Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!uunet!timbuk.cray.com!hemlock.cray.com!kilian
From: kilian@cray.com (Alan Kilian)
Subject: My robot project status #3
Message-ID: <1992Mar26.125506.10416@hemlock.cray.com>
Date: 26 Mar 92 12:55:06 CST


    Some folks have asked me to keep them up to date on my robot project
    here is the third update.

    Here are my plans for the project over the next 6 months.
	Add a speech synthesizer board. $150.00 From RC Systems
	Add a flux gate compass. Maybe from Radio Shack.
	Tons of software.

    Things done this week:
	One Polaroid range module is working.
	The new Broccoli rubber bands work great. Yipeee!!!
	Simple obstacle avoidance software running.

    This Polaroid module works fine. It is really easy to talk to. Just raise
	a line and it emits a chirp and when it hears an echo it will raise
	a different line. You just time the interval between the two lines
	being raised and that's the distance. Sound travels at .9 Ms per foot
	and you have to remember to divide the time by two because the sound
	traveled out and back.
    The module can't see the couch until it's about 6 Inches away.
    The module has a really narrow sensing cone so objects can sneak by and
	crash into the very edge of the platform. Scanning the module will cure
	this problem.

    To do this week:
	Re-solder the wheel stubs so that the wheels don't twist off if the
	  platform stalls against a wall. (Or a cat as it turns out)
	Add buffers to get the direction outputs to the motor relays.
	Play around for a few days with platform to run any more bugs out.

    To do next week: 
	I'm in Denver for a PEX meeting all week. Whine about PEX a lot.
	Take lots of photos.

    To do the third week:
	Add Infrared LED obstacle detectors for close range objects.
	Build a scanning platform for the front range module.
	Build a position encoder for the front range module.
  	More software to avoid objects.
	Develop and print Denver photos.


Old status reports are available if you Email me.

                         -Alan Kilian



-- 
 -Alan Kilian         kilian@cray.com 612.683.5499 (Work) 612.729.1652 (Home)
  Cray Research, Inc.           | 
  655 F Lone Oak Drive          | 
  Eagan  MN,     55121          |
