Gyrochip for Straight Steering, any tips?

[archiver]

Posted by Elliot Johnson at 1/24/2001 5:54 PM EST


Student on team #218, HP Robotics Team, from Highland Park High School and Double-E Inc..



Our team has been thinking about using the gyrochip to keep the robot driving straight - a problem for us the past three years. I seem to remember reading about some other teams that have attempted this in the past. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions about doing this?

Thanks,
Elliot Johnson

[archiver]

Posted by Joe Johnson at 1/24/2001 6:36 PM EST


Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.


In Reply to: Gyrochip for Straight Steering, any tips?
Posted by Elliot Johnson on 1/24/2001 5:54 PM EST:



The Gyro Chip is WONDERFUL for this purpose.

Basically you need to form a feedback loop based on angular rate.

With single joystick control use X for "desired rate of spin" and use Y for base throttle.

Calculate a "spin error" which is basically desired rate of spin minus the actual rate of spin (from the gyro of course)

Right Throttle becomes

Base Throttle + Constant * Spin Error

Left Throttle becomes

Base Throttle - Constant * Spin Error

There is a LOT of details to work out to make PBASIC do what you want it to do, but that is all you really need.

Adjust the Constant to make your robot drive like it was an Formula 1 car.

Joe J.