Outdoor Robot gets (somewhat) smarter
My Outdoor Robot project got some attention recently, now utilizing the ultrasonic sensors at the front to avoid obstacles. I’m still running it very slowly, so I can learn from watching it without having to run to catch it. I’ve implemented a subsumption architecture in the software that has a few simple behaviors:
- Startup: waits for a button press, and only allows for one minute runtime.
- Avoidance: using the front-facing ultrasonic sensors, turn away from obstacles. The turn is proportional to the distance to the obstacle.
- Cruising: run straight ahead at the maximum (slow, at this point) speed.
In the videos below you can see this happening. There really isn’t a lot of “smarts” to the software, although it looks pretty good while running. Next up is to get the “remote stop” working then I’ll increase the speed. I also need to work on behaviors for when the robot gets itself into a corner e.g. backup and turn around.
Enjoy these videos for now!
Looking good, Bob! It’s so cool to see this robot develop. I can’t wait for the next update… however, have you considered a cliffhanger? Maybe a video where it approaches a hazard and we need to wait until the next installment to see if it makes it? 🙂
Comment by Jay — January 3, 2012 @ 7:38 am[…] These pictures show the final result of my 3D printing experience. Its a bracket to hold four Parallax Ping))) ultrasonic sensors. This replaces the original three-sensor mount that I fabricated myself from Delrin and Sintra parts, using my Sherline mill. You can see that in the videos in this post. […]
Pingback by random scribblings»Blog Archive » First experience with 3D printing — January 3, 2013 @ 7:01 pm