13-11-2005 01:12

Elgin Clock

Re: pic: Mobot with familiar parts

Where is Banner sensor #1?

Looks cool. Got any info as to what it is supposed to do, or what it actually does with all those nifty features built in to it?

13-11-2005 01:30

jgannon

Re: pic: Mobot with familiar parts

You aren't the first to ask that. I'm guessing you won't be the last, either. The sensors came pre-numbered when I got them. There is no sensor #1.
There is information about the competition here. Basically, it has to follow a single white line, a la 2004 autonomous, and go down two pretty steep hills in the process. Then it has to navigate through a set of forks in the line. Here is the course layout from 2005. The DIP switches will be used to tell it how to navigate at the decision points.

27-11-2005 16:18

Andrew Blair

Re: pic: Mobot with familiar parts

So thats where they tested out the CMUcam in the video...

http://www.chiefdelphi.com/forums/sh...ight=cmu+video

28-11-2005 21:09

jgannon

Re: pic: Mobot with familiar parts

Yep, that's our mobot course. I'll be darned if I'm going to work with that blasted camera again, though.

21-04-2006 22:50

jgannon

Re: pic: Mobot with familiar parts

Today was finally the day of the 2006 Mobot race at CMU, and our team won first place in the undergraduate division. Here is a picture of our final product:

Features we've added since last time:
A potentiometer, to calibrate speed settings on the fly.
A wicket sensor (that crazy wire contraption on the front), to count the wickets as it passes through them.
A separate 18V power supply for the Banner sensors, to keep them from dropping out when the motor stalls.
Shielding for the Banner sensors, rings made out of masking and electrical tape.
A cardboard ramp, to keep the shielding from getting stuck on cracks in the sidewalk.
Clever software hacks in lieu of a tilt sensor.

Here is an article about the day's events. I especially like how their spell checker turned "Mobot Slalom" into "Mobot Shalom".

Thank you again to team 330 for their gracious support of our project.

21-04-2006 23:08

Greg Marra

Re: pic: Mobot with familiar parts

Do you guys have any video of your robot in action?

21-04-2006 23:16

jgannon

Re: pic: Mobot with familiar parts

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/jgannon/mobot.wmv

There's a teaser video that I made last week. I haven't had a chance to review today's video yet.

21-04-2006 23:50

Dylan

Re: pic: Mobot with familiar parts

Why didn't your bot's finish qualify? Looked pretty good to me.
And judging by the video, it worked a heck of a lot better than that stupid line-tracker kit I got from Edmund Scientific (never did work )

22-04-2006 00:28

jgannon

Re: pic: Mobot with familiar parts

On the last part of the course, there are decision points that the robot has to handle, which is significantly harder than just following a single line. Our robot missed the transition from gate 12 to 13 (it swung just a little too wide), and that's why we didn't finish.

Edit: Also, in the twelve years that this competition has been held, only one undergraduate team has ever completed the course, so we weren't too disappointed.

24-04-2006 18:41

jgannon

Re: pic: Mobot with familiar parts

More media coverage, including more action shots:
http://www.thetartan.org/2006/4/24/pillbox/mobots

24-04-2006 18:55

Liz Smith

Re: pic: Mobot with familiar parts

Its a nice little robot. And, hey, if you ever do need a MechE, you know where to find me.