PCBot
From Curuxa Community
| Application: PCBot | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Robotics |
| Author | Adrián Bulnes Parra, aka Urriellu |
| Status | Finished |
| Date | July 2010 |
This is a simple robot controlled by a computer or from a mobile phone (which communicates with the computer). It also includes a camera which can record what the robot sees, or broadcast it to another computer via wifi.
The structure of the robot are just 2 pieces of aluminium that act as support for all Main Boards, Modules, the integrated computer and the camera. It's a simple, unimportant skeleton, designed just to support everything else.
The robot itself was built as a Curuxa example, it doesn't do anything special. It has two motors that control all movements, 2 high-intensity LEDs to light up dark rooms, and two frontal bumpers that detect obstables. All modules/circuits are controlled from the integrated computer running a program written in C# (tested on Windows and Linux). The user can open the graphical interface of such program and see the current status of the robot, control its movement, lights...
Since everything is controlled from a computer running a dedicated program and includes a webcam, this robot could be used for implementing more complex applications such as artificial vision.
Contents |
Hardware
Used Main Boards and Modules
| Main Board: MBP40
|
| 1x MC2A
Bidirectional, two-motor controller. Max 1A. Powers both motors. Each motor moves one wheel. Pinout can be found at the source code. |
| 1x CMSP-MAX
Serial port transceiver. Handles the communication between MBP40 and the computer Visit CMSP-MAX page for learning how to make the connections. |
| 2x SISW-SPST
Simple push button or on-off switch. Two positions. Microcontroller can receive either 0 or 1. Front bumpers to detect obstacles. Connect them to RB1 (right) and RB2 (left). |
| 2x LTIL-A
Middle-power illumination LED Front lights. Connect them to RD0 (left) and RD1 (right) |
| 4x LTIND-A
Indicator LED. Debugging outputs. Connect them as needed. |
Other components
- Asus Aspire One subnotebook/netbook
- Logitech C300 Webcam
- Since the computer doesn't have a serial port, an USB-to-serial adapter was also used.
- 4 rechargeable AA batteries
Pictures
Construction
Finished robot
Videos
