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PlexiBot

Tags:
Category: Rolling
Progress: In Progress
Cost: 140.00 USD
Time to Build: 1 year, off and on

Simple differential drive rover:

 - Locked anti-phase PWM for speed/direction control

 - IR sensor ring for obstacle detection/avoidance

 - Light detection via CDS cells

 - Sound feedback via Piezo element

 - User input via menu system (4x20 LCD, rotary encoder, push buttons)

 

Wheels, body, and risers are hand-machined plexiglass.

Tires are the rubber drive belts for a vacuum cleaner.

Brain and motor circuits are opto-isolated from each other.

Powered by two rechargeable 9-volt batteries. Can run for about 15 minutes non-stop before motor battery needs to be recharged.

 

Eventually the bot will be used for testing subsumption-style behavior.

Current behaviors:

 - cruise

 - escape

 - photo anxious-ambivalence

 

Still need to add:

 - Bump sensors

 - Odometry

 - More behaviors

 

May also add sonar, and possibly a web cam just for fun.

Parts: 
AtMega644p
SN754410
TSOP48xx
PS2501
WH2004/DE-LM005

Comments

botronix's picture

Excellent design and build,

by botronix - 07/11/2010 - 9:43pm

Excellent design and build, and I really like the long exposure photo.

 

PC-Integral's picture

Your stuff is pretty neat:

by PC-Integral - 05/26/2010 - 6:44pm

Your stuff is pretty neat: Where can I get the small maxon motor?

jbot's picture

The motors are often

by jbot - 05/27/2010 - 2:44am

The motors are often available via surplus (All Electronics, Electronics Goldmine, MPJA, etc.), and almost always can be found on Ebay. Just search on "Maxon motor".

karthik's picture

it's wonder full

by karthik - 04/01/2010 - 10:34am

it's wonder full tought......

g8t tought

bot-thoughts's picture

I agree, beautiful robot! 

by bot-thoughts - 02/27/2010 - 4:30pm

I agree, beautiful robot!  Nicely done.  Would love to know some of your plexi secrets. The stuff always cracks when I look at it funny :)

gallamine's picture

That's a beautiful robot,

by gallamine - 02/27/2010 - 12:55pm

That's a beautiful robot, jbot. I'm impressed that you decided to opto-isolate the motor/logic circuitry. What motors did you use for this?

jbot's picture

Thanks for the kind comments!

by jbot - 02/27/2010 - 1:15pm

Thanks for the kind comments! The motors are small Maxons that cost about $17 each surplus. I can't read the model information off of them at the moment because of the way they're mounted.

 

The gearing on them provides a little too much speed and not quite enough torque, but that's not a big problem if I run them at 70% power on linoleum and 100% power on carpet (adjustable on the fly via the menus).