Looking for some projects

How about you have a go at an AUV?

"Michael"

Although it would be nice to see a sail powered (motion I mean) AGV. Seems
like he already has the platform.

robot, but I've done all I want for the Sail Car from help with development
through making all the tooling for their production.

I'm looking for simple metal, wood or plastic details to help you robot
designers and builders in exchange for just sharing ideas so I can learn
more about the electronics and software part of the equation. I'm pretty
good at the mechanical side...

Wayne
www.pueblaprotocol.com

"Wayne Lundberg"

Perhaps we can share some information or even put something together that
will be pleasant to work on. Let me first introduce myself. I am a software
engineer with about 12 years of professional experience. I work here in San
Diego on a software/hardware manufacturer (www.konexx.com) and I'm taking my
master's in computer science degree through SDSU
(http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~tarokh/lab/people-pmerlotti.htm ).

My thesis is inspired on the DARPA Grand Challenge. Unfortunately SDSU
didn't have the budget to enter the competition with a full size car,
instead they asked me to create a low budget robot ($3K to $4K) based on a
electric RC car platform. The challenges of autonomous navigation are very
similar no matter the platform you're using. Obviously we cannot enter the
DARPA GC with an RC car. We are still asking for a bigger budget to buy a
platform and equipment that would be able to traverse 200 miles of desert
terrain, but with current state budget cuts, I doubt that will be the case.
Here's a link that shows my little robot in early phases of development
(mechanical phase is finished, I'm working on electronics right now and I'm
expecting to start the AI software early next year).
http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~tarokh/lab/research-alr2.html

My idea then is to create my own robot. I don't have the money to buy an
offroad car only for that purpose, but I still think it is possible to
create a cheap platform able to cross the off road miles. My idea for a
platform would be a home made vehicle made out of ATV parts.

I saw that you also live in Chula Vista (I live in Eastlake), so we have a
geographical advantage. It seems that your skills complement mine. In a
scale from 1 to 5, I would rate myself 4 or 5 for software, 3 for
electronics and 2 for mechanics. If you think we could do something
together, let's talk sometime and I could show you what I have done already
and what are my plans for a DARPA GC entry. (if nobody wins this year, next
year the prize will be $3 million dollars!)


Cheers,

Padu

---snip for brevity---

Sounds like an interesting challenge! First off, I suggest we go to the junk
yard up by Brown field and chat with some of the salvage operators. I'm sure
we can pick up a power unit without body and totally unsalable to the public
for use on highways but ideal for a desert and off-road vehicle as you
propose for a couple hundred dollars that I'm game to put into play.  But
first of all, I invite you (and anybody in this newsgroup that could make
it) to a backyard Tequila sipping or Michelada tasting, note-taking session
to plan the plan... I may even put in some guacamole and chips for added
joy. Heck, we may be able to get a place to build the device at the
Southwestern College Auto Repair shop! (They could use the publicity!)

Anybody care to join us?

Wayne
www.pueblaprotocol.com

It would be really, really cool if you and Padu could ride up together
to the next San Diego Robotics Society meeting, which is held the first
Saturday of every month. We have it in a member's garage, which we have
full use of. BYOB, but someone usually comes with food and treats of
some type. The meetings are held in San Marcos; map is available from
the www.sdrobotics.org Web site. Most of the members are into larger
robots, though to my knowledge no one is currently making an offroad AV.
I think you might find some other interested parties, as well as people
who'd like some things made for their projects.

-- Gordon

"Gordon McComb"

I missed 3 meetings already, I'll make sure I won't miss the next one.

Padu

Give me a call Padu the day before and we can car pool the trip. Maybe get
Rick to join us also?

Wayne 421 6728
805 & Olympic Parkway

Hi all, My name is Reuben, I do production machines and automation for a
fibre composite manufacturer

I'd love to join you in a $3M winning venture...but I live on the other
side of the rock :)

BTW, we have a bridge on your side, and another one on the floor now
going to NY state

www.wagner.com.au/composites.php

Cheap toyota truck at the junkyard:  $300
gear motor to control steering : $100
solenoids for gas, brake, clutch : $300

gear motor + 2 solenoids for switching
gears:  $400

I am making high estimates.  Most of
this stuff can be had for cheaper or free
in the classified ads of your local paper
(the RECYCLER is an excellent source)

That's $1100 for the vehicle + actuators.
need some sort of feedback from the
sensors.

computer could be $150 PC.  USB
cameras are $10.00 apiece.

wiring:  $100.  I/O card for the PC
$150

$410 added to the cost.

You need people to build this thing,
not money.  If anyone in the San
Francisco/Sacramento area wants
to start a project, I'll get a
toyota truck for the project.  Also,
the gear motors, PC, and USB cams.


Rich

Software which can reliably drive a truck at 20mph over 100 miles of
rough terrain using two cheap USB cameras as sensors: priceless!


Tim
--
You are being watched. This gives you power.

Yep... not doubt about it. Who do you think you are seeing when driving down
around Chula-Juana hiding cheap wine in an old paper sack because life and
technology has left him behind in the garbage heap of old Toyotas and
washing machine motors, vacuum tube radios and manual typewriters? And even
with a fully functioning robot, PLCs and stepper motors spilling out of his
garage, nothing seems to matter because software developers are nowhere in
sight... maybe trying to stay alive by working twice as hard because of the
Indian onslaught?

I am working on other projects right now,
but I'd bet a large sum of money that I could
get a truck to go 100 miles over rough
terrain in about 1 year, doing all of the programming
myself.

Since you are making pointless "all you have to do ..." vapor
bets, I can make a truck cross over the rocky mountains at 550
mph without any programming. ;-)

Giant catapult?

-Brian
--
Brian Dean
ATmega128 based MAVRIC controllers
http://www.bdmicro.com/

"Brian Dean" wrote

 Si Ballenger wrote:

Dispatch it through UPS air.

If it is a Tonka truck, just carry it on board in your lap as you
fly from the east coast to the west coast..

Or more precisely, $2,000,000:

  http://www.darpa.mil/grandchallenge/index.html

-Brian
--
Brian Dean
ATmega128 based MAVRIC controllers
http://www.bdmicro.com/

"Brian Dean" wrote

One thing that got me very motivated to enter the GC is that not more than 5
miles separate the $2M team from the $2000 team on last year's results.
As someone else said here earlier, the key is in software, not hardware.
Think about it, a dog is able to dodge obstacles while running at very high
speeds, and it doesn't carry any ladar, only a pair of cameras and a
gyroscope, but a very refined software package.

Padu