How do i start building one ???

"IRobot" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com...

Currently, You need imagination, some creativity. Then you need some mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and both software and hardware engineering skills. Plus you need some machinist skills and access to some tools that can be used to machine parts depending on how many parts you need to make. The first place to look for robot suitable things is a local RC car or aircraft hobby shop. The second is parting out old broken computer printers and scanners for things. Basically you need a couple of gear motors or some way to get a couple of motors to gear reduce down to about 200 RPM or less for the two drive wheels (assuming differential steering). Obviously DC motors of 6 to 24v work better as these can be powered with batteres. Then you need one or two wheels to work as castors (if your using differential steering). Then you need something for a chassis, a peice of plywood works good, easy to machine or drill holes in and stuff, doesn't short out easily if some wires touch it. Aluminum or stiff plastic sheets work good too. A large old printed circuit board works too, just sand it down some to remove all the PCB traces you don't want, if it's too thin you can epoxy two or more PCBs together to make it thicker and stiffer. Wheels and tires is a imagination or creativity thing, old lawnmower wheels, baby strollers, barbeque grill wheels, RC cars and such things work. If you are lacking some of these skills or just don't want to bother with it that much a robot kit is still a good way to go.

Hi,

I think I'm in the same boat as you lol. Although I'm not experienced I'm looking at getting a foot into robotics so I've found a few websites:

(micro-controllers, learning and kits) (uh... robot books lol) (sells components, kits, etc)

I can't really say what the best thing to do for starting because I haven't yet lol. However, I'm interested in the micro-controllers and the educational/development resources on the parallax site so it seems a good place to start. Not sure how relevant these would be for you but I figured it wouldn't harm to say :-)

Regards, Jonathon

If in your place it`s difficult to mail-order a robot kit off the web then you may be off to a bad start already?! For all my own projects (not neccessarily for robotics), an environment suitably prepared to work in is the most important part of starting from scratch. This is because things can get very disorganised and messy very quickly as enthusiasm takes hold of common sense. Once you`ve got over the newspaper on the dining table to work on then you might consider what you want this robot thing to do. Make the working systems first, then hang them on the framework which will make the general shape of the robotic thingy; this could be anything from Cardboard to Stainless steel. The rest is your own imagination.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ashley Clarke

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If your programming experience is in C, I would recommend that you start by buying "Programming Robot Controllers" by Myke Predko. Myke's book includes all the software you need to program a PIC microcontroller. It also includes plans for building a cheep programmer (~$17). Microchip will send you the chips for free (about 3 per quarter year) or you can buy them for around $4 at Digikey and other locations. Myke's book steps you through projects that cover most of the basic sensors and controllers you will need to do robotics. The book is $19 at Powells

and it is also available at Amazon, Borders, and many other sites.

[Personally, I hate C, but I still got the book. If you also hate C, look at programming Atmel AVR chips using BASCOM. There is a free version of BASCOM that is great to start with. There is also a simple programming cable you can use to program AVR's that costs about $10 to build. Here is a good place to start on BASCOM and AVR's: BTW, there is also a version of BASCOM for 8051's.]

Once you got Myke's book, you can order the parts for the projects form many places. One of my favorites is All Electronics

They have fixed rate shipping and the cheapest breadboards I have found yet.

Once you have gotten started with the book, take a look at Gordon McComb's site, Budget Robotics

Gordon is one of the godfathers of hobby robotics. His site has a lot of low cost ready made platforms - not full kits - that you can use to build your bot. He also wrote "Robot Builder's Bonanza". Which is a must read if you want to build bots from scratch.

Finally, subscribe to "Servo" magazine

You will be glad you did.

Good Luck,

Paul Pawelski

IRobot wrote:

------------------- Practice interfacing to the RealWorld, namely transistor driving from TTL to control low-volt high-current DC devices, H-Bridges to control motors and steppers, the study of steppers (see Prof. Doug Jones at Iowa), and for good measure the use of thyristors, (TRIACs, and SCRs and Solid State Relayes/Switches), to control 120VAC devices from TTL.

Also get acquainted with sensors you want to use, momentary switches or membrane for touch, light sensors: LDRs, phototransistors, opto- couplers, mics and audio amps for hearing, and the use of pot-pendulum for attitutde, accelerometers, straingauges etc.

The rest is art/mechanical assembly.

-Steve

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