|
Posted by Wayne Lundberg on August 10, 2006, 5:28 pm
Please log in for more thread options What a wonderful write-up and what a fantastic project!!!!
Wayne
> This may not be what everybody has in mind but this article does describe
a
> good way to make a caterpiller treaded 1/5 vehicle from scratch. Maybe it
> could be of use to people who have thier own shop.
>
> http://www.gizmology.net/tanks.htm
>
> Good Luck with your bot Jim.
>
> > Charlie wrote;
> >>I'm a has-been geek who grew up on C64s and Amigas. I have a
> >>non-professinoal background in programming from the late 80's. I'm
> >>bored with the whole PC realm and am fascinated with robotics. I
> >>believe that robotics is at the stage that PCs were during the late
> >>70's. Only geeks at this point find them interesting. I figure
> >>within 20 years, we'll see a revolution in the industry just like we
> >>saw with PCs in the 90's at which point consumer robots will have a
> >>true use to mainstream society.
> >
> >>I'd like to get started as a hobbyist and am looking for advice on the
> >>best kit that will offer me the ability to upgrade and add on to my
> >>robot with cool stuff. My programming/software abilities are better
> >>than my hardware and engineering skillset. I was looking toward the
> >>Arrick Arobot. Is this a good one? I envision trying to develop
> >>something of a security robot to which I can mount a camera and have
> >>it roam the house and perhaps react upon motion.
> >
> > Charlie, me too. I started with computers and robotics in the mid 70's.
> > But the software just was not able to make the robots do anything
> > worthwhile
> > back then, especially in 8 bit CP/M.
> >
> > I was a programmer for 25 years but my brain decided to burn out the
part
> > needed to keep enough variables in mind to program in about 2000. Now
> > I can do almost anything mechanical as long as I don't have to keep more
> > than about 4 or 5 things "floating" in my brain at the same time. I
have
> > a
> > small shop, can cut, weld, bend, and have lots of old computers and
parts
> > and tons of motors and hardware.
> >
> > One project I have in mind is to take my old "baby bulldozer" (gasoline
> > powered) and use it to cut grass on the steep slopes of my property.
> >
> > I live on a mountain (at least in Maryland we call them mountains) and
> > much
> > of the ground is too steep to walk on. I also have a hillside which has
> > started
> > to be overgrown with small trees and briars and I can take the mower off
> > the dozer
> > (you may have seen them in the back of Mechanics Illustrated, the
> > "Magnatrax")
> > I think I have about the first one ever made. Two levers, left and
right.
> > Lever
> > forward, that side goes forward, lever back, that side goes back. I am
> > thinking
> > of mounting about 3 of those weed wacker toothed cutting wheels on the
> > front
> > with the mower removed to cut the trees, then use heavy weed wacker
lines
> > next to keep the hill grass down to respectable height. With tracks,
the
> > darn
> > thing can go anywhere (just not with me on it!).
> >
> > All this would be remote control of course, I have cameras and Video RF
> > equipment. I intend to sit in my easy chair and put on my "i-glasses"
> > (which
> > are for virtual reality games and such, I use them for relaxation) or
just
> > pipe
> > the camera view to the TV if it is too hot outside.
> >
> > There is no danger since no one can make it up the mountain to here
> > undetected by the alarm system so no one can get hurt by the mower when
> > it is cutting down the small tress in the first phase. Besides, I will
> > probably
> > be too chicken to be too far away from the bulldozer anyway. I will
just
> > have
> > to set up an umbrella or something.
> >
> > Sounds like with your software (I hate Windows) and my mechanical
ability
> > and my 30 by 50 shop, we would make a good pair. But looking at your
> > routing
> > in your server jumps, looks like maybe you are in or near Florida.
> >
> > Oh well. You can email me direct if you wish, I don't buy these kits, I
> > make
> > everything myself, so can't help with that.
> >
> > If you send email, send to jimspam@marylandfred.net and just remove the
> > word "maryland" (just so the automatic scanners can't pick it up).
> >
> > Good luck in any case,
> > Jim Gray (RedCrow)
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
| 
XML site map
>non-professinoal background in programming from the late 80's. I'm
>bored with the whole PC realm and am fascinated with robotics. I
>believe that robotics is at the stage that PCs were during the late
>70's. Only geeks at this point find them interesting. I figure
>within 20 years, we'll see a revolution in the industry just like we
>saw with PCs in the 90's at which point consumer robots will have a
>true use to mainstream society.