[chbot] Projects

[chchrobotics@lists.linuxnut.co.nz]

Thanks for asking about projects Mike,

I've been looking into constructing a Micromouse platform
for devoping a maze solving mouse. The platform should allow
me to experiment with different technologies for wall
detection, motor driving and mechanical construction. So I'm
expecting to go through a generation or two before coming up
with something fast. I've also been fiddling about with
software drivers for the on board peripherals of the Atmel
ATMega128 just to make sure that I've understood it before
committing to pin assignments.

The micromouse circuit design is done and the PCB layout is
almost complete. I've managed to fit everything on the one
PCB that I had hoped. That is 78L05 regs, Mega128 CPU, motor
drivers (L293D), opto motor speed measurement, opto wall,
LED display, floor sensors and expansion connectors for
sonar, speaker, and as yet unplanned extensions.
Possibilities for the next generation are hexfet motor
drivers and Murata based sonar. Hexfets may give me a little
more motor current, and the sonar better range allowing
faster maze investigation but at the expense of little more
mass taking longer to slow down. I may give intensity based
laser object finding a try as well. I toyed with memory
expansion, if I need it it will be a re-layout. Its probably
simplest to run the CPU and memory at 3.3v and level shift
to the motor drivers.

I put a couple of floor sensors on so that I can start off
simple by following lines and maybe have a go at table top
challenge on the way to wall following and maze solving.

Naturally I hope to bring it along to the next meeting.
Maybe I'll have it moving by then!

Cheers

Richard Jones