the TALON robots, larger
than the SWORDS.
3 Levels of Choice Foster-Miller has already shipped
its first MAARS robot to the US
3 Levels of Savings military under a contract from the
Explosive Ordnance Disposal/Low-
Intensity Conflict (EOD/LIC) program,
which is part of the Combating
Terrorism Technical Support Office
(CTTSO). This is the same program
that acquired the SWORDS robots. SV
RESOURCES
Demo video MAARS robot
www.foster-miller.com/images/
Videos/MAARS_test.avi
12 SERVO 08.2008
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SPECIAL EDITION:
Rhyme of the
Modern
Submariner
T
his month, we have the honor of solely for autonomous robots, and a and the onus of the home turf advan-
presenting the ROV-In-A-Box Kit remotely operated vehicle wouldn’t tage, so we really felt that the MATE
from !nventivity. ROV stands for exactly fit into that category. After a Competition was an opportunity that
Remotely Operated Vehicle, and while bit of searching, we stumbled upon we couldn’t pass up. All we had to do
this can refer to a tethered vehicle that the MATE Competition — an under- now was get a team together.
tackles any sort of terrain, it very often water ROV competition sponsored by
refers to an underwater vehicle, as was the Marine Advanced Technology Ocean’s Eleven and
the case with this kit. After covering Education Center. What’s more is that Then Some
the AUVSI underwater robotics the international championship was
competition in 2006, we knew that sponsored by the Scripps Institute of Evan is lucky enough to be a
there were competitions out there Oceanography at our very own part of UCSD’s Tau Beta Pi chapter,
that catered to these aquatic bots, University of California, San Diego. California Psi. Tau Beta Pi is the
and we thought a competition would Several engineering student engineering honor society and UCSD’s
be a much more exciting way of organizations at UCSD are involved in chapter pursues excellence in engi-
testing the robot than surreptitiously a number of design competitions, but neering through outreach, academic,
dunking it in the community pool. The there was not yet a team for the MATE and social programs. Conspicuously
AUVSI competition, however, was event. We had the kit, the opportunity, missing from TBP’s repertoire, though,
was a robotics team. Why a robotics
THE ROV-IN-A-BOX IN THE BOX. COLTER (L) AND BRIAN (R) WORKING team? Because robotics is an inter-
ON THE FRAME. disciplinary field that demands the
effort of engineers from every field of
study, and a robotics team would be
made up of the same cross sections of
engineers as Tau Beta Pi. By virtue of
his position as Publicity Officer, Evan
was able to organize meetings for a
robot team and soon a group of
talented engineering students had
coalesced around our ROV in a box,
and we were eager to take on the
challenge of MATE.
The ROV-in-a-box seemed like a
14 SERVO 08.2008
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Recommended Websites
www.nventivity.com
!nventivity Homepage
www.marinetech.org/rov_competition
MATE Competition
h2orobots.org
NURC
tbp.ucsd.edu
Tau Beta Pi, California Psi
18 SERVO 08.2008
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MrRoboto.qxd 7/8/2008 10:08 AM Page 20
Tap into the sum of all human knowledge and get your questions answered here!
From software algorithms to material selection, Mr. Roboto strives to meet you
where you are — and what more would you expect from a complex service droid?
by
Dennis Clark
22 SERVO 08.2008
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SERVO 08.2008 23
Events.qxd 7/9/2008 5:32 PM Page 24
Send updates, new listings, corrections, complaints, and suggestions to: steve@ncc.com or FAX 972-404-0269
Know of any robot competitions I’ve missed? Is your TBA Robots at Play
local school or robot group planning a contest? Send an City Square, Odense, Denmark
email to steve@ncc.com and tell me about it. Be sure to Robots compete to demonstrate playfulness and
include the date and location of your contest. If you have a interactivity.
website with contest info, send along the URL as well, so we www.robotsatplay.dk
can tell everyone else about it.
For last-minute updates and changes, you can always S e p te m b e r
find the most recent version of the Robot Competition FAQ
at Robots.net: http://robots.net/rcfaq.html 6 ROBO-ONE Helper Robot Project
Kawasaki City, Japan
— R. Steven Rainwater Teleoperated robots compete at performing
common household tasks.
http://getrobo.typepad.com/getrobo/2008/
August 05/new-helper-robo.html or
www.robo-one.com/robo_help/robo_help.
9 RoboCountry html
Takamtsu City, Kagawa, Japan
ROBO-ONE style humanoid robot combat. 17 Powered by Sun
www.robocountry4.com Ostrava, Czech Republic
Just as the name suggests, this is a competition of
23-24 Motodrone AFO Competition solar-powered robots.
Finowfurt, Germany http://napajenisluncem.vsb.cz
Autonomous Flying Objects (AFOs) compete in
several areas including the ability to hover in 18-19 Korea Intelligent Robot Contest
changing wind conditions, stable flight between POSTECH Gymnasium, Pohang City, Korea
points, capturing photos of targets, recovering This competition includes several events for
from freefall, and automated take-off and general-purpose intelligent robots and one
landing. event for specialized cleaning robots.
www.motodrone.de http://irc.piro.re.kr
24 SERVO 08.2008
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s Co Mot
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ete
s or xis erom
3-A cel ntr or
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Ac 9.95
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n $1
ct .49
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rra !
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r A sing Robot Controllers Dual Motor
e S l ine Controller:
c r voltage dual H-bridge Instantly switches
tan fo
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Re G (on ADC7) (RC) or analog voltage and
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Solder Paste Stencils red user LED
additional features. $59.95
Use our low-cost
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From $25 (on PD1)
programming
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Baby Orangutan B-48 and B-168
starting at $24.95
New Products
N E W P RO D U C T S
dispensing chlorine or clarifiers evenly and randomly over
BRACKETS AND MOUNTS the surface makes the chemicals far more efficient than
when spread by other means.
Micro Metal Gearmotor Bracket
CONSUMER ROBOTS
ROBOT KIT
Solar-Breeze Intelligent Solar
Robot Pool Skimmer LEGO® Education WeDo
T he Solar-Breeze
Intelligent Solar
Robot Pool Skimmer — L EGO Education — The LEGO Group’s educational division
— introduces LEGO® Education WeDo™, a new product
manufactured by that redefines classroom robotics, making it possible for
Invention Concepts — primary school students 7-11 years of age to build and
is the first of its kind, program their own solutions. Bridging the physical world
hoping to bring pool represented by LEGO models, and the virtual world
owners on board with represented by computers and programming software,
the idea of having LEGO Education WeDo provides a hands-on, minds-on
“greener” pools. Solar-Breeze uses a unique solar-power learning experience that actively involves young students
system that allows it to skim your pool surface all day in their own learning process and promotes children’s
while the sun is shining, collecting debris from the pool creative thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
surface and preventing it from sinking to the bottom. “Building upon our successful 10-year history of
Since it keeps dust and debris from sinking to the bringing educational robotics to middle, high school, and
bottom of the pool, the time required to run the pool university classrooms with the award-winning LEGO MIND-
pump is significantly reduced, thus making pools cleaner STORMS toolset, we are excited to extend this expertise
and clearer, so pool pump usage should go down. A to benefit an even younger audience,” said Jens Maibom,
Chemical Dispenser (for commercial solid pool chemical vice president of LEGO Education. “With a progressively
tablets) is included in the Solar-Breeze design since competitive global economy, we know it is imperative to
26 SERVO 08.2008
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provide even younger children and their teachers with mode. For DC motors without encoder feedback, the
curricular-relevant, easy-to-implement educational materials CS110100 is able to drive the motor via PWM. The
to spark children’s interest in all manner of subjects.” on-board motion processor allows users to change
LEGO Education WeDo encourages teachers to issue motion control parameters, such as PID parameters,
curriculum-based challenges for students to solve. motor configuration, etc.
Working in teams, children invent their own solution by
building a LEGO model and programming it to perform a
certain task. Cause and effect learning is enhanced by
the models remaining tethered to a computer; similar to
scientists in working labs, children can test and adjust
their programming in real time. After reflecting on what
did and did not work, students can consult with peers,
adapt programming, adjust models, or begin again.
