Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Simple Navigation scheme
From: steve.burke@mecheng.fullfeed.com (Steve Burke)
Path: brunix!sgiblab!swrinde!hookup!news.moneng.mei.com!uwm.edu!daffy!uwvax!gorgon!fullfeed!mecheng!steve.burke
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <af.4489.33.0NAF7584@mecheng.fullfeed.com>
Date: Fri,  1 Apr 94 14:39:00 -0600
Organization: MechEng / American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Lines: 49

C >Message-ID: <clarkb.56.0010689B@netstar.com>
C >Newsgroup: comp.robotics
C >Organization: Netstar, Inc.

C >My son and I have built a simple robot that can roam around the basemen
C >has no navigation capability.  We just program it with instructions whe
C >go relative to its current position.  I doesn't 'know' where it is, exc
C >some offset from where it started.  Does anyone with more experience ha
C >ideas for how we could _simply_ add that capability: to know its curren
C >location in the room?  That way, we could tell it to go to a certain pl
C >not give it relative positioning information.  Thanks, CB.
C >=======================================================================
C >          _  _               Clark Bremer     clarkb@netstar.com
C >         /  /_)              Software Engineer, NetStar Inc.
C >         \_/__)              10250 Valley View Road  MPLS, MN 55344


You don't mention what kind of budget you have to play with, but then all 
you guys working in Eden Prairie are rich anyway :-).

You say there is "no navigational capabilities".  Do you have any encoders 
or other wheel counting sensors installed?  If not, that is the first step 
to take.  A you can get reasonably accurate dead reckoning navigation out 
of a pair of encoders as long as you stay on a smooth floor and keep your 
speeds low.  The encoders will also give you feedback for speed control. 
  
A pair of reflective optical sensors looking for reflective tape could be 
used to periodically update your dead reconing heading & position.  The 
tape could be mounted on the floor, walls, or ceiling, depending mainly on 
the range of the sensors and how complicated you want your program to 
become.

If you want to follow walls or other semi-permanant fixtures, you could use 
ultrasonic sensors to maintain the robot's distance from the wall.

If you have the money, you might consider a video camera and start looking 
for features (edges, lights, etc).

Let us know what you do and how it works out.  These homebrew projects are 
always very interesting.

Steve Burke, Tennant Co. in Golden Valley, MN



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