Contributors wanted!!!
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Im currently looking for people to post on the Bits For Bots Blog.
Would you like to post news on what’s going on in the world of robots? Would you like to share your latest experiments with robotics and write simple tutorials and product reviews as well as receive a staff discount and sample products?
If you can answer “YES!!” to any of the above then drop me an email contact@bitsforbots.co.uk
H-bridge article
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Every robot using tracks or wheels of some form or another will need a motor controler for the motors driving the wheels, the most common way to do this is to use an H Bridge, here is a great tutorial on H bridges written by Lets Make Robots user GroG.
An H-bridge circuit typically provides motor control in robotic designs. Low voltage, low amperage control signals (TTL) are used to control motors. The H-Bridge can interpret these signals into a Motor Go Forward, Motor Go Backward, Motor Stop commands. Often speed can be implemented using PWM (Pulse-width modulation) through a H-Bridge. H-Bridges are extremely important in robotics. It is like the connection between the brains and the muscle of a robot. The brains being a computer or micro-Processor, and the muscles being a motor. This Matrix (when it is somewhat completed) should help you step through the process of selecting an appropriate H-Bridge design for your application
Heres the link to the full article
Lego Mindstorm Hexapod
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Heres an amazing Lego NXT hexapod made using 3 NXT servos to control 6 legs.
The Hexapod Walker is a six legged LEGO NXT robot walker. It uses a gait that causes very little slippage at the feet so can walk well with rubber tipped feet all the way around. The left and right motors control their respective sides corner legs. The motor in theback controls the middle set of legs so that either left or right corner legs can be lifted. When left middle goes down, left corner legs go up and right middle goes up.
First program just walks in a simple pattern. The second program was for a walking robot race and uses the small LED lights as navigation aids. Light sensor, mounted in the back but looks forward, sees the light and with every step adjusts step size to aim for light.
Electronic Tutorials
Posted by admin | Filed under Learning
Heres a great resource for learning about electronics in easy to follow flash lessons. If you arent sure what you are doing or need to brush up on anything then these will really help you. I reccomend having a look through a few even if you do know what you are doing.
Electronic lessons
You will need flash enabled to view the lessons.
6 wheel drive Thumper chassis
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This thing has a lot of potential
Designed originally on Lets Make Robots specifically for robots, this 6WD chassis has wicked spiked 120mm dia. wheels and an anodized aluminium chassis made from 2mm thick plate. The chassis has 4mm dia. holes punched every 10mm to allow easy mounting of PCBs, servos etc. All nuts, bolts and screws are stainless steel. Brass fittings and suspension springs are nickel plated.
Two chassis segments between the wheels have been designed to hold 7.2V sub C battery packs (not included) as used in many RC cars. A total of 4x 7.2V battery packs can be fitted if necessary. These batteries are ideal for driving the 6V motors as well as inexpensive linear regulators to supply 5V.
Heres a demo video of it going like the clappers over rough terrain.
Dennis Hong talking at TEDxNASA
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Ted Hong talks about some of the projects at Virginia Tech’s RoMeLa Lab, and also a little bit about where their ideas come from and how they brainstorm on projects.
The little footballers are amazing.