Newly-designed software developed by National
Instruments makes programming easy and intuitive and
students quickly learn that they can solve real-world The motor controller has three operating modes: UART
challenges by tinkering with building and programming. Mode — the CS110100 is able to interface with a host
Developed to cover a broad range of curriculum controller, such as the C Stamp (sold separately) via the
areas, WeDo sample topics include Language and Literacy: serial port. In this mode, the CS110100 will receive AT
narrative and journalistic writing, storytelling, interviewing commands sent from the host controller to change its speed,
and interpreting; Mathematics: measuring time and distance, position, etc; I2C Mode — the CS110100 is able to interface
adding, multiplying, estimating, using variables; Science: with the host controller via an I2C port. The I2C address is
transmission of motion, working with simple machines, selectable from 0x70 to 0x7E. The host controller is able to
gears, levers and pulleys; Technology: programming, control the CS110100 by I2C commands; Radio Control PWM
using software media and creating a working model. Mode — the CS110100 can be connected to RC receivers
The complete LEGO WeDo package includes: directly so that the motor speeds can be controlled by
• 158 brightly colored LEGO elements, including gears the RC remote
and levers controller. In this mode, users may choose to run the two
• One LEGO USB hub connects directly to a Mac/PC motors under coordinated mode or independent mode.
laptop, desktop, OLPC XO, or Intel Classmate computer to This mode is especially useful in building RC remote
allow control of hardware input (tilt and motion sensors) robots. Some technical specifications are:
and output (motor), thereby bringing models to life • Power Supply Voltage: 7V-24V
• One motor, one motion sensor, and one tilt sensor • Power Consumption: 2W (without motors)
• Drag-and-drop, icon-based software that provides an • Processor Speed: 40 MHz
intuitive and easy-to-use programming environment • On-Board Motion Control for brushed DC Motors
suitable for beginners and experienced users alike (Velocity Mode, Position Mode)
• CD-Rom provides up to 24 hours of instruction. • On-Board MOSFET PWM drivers
Teacher notes and glossary are also included • Able to drive Two DC motors at the same time
• MAX DC Current Per Motor = 10A
For further information, please contact: • PEAK DC Current Per Motor = 20 A
• On-Board fan for efficient heat dissipation
The LEGO Group Website: www.LEGO.com
• Protection for Reverse Polarity, Over-Current, and
Over-Heating
• Controllable by RC Servo PWM pulses directly
• Controllable by a serial interface
MOTOR CONTROLLER • Controllable by an I2C interface
• User can control the PWM output to the motors directly
New Powerful, Versatile, and • Switching power supply for lowest battery power
Easy-to-Use Motor Controller consumption
• Compact size of 75 mm x 65 mm
SERVO 08.2008 27
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28 SERVO 08.2008
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veterans of my small robot classes, SUMO’s drivetrain. The build team pauses for a photo-op.
some of them also having
experience on my Destination
Imagination teams.
The first session I tossed out a
bunch of stuff from my workshop:
cordless drills, cordless screwdrivers,
Barbie Jeep gearboxes with and
without removal of the final gear
for a “speed hack.” I had the kids
weigh them, and test the amp
draw running free and at stall. They
liked the standard Barbie gearboxes,
which was fortunate as I had a box the Victor 883 speed controllers and shaft collar proved to be not
full of them. that I pulled out of RoboGoat. quite close enough, and we lost one
Next, I had them draw up some One of the kids brought a big match when one hub slipped off
materials stats, such as weighing slab of half-inch plywood that made the output gear of the gearbox. The
and measuring various thicknesses up the basic frame and base armor. design was a bit tight, making
of plywood, aluminum, Lexan, and I tossed in a broken snow shovel emergency repairs difficult. This
foam; and calculating how heavy blade for the pusher. could have been avoided, as we
a robot would be if it were made So far, not much ground were four pounds underweight.
of each material and had some breaking technology, but a (Note to self: Next time, bring an
plausible dimensions for this project. serviceable machine. We did get a accurate scale. The one from the
I suggested a simple pushy/wedge bit more creative with the secondary school nurse’s office must have
bot for a first build and at the end armor, which was a tricky composite been jumped on too often.)
of session 1, we had a shopping list. of dense foam, 1/32” Lexan in two The composite armor proved
It helps a great deal to have a layers, and plenty of Gorilla Tape. In more than sufficient against flail
workshop full of junk. The expensive fact, two rolls of this stuff at about and blade, and with some additional
components such as speed 5 bucks each were the single refinements will make more
controllers and batteries were all biggest expense of the project. appearances in future projects.
lying around from years of previous The new machine — dubbed The kids all had a fun time, and
projects. In fact, I had built SUMO for its final pudgy look — the relative success of the project is
something very much like the kids’ was controlled with a 75 MHz largely a tribute to their outstanding
design a few weeks earlier when JR receiver and an IMX mixer for driving skills.
the high school drama department simpler handling. Total out-of-pocket costs came
needed a robotic goat on rather With time to spare, we actually in under $40, which at just over a
short notice. started a second 30 pounder, with dollar a pound must be some kind
Speed controllers are kind of a working name of NSP (No Spare of record. True, you could claim that
the soul of a robot. That being the Parts). This was to have a similar we cheated by raiding my robot
case, it appears that some Eastern drive system and an active weapon. graveyard/workshop. But I suspect
religions are correct about But alas, with two sessions to that with a bit of eBay trolling and
reincarnation, as electronics for this go a problem arose. Spring arrived. dumpster diving, it would be possible
project had lived previous lives as Middle school boys are not the most to do the entire project including
everything from the 340 pound focused primates on their best days, electronics and radio equipment for
“Newton’s Claw” down to the candy and warm weather, track practice, somewhere around $150.
delivering “Pumpkin Bot” that and the attire of middle school girls
scared my trick-or-treaters a few all became major distractions. So,
years back. we scrapped NSP at the half-built
Our basic drive system was a stage and upgraded SUMO a bit.
pair of Barbie Jeep gearboxes, Basically, we ended up
hubbed to eight inch rubber wheels swapping in 24 volts’ worth of NiCd
that were about a buck at the local batteries, which made SUMO a very
surplus shop. We added a pair of effective pusher.
7.2 volt R/C car batteries wired in In actual combat, lessons were
series for 14.4 volts; a mild over-volt — as usual — quickly learned. The
for the motors but no problem for “close enough” fit between the axle SUMO the pushybot.
SERVO 08.2008 29
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All in all, a fun project, with lots and repair. And at this kind of price, we could have just as easily fought
of opportunity for creative tinkering something very possible on a wider in the school parking lot as in an
and for on-the-fly troubleshooting basis. Without an active weapon, expensive arena. SV
EVENTS
Results and Upcoming Events
Results May 4 –
Jun 15, 2008 2 008 Fighting Robots UK
Featherweight Championships
were held May 24th–25th in
Strongsville, OH
on September
13th. Go to
G uildford
2008 was
England. Go to
www.robotslive.co.uk for more
EVENT REP RT
Mall of America Rotunda Rumble
● by Aaron Nielsen
30 SERVO 08.2008
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class spread starting with the cute and built by a 10th grader. rivalry, and there were only two of
‘n cuddly ant weights (one pound) Even the schools that opted to them; thus, they opted to pummel
and ending with the “that just stick to the “classic” concepts of each other on an exhibition basis.
might rip your leg off” feather- robot combat (wedges and bricks) Moving on to the beetle
weights (30 pounds). As for fight managed to bring something new weights (three pounds), third place
structure, the 15 pound student to the table. Billet — a simple brick went to Rampage Productions’
Battle Bots IQ (BBIQ) class fought bot to the untrained eye — featured wedge bot, Screw U, which might
in classic bracket style, while the magnets to increase its tractive now hold the title of “bot name
remaining classes fought round effort. Another bot — dubbed that gets the most snickers when
robin. Catapult — boasted the most James announced over the PA.” Second
Taking center stage was the Bond worthy weapon. What I mean place went to Team Bobbing for
BBIQ half of the tournament where is they opted to forgo powering French Fries’ wooden wonder, Boxy
teams of students — some coming their flipper with a mere tank of air Brown, a wooden box with a dowel
from as far as Williams, AZ — and instead chose to mount a on the front and a driver with an
displayed their prowess in complete working air compressor affinity for trash picking. After Boxy
mathematics, science, and right on the robot so they could took a bit of a beating from the first
engineering by vigorously applying recharge on the go. Frankly, I still place finisher, his driver disappeared
it to their opponents in the form of have no idea how that whole for a bit and, upon his return,
stored kinetic energy. When apparatus worked, but it did. Either proudly declared he had found a
comparing the tournament way, enough about the event. Let’s plastic bottle in the trash and
designations of “student” versus talk about results. commenced attaching it to the
“professional,” one might be tempted The ant weight battles were remains of his bot’s keep-away-stick.
to assume that the “student” class less of a tournament and more of a First place went to team Python
was somehow inferior. That would one-on-one brawl for supremacy and their bot, Strychnine, which
be the thought of someone about between ANTI (vertical spinner) and can be best described as three
to be resoundingly beaten by the peculiarly named UnderWHERE pounds of precision machined, bar
something conceived of, designed, (horizontal spinner). It was a friendly spinning death.
ANTI versus
UnderWHERE —
two tiny brushless
Studley Do-Right versus a distressing spinners enter.
amount of kinetic energy (Murder-Go-Round). Only one leaves.
SERVO 08.2008 31
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Pox, jealous of
Catapult’s on-board air
compressor, attacks!
Jumping up to the 15 pound was the master and, as such, second was team Rampage
BBIQ class, the rule for the day was walked away with $2,500 in Productions’ Whop Rivet, an
vertical spinning egg beaters rule, merchandise (including a GEARS kit articulated flail spinner. And
with one exception. That exception donated by GEARS) for first place. bringing home first place and $500
was third place finisher No Remorse Chucker would have to content in prizes was veteran driver Dick
from Valley Middle School in Apple himself with being the apprentice. Stuplich from Team Killerbotics and
Valley, MN. No Remorse was a Since they were able to make it his wedged-wonder, Pyromancer.
wedge bot that proudly proclaimed through the entire BBIQ tournament Even more impressive was that
it had no regrets (except perhaps on Saturday, there was a second Pyromancer was fighting with the
not finishing first or second). The BBIQ tournament on Sunday for proverbial arm behind the back, as
story behind second and first place anyone who could still cobble the flame based weaponry, and,
is a little more amusing. Chucker, together a working robot. Taking consequently, his flamethrower was
from St. Cloud Technical College in home first place ($200) and some not allowed at the Mall of America.
