11-02-2013, 12:35 PM
A SUPER ROVER FOR PLANET EARTH
SUPER ROVER.docx (Size: 1.56 MB / Downloads: 25)
INTRODUCTION
Undoubtedly two of the most admired robots on this planet, or any other, are the Mars Rovers Opportunity and Spirit. Primarily telepresence robots, the Mars Rovers are rugged six wheel machines that remotely execute instructions wirelessly received from Earth. They truly are the ultimate in outdoor robots. Ive been fascinated by their design and always planned to build my own, albeit much simpler, version. The complexity of building a six wheel robot has prevented me from proceeding with such an ambitious build. Well up until now that is. With the introduction of the MINDS-i Super Rover Kit my dream of a Mars Rover exploring the wilds of my back yard while I control it from the comfort of my easy chair can now be realized.
THE MINDS-I SUPER ROVER CHASSIS
The chassis for my robot was constructed from the new MINDS-i Two-in-One Super Rover Kit. This kit provides everything needed to build either a 4×4 Super Crawler or, in my case, the alternate 6×6 Rover. Using their patented system of interchangeable quick-lock construction elements I was able to build this rover in a single day. Although I was building a predefined design the kit enables users to create, modify and re-create robots of their own design.
THE ARDUINO BRAIN
For the microcontroller I choose to use the incredibly popular Arduino platform. For those not familiar with this new addition to the world of microcontrollers, the Arduino is an open-source microcontroller and is based on an easy-to-use hardware circuit board and software development environment. Its intended for use by artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone who is interested in creating interactive objects or environments. Equipped with 13 digital I/O pins and 5 analog input pins the Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and in turn can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators.
OPERATION
At this point my Super Rover is configured for telepresence operation. While sitting in the comfort of my home I can drive the robot through my back and side yards and around the house. Using my Remote Robot Control Console (Robot Issue 27) I can drive the robot while watching the live video feed on the monitor.
Poor Mona cant eat in peace.
For protection the rover is equipped with two Parallax Ping sensors. These Pings are used to override any remote commands in the unlikely event of an obstacle. In other words, avoid a crash! While driving forward the robot uses the forward Ping to detect obstacles that are directly ahead in its path. If the Ping returns a distance less than 24 inches, an obstacle is assumed and the robot is stopped. The same is true when the robot is in reverse. The rear Ping will detect obstacles and stop the robot if an obstacle is within two feet.
The robot has four preset speeds programmed into the Arduino software. The lowest is a Crawl speed which is ideal for driving the rover indoors. Slow and Fast speeds are used for normal outdoor driving. Finally there is a Ludicrous speed for when you really want to impress your neighbors.
Since the video camera has a limited field of view the software will pivot it into the direction of the current turn using the pan servo. This greatly enhances drivability especially at the higher speeds.