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 Robotics / Handy Board / 5518
5517  |  5519
Subject: 
Re: Robot base
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.robotics.handyboard
Date: 
Tue, 16 Feb 1999 22:46:06 GMT
Original-From: 
Bill Richman <BILL_R@INETNEBR.COMspamless>
Viewed: 
1088 times
  
If you're looking for a reasonably large robot base, you might want to check
out "Toys 'R' Us"; there's a battery powered kid's vehicle called the "Wild
Thing" at our local store for $149.  It's basically about a 3 foot diameter
cylinder about 1 foot tall, with a 6 or 8" motorized wheel under the left
and right sides, a battery, and a seat with some simple controls.  You could
bolt a computer in the seat, wire up a couple of h-bridge motor drivers, and
be on your way.  This would be particularly suited for an outdoor robot, as
it's a bit big and clumsy for indoors...


Circular. It is harder to get stuck in corners with a round
robot. It is easier to build a bumper system for it.

base dimensions:  9", 10" or 12" or larger

10", that leaves you a circumscribed square that is the size
of a PC-104 type computer.

drive train configuration:
differential steering or combined drive and
steering or front wheel drive rear wheel steering.

Differential drive is the easiest to solve the inverse kinematics
for.

One steered wheel and two driven wheels is the easiest one to
get to go straight.

One combined drive and steering wheel is the cheapest to build.
(see the Hero-1, Hero-Jr)

Three steered and driven wheels gives you the most flexibility
and benefit (see the CMU rover papers)

drive wheel diameter: 2.75", 3" or 3.25" or larger

3.82" wheels for the following reasons:
  - Larger diameter gives better results over uneven
    terrain.
  - 3.82*pi = 12" circumference. 1 rotation == 1 foot
    of travel.
Optionally 7.64" wheels

base material: plastic, aluminum or fiberglass (PCB material)

Plastic (Polycarbonate aka Lexan) and aluminum. Alum for
toughness and plastic that is easily worked, structurally
sound and reasonably light.

accessories: turret, extra deck

Extra deck that is a turret, slip coupler between the top deck
and the mid-deck for signals.

Anyway, it will cost about $300 to produce, it won't go up stairs and it
won't include batteries and no one will buy it because it can't compete
with a R/C on closeout from Radio Shack.  :-(

--Chuck



                                        Bill Richman
                                        incolor.inetnebr.com/bill_r
                                        (Home of the COSMAC Elf
                                         microcomputer simulator!)



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