Minnesota, and Humdinger 2, from vindication for Saturday was none If anyone happens to think that’s
Buffalo High School (also in other than Chucker. In second was silly, I would like to point out two
Minnesota) were both armed with Uppercut built by John Glenn things. One, every other store in the
egg beaters and spent the duration Middle School in Maple Wood, MN. Mall of America sells 100% cotton
of the Rotunda Rumble putting In an honorable third was Death shirts. Two, 100% cotton shirts burn
various items, including themselves, Star deployed by PACT Charter quite well. (Your honor, the defense
into low orbit. Interesting fact: The School in Ramsey, MN. (I’d trot out rests.)
creators of Chucker and Humdinger another Star Wars metaphor, but All in all, it was an impressive
2 used to be on the same team. I’m afraid we used them all up in event which boasted an excellent
Thus, when they both found their the last paragraph.) turnout in terms of both builders
way to the finals, the ensuing battle Among the 30 pound big boys and bot watchers. Better still, plans
was the robotic equivalent of Obi- of the event, third place went to are in the works for a similar event
Wan Kenobi facing off with Anakin Team Nerd Academy and their next year. We’re looking forward
Skywalker. It was three minutes of wood, plastic, shovel, Gorilla Tape to it. SV
sheer pandemonium to see who composite push bot, SUMO. (See
was stronger in the force, but the Tim Wolter’s build report on SUMO
All the pictures were taken by Deb Holmes
results showed that Humdinger 2 in this month’s Combat Zone.) In of the Midwest Robotics League.
PARTS IS PARTS:
P wer Switches
● by Chad New
32 SERVO 08.2008
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ROBOT PR FILE
TOP RANKED ROBOT THIS MONTH
● by Kevin Berry
● Configuration: Drum
debuted in RoboGames 2006 Bot
achieving third place. Afterwards,
it won Brazil’s III Winter Challenge ● Frame: 7050 aluminum
and VI Robocore ENECA – both in — 20 mm (approx. 3/4”)
2006. In 2007, Touro won a
RoboGames gold medal and kept Touro flips Orion 3 during the
2007 Winter Challenge final match.
both Brazilian competition titles. Photo courtesy of Robocore.
SERVO 08.2008 33
CombatZone.qxd 7/8/2008 10:34 AM Page 34
34 SERVO 08.2008
Full Page.qxd 7/9/2008 5:37 PM Page 35
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Eady.qxd 7/8/2008 11:55 AM Page 36
The hobby servo is an amazing device. The typical hobby servo is a collection of plastic or
metal gears driven by a DC motor, which is under the control of a specialized motor driver IC
and a feedback potentiometer. Back in the day, one would find hobby servos in most every
model airplane and model boat. If you really put a brain cell to it, radio-controlled model
planes, cars, and boats are actually specialized types of robots that depend greatly on the
controlled motion provided by a hobby servo. Hobby servos don’t care who drives them as
long as they are driven with a specifically
timed PWM signal. So, it’s not so strange
that the ubiquitous hobby servo has
rotated its way into today’s microcontroller-
controlled robotic ramblers.
38
3.3V
7/8/2008
SERVO 08.2008
LM1117-3.3 VR1 3.3V .1uF
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Page 38
6 IO5 IO29 28
7 IO6 XC2C64A IO28 27
8 VCCIO1 IO27 26
LM1117-1.8 1.8V 9 IO8 VCCIO2 25
VR2
10 TDI GND 24
11 TMS TDO 23
IN OUT TCK IO23
IO12
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The CPLD Servo Driver
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Showcase Aug08.qxd 7/9/2008 3:22 PM Page 44
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SERVO 08.2008 45
Toebes.qxd 7/8/2008 10:50 AM Page 46
by John Toebes
1K
• Time On = R2 * C1
!
• Time Off = R1 * C1 1 8
2 7
555
2K
3 6
!
Opting for simplicity, we stuck with a 1 µF
4 5
capacitor and the closest we could get with Red
standard resistors. For R2, this came out to be R2 Output White
19.4K which can be made with three standard Black
resistors (10K + 4.7K + 4.7K). However, for
4.7K
4.7K
10K
the R1 which controls the duty cycle we
!
needed a bit more accuracy than we could
get with the typical 5% tolerance resistors.
For this we knew we needed somewhere
around 1.8K. For this, we chose to combine 0.01µF
+
a standard 1K resistor with a 1K, 15-turn 1µF
potentiometer.
The only other challenging part we 0V
needed was a way to connect the Vex motor
to the circuit. If you are using a breadboard to
555 VEX PWM Controller FIGURE 2
build the circuit, the Vex motor cable is on
standard .1” centers and just plugs into the
breadboard. If you put it on a perfboard, there are affected the other circuits of the car. To clean this up, we
several options short of actually soldering the motor pins to simply connected the +5 to the battery through a five volt
the perfboard: regulator (such as a 7805 — RadioShack P/N 276-1770.
1) Use an IC socket and just push the motor into the socket. Putting It in Motion
This works to experiment with, but isn’t very durable.
Once you have everything assembled and have
2) Get a Vex extender cable (or the equivalent from a local powered up the circuit, you need to adjust the potentiometer
R/C hobby store) and solder it to the board. to get the optimum speed. You can do this by either
watching a scope connected to the outputs or tune it by
3) Use an old IDE, floppy, USB block, or even an internal just watching the motor. You should be able to see the full
audio cable that the Vex motor plugs into — make sure you range of the motor from maximum reverse to idle to full
find the right wires to connect into the board. Audio cables forward by adjusting the potentiometer.
work great as you can see in Figure 3.
Building on It
The circuit is easy to lay out. As you can see in Figure
4, the students built the circuit so that parts occupy just the One obvious improvement to this circuit would be to
bottom half of the
perfboard (the top half has FIGURE 3
the original timer circuit
which controlled how long
the motor ran for). The
circuit isn’t too sensitive to
parts placement, so just lay
everything out wherever you
have the most room.
The only special thing to
note is that the circuit in
Figure 2 has both a +5 and
+Vcc indicator. This is
because we found that in
testing the car, sometimes
the noise of the motor
SERVO 08.2008 47
Toebes.qxd 7/8/2008 10:51 AM Page 48
FIGURE 4
erform proportional speed, direction, and steering with
P only two Radio/Control channels for vehicles using two
separate brush-type electric motors mounted right and left Parts List
with our mixing RDFR dual speed control. Used in many
• (1) Vex Robotics Motor Vex Robotics P/N 276-2163
successful competitive robots. Single joystick operation: up
• (1) LM555 Timer IC RadioShack P/N 276-1723
goes straight ahead, down is reverse. Pure right or left twirls
• (2) 4.7KW 1/4 Watt Resistor RadioShack P/N 271-1330
vehicle as motors turn opposite directions. In between stick
• (1) 10KW 1/4 Watt Resistor RadioShack P/N 271-1335
positions completely proportional. Plugs in like a servo to
• (1) 1KW 1/4 Watt Resistor RadioShack P/N 271-1321
your Futaba, JR, Hitec, or similar radio. Compatible with gyro
• (1) 1KW 15-turn Potentiometer RadioShack P/N 271-342
steering stabilization. Various volt and amp sizes available.
• (1) 1 µF Electrolytic Capacitor RadioShack P/N 272-1434
The RDFR47E 55V 75A per motor unit pictured above.
• (1) 0.01 µF Ceramic Capacitor RadioShack P/N 272-131
www.vantec.com
• (1) IN4001 Diode RadioShack P/N 276-1101
Order at • (1) Battery Holder for four D-Cell Batteries RadioShack
P/N 270-396
(888) 929-5055 • (4) D-Cell Batteries
48 SERVO 08.2008
Bardis.qxd 7/9/2008 12:52 PM Page 49
demo that robotic cars have no trouble running a race track. relatively warmish lap at that!). Sadly, the I-look-far-cooler-
Most SERVO readers know of the DARPA Grand Challenge than-anything-that-Batman-has-ever-driven Mazda speed
and Urban Challenge, and are happy to see another alternative energy rotary engine car never got out of the
successful autonomous course completion. However, most pits. These cars were followed by a big Chevy SUV and a
typical race fans got their first taste of robot cars and, VW wagon navigating the course smoothly, confidently,
hopefully, their appetites have been whetted. The fans saw and precisely. They also saw a little Toyota Prius navigate
drivers pilot two green electric race cars and a green (well, the course with some timidity, trepidation, and
it was bright yellow ...) solar-powered car run a lap (a nervousness. But which one won the race?
50 SERVO 08.2008
Bardis.qxd 7/9/2008 12:59 PM Page 51
Read on as I introduce you to the players: ready to see a car just driving itself down the road.”
How many more DARPA “Blank” Challenges (where you
BOSS can fill in “Blank” with some sort of extreme-sounding
adjective) are in store for Boss? Carnegie Melon is pursuing
Named After: Charles “Boss” Kettering, founder of General many related projects, but “We don’t expect to see any
Motors R&D (Nothing to do with Bruce Springsteen.) more of this type of challenge out of DARPA. But, what it
Former Life: 2007 Chevy Tahoe has done is excited the community, generated an interest in
Pedigree: 1st place in 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge vehicle safety, autonomous driving, and all the benefits that
Team: Tartan Racing @ Carnegie Melon University, with can come from this technology bringing it to society.” One
General Motors, Caterpillar, Intel, and Continental example is the “panheads” mounted on the sides of the
Build Time: 14 months between receipt of the vehicle and roof, which look downward and left/right. At an intersection,
the DARPA Urban Challenge these sensors are used to monitor side traffic and obstacles
Cost: “Well, the prize for winning the challenge was $2 and help Boss decide when it would be safe to pull forward
million. We were very happy to receive that.” “Aaaaand, into an intersection. I am so looking forward to these
that went somewhat towards recouping your costs of — ” sensors being commonplace automobile options, stuck up
“WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO RECEIVE THAT!” there on the roof next to the satellite radio antennas!
