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Unread 02-02-2004, 22:59
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Re: Tracking beacon without servo

Quote:
Originally Posted by KevinB
Wouldn't it be equally easy to use a motor and position encoder to just move the IR sensor? (although the mirror would look mad pimp)
I believe that's the system he's trying to avoid using. Servomotors are incapable of free rotation; the voltage fed to a servo (or the duty cycle of a PWM signal) causes it to turn to a specific position, eliminating the need for a position encoder to ensure accurate placement. The problem is that there is a finite number of motors that can be used on one's robot, and the person who created this thread wanted to figure out a way to do this WITHOUT wasting servomotors that could be better used in other applications.