My HEXBUG Spider modification project.
Well, after seeing a post on Hack A Day I got very interested in getting my fingers on a few to hack.
This one is up and running:
In this image you can see a Sharp GP2Y0A02YK0F that is being used to sense if the spider is getting close to an object.
I had to rework it since the Sharp sensor was giving me headaches because the sensor reports the object as feather away when it comes closer than 15cm.. and it's bulky.
The rework also included a bigger battery (900mAh instead of 190mAh), a Li-Po battery charge circuit (MAX1555) and a Serial Bluetooth transceiver module CRS BC417 I picked up on ebay some time ago.
I also started looking at DIY versions of IR proximity sensors like this one that I've been working on for a while.
I've got most of what I need, the problem is that I'm not getting the readings right, so I'm guessing it's because the IR sensor works differently than the one in the blog post....
*ARGH*
I reused the motor control IC because I didn't want to build an H-Bridge from scratch also making it larger than the ST1155A that was in there from before.
All in all, with only the Sharp IR Proximity detector, the motor controller IC and the Teensy 2.0 that's running the show on the Spider side, it can walk around.
There is a soft PWM library out there so it's possible to vary how fast the spider walks and turns the turret.
This came in handy when I started playing with the bluetooth module and this E-Sky USB RC Simulator Set.
Now it can be control'd over wireless Bluetooth (that's up and running as of writing this post), and it gives me some speed control with the USB RC Set (When I get the Teensy to understand the RC Set's input data...).
I'll pop out an update when I get that far... Hopefully, this will be sooner than this time :S
- Marco
Des.04 2011
Okay.. I'm looking at my ssysm source for the bandwidth monitoring part of the application... I must have been drunk while doing that code :S
Looks like I've overused threads and object orientated code like crazy :(
Guess I'll have to rewrite most of that part :O
*sigh*
Nov.19 2011
I've been working on several projects in the last few months, one is my old Technics AMP that I'm adding Ethernet control support and I've got some plans for doing more like temperature reading of the coolant block and volume state reading ++
Another is a alarm clock I've posted about earlier.
I also started playing a little around with a few ARM STM32's to get more acquainted with them.. this is going to take some time... :D
I've also got a bunch of other projects I'd like to start if I ever get that far.. The problem is that I'm pretty good at starting on something, but not so good at finishing the project...
A thought of trying to build my own mp3 player is also simmering in the back of my mind, using the TDA1543 as a DAC.
It'd be really cool if I could get this last project up and running.. but I just don't know if I can get myself to do it :S
Ah well....
- Marco
