Attempt to Make My Robot into a Pickup Truck

This video shows the evolution of the power chair Robot base into a completely autonomous base with built in Infrared sensors: One left, one right, and another in the center provide enough sensors to allow the Robot to Navigate the big deck at our place.

http://www.cwhaticando.com/view/?t=Autonomous%20Robot%20PVC%20%22Pickup%20Truck%22&itemParent=381

Check out the video, and if so inspired visit the link for a guide to the build.

The Mighty Pong))) Speaks And The Mighty Pong Listens

The mighty Ping))) ruled the earth until along came the super-empowered Pong))))) !!!!!!!!!!!!

Pong The 12volt alternative for robotics work hugely shockproofed. Also using pvc pipe as Robot Body...

I just realized that I hadn't written much lately, I also realized that I forgot to chronicle the Pong))) project.  Seeing I was remiss, I decided this would be a great time to update you on the "How it Works" front.

While this video is murky and duplicative, it is still a worthy demonstration of the success the project is having.   It has come further than this already, I believe it's close to ready to become real.  I haven't heated up the soldering iron in a while, since I'm working on another couple of projects, so I'm sort of rotating the three or four things.   Since they are in too feeble a state just yet, soon I will pull the trigger and one of them will be pulled to the main chute.  Then I'll be to busy with that one item I'll probably neglect the whole blog scene. 

As usual, all this and more detail for the do it your own way amongst you.  It's my hope to benefit us with the ability to convert all wheelchairs into wheelchair Bots...   If I never mentioned it before and not that you'd actually fret about it anyway, I would like us to have automobiles as Bots too.  But, that's a tough one for an early adapter of the gasoline powered locomotive device.  But, google's smart car is out their, right now.  I don't have that kind of money, so I'll be happy if the ultrasound sonar works at outside temperatures.  How quickly a Ping))) or MaxSonar turns to crap on chilly mornings.  Not good for a garden bot in the bay area.
See the project falling together at:

http://www.cwhaticando.com/view/?t=Pong)))))%20&itemParent=347


Later

The i-Mon App Goes to Rest Up for a While

Indiegogo Fail

Indiegogo campaign got one subscriber.  Colossal Fail :-(

I realize the i-Mon App Blog: http://imon2100.blogspot.com/ is telling a "startup story,"  it's just like any startup, any time.  Failures are opportunities!

Sure, I have a solution, and have already started (if you read the blog, you get a status report) on the road to Change (A Solution, moving toward THE SOLUTION.)

Things Robotic

I'm now figuring out what this blog could do, tell you what I'm doing lately, Robo-Wise.

So Here's what's cookin' in the "Labs" here in Roboto Land.  

The mighty PONG project:  

Design: I am having some difficulty in the design, an instability is plaguing me in the receiver, but it's all wiggling.  I can pick up reflected signals, that is, make it work like the not-so-mighty, but plenty famous Ping))) ultrasonic object recognizer.

What it is a ruggedized version of the well-known Ping))) first step is to examine what it is that makes the Ping almost useless in a rugged outdoor environment.  So Apart I took 'em.  Two types, one a single "transceiver" the other a double, separate transmit and receive units.

I found a couple of problems: 

The actual transducers are not rugged, in fact they are dainty.  I think this little video can show you what they are like mechanically.   I found equal electrical and transducer failures in the five sample SFR04's I tested.  I now have only one workable SFR04 and another that has lost it's transmit power and is pretty useless.  SFR04's are more dainty than the Ping))).   SRF04's are cheap, around five bucks, but they are even worse than the Ping, which by my studies is not Strong enough to hold up.

Meet Pong)))

I'm taking advantage of the use of ultrasonic transducers in automobile applications, apparently the people at Parallax are thinking like me, because they have begun to stock an outdoor, ruggedized transducer:  I realize I'm doing this at my 1/2 person lab and Parallax has more geniuses / sq ft than I do:

The receive unit is not stable yet.

 

And that's where I'm stuck.  There is an inherent instability in there somewhere.  I shall find it.

So there's my update.  More Fun to Come!

the i-Mon App Goes to Indiegogo

New App Looking for Supporters on Indiegogo

The latest project around these parts is the introduction of what we call the i-Mon App. It is a new project listed on Indiegogo.com, a crowd funding operation near here in Silicon Valley.

The App itself is built on the Sencha Touch, html 5 javascript framework.  It looks beautiful as you can see it run in the video on the Indiegogo website.   Below's a video of the app in action.

We are looking for enough participants to be sure we can create and support the App.  If you think it's a great idea who's time has come, then join in with us and make the i-Mon App Go Go!