Turn-Ons: More is better! As a mechanical engineer, I deal in the tangible; having
Turn-Offs: Subtlety trouble grasping the movement of electrons in circuits or
SERVO 08.2008 51
Bardis.qxd 7/9/2008 1:02 PM Page 52
Turn-Offs: Human drivers casting the area immediately around the car into “shadow.”
How is this possible? Software, software, software.
Adam Solomon, Lockheed Martin engineer and race They refined their software over and over, making it more
track barrier strength-tester, gave me the scoop on their Prius. efficient, more robust, and more powerful, until they had
The first thing that jumps out and slapped me in the this impressive driving capability-per-sensor ratio (Don’t ask
face is the fact that this car looks so normal! I couldn’t help me what the units are on that value ...). Did I also mention
myself: “This car looks kinda boring. But that’s a backhanded that the star of their robot — the software — runs on a plain
compliment! Honest!” Just as Toyota set to achieve (and old consumer MacBook Pro laptop? Their biggest problem
did so) utter normality with the Prius to not freak out with their whole system was not any of their components
potential customers who fear change and abnormality in or code but the laptop’s rechargeable battery, which
their daily drivers, so did the Ben Franklin team also achieve gradually lost its capacity over the months of testing from
remarkable normality with their robot car. its frequent charge and discharge cycles. They learned their
This was the backup car (“backup” not as in “it goes in lesson and now keep the laptop plugged in at all times.
reverse,” but “backup” as in “if we total Little Ben, we’ve Lockheed Martin is also continuing to use this Prius as an
got a spare!”) for Little Ben at the DARPA Urban Challenge. active research vehicle, constantly refining their software.
Little Ben ran so well that this vehicle wasn’t needed for Why? They have plans to transition their refined software to
that event. In its understudy role, as on Broadway, it wasn’t other vehicles, including boats and military tactical vehicles.
equipped as well as the top-billed star was in order to Could they end up developing a ubiquitous “operating
put on a standing ovation, throw-the-roses-on-the-stage system” for robot cars? Perhaps standardized tests of the
performance. This car had only two main sensors vs. Little future will include the following analogy: Microsoft is to
Ben’s 11. This bears repeating. According to Adam, with consumer PCs as Lockheed Martin is to robot cars.
only 18% of the hardware bolted to the outside of this car, Like Boss, Little Ben’s sensor-challenged brother starts
it could perform at 95% of the capacity of Little Ben. The with a map of the course and then uses those sensors to
5% shortcoming is in this robot car’s inability to perform determine exactly when to turn, how sharply to turn, and
sensing of extremely close objects — the Prius’ roof eclipses how to deal with obstacles that can’t be pre-programmed.
the field-of-view of the one centrally-mounted roof sensor, Adam’s analogy was your GPS unit in your car. It tells you
SERVO 08.2008 53
Bardis.qxd 7/9/2008 1:07 PM Page 54
roughly when to turn and gives you a semi-detailed set of imaginary cones on a straightaway. “Look! The Prius is heating
instructions, but it’s up to the driver to perform the fine- up its tires on its warmup lap!” the race announcer mused
tuned actions of stopping at a red light vs. going at a green over the PA. The 23 mpg mystery was solved! Although the
light vs. flooring it at a yellow light, braking when that Prius’ driving performance was the least impressive of the trio,
teenager on her cell phone cuts you off without using her the fact that it did so much with so little was astounding.
turn signal, staying in your lane, and keeping on the right Furthermore, it could blend in as well on a normal city
side of the island on that boulevard. street as the Google Maps street view camera car or a car
As far as the Prius knows (“knows,” depending on how belonging to a serious mountain biking addict.
many human traits you like to attribute to your car ...), it
has no idea that it was turned into a robot. That MacBook JUNIOR
operates the car’s controls (steering wheel, gas, and brake)
with a drive-by-wire system, rather than interfacing into the Former Life: 2006 VW Passat station wagon
Prius’ smart hybrid computer brain. Named After: Presumably the little brother of Stanford’s
Forget the high mileage boasted on the dealer sticker bigger VW Touareg — winner of the 2005 DARPA Grand
on the Prius. This vehicle averages 23 mpg in autonomous Challenge
mode. Probably not too different from the smooth-driving- Pedigree: 2nd place in 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge
yet-hefty Boss Chevy Tahoe. Turn-Ons: “Intel Inside” stickers on cars, not just PCs!
Adam gave me the run-down on the amusingly short Turn-Offs: Fahrvergnügen
list of significant sensors bolted to The Prius With No Name: Team: Stanford University
• Velodyne HDL-64E 64-laser LIDAR rotating at 10 Hz Unfortunately, SERVO didn’t get a chance to talk with
(Yes, I copied and pasted that from the Boss description — I anybody from the Stanford team. Based on the impressive
challenge you to find a successful robot car that does not operation of Junior, we’re certain that they’re all really
have one of these spinning domes bolted to its roof!). smart and stuff.
Even if SERVO Magazine doesn’t give me a free press
• GPS on the roof determines vehicle location. pass to the 2009 Long Beach Grand Prix, I am so going to
attend, crazy ticket prices be damned! It will be worth the
Also hidden in the car are accelerometers and odometry price of admission just to see what sort of evolutionary
data, used when a good GPS signal is hard to find. Long leaps these robotic cars have performed during their
Beach’s skyline, intertwined with the street race course, was intensive off-season training program.
conspiring against the robot cars, but they didn’t seem to What’s next for robotic race cars? Adam Solomon
mind very much. For the Grand Prix, the team also kicked grins: “This year was just a demo. I hear they’re hoping to
their system up a notch by refining it to cruise at speeds up make this a race!” SV
to 28 mph — up from their previous 15 mph top speed.
So, how did it work? The Prius was significantly slower Dr. Jason Bardis is a Mechanical Design Engineer for Alliance
than the other two robot cars, paused at a few turns, tapped Spacesystems in Pasadena, CA. In addition to having three giant
the brakes as much as a cautious octogenarian on a busy nuts from his three BattleBots championships, he designed many
parts on the Phoenix Mars Lander’s trench-digging arm, which is
street, and even added some slalom action around some currently “making its mark” on Mars.
54 SERVO 08.2008
Simpson1.qxd 7/8/2008 11:28 AM Page 55
by Michael Simpson
! WARNING!
Before you read any further, I feel it only fair to warn you that this
series is going to be akin to a very fast roller coaster ride.
probably need a much larger platform than you would for a Terrain Type
Pocket PC. If you create one large base, you can place all
your items at the same level. This give you easier access Think about what type of terrain you plan to operate
for modifications. In my case, I will size both robots to fit your robot on. In my case, I want to run the robot on
a small laptop, battery, robot arm, and various other indoor surfaces such as tile or carpet. I also want to operate
electronics and sensors I might need. Better too large than the robot on my driveway, which is half paved and half
too small. gravel. The wheel types, number of wheels, and ground
clearance will affect the type of terrain you can traverse.
Base Materials
Processing Power
Use a material that is readily available and that you
have the right tools and skills for. I plan on using 1/4” Since I am planning on using a PC, we should have
hardboard. It’s cheap and easy to work with using both plenty of processing power to do just about any task. Even
power and hand tools. You could use 1/4” acrylic, but it’s the WinCE and Pocket PC devices — while not as powerful
prone to cracking and a little harder to work with tools. I as the PC — will perform adequately. Each type PC, Pocket
like a little compliance in my robot and the 1/4” hardboard PC, and WinCE device will have its own advantages and
will be perfect. As an option, you could also use 1/4” disadvantages. For instance, the WinCE device runs
pegboard. Something to keep in mind is that you will considerably slower than the PC, but has both power
probably build a couple variations of your robot. Since this and weight advantages.
material is so cheap, the cost of going back to the drawing The PC with its USB 2.0 ports has the ability to
board will be low. Once perfected, you can always switch interface with all components using one or more
to a different material. USB2Dynamixel interfaces. While the WinCE device
does not have the ability to communicate with the
RunTime USB2Dynamixel, it does have an RS-485 interface that can
talk to the RS-64 actuators directly. For the Pocket PC, we
I want my robot to be able to run for at least two will have to create an RS-232 to RS-485 converter.
hours. The type of controller, motors, and batteries will Again, these are very high level requirements and like
determine this. I plan on using a 14-18V battery pack rated any project, are subject to change. For any robot project of
at 12,000-14,000 mAh. This should give me plenty of this nature, it is important that you do some research on
runtime. This power source should allow you to power a your own. Here are a few factors that will affect the exact
pocket PC or WinCE device, but at first glance it may seem details of your project:
a little challenging to power a laptop. However, we won’t
be using the screen on the laptop so you should get three • Availability of Components
to six hours with that turned off. • Availability of Tools
• Availability of Funds
FIGURE 1 • Availability of Skills
Availability of Components
While I will provide you with a source of components
that I use on this project, you may or may not decide to use
FIGURE 2
56 SERVO 08.2008
Simpson1.qxd 7/8/2008 11:29 AM Page 57
them. If you decide to use different components, you will machine like the HP shown in Figure 1. The second type is a
only be able to use my instructions as a basic guide. This Windows CE device like the CUWIN3500 shown in Figure 2.
