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 Robotics / 19891
19890  |  19892
Subject: 
A Pet Idea ~/\~~/\¤
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Sat, 4 Jan 2003 17:03:08 GMT
Viewed: 
540 times
  
I have a cat and a dog (Welsh Terrier) and one of my goals with Lego
Robotics is to make a Rover which is fun for my pets.

I got a simple idea of how to make the Rover detect a moving object (like a
pet). You need RIS, build the Roverbot with the Double Bumper. Use a decent
program to make it go around your house without gettings stuck on thresholds
or in corners. (I had to modify the roverbot and changed the program so now
it works like a charm! I don't have a digital camera tho, so I can't show it :()

Now, put a tail on your rover. It could be two ribbed Lego tubes (for
stiffness to avoid you running over the tail when backing up) with a 2"
piece of string with a bell on it.

Above the base of your tail, put a light sensor. If you had put it on the
front, you would expect drastic value changes as you come nearer a light or
dark object. But you wouldn't know if it was a dead object or a pet.
However, if you only look at the tail sensor values when the rover has
travelled straight forward for at least 1-2 s, a drastic change would mean
"moving object".

You'd have to screen out irrelevant light, so put long lego bricks around
the sensor like a 2" tube or sth. You might also have to put a light above
the sensor (outside the tube!) and light it when you're going forward - to
light up any objects behind the rover - this increases the range that the
sensor can reach.

A drastic change would then be a change from 25 to 30 or so.

When a pet is behind the bot, it could turn around 180° and either give a
growl & attack, or give a whistle & dispense a treat :)

If I ever get hold a cheap Webcam/Digital Camera which is especially good
for taking close-up shots of Lego pieces (:D) I guess I could give you
pictures of it "in action". Anyone have a tip about "Cameras for Lego
shots"? (I especially like Mario Ferrari's pictures.)



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: A Pet Idea ~/\~~/\¤
 
Hummmm, Henrik that was a nice idea for my two cats :) I've allready made a modified rover that can be found here: (URL) can also download my modified RIS program there. But the cats always attack the wires on it. Your idea with an tail sensor and a (...) (21 years ago, 4-Jan-03, to lugnet.robotics)

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