Newsgroups: comp.robotics
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From: stephen.griswold@circellar.com
Subject: BIG TRAK
Message-ID: <9505182145.0UK8201@circellar.com>
Organization: Circuit Cellar, Inc.
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Distribution: world
Date: Thu, 18 May 95 21:45:16 -0400
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 BR> In article <3pdl1p$o4e@newsbf02.news.aol.com>,
 BR> Rich 924 <rich924@aol.com> wrote:
 >There used to be a rather interesting toy called Big Trak. It was a six
 >wheeled toy that could be programmed to move fowards reverse and turn.
 >There was a book called Microprocessor controlled Robotics that converted
 >this to have and on board computer. Right not I can't find the book.
 >
 > The point being that 10 years ago there was a toy that had motors and
 >optical encoders on a differential drive setup. Now there does not seem to
 >be any such toys. It was an excellent platform. Does anyone know of any
 >toys like that now?

 BR> If I am not mistaken the big trak did not have optical encoders.  It
 BR> had a magnetic clutch that would syncronize the left and right sides
 BR> whenever they were running close to the same speed (which hopefully
 BR> kept it going straight - but if one side was on carpet and the other
 BR> not on carpet, no amount of syncronization will keep it going in a
 BR> straight line). When the two motors were at widely different speeds the
 BR> magnetic clutch would not hook up, so you could turn or spin.

 Nope..  It DID have a pair of IR LED/Detector set in the drive mechanism
 The encoder wheel was one of the gears with  a staggered set-up of holes
 in "W"-fashion, and the two emit/detc pair in a ":"-fashion.
  
 To answer Rich's question, I've seen (and own) the book.. 
 Mark Remillard(sp?) was the author.  (Better known for his articles in
 one of the following magazines.. (Which one, I've forgotten.)
  
 Radio Electronics
 Elementary Electronics ( <---<<<<< This one Most possible,)
 Electronics Illustraited
  
 My ONLY Suggestion to Rich, would be seeing if he can dial into his local
 Library's catalog (we have something similar,called C.O.N.N.E.C.T. here in
 Connecticut, for searching intra-Library for book loans.), to search for
 the book by partial title.. (I'd dig-up the ISBN number, but my copy is
 burried under a TON (Litteral!) of paper. (Various computer manuals, in
 boxes.)
   Stephen

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