could be as simple as using a different material for the It has a built-in touch screen that would allow us to provide
robot base, which will probably only have minimal impact some sort of human interface to our robot.
on the project. You could also decide to use a different The third type is a Windows Pocket PC like the one
programming language for the controller or even a shown in Figure 3. I will be using an HP Pocket PC 2003
different type of controller. In this case, none of the device running at 600 MHz.
programs that I provide will work on your robot. I plan on using Zeus for the programming language for
this project. With Zeus, you can create a program that will
Availability of Tools run on the Windows PC, Windows CE, and Windows Pocket
PC platforms with little or no changes to the code. Zeus is a
If you are already into building custom robots, then you very simple Basic programming language with some
most likely have some or most of the tools needed for a advanced features like built-in GPS processing.
project such as this. Later in this article, I will go over some In addition to the main controller, we need to access
of the tools that will be needed. So, what if you don’t have our various sensors and motors through some sort of
the tools needed for a particular phase of the project? Does interface. For the XP based controller, we can use the
that mean you can’t build it? Absolutely not! You can USB device (the USB2Dynamixel) shown, in Figure 4. It’s
always ask a friend to help you out, or in some cases — manufactured by Robotis and sold by Crustcrawler.
such as building the main robot base — you may be able to
get your local home center or hardware store to assist you. Features of the USB2Dynamixel
• RS-485 Interface Support
Availability of Funds • AX-12 TTL Serial Interface Support
• RS-232 Interface Support
If you decide to build the robots I present in this series • Shows up as a standard PC com port
it will cost you $1,000 to $4,000 depending on the base, • Compatible with Windows 2000, XP and Vista
computer, and extras you plan on adding to your robot. If • Several USB2Dynamixel interfaces can be used at once
you have an old laptop or Pocket PC, you could probably • Can be used as a limited USB to serial interface (does not
get started for under $500. support control leads)
• Built-in library for ZeusPro compiler
Availability of Skills
If you wish to create your own library using .Net, the
If you build the exact robot I present here and use the folks at Crustcrawler have developed a .Net Visual Studio
code that I provide, you won’t need much more than basic Project that will give you a good start. You can download
mechanical skills. If, however, you plan on writing your own this from their website.
programs or using a different controller, you will need some To make life easier, I have added a new library to the
programming skills. You will also need to be able to use a KRMicros ZeusPro compiler. It is called USB2AX, and I will
soldering iron. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need be using it extensively throughout this series.
to be a rocket scientist or an electronic engineer to build Since our ultimate robot will be using both RX-64
a cool bot. and AX-12s, you will need two USB2Dynamixels attached
to your computer. There is a small switch on the
Project Overview USB2Dynamixel interface shown in Figure 5. This switch is
used to configure the interface for the type of bus that
It’s time to give an overview of the project. At this you will be using. For all your AX-12s, you will set the
point, I won’t go into any of the actual technical or interface to TTL. For your RX-64 and RX-28, set the switch
construction details. Think of it as an
introduction to the types of FIGURE 4
components, tools, and techniques
I will be going over in more detail
as the series continues.
Brain
As I mentioned previously,
there are three types of computer
controllers that I intend on using on
FIGURE 3
Base Configuration
I was playing with the Dynamixel RX-64 actuator when
FIGURE 6 the idea for this project came to mind. The RX-64 shown in
Figure 7 delivers a whopping 888 inch-ounces of torque. It
utilizes a RS-485 control system that allows you to daisy
chain and control up to 254 units. This actuator can run in
servo mode or in continuous operation, and can report
position, temperature, load, and input voltage. This will not
only allow us to detect collisions but the level of our
batteries, as well.
The RX-64 has a full metal gear set and utilizes an axis
bearing that will insure no efficiency degradation with high
external loads. It also features an aluminum servo arm. Its
FIGURE 7 ability to operate in full rotation mode makes it perfect for
our drive train. It’s my plan to connect a 5.5” wheel to each
of six RX-64s in order to provide the best load distribution
for our base.
The RX-64 has a little brother called the RX-28 shown
in Figure 8. The RX-28 has a much smaller footprint than its
bigger brother. It does, however, utilize the RS-485 interface
and the same protocol so both the RX-64 and RX-28 can be
placed on the same bus. The features on these little gems
do come at a price. The RX-64 will run you $285 per
actuator. The RX-28 is a little cheaper at $200 each.
For the wheels, I plan on using the Du-Bro 550TV
FIGURE 8 wheel shown in Figure 9. These wheels are 5.5 inches in
diameter and have pneumatic
FIGURE 9 FIGURE 10 tires. By adding or removing air
from the tire, you can set the
amount of traction or firmness
desired. Later in this series,
I will show you step-by-step
how to attach this wheel to
the RX-64.
I will show you how to
build a six-wheeled robot by
attaching six of these wheels
to six actuators. For the
three-wheeled robot, we will
attach two wheels to two
actuators. This is a $1,140
difference in price, so it can
affect your ability to fund
this project.
58 SERVO 08.2008
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Robot Arm
I want to add a small
manipulator. The manipulator I
have in mind is the Crustcrawler
AX-12 Smart Arm shown in
Figure 10. The Smart Arm
utilizes seven AX-12 Dynamixel
actuators. For more details,
check them out at www.crust
crawler.com/products/smart
arm/index.php?prod=12.
It is my plan to place some
sensors on the arm, as well as a
Pocket PC like the one shown
back in Figure 3. Even if I use
another controller, I think a face
mounted on a Pocket PC FIGURE 11 FIGURE 12
controlled by the arm would be
very cool and invite a great amount of attention at the next
Robot Fest I attend.
Tools
Before I close out this introduction, I think it’s
important that you understand what kind of tools you may
need for this project. First, you will need both Philips and
flat head screwdrivers. I recommend various sizes. Many of FIGURE 13
the machine screws I will use will be #10 and smaller, so
size your screwdrivers accordingly. A set of small wrenches small holes, but they excel at sanding and cutting. Many
will also come in handy. In lieu of these, a small crescent rotary tools come with a complete bit set. There are
wrench will suffice. many additional accessories available like cutoff wheels and
There is no way of getting away from it... you have to various grinding bits. Again, this is not 100% required but
have a drill for this project. As a minimum, I recommend an can make some tasks easier.
electric drill like the one shown in Figure 11. Look for a drill For the electronics, you are going to need a pair of
with both variable speed and reverse. If you get one with a needle-nose pliers and wire cutters. In addition, you will
clutch, you can use it to drive and remove screws. A drill need a soldering iron like the one shown in Figure 14.
with a high/low gear option will give you more speed and When purchasing a soldering iron, make sure you get one
power options. There are times when a drill press like the
one shown in Figure 12 will come in handy. They give you FIGURE 14
more control over the drilling process and allow you to use
various accessories like sanding drums. A drill press is not a
requirement but may come in handy. Check out your local
classifieds. You may be able to get a bench top model for
$15-$25. In addition to the drill, you will also need a set of
bits. You can purchase these one at a time or in sets.
In addition to the drill, I also recommend a rotary tool
like the one shown in Figure 13. You can use this for drilling
FIGURE 15
SERVO 08.2008 59
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FIGURE 17
FIGURE 16
FIGURE 19 FIGURE 20
60 SERVO 08.2008
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SOURCES
Crustcrawler KRMicros
AX-12 Smart Arm — www.crustcrawler.com/products/ ZeusPro — www.krmicros.com/Development/
smartarm/index.php?prod=12 ZeusPro/ZeusPro.htm
RS-64 — ZeusLite —
www.crustcrawler.com/motors/RX64/index.php?prod=67 www.krmicros.com/Development/ZeusLite/ZeusLite.htm
USB2Dynamixel — www.crustcrawler.com/electronics/
BitScope
USB2Dynamixel/index.php?prod=65
BitScope Model 100 — www.bitscope.com/product/BS100/
USB2Dynamixel .net API — www.crustcrawler.com/
electronics/USB2Dynamixel/software/Usb2Dynamixel.zip Comfile Technology
CUWIN3500 — www.cubloc.com/product/05_01.php
AtBatt.com
P133 External Laptop Battery — Maxbotix
www.atbatt.com/product/7901.asp Sonar sensors — www.maxbotix.com
Microsoft
Visual Studio
Dyynamixxel SDK C/C++
Visual Basic
C#
EX-106
NEW
164
Encoder
EX-106 14.8
84 106
0.182 0.143
155
SERVO 08.2008 61
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Robotics Via
Remote Control
T he typical amateur robot is
completely autonomous; its own
circuitry controls what it does and
to provide general commands for
basic operations, such as Run or Stop.
