Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!howland.reston.ans.net!news.sprintlink.net!sunserver.insinc.net!cuugnet!hrynkiwd
From: hrynkiwd@cuug.ab.ca (Dave Hrynkiw )
Subject: Re: Solar power transmission
Message-ID: <D18z61.M4G@cuug.ab.ca>
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 1994 04:58:48 GMT
References: <D14L00.2r9@acsu.buffalo.edu> <1994Dec21.174111.29917@walter.cray.com>
Organization: Calgary UNIX User's Group
Lines: 63

In article <1994Dec21.174111.29917@walter.cray.com>,
Mark Dalton <mwd@cray.com> wrote:
>Robert E. Okane (okane@acsu.buffalo.edu) wrote:
>:   Greetings,
>:I'll looking for ideas on how to implement some type of detection system for
>:a population of solar powered robots. The robots we have are fuzzy logic
>:controlled (no cpu) and avoid each other by detecting the shadow os the others.
>:This is also how we detect the walls of the installation. However, we are now
>:looking to create an "aggressive" population which would chase another robot.

	Hmmm.  Very interesting.  And you haven't looked much at Tilden's 
work?  I'm one of Tilden's "disciples" and would like to hear more about 
your project before I could volunteer any ideas.  Mind you, I'm leaving 
for Xmas at the in-laws tomorrow, so direct any other msgs to my mailbox 
for the next week, hokay?

>little 2mm photo???? (basically little solarcells in a class tube with two
>wires), the more light they recieve the more current is produced.  I think
>these may help (I have the specs. at home).  They are pretty cheap $.50 a
>piece.

	Photodiodes - also detailled in the 6.270 guide or "Mobile 
Robots", I _think_.  Seen a spec sheet on them somewhere in this pile of 
junk...

>:Also we would like to have 50 or more at one time running.

	SHEESH!  Hope you got the space - Mark's RJP got pretty packed 
when Miller (another BEAM experimenter) and I added our "populations" to 
his 4' x 4' arena.  And none of our critters are much larger than 4" cube.

>: I think some kind of identification /signal would be needed to distinguish the
>: populations in some way. I though about color but this would be a bit tacky.
>: (This is an "Art" installation)

	Consider magnetics?  Or even pure physical differences in 
construction can do it.

>: I have been told about some MAX chips that convert fluctuating low voltage
>: (i understood from ~2.1V min) to a "constant" 5 volt signal. Does anyone have
>: any experience with these chips? Do you think these could be a good place to 
>: start? Could I get enough power from these chips to be able to drive a LED?
>: How about the surface mount device LEDs? (Lasers ?)

	Hmmm.  Well, I got a small PCB with these chips on them from 
Miller.  He seems to really like them, but I haven't had much of a chance 
to experiment with them.  They advertise "up to 95% efficiency" and _do_ 
make better use out of the 6.3 ~10 volt power storage caps we use.  You 
could get them to drive an LED, but exactly how much solar cell area are 
you expecting to have per critter?  And what _type_ of cells do you have 
in mind?

	If you follow up with a USENET post, please email me a copy too, 
ok?  I didn't even get to see your original post here.

	Later,
	Dave

-- 
Um, no - that's H,R,Y,N,K,I,W. No, not      \ hrynkiwd@cuug.ab.ca
K,I,U,U, K,I,_W_.  Yes, that's right.       \ Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Yes, I know it looks like "HOCKYRINK."      \ Western CDN Robot Games,
Yup, only 2 vowels. Pronounciation? "SMITH" \ April 8th, 1995 in Cowtown!
