How 2 build a robot

Post by **floodhound2** » 11 Sep 2006, 14:05

First and foremost I am a math minded individual, so I take no responsibility for grammar errors or confusion you may suffer reading my stuff.

For those that are interested I have designed a few robots. The process is simple however the complexities come in the form of “budgeting”. A robotic device can be quite simple when the cash is in heaps and time is in abundance. I often find myself hacking an electronic device i.e. (monitors, DVD players, and walkmans or anything with motors.)

Also a way to receive free parts is to contact the manufacture and ask for samples. As I am an electronics engineer I often get parts in the mail for free, however I am an engineer and work for a company. This helps me get the state of the art products that aren’t seen on the market for some 2-4 years later. Be advised that some manufactures will not send just anyone free parts. You need to bend the truth a little and say you’re a student or a technical professional for company blah-blah Inc.

Once you get an idea of the type of robot you want and what your budget call for. Go for it. Look up data sheets and catalog surf for sensor, IC’s, microprocessors and such.

My first robot was a basic 4 wheeled device that interfaced to a computer. It had a basic H-bridge (used for turning on and off motors giving forward, reverse, left and right) and a micro that communicated to a PC. Also later as I progressed in my knowledge I put in IR sensors (for seeing objects at a close distance) and feelers (capacitive sensors for touch)

My second and most on going robotic project is a 4 legged walking (cat like) security Bot. This device includes several sensor inputs and communicates to a PC allowing me to sign on from work and drive it around my home and yard. I used several microprocessors and a wireless device I constructed to communicate. I programmed it in visual basic and Basic. Using solar panels for light diction and IR for vision, it can tell when it is night or day and how far an object is in front of it. For more information contact me or go to http://www.lynxmotion.com and see for your self.

Remember this is not rocket science, it is just thinking outside the box and using your creative side to fit parts together creating a device you intended and sought out to complete. If you enjoy computers and electronics go to school and take a few classes you can then build anything you think of.

Soon I may put up a link for anyone to drive my devices through my yard and chase my cat or use the sonic ear and listen to the neighbors 5 blocks away. I will need a better battery system and a place to allow people to download my software that interfaces to the robots.

If need be I can post more details on this, just leave me some feedback and I will do my best.

P.S. Don’t hack a monitor until you learn what will kill you. There is potential in a monitor that can sit there for many years after it has been last plugged in. If you happen to touch it, it will nock you to hell.

Post by **floodhound2** » 11 Sep 2006, 14:07

Some one tell me how to post pictures and I will post them here of my devices. I think ill have to use a separate server like http://www.putfile.com I am not sure. Let me know

Peace

Post by **bad_brain** » 11 Sep 2006, 14:12

you have to upload the pics to a server and then simply place the link between the "img"-tags....simply use some free webspace like on geocities for example...

d10b · Post by **d10b** » 14 Sep 2006, 09:58

floodhound2 wrote:...Using solar panels for light diction and IR for vision, it can tell when it is night or day and...

And you need a robot for this? Sorry couldn't help it... watching your home from a robot cat while your away sounds like a lot of fun.

Post by **floodhound2** » 04 Oct 2006, 16:25

Ok here is an updated version of my robot. I will take more photos soon. If you have comments or questions please let me know.

http://www.floodhound.com/Floodhound%20project.htm

P.S. I took the solar panels off for this photograph.

PEACE

z3mwaz · Post by **z3mwaz** » 04 Oct 2006, 18:20

thats sweet flood.
in college we built one that was a fly-by wire camara.
is was mounted on steel cables in the trees of my front yard.
it was a simple motion sensitive cam with zoom. like the cam's in the bubbles at stores. only real small
if anyone, or anything as a mater of fact, came in to the yard, it would follow it from about 30 feet in the air, zooming in and out at different intervals,
i could watch about 90% of the front of my house with no interaction at all.
we even set it up to scan the yard every hour
we got an A- for it

Post by **floodhound2** » 06 Oct 2006, 12:30

That sounds cool. I truly enjoy designing robots however there are those nights where I think that I need a bigger hammer. I will place new pictures this weekend so you all can see the project developing. I am receiving more parts daily and free which makes it even the better. Getting free samples is something close to winning the electronics lottery without even playing.

For you that are interested here is the Robot I am currently developing.

http://www.floodhound.com/Floodhound%20project.htm

bennybill · Post by **bennybill** » 24 Nov 2006, 11:21

nice m8t keep it up

Post by **floodhound2** » 24 Nov 2006, 11:56

Thanks man i redid the link to the vide of the walking robot please feel free to tak a look

http://www.floodhound.com/project.htm

Peace

suck-o.com

How 2 build a robot

How 2 build a robot

Re: How 2 build a robot