Heh, kinda forgot about this thread =X
As far as my design goals, I want...
- Fast speed isn't necessary, a top speed of 4-5fps
- The terrain wouldn't be too tough. I'd say the average New England backyard area. Mostly grass, some dirt/gravel... a few sticks here or there.
- It will be carrying a pretty large payload of sensors. Cameras, ultrasonics, infrareds, etc.
- In the beginning, it will be fully autonomous. Once I get the money to buy a transmitter/receiver kit it will have rudimentary I/O
- Doesn't have to be too big. I'd say about 1.5' long by 1' wide.
- Right now I'm saving up for a car... so I'd like to keep costs to a minimum. However I am willing to spend enough if it's good quality. Lets say maximum of $150 for the frame/wheel setup/motors.
What I am doing is creating a robot that will be able to autonomously travel to a dynamic waypoint. I'm going to create a module that emits some kind of signal (ultrasonic, infrared... still deciding) and fits in a snug little package. I'll then go and put that module in a hidden spot and have the robot find it. The robot will have to figure out where it is and plan the best direction to head, avoiding all obstacles.
I recently saw the
Rogue ATR base this is pretty much
exactly what I'm looking for... but a tad too small. It is 8x4.5", I want to at least double that. However the frame looks pretty simple, could a mechanical guy look at this for me and tell me how possible it would be to make it enlarged with wood?
Thanks,
Mike