SpamButcher Combat Robotics

my IR sensors / LEDs up and working (all 5 of them) - was a little concerned since I'm using some of a different model than I started out with.

My weapon speed controller (electrifly C-20) is talking with the motherboard and the motor (race 400, with a skill saw blade - much nicer than my last one) I've written code to fake the safety start-up sequence (no throttle, then full throttle, then back down).

Kind of funny - I send the robot the safety sequence via my remote, the software then sends roughly the same command to the weapon controller.

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If the speed controller loses signal for more than about a second it shuts down, and wants the safety sequence again. This puts some limitations on the software - basically I can't do anything that takes more than a second. Sounds trivial - but I'm reading about 40 different data points from the sensors each loop through the code. (I'm taking multiple reads from the IR sensors with different frequencies in order to get distance readings). Not to mention having to control the servo's.

Figuring out whats a robot and whats the wall is tougher than I thought it would be. I'm still pretty confident that once the hardware's entirely sorted out - I'll be able to use the data to make semi-intelligent decisions about where to go next.

Basically all the parts are working. I've got to build a body and write a bunch of code in the next two weeks.

The base plate is .01" titanium reinforced with a carbon fiber strip. The big hunk of electronics is the 'Basic Stamp'. The batteries are under the stamp. Receiver and servos are underneath the titanium (will probably have another Ti sheet or lexan to protect them).

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I haven't started on the armor yet - which the sensors (5 infrared, and hopefully 1 photocell) will be mounted to. No - those wheels won't be exposed.

This is the first time I've had the weapon functional with blade - so I had to give it a test. Wrote a little program to just fire up the blade, and then go forward. Probably the most destructive weapon I've put together so far.

Weight as shown is just over 1lbs - so I've got 4oz left - which should be enough (sensors are probably under 1oz total).

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