Team 862 - Self Balancing Scooter

[jakep]

At the start of the summer of '06, three students from Team 862 decided they wanted to build a Segway. Our first model, dubbed Ginger II, was intended to be a proof of concept design. It worked well, but our drive system powered by 2 CIMs just didn't cut it, and we were popping fuses like crazy. So, we decided to revamp the design, and build something that would really work. (Yes, that's what this thread was for: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...8&page=1&pp=15)

Thus, we created Ginger 2.5!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...90485092833377

This is a little promo video showing our robot in action. It is powered by 2, 24V Dewalt Hammerdrill motors, a 2004 RC, 2 victors, the BEI gyrochip sensor, and the DAA accelermotor from the KOP. You may be thinking that performance wise, it doesn't seem to work that well in the video. However, I must inform you that we are running this system at only 12V at the moment, since our new motor controllers haven't been made yet! We will get MUCH more speed and torque when we run everything at the 24V we need. Once we get to that point, we will also be posting more detailed documentation online. (Hmmm.. detailed enough to make your own for ~$1000? Yes!)

I hope you guys like it, it was quite fun building and designing (Though we have a ton of work left to do with the new motor controllers, sensors, and uC)

[Éowyn]

Wow, that is really neat! I rode a Segway scooter once at a museum in St. Louis, and it was a lot of fun. Good promo for robotics and a great job!

[D.Fahringer]

Team 862,

Congratulations to you for making an educational self balancing vechicle
to further inspire students in the FIRST community. This is what we need to continue to do.....

Great going!!!!

Dave Fahringer



P.S. 77616e6e6120726163653f

Originally Posted by jakep

At the start of the summer of '06, three students from Team 862 decided they wanted to build a Segway. Our first model, dubbed Ginger II, was intended to be a proof of concept design. It worked well, but our drive system powered by 2 CIMs just didn't cut it, and we were popping fuses like crazy. So, we decided to revamp the design, and build something that would really work. (Yes, that's what this thread was for: http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...8&page=1&pp=15)

Thus, we created Ginger 2.5!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...90485092833377

This is a little promo video showing our robot in action. It is powered by 2, 24V Dewalt Hammerdrill motors, a 2004 RC, 2 victors, the BEI gyrochip sensor, and the DAA accelermotor from the KOP. You may be thinking that performance wise, it doesn't seem to work that well in the video. However, I must inform you that we are running this system at only 12V at the moment, since our new motor controllers haven't been made yet! We will get MUCH more speed and torque when we run everything at the 24V we need. Once we get to that point, we will also be posting more detailed documentation online. (Hmmm.. detailed enough to make your own for ~$1000? Yes!)

I hope you guys like it, it was quite fun building and designing (Though we have a ton of work left to do with the new motor controllers, sensors, and uC)

[Gabe]

Why not design an FRC robot that can keep itself from being tipped over in competition?

[jakep]

Using this in competition is something we might incorporate into our robot this year. However, it all depends on the game, and the other design aspects of our robot.

Our Kalman filtering system is very portable and efficient though, so software wise it wouldn't be too hard.

[Noah Kleinberg]

Nice work, hope that you'll be bringing this along if you go to nationals this year?

Also, what did you use the accelerometer for?

[Qbranch]

awesome job guys. i've been toying with balance robot designs and never had the guts to try it... i'm amazed you got the resolution needed out of that chip gyro from the kop.

Originally Posted by D.Fahringer

Team 862,

P.S. 77616e6e6120726163653f

77697468206F75722027303620626F743F2065617420647573 742E203B2D2900

-Q

[Éowyn]

Originally Posted by Qbranch

awesome job guys. i've been toying with balance robot designs and never had the guts to try it... i'm amazed you got the resolution needed out of that chip gyro from the kop.



77697468206F75722027303620626F743F2065617420647573 742E203B2D2900

-Q

Maybe I'm just being ignorant, but what's with all the numbers?

[Qbranch]

Originally Posted by Éowyn

Maybe I'm just being ignorant, but what's with all the numbers?

I was drumming up some hexadecimal conversation with D.Fahringer

[Not2B]

You guys never cease to amaze me.

I saw Ginger 2.0 at a local festival. It was amazing. Ginger 2.5 is on it's way to being much more powerful.

These 3 guys have told me what going to be in Ginger 3.0, and I can't wait to see it...

[Dylan Gramlich]

She appears to be a large lady. Any thoughts ony giving her a tummy tuck and sending her on a diet. Might make it a bit more interesting balance-wise.

[KenWittlief]

amazing!

You seem to be saying that it is underpowered at 12V, so Im wondering how stable it is this way?

if you lean too far can you overwhelm the motors? How many faceplants did it take to dial in your stability equations?

[EHaskins]

Are you willing to post some code? Whitepaper on balancing? I know a lot of people have tried this so giving any help would be great.

Thanks,

[Kevin Watson]

Originally Posted by EHaskins

Are you willing to post some code? Whitepaper on balancing? I know a lot of people have tried this so giving any help would be great.

Thanks,

Trevor Blackwell's site is a good start: http://www.tlb.org/scooter.html. As I've mentioned in other posts, the magic is in the Kalman filter: http://www.cs.unc.edu/~welch/kalman/.

-Kevin

[Tom Bottiglieri]

I'm interested in the Kalman filter as well. It wouldn't be terrible to write one, but a modular one would be a great tool to everyone.