General commands may also be used
transmitter for wireless data between
you and your robot, consider the
following:
where it goes. That circuitry can be as to select and activate programs already
simple as moving toward a light in the resident in the robot’s computer. • Power output determines range.
room, or as complex as carefully Depending on your country’s laws,
mapping and navigating the room 2) To receive data from the robot; higher power outputs may require
using vision and other sensors. usually either a video signal or some certification of the device, or even
Yet, there is also plenty of call for form of telemetry. licensing. In the US, most wireless
the remotely controlled robot. Such data modems operate at a power
“telerobotics” are commonly used for Radio links are common for output that does not require licensing.
police and military functions, and the vast discrete function control in combat
majority of combat robots are, in fact, robotics. The operator of the robot • Range contributes to maximum
controlled directly by human operators. uses a radio control (R/C) transmitter data rate. Data rates can be fastest
The remote control link is typically via of a type similar to those for model over shorter distances, because the
radio frequency, but other means of airplanes and cars (most such trans- received signal is clearer. Over longer
communications are used as well, such mitters are outfitted with a frequency distances, the data rate must be
as infrared pulses and even hard-wiring. crystal for land use, rather than airplane decreased in order to reduce or
We’ll look at several popular use). The operator controls joysticks eliminate errors.
remote control techniques in this and/or switches in order to steer or
installment of “Robotics Resources.” otherwise maneuver the robot. • The right antenna can greatly
Typical transmitters for model R/C increase range. Radio frequency
Robot Radio Control applications have four to six channels, signals radiating from a properly
with each channel operated by the twin designed and mounted antenna will
Radio control uses the airwaves to joysticks, a switch, or other knob on the travel further than signals from a
send and receive a signal. Though transmitter. At a minimum, three chan- transmitter without an antenna. Be
among the most expensive remote nels are used: one each for the right and sure to use an antenna properly
control technologies to use, radio control left motors; and one for the weapon. matched for the transmitter you are
is perhaps the most flexible in terms In some cases, it’s necessary to using — sometimes, it’s just a simple
of range and the number of channels receive signals from a robot. Video is wire, but consult the documentation
that can be operated in one signal. a typical application for receiving a on how to position or wrap the wire.
With the use of digital radio signals, for radio signal from a robot. Video
example, it’s possible to communicate transmitters and receivers that operate • Use a compatible antenna on the
a nearly unlimited set of instructions in the 2.4 GHz microwave range (such receiver. The same rules apply to the
between you and your robot. as Bluetooth) are common and fairly receiver as to the transmitter. Be sure
Radio communications can be used inexpensive. Range is limited to under to consider the orientation of the
in robotics for two primary purposes: 200 feet outdoors, or from 20 to 50 antennas on the receiver and the
feet when used indoors. transmitter — if the units have stick
1) To command the robot, either com- antennas, avoid having one point up
pletely for all its discrete functions, or When selecting a receiver and while the other points sideways.
62 SERVO 08.2008
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Bluetooth, ZigBee, and based on whether you need such microcontrollers used in robotics.
features as longer range, true duplex The major components of the robot
Other RF Modules (two-way) communication, ultra-small infrared remote control system are:
size, and so on. Check the Sources
R/C transmitters and receivers are listing for several companies that spe- • Infrared remote. Most any modern
“channel” based; that is, on one fre- cialize in RF digital data transmission. infrared remote control will work, but
quency the transmitter controls a certain ... remote controls vary considerably in
number of channels, with each channel Alternatives to RF the signal patterns they use. You’ll find
dedicated to a specific function. In the it most convenient to use a “universal
typical model airplane R/C transmitter, Purchasing an RF transmitter and remote control” (under $10 at a
for example, a joystick controls the up receiver module is one way to provide department store). Specifically, you want
and down action of a servo connected a communications link between you and the universal remote to support Sharp
to the plane’s ailerons. Another your robot. In addition, several ready- TVs and VCRs, of which 99.99% do.
joystick controls the servo connected made products can be hacked for their
to the plane’s rudder, and so on. RF systems and pressed into use as • Infrared receiver module. The
Data modems provide for radio links between you and your bot. receiver module contains an infrared
completely digital communication. If light detector, along with various
you have a laptop PC with a wireless • Walkie talkie. Many toy walkie electronics to clean up, amplify, and
internet connection or a Bluetooth talkies include a “code sender” button demodulate the signal from the remote
headset for your cell phone, you’re for transmitting Morse code. By control. The remote sends a pattern of
already familiar with modern data connecting the receiving to an AC on/off flashes of light; these flashes are
modems. Common types of data coupled interface and 567 tone modulated at about 38-40 kHz, in
modems used in amateur robots decoder, you can add simple on/off order to reduce interference from other
include Bluetooth and ZigBee (the lat- control of your robot. light sources. The receiver strips out the
ter sometimes referred to as 802.15.4, modulation and provides just the
after the international protocol that • Garage door opener. Try to find a on/off flashing patterns.
defines its standard). Both require a used one that’s being discarded; the
set of transceivers for sending and electronics — the part you want — last • Computer or microcontroller. You
receiving data along a two-way link. longer than the mechanics. Hack the need some hardware to decode the
Depending on the specific device, receiver to work as an on/off control light patterns, and a computer or
effective communication range is for your robot. microcontroller, running appropriate
hundreds of feet in free air; somewhat software makes the job straightforward.
less indoors where walls, doors, and • “Keyring” (or keyfob) appliance
ceilings may obstruct the signal. control. You can purchase a radio In operation, you press a button
Bluetooth and ZigBee modules can controlled powered outlet at many on the infrared remote which sends a
be duplex or two-way — as opposed department and home improvement coded light signal to the receiver
to R/C transmitters and receivers, stores. Hack the module to work with module. The receiver demodulates the
which are only one way. Another plus your robot. The transmitter is a signal and extracts the code sent by
in their favor is that they are based on keyring, with one or two buttons the remote control. The code is a
industry accepted standards and (some control several modules). sequence of binary 0s and 1s, in the
documentation on their use is widely same way a number or letter is repre-
available from Internet sources and • Wireless car alarm kit. Two- and sented in a personal computer. Your
manufacturers of the products. three-function wireless car alarm kits microcontroller interprets the binary
There are a number of Bluetooth can be retrofitted for controlling a sequences as a specific button that
and ZigBee modules directly suitable robot. You can find them at auto was pressed on the remote control.
for robotics use, such as the Parallax parts stores and weekend swap meets.
EmbeddedBlue Transceiver. All they Wired Remote
require is a power source and the Infrared Remote Control
data is provided via a parallel, serial, Control
or USB interface. Not all RF data Perhaps the simplest form of
modules use Bluetooth or ZigBee A radio link isn’t the only way to remote control is the wired controller,
technology. There are a number of RF wirelessly control a robot. Another such as an Atari, PC, or Playstation
modules that use other technologies, technology for one- and two-way links joystick. These connect to your robot
some standard like 802.1 (Wi-Fi) and is infrared control. This system has the via a set of wires. How you interface
some proprietary. You can choose the benefit of low-cost hardware, and it’s the controller to your robot depends
module best for your application relatively easy to interface to most on the type of control.
SERVO 08.2008 63
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Abacom Technologies
www.abacomdirect.com
Full resource of wireless
communications technologies,
including data modules (receivers,
transmitters, transceivers), antennas,
RF remote control, and more.
Bluetooth.com
www.bluetooth.com
Official Bluetooth technology
resource page. Includes several
technical papers for downloading.
64 SERVO 08.2008
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Digi-Key
www.digikey.com
General electronics online distributor
with selection of RF communications
modules (ZigBee, Bluetooth, etc.).
Jameco
www.jameco.com
General electronics online distribu-
tor. Offers selection of Bluetooth and
other RF communications modules.
Lemos International
www.lemosint.com
Wide assortment of Bluetooth
and other RF data communications
products, including a compact Linx Technologies provides everything from chip-level
USB-based Bluetooth module. RF components to complete evaluation kits.
Mouser Electronics
www.mouser.com
General electronics online distributor
with selection of RF communications
modules (ZigBee, Bluetooth, etc.).
Parallax
www.parallax.com
Offers educational resource kits
for exploiting RF communications
technology (e.g., Bluetooth), primarily in
conjunction with the Parallax micro-
controller product line, such as the BASIC
Stamp. Also sells a starter kit for experi-
menting with infrared remote control.
Bluetooth and ZigBee modules and Check out Xilor, Inc. for wireless resource page for the ZigBee product
development boards, with a variety remote controls (both RF and standard. SV
of interfaces, including RS-232 serial infrared).
and USB. CONTACT THE AUTHOR
ZigBee Alliance
Xilor, Inc. www.zigbee.org Gordon McComb can be reached via
www.rfmicrolink.com ZigBee Alliance is the official email at robots@robotoid.com
Easy to Connect
!
ST
CO Free
LO
W Expert W
LO Technical CO
Support ST
LOW COST !
www.c-stamp.com
1 (800) 985-AWIT Professional SW Dev. Tools
66 SERVO 08.2008
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A high school teacher recently sent me an email asking for advice on the best
path to move from the BASIC Stamp 1 (BS1) module to Microchip PICs. He had
his students programming the BS1 Project Board (Figure 1) which is a very nice
board for the price. He was happy with that board as an entry point, but the next
step in the BASIC Stamp world was moving to the BS2 Homework Board, which is
a $45 development board. He hoped to keep it below $25. He thought maybe
programming a PIC microcontroller directly might be the best option since the
BS1 is based on that same family of microcontroller ...
ith all the various such as A/D and timers. As a simple for him involved several key
of the package. It is very easy to use and program button. The MicroCode
and a great language for someone Studio software handles this for you.
just getting started. It uses the same You can download this from the
format as the BASIC Stamp PBasic author at www.mecanique.co.uk/
language but produces a binary file so code-studio/index.html, but you
you can program blank PICs. The don’t have to because the Microcode
PICBASIC Pro compiler has advanced Studio installation is included with
over the years to become just as the PICBASIC Pro file you download.
powerful as any other “professional” When you install the PICBASIC PRO
compiler. What helped with the software on your computer, it will
package was the fact that you can automatically offer to install the
download a free sample version of MicroCode Studio software, as well.
