EduRobot - Mini-Bot in action

[ECarlson]

Team 116 has been working on robotics stuff over the summer. We even have an EduRobot mini-bot kit to play with.

On my web site, are some new photos of working in Dave Lavery's garage, and some videos of the mini-bot working as a line-follower.

Our big robot (ED 3.0) will be competing at the Maryland State fair at the end of August.

[Jack]

I though i read that we will be gitting the EduRobot in the 2003 kit. Is that true?

[Nate Smith]

Originally posted by Jack
I though i read that we will be gitting the EduRobot in the 2003 kit. Is that true?

Yep...it's part of the preseason kit, according to the announcement at the MI forum...

[Dan 550]

Preseason kit? Like when we get the animation stuff? Can you elaborate on this, Nick?

[Clark Gilbert]

The kit of parts will be very different this year, in that some of it will be shipped out to teams as soon as payment is received (as early as October). The preseason kit of parts will contain software packages, instructional materials, and, most exitingly, EduRobot. EduRobot is the prototyping kit that was used at the Rookie Workshop this year, and is being provided to all teams on an exparimental basis thanks to an anonymous donor. The EduRobot (EduRobotics.com) kit includes a miniature version of the robot controller with built in wireless modem, operator interface, motors with built in speed controllers, erector set parts, connectors, wheels, etc. The robot controller on the EduRobot is the Issac16, which can do everything the FIRST controller can, except it has less motor outputs and sensor inputs.

That was from the "What Happened at the FIRST Forum" thread...

[Dan 550]

Major beamin smile goin on here. More stuff, faster shipping of animation software, and possibly better drill motors. What more can I ask for? Hmmm, come to think of it Santa Kamen and his pal Woody and their magic elves could give us...the lightweight award back, more pneumatics, no supply restrictions...and...and...and I don't wanna write that much now, so I'm just gonna go eat lasagna.

[Jim Giacchi]

Do we have to get this kit? For veteran teams who have several control kits but not a lot of money i think they could save a few hundred dollars. I'd rather have an extra battery charger or compressor than have them send us that kit.

[Nate Smith]

Originally posted by Jim Giacchi
Do we have to get this kit? For veteran teams who have several control kits but not a lot of money i think they could save a few hundred dollars. I'd rather have an extra battery charger or compressor than have them send us that kit.

There were a few ideas kicked around at the forum as to how to reduce the cost for teams by making a "modular" kit of sorts....however, the impression I got from the FIRST staff at the MI forum was that they were going to do this only when absolutely necessary(i.e. when there was not enough of a component to go around), as it would otherwise create a logistical nightmare when kit packing time came around...

[Adam Y.]

Ive want to make a line following robot. Of course I got a book on building one. Whoops it is classified as a beam robot. Is there anything else that this kit can do???? Maybe use the kit for a first robot sumo competition.

[ECarlson]

Originally posted by wysiswyg
Ive want to make a line following robot. Of course I got a book on building one. Whoops it is classified as a beam robot. Is there anything else that this kit can do???? Maybe use the kit for a first robot sumo competition.

We added our own photosensors with series resistors, and an LED flashlight as a light source to make the mini-bot into a line follower. It would have probably been easier to get working if we had lowered the photosensors and added an LED light source for each sensor.

We had to use the dashboard port to find out what range of values we were getting out of each sensor (we had 3 sensors on the bot, but only actually used the outer two sensors), and we determined that each sensor had a different range of values, so we had to write code with that information in mind.

The actual code was pretty easy. The tweaking of sensor and motor speed values took a lot of experimentation.

[Solace]

that's awesome!

[Mike Martus]

We will be using an expanded version of this kit for the 2002 Chief Delphi Invitational.

If you are interested in getting great experience with this kit come to the Chief Delphi Invitational.

Details on the Chief Delphi Invitational forum.