PWcommBot is my first attempt at any project of this sort. While it lacks such sophistication as some of the other robots here, it has been a challenge to me. As you can see, it is grafted from an old PowerWheels vehicle. It is funny to watch it run around in the house as it more closely resembles a bull in a china closet.
CURRENT FUNCTIONS
So far, the only sensors it has are the bump whiskers on the front.
PARTS USED
PowerWheels vehicle motors, gears, and other components (very sloppy!) Commodore64 Computer, modified to operate on 12VDC, otherwise unmodified. Tape Drive on board for field loading of software. Relays for motor drive control (inefficient, but cheap)
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED
The biggest problem so far is the sloppiness of the PowerWheels drive train. By the time the program figures out it has hit something and stopped the
motor, (EMF braking) the sloppy drivetrain has let it plow through what it bumped. The other was all the mods to make the C64 battery-friendly.
TIME TO BUILD
So far, $0. I have used nothing but salvaged and junk box parts.
FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS
Camera and RF video link.
Infrared 'following' system.
Speech (fully software synthesis, runs on the C64).
Encoders on the drive wheels for distance measurement.
H-Bridge motor controllers.
Programming console.
If you have any questions please feel free to email me at
veewee77@alltel.net