FIGURE 2. PICBASIC Pro Basic Compiler. this compiler from http://melabs. After it is installed, you will be set up
com/pbpdemo.htm. to write your first program.
• 4.5V battery pack The sample version is limited to 31 Figure 3 shows the MicroCode
commands but that is more powerful Studio screen with the LCDsample.bas
This project ended up going than it sounds. Many of the features code created for the demonstration.
beyond the $25 range, but only you want such as driving an LCD or
because I included all the components reading a potentiometer with an PIC Programmer
he needed along with the analog-to-digital port are reduced
breadboard, LCD, and battery pack. down to a single command. That leaves Once you write the program
Those were not part of his original a lot of space in the 31 commands for and compile it with PICBASIC Pro,
“under $25” description. I put together other things. A sample LCD example I you need to send it to the PIC
the demo unit and the sample saw in the BS1 application notes took microcontroller. This requires special
package and sent it to him. He was 27 command lines to drive an LCD. hardware known as a PIC programmer.
very pleased with the results, so I That is a lot of space in the BS1 80 The BS1 doesn’t require this since it
thought I’d share this with the readers command limit. I knew this would be receives the tokenized code through a
of SERVO, as well. the product for the school. serial connection. Most of the custom
I’ll step through the details. chip options (like Basic Atom and
MicroCode Studio IDE PICAXE) do something similar with
PICBASIC PRO software known as a bootloader.
Sample Version PICBASIC Pro is just a compiler, In the early days of PICs, the
though. It needs a development hardware programmer was several
The PICBASIC Pro compiler (Figure screen to make it easier to write the hundred dollars. This prompted
2) was selected for the compiler part software. The BS1 has a very nice hobbyists to design their own. The
interface with a single click compile original “Tait” design was created by a
FIGURE 3. MicroCode Studio IDE. guy named David Tait. His design was
reproduced and sold by many people
for years. The Tait design required a
parallel port and a high voltage source
(16V) to program a PIC.
One of the more popular designs
to follow was the JDM design by Jens
Dyekjær Madsen that powers itself off
the PC’s serial port which eliminates
the need for an external 16V supply.
Some laptops don’t offer enough
voltage on the serial port, so it is
recommended to use the JDM
programmer on a desktop PC. This was
not a problem for the high school as
they were using desktop PCs already.
There are a lot of variations to the
JDM design. You can get schematics
and board layouts with a simple
Google search of “JDM Programmer.”
Beginnerelectronics.com offers a
programmer kit for $19.95 designed
68 SERVO 08.2008
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FIGURE 7. Add New Programmer Window. FIGURE 8. Programmer Executable Window. FIGURE 9. Programmer Path Window.
SERVO 08.2008 69
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power and ground connections to that LCD. (The same software will
operate. To create the demonstration work with any two line LCD.)
unit for the high school, we used one The software is shown in Listing
of our breadboards from Beginner 1. The first section that has all the
Electronics.com. The breadboard DEFINEs is required for the way we
circuitry included the power wired up the LCD. This shows how the
connections and the connections to PICBASIC Pro compiler handles the
the 2x40 LCD per the schematic setup in the background to make
shown in Figure 11. We had a large the code easier to write. The final
FIGURE 10. Programmer Parameters box of brand new surplus 2x40 LCD’s example took 23 command lines, but
Window. available, so we did the demo with if we used a different PIC and used
the default DEFINE settings, then we
could remove the DEFINEs and the
program reduces down to 13 lines.
We are also writing to the LCD several
times within those 13 lines so this
is more efficient than other BS1
examples I saw.
The unique section of the code
required to use the PIC16F690 are the
special register setups shown below.
The sample programs may need these
same lines of code. These settings
make the pins digital instead of the
default analog mode. They also shut
off the internal comparator that is on
this part.
Conclusion
At the end of our discussion and review of the LCD
demo, the high school was pleased to have such a simple
option. The PICBASIC Pro compiler’s many sample programs
were a bonus that only required some modifications for the
students to use directly. We suggested they make a series
of homework projects to convert those files to fit the
PIC16F690. You could do the same to create a library of
code. This package didn’t stop there, either. The PICBASIC
Pro sample version also supports the eight pin PIC12F683
and the 14 pin PIC16F688, along with a few 18, 28, and
40 pin parts. This gave the students several choices if they
needed a smaller or larger pin part.
The best part of all is the teacher could order one copy
of the PICBASIC Pro compiler full version and put that on
his computer. When the students needed more space for
Resources
microEngineering Labs — www.melabs.com
Beginner Electronics — www.beginnerelectronics.com
MicroCode Studio — www.mecanique.com
WINPIC Software — www.qsl.net/dl4yhf/winpicpr.html
Microchip Technology, Inc. — www.sample.microchip.com
SERVO 08.2008 71
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72 SERVO 08.2008
WebstoreAug08.qxd 7/9/2008 4:25 PM Page 73
Lo
The SERVO Webstore
Attention Subscribers ask about your discount on prices marked with an *
W h ao k
t
New ’ s
SERVO Magazine
Bundles
SERVO 08.2008 73
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Bionics for the Evil Genius 123 Robotics Experiments Fuel Cell Projects
by Newton C. Braga for the Evil Genius for the Evil Genius
THE EVIL GENIUS by Myke Predko by Gavin D J Harper
TACKLES BIONICS! If you enjoy tinkering in FUEL YOUR EVIL
Step into the future -- (or your workshop and have URGES WHILE YOU
the past, if you have a a fascination for robotics, BUILD GREEN
touch of Dr. Frankenstein you’ll have hours of fun ENERGY PROJECTS!
in your soul) -- with these working through the 123 Go green as you amass
25 incredibly cool bionic experiments found in this power! Fuel Cell
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Demonstrating how life Evil Genius broadens
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The SERVO BUDDY
KIT
The Greatest
Playground of All
by John R. Sosoka
he real world, what a place! The challenges we get back something Just to give you a taste of this,
T smell of freshly mowed grass, the
breeze against my face, textures,
very precious in return. We get to
experience awe. In some ways, it is
here are a few of the crafts and
disciplines to be found at Ugobe:
colors, shapes. The real world is the childlike awe of a thunderstorm illustrators, sculptors, animators,
incredibly compelling to us. Life, from but now we have ‘knowing’ mixed in. model makers, CAD operators,
plants to animals to other humans, Last summer, I was working on a firmware engineers, electronic
has an incredible draw for us. We’ve vision problem related to navigation. engineers, computer scientists,
been finely optimized to survive in the A tremendous amount of processing performance artists, ethologists,
real world. Looking at a beautifully power is required to deal with the cognitive scientists, synthetic
rendered apple on a screen is a treat per pixel optic flow algorithms that I biologists, voice talent, recording
for me, having been a part of the was exploring. Then a fly swept in, engineers, mechanical engineers,
computer graphics community for neatly avoiding my hand and landing writers, testers, spouses, children,
longer than I care to remember. But on the edge of my cup — all this cats, and dogs.
holding, touching, and biting into in a breeze.
the apple in my hand is an entirely Before my robotics adventures, Life Forms
different experience. Primal and that fly was just a nuisance to be
glorious, a feast for my senses. eliminated. Now I sit amazed by this At Ugobe, we are working toward
Though I started out in a machine self-contained, autonomous creature. robotic technology that can capture
shop, much of my work life has been It runs on garbage, procreates, some of the key elements of life at
spent in the virtual world. The journey navigates using optic flow, and the level of a non-human animal.
back to the physical world has been aerobatically escapes predators. While I’m a great admirer of David
very interesting. This, I think, is one of Understanding how hard these things Hanson’s work on conversational
the attractions of robotics. Rodney are to do, I’m left in a state of humanoid robots, we’ve initially
Brooks showed us how to get robots informed but profound awe. set our sights a bit lower on the
out of their heads and into their A diverse collection of folks have evolutionary ladder. From a technical
bodies. The real world became the gathered at Ugobe to tap into bits of standpoint, even creating a realistic
model; reactions were faster and this inspiring experience of ‘creating’ robotic mouse is beyond the current
subsumption provided an inkling of life. Part of the fun of robotics is that state of the art. With our life forms,
the robustness that we see in nature. you get to work with people with we are working to advance the level
It was hard not to see cockroaches in vastly different skills. David Calkins of realism and autonomy of our
a whole new light. captured this perfectly in his column creatures while still making them
When we strive to create robots (SERVO, June ‘08), “What the Heck is accessible to a wide audience.
that can exist in the same messy, a Robot, Anyway?” The need for us Human-robot interaction is a
ever-changing, complicated world that to stretch to understand each other very active field right now. Many
we live in, we are faced with is hard, but once you get through it projects in this area are examining
tremendous challenges. And through the teams are incredible, eclectic, the role of affect and the underlying
the process of solving these and electric. emotion models. One of the problems
76 SERVO 08.2008
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in these studies is the lack of a the thing to keep kids engaged as We can create their personalities
platform that can express emotions they cross the “middle school divide” and give them autonomy. They can
and intent while providing a rich where so many shy away from sense beyond the range of human
array of sensory interactions. We technology studies. perception and communicate
have been providing a small number across the world. And all the while
of Pleos (our robotic dinosaur) to Our Place we have the opportunity to work
universities for use in these studies. in this renaissance environment,
This exciting work at UC Berkeley, Robotics at this moment in time frantically grabbing ideas from
Georgia Tech, MIT Media Lab, and is incredibly exciting and diverse. dozens of fields. Each day we are
other institutions will help our larger We have the chance to bring our learning things that, in any other
robotics community to better creations to “life” in the real world. job, we’d rarely discover. For me,
understand how robots and humans They must cope with all the richness and I hope for you, this is the
can interact. and complexity of our messy world. greatest playground of all! SV
An interesting thought to
ponder is that, for most of human
time, animals were the primary
non-human “robotic technology.”
Humans have developed a special
working relationship with many
animals such as horses and dogs.
The easy and robust interaction
between a human and a service
animal is strikingly different from
the typical human-computer
interaction. Much of our technology
interface design is centered around
telling our technology exactly what
to do and how to do it in the
current specific situation. Yet our
interface with a horse or dog is
mostly about executing against a
shared understanding of what
each will do in a wide variety of
situations. Typically, commands only
need to occur when there is an
exception to the expected action.
Often, complex behaviors can be
invoked with motions as subtle as a
nod. What does this suggest for the
future of human-robot interaction?
Education
An important challenge that
we face today is providing an
interesting space to encourage
kids to pursue technical and
engineering studies. Robotics has
helped with programs such as
FIRST and BEST. Yet there are a lot
of technically savvy kids who are
not interested in the construction
and competition aspects. As the
robotics community expands to
encompass more character-based
robots, there is a new opportunity
to pull kids in with performance
art and synthetic personalities.
These opportunities may be just
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Then N O W
a n d
ROBOTS — HOW WE’VE BUILT
THEM OVER THE YEARS
b y T o m C a r r o l l
sulfuric acid. Some experimenters that it was the personal computer and weak weapons and many went on to
opted for 110 volts from a wall plug the ability for the average person to win a contest by simply sliding under its
as AC motors were cheaper and program simple microcontrollers to opponent to prevent it from moving
more available. Of course, the poor control some fairly sophisticated away. Virtually all of the combat robots
robot was tethered to the wall by a robots. The microprocessor came were and are remotely controlled by
long cord. first as the core of the PC, with the model aircraft types of radio systems,
microcontroller making the scene a bit though there are a few purists who
Early Toys and later. The latter did not require the have built some fairly sophisticated
Toy Robots higher level languages needed to autonomous robots for the combat
communicate with humans; only for a arena. The sport reached a pinnacle
Toys in the ‘50s began to have robot to understand a suite of sensors when the Comedy Channel aired the
battery-powered DC motors; usually and control some functions by driving popular BattleBots series. The weight
three volts. Remotely controlled cars with a motor(s). Simple languages and low classes greatly expanded from the initial
a wired handheld remote control were prices brought the microcontroller light-middle-heavy weights to categories
popular. Some toys even had attached within the budget of even the most from ant weight to super heavyweight.
gear trains — great for the slower speeds cost-conscious robot experimenter.
with the greater torque needed for You might ask, “What about the Robots Progress
robots. It was a real plus if you could start mechanical aspects of robotics?” A to the Future
with one of those tinny imported robots robot is not a robot without some
and peel it apart to modify it with sort of mechanical means to affect its So, how have things changed
moving arms and head, or change its environment; whether that be to just over the years in the way we’ve
walking mechanism in some way. roam about an area or manipulate constructed our robots? We started
There were no LEDs in those days, something with an arm and end- out with simple sketches on paper
but many toy robots had little colored effector. Low cost motors, and and many of us have progressed to
three volt incandescent bulbs for especially gearmotors, allowed CAD programs and finite element
eyes that could be used in another builders to add all sorts of movement analysis software on our computers.
location. Of course, the purists would to their robots. The model airplane Grey Walter’s robot tortoise (amazing
scream if the robot was even taken servo that I mentioned earlier was a for the time) was a simply constructed
out of its original box and would cry boon for those who did not have the thing with a bent tin structure and
in their beer if it was taken apart. mechanical expertise to hook up a household-type fasteners. We have
set of surplus gearmotors to some progressed from mostly plywood and
Today’s Selection wheels. These ready-made drive wood with steel inner structures to
of Robots motors were ideal to drive small table- plastic with aluminum structures, and
top robots when they were hacked to even titanium for many combat robots.
Let’s jump ahead 50 years to the obtain continuous rotation. Battery technology has advanced
present without even looking at the They also had the advantage of from the early dry cells and lead acid
robots available 20 or 30 years ago. being able to listen to a micro- batteries of Walter’s time past nickel
Money is a bit tight these days for all of controller’s generated series of pulses cadmium to expendable alkaline cells
us but that hasn’t stopped entrepreneurial right out of the box. Inexpensive and lithium polymer, lithium-ion batteries,
companies from developing some active IR and ultrasonic rangefinders, and even fuel cells. Robot power
amazing robots for experimenters. compass modules, GPS receivers, color started with inefficient series-wound DC
For that matter, experimenters have, detectors, image recognizing cameras, motors and evolved to the very efficient
themselves, developed some cutting- and a host of other sensors provide rare-earth field and coreless motors of
edge robots that have been exhibited today’s robot experimenters with today. Relay and hard-wired logic gave
at conferences and exhibitions around amazing capabilities. way to microprocessors such as the
the world. 6502 and the latter microcontrollers
Kids as young as kindergarten age Combat Robots such as the 68HC11, PIC, and others.
have learned robotic techniques and Rudimentary light detection and
programming that wasn’t even Another real turning point in vision arose from the lowly cadmium
available to university level students a build-it-yourself robots was the growing sulfide photo cell to true vision with video
few decades ago. Companies such as interest in combat robots — robots that cameras and intelligent CCD/CMOS
LEGO, Robotis, Parallax, and others battled each other until one finally cameras such as the CMU cam. The
have brought affordable and capable beat the other. In the beginning and for dream of affordable speech recognition
robotics kits to youngsters to teach many years afterward, there were no systems is now a reality for our robots.
them this exciting science. kits available for these types of robots Have we reached the epitome of
What were the key ingredients so the prospective robot warrior had robot evolution? Our robots cannot
that made all this possible? Well, I to design and build his or her own. only recognize our faces but they can
believe that all of us will probably say The earliest combat robots had fairly respond to our voices and commands
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with their own speech. Many can walk rotation of our joints.
upright just like us and have dozens of Artificial robot muscles
motors/servos to create many motions. that have long been a
Some even move about on two side-by- dream of scientists and
side balancing wheels or a roller skate- labs around the world
like foot like Rosie (Figure 3) on the old are now becoming a
Jetsons cartoon series. It seems as if we reality. The available
do have the ultimate robot available microcontrollers and
today... or do we? Well, it’s not quite microprocessors are
like the myth that is often told that the becoming more versatile
director of the US Patent Office over a and cheaper, but possibly
century ago handed in his resignation something on the order of
stating that “everything that can be Isaac Asimov’s ‘positronic
invented has been invented.” brain’ may be on the
We have made some amazing horizon. Unlike the DRAM
strides in technology, but we have many memory that I paid an
huge leaps and bounds ahead of us. extra $40 to upgrade
Today’s batteries have incredible power my Rockwell AIM-65 FIGURE 3. Rosie from
density but they remain one of the computer from 1 KB to the Jetsons. FIGURE 4. Honda's Asimo.
major pitfalls of creating a true home 4 KB back in the early
robot that has the physical power of a ‘80s, memory is dirt cheap these days. Times may be a bit tough these
similar-sized human. Honda’s Asimo A GB of DRAM is less than $50 and days, but the sky’s still the limit for
must walk around with a huge Flash memory is as cheap as $50 for some fantastic home-designed and
backpack battery in order to operate 8 GB — a million times cheaper! built robots. SV
for less than an hour (Figure 4) The
energy crunch of today may actually
produce as a side product a very high
density battery that will have the
capacity to power future robots.
The latest rare-earth field DC motors
are powerful with several horsepower
available in fist-sized packages, but
tomorrow’s electro-chemical muscles
on the drawing boards may be the
answer for future humanoids. Wheels
not withstanding, most of the functions
and motions on a complex humanoid
robot can more easily be accomplished
by linear actuators much like our muscles.
Our shoulder, elbow, head, and similar
motions use our powerful chemical Looking for a GIFT or maybe just something special for yourself?
Check out our website to find all of our other robotic items for sale!
powered muscles to produce partial
Advertiser Index
All Electronics Corp. .........................45, 66 Jameco ......................................................12 Robotis ......................................................61
AP Circuits/e-pcb.com ............................48 Lorax Works ........................................45, 66 RobotShop, Inc. .................................23, 66
AWIT ..........................................................66 Lynxmotion, Inc. .......................................82 Saleae ........................................................45
Boca Bearings .....................................71, 66 Maxbotix ...................................................66 Solarbotics/HVW .....................................18
Mini Robotics ...........................................66
Budget Robotics ......................................77 solderbynumbers.com ......................13, 45
Net Media .................................................83
CipherLinx Technologies .........................66 Sparkfun Electronics ..................................2
Parallax, Inc. ...............................Back Cover
CrustCrawler .............................................19 PCB Pool .............................................66, 77 Super Bright LEDs ....................................66
Electronics123 ..........................................45 Pololu Robotics & Electronics ..........25, 66 Technological Arts ...................................66
Hitec ..........................................................43 RoboBrothers, Inc. ...................................44 Vantec .......................................................48
Innovation First ...........................................3 Robo Development .................................35 Weird Stuff Warehouse ...........................45
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