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Subject: 
Design Question - For a newbie
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics
Date: 
Thu, 30 Dec 1999 03:11:33 GMT
Original-From: 
Jeff Buckey <jbuckey@earthlink.netSPAMCAKE>
Viewed: 
794 times
  
I have an idea for a robot, but I'm not sure how to get it to work with the
minimal resources that come in the Robotics Discovery Set.  Sorry if these
questions seem trivial, I'm new to this list and to Lego Robotics.

I would like to make a bot that will drive straight forward (maybe in a
pattern like a circle), and upon running into something will fire off a
projectile (using the small "gun" and rubber tipped "bullet" that comes with
the RDS) then turn and flee.

I have an IR tower that I bought from Pitsco/Datac last week, so I can write
the assembly code (using the ScoutSDK and ScoutTool for Windows) to control
the robot, my problem is that I only have 2 motors.  I've built the bug bot
that the RDS has instructions for which uses both motors to control the
wheels (one for the left and one for the right), and I was thinking of using
that design to build the "body" of the robot.  But then I can't figure out
how to "fire" the gun.  I planned on setting a motor running when a touch
event occurred which would "push" the trigger of the firing mechanism
launching the projectile.

OK, on to the question, has anyone built a simple robot to do something like
this?  How did you overcome the obstacle of only having 2 motors?  I
understand that the RIS and RCX have 3 outputs and can control 3
simultaneous motors, but unfortunately I don't have that luxury.  How can I
use just one motor to drive the bot, and make it turn, so I can use the
second motor to launch the projectile?

Any help is greatly appreciated.
-Jeff Buckey

"I sense much NT in you. NT leads to bluescreen, bluescreen leads to
downtime, downtime leads to suffering. NT is the path to the darkside.
Powerful Unix is."  - Unknown Unix Jedi.



Message has 4 Replies:
  Re: Design Question - For a newbie
 
One way to have the Scout drive and shoot would be to use one motor to drive forward and turn in reverse, then use the second motor to fire the "bullet". The R2D2 of the DDK uses this drive forward - turn in reverse with the one motor that the (...) (24 years ago, 30-Dec-99, to lugnet.robotics)
  Re: Design Question - For a newbie
 
Jeff Buckey wrote: [edited] [...] (...) [...] (...) [...] (...) Why use a motor to launch the bullet? If you make the bumper trigger the gun, in addition to the touch sensor, that leaves both motors free (to drive) and satisfies your design goals. (...) (24 years ago, 30-Dec-99, to lugnet.robotics)
  Re: Design Question - For a newbie
 
(...) I'd do what was already suggested -- make a robot that drives straight forward but turns in reverse (or perhaps for your purposes you'd drive *forward* in a circle and back straight up!). You could also use the standard two wheel/two motor (...) (24 years ago, 30-Dec-99, to lugnet.robotics)
  Re: Design Question - For a newbie
 
(...) Eh? :) (...) I agree with the second post: Have the collision trigger both the touch sensor and the firing mechanism. This leaves both motors free to drive. Using the differential will work fine (although I'm not sure if it comes in the RDS or (...) (24 years ago, 30-Dec-99, to lugnet.robotics)

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