Electronics - Robotics - Mechatronics Technologies
There are many tutorials how to build a robot… This blog collects some interesting robot tutorial. Just visit this blogonline casino and find some robot tutorial like line follower robot tutorial and fire fighter robot tutorial.
Photosensors or photodetectors are sensors of light or other electromagnetic energy. There are several varieties:
Most optical detectors are quantum devices in which an individual photon produces a discrete effect.
* Chemical detectors, such as photographic plates, in which a silver halide molecule is split into an atom of metallic silver and a halogen atom. The photographic developer causes adjacent molecules to split similarly.
* Photoresistors or Light Dependent Resistors (LDR) which change resistance according to light intensity
* Photovoltaic cells or solar cells which produce a voltage and supply an electric current when illuminated
* Photodiodes which can operate in photovoltaic mode or photoconductive mode
* Photomultiplier tubes containing a photocathode which emits electrons when illuminated, the electrons are then amplified by a chain of dynodes.
Sure, Mindstorms NXT is a toy, but it is an important toy, like a piano or a chemistry set. It’s one of those items that engages an imagination and possibly opens doors to new interests. Since our future is surely to be shared with robots–it’s already started happening, just look at Roomba–those robots will need, at least initially, humans to program and maintain them. Those people, years from now, will likely remember their experiences with Lego Mindstorms.
Out of the Box
The main part of the kit is the NXT itself. It’s about the size of an iPod (though a bit thicker) with a a loudspeaker, a monochrome LCD, and navigation keys on the front. This is the controller for the robot–it’s brain, if you will. It has three ports on top for connecting to the servo motors and four ports on the bottom for connecting to four different sensors: Touch, Light, Sound, and Ultrasonic (see detail below).
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The set includes Ethernet-like wires for connecting all of these to the NXT, as well as software and a basic USB cable for downloading programs from your computer. Then there are all the Lego parts, hundreds of them, and most are very small. It would be a good idea to get a plastic organizer for the different parts–it would not only make construction and storage easier but also part loss less likely. Read the rest of this entry �
PALMER - Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School had great success in its first robotics competition last spring and during this academic year the school will not only compete but also host the Massachusetts regional tournament.
It means a lot of work for electronics technology teacher Eric A. Duda, but he is up for it.
“The educational value of this is great,” Duda said.
He is not only teaching and guiding the students in this program, he is watching them do work at a level that he was involved with as an electrical engineering student at Western New England College.
“It’s amazing,” Duda said. “They design something. They build it. They test it. They record all of their results.”
School teams all over the world compete in the FIRST Tech Challenge Championship by building a robot that meets required specifications and can perform a designated task.
The 2008 contest calls for a robot that can pick up rings that are 3 inches in diameter and put as many of them as possible on a pole while racing the clock.
While Duda’s students find it fun and exciting, their work also fits into the state’s curriculum frameworks for electronics technology.
“It takes a lot of math skills and a real scientific approach. They do a lot of computer programming,” Duda said. “This covers a real wide range and ties everything together.”
“They are doing a great job,” he said. Read the rest of this entry �
AFC Stamping and Production, Inc. produces finished components used in power sports and automotive applications, and automotive stampings that have welded components.
The Dayton, Ohio, company was established in 1989, and employs 100 people. It is a subsidiary of FC Industries, whose family of companies includes Barsplice Products Inc., AFC Tool Inc., Dayton Precision Punch and FC International.
AFC Stamping and Production is housed in an 115,000-square-foot facility that accommodates nine production lines, including a CNC bender, end finish equipment, resistance welding, and fully equipped press and manual welding departments.
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Jon Lambert, engineering manager for AFC Stamping and Production, Inc., is responsible for capital expenditure, continuous improvement, plant layout and process and tooling concepts, and supports the company’s lean manufacturing initiatives and internal and external customer requirements.Before adding a robot to the workforce, the product mix was produced by an outside contractor. Prior to outsourcing, the assemblies were welded manually, creating several disadvantages, including cost, lack of manpower, operator control of quality and poor product flows. Read the rest of this entry �
Without strong public interest, Legislature could hold upper hand on project’s location
MONTGOMERY — If Alabama’s rumored tight finances let Gov. Bob Riley move forward with his dream robotics campus in 2008, an economist says a campus closest to Huntsville makes financial sense.
But political experts say you can’t leave the Legislature out of the equation if the project needs state funding. Decisions about the future of the robotics campus could lie with politics for that reason.
Calhoun Community College and Wallace State Community College in Hanceville are contenders for the first phase of the robotics project. Riley had promised site selection by December, but his press spokesman, Jeff Emerson, said the governor will make no decision until after Jan. 1.
Phase one includes student-training facilities to prepare people for high-paying jobs working with and maintaining robots in industry. Later phases would include robotics research and demonstration areas where industries could show their robotic toys to potential customers.
With both colleges vying for the robotic plum, the experts say the final decision may hinge on one of several factors. Those factors include public opinion, proximity to high-tech research facilities in Huntsville, the governor’s plans after he leaves office in 2010 and who holds the political upper hand.
Unless there is strong public opinion, the decisions about new projects often hinge on political wheeling and dealing, especially in the Legislature. Read the rest of this entry �
Robosapien Version 2 is the next generation of Robosapien technology and personality from Wowwee. This new member of the robotic family comes with more advanced dynamic motion, interactive sensors, new program functions, speech capability, and a personality all his own. It’s clear from the start that he enjoys bowling, dancing, and having conversations.
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Movement
RobosapienV2 is able to walk forward in four different styles, or gaits. He normally uses his IR vision and touch sensors built into his feet and hands to avoid obstacles, but if put into bulldozer mode, he will walk forward or backward and try to push his way through anything.
Beyond controlling him manually with the included remote controller, RobosapienV2 can explore his environment independently in free roam mode. You can also direct his movements by using the remote’s targeting feature–just point the beam to a spot on the floor and he will walk toward it.
RobosapienV2 has been designed with a full range of motion. He can turn his head just like humans. So, too, can he turn at the hips and can move them forward and back and from side to side. RobosapienV2 can move each arm independently, and his hands can grab, pick up, and throw light objects, such as the included bowling balls and pins. He even comes preprogrammed with a selection of dance moves. Read the rest of this entry �
The circuit diagram for the Line Follow Sensor board is shown below:
The board is connected directly to the Light IO board via PL4.
This circuit is very simple. +5V is applied via PL4 pin 4 to the circuit, and 0V is connected to pin 1 of PL4. When power has been applied, which is controlled by the processor1 board, Infra-Red LEDs D1 and D2 will emit Infra-Red light. If you Read the rest of this entry �
If you want to engineer a satellite tracking system someday, you have to start somewhere. How about learning circuitry with a Line-Tracking Mouse? This 6″ x 4-1/2″ robot has a transparent mouse-shaped plastic case over its electronics, making him almost 3″ tall. He has (3) photo interrupters that project infrared rays and distinguish between black and white. Assemble him and watch him follow a black stripe that you’ve drawn on white paper. The challenging kit involves soldering, but contains illustrated instructions and all the necessary electronic and mechanical parts to complete it. You provide household tools, soldering equipment, and (4) “AA” batteries. Only for ages 12 and up. Basic soldering skills required. Read the rest of this entry �
