I have been asked by a few people how SAGAR is going, so I guess I need to do some updates more often. Anyway, SAGAR was shelved for a while. The last tests of the closed loop heading controller showed I had something messing with the compass readings. Further tests concluded that my batteries were biasing my compass.
While waiting for parts to come in for SAGAR, I decided I’d kill three birds with one stone. I wanted to adapt my Irobot command code to be compatible with Webbot’s Lib, I wanted to test Webbot’s new Project designer, and I wanted to try out a Force Field Obstacle Avoidance Algorithm. This is what I came up with.
All right folks. The attached is my first attempt at writing a tutorial, so go easy. It goes over how I turned Li-Ion packs from obsolete equipment into usable packs for my SAGAR robot. For about $10 per pack, I built my own 14.4V 2.2Ah Li-ion pack, and in the attached pdf, I show you how I did it, so you can do it too.
Not all my projects are robotic in nature. This one, a simple water change system for our 40 gallon saltwater tank, is one of those non-robotic projects. For those who are unfamiliar with fish tanks, about once a week you have to change out roughly 10% of the water. The way we have been doing water changes involved two trips to the toilet with a mob bucket, and a lot of mixing of water in the shower. I decided to build a better way.
Here is a video of the LED Lab Coat with the better PWM code. If you are interested in how I programed 8 channels of software PWM, here is the source available for download.
Alright, alright. After the messages and people asking, I have decided to post my Motor-controller code. Please before you make fun, realize I am not a programmer. The code works, and I think it is a decent couple hundred of lines. Let me know what you think!!! Don’t forget to link to my site if you use/post it.
Download source: motorcontroller1_0
Part 2 of my documenting of my robot project focuses on the just completed “Smart Motor Controller”. I call it a smart controller because, unlike other motor controllers on the market, mine utilizes feedback from the motors to precisely set wheel speeds and report back how far the robot has traveled.The brain of the controller is an Arduino Pro mini, pictured in this post. The actually driver H-bridge is a Ardumoto from SparkFun.
Well, I finally have gotten around to posting about my current project, Sagar! (The name might be changed if i come up with a better one) Basically, in an effort to better understand the technology I use at my job in the Navy, I am building a robot from scratch. My hope is in the end to have a robot that can be driven remotely, or drive itself with the aid of a GPS and inertial navigation system as well as avoid obstacles and reroute around them. I want it to be able to ‘record’ a route while being driven remotely, then be able to ‘replay’ the path without any assistance.
A bad video of the new Lab Coat. I rewrote the PWM code after this and the fades are more smooth. Better video coming soon.
Just before I went to college I was given an Xbox as a gift and was finally introduced to the world of Halo. However, I was quickly bored with the game and didn’t have much use for the Xbox, until I found out about the new phenomenon of Xbox moding.
