42 Small Inexpensive Robots part1
Description
This article is from the Robotics FAQ, by Kevin Dowling nivek@cs.cmu.edu with numerous contributions by others.
42 Small Inexpensive Robots part1
One of the most common discussions on the net are related to finding,
building and working on small and low cost robots. There are several
small robots on the market and a number of construction kits that
robots can be built from such as Lego, FischerTechnik, Erector and
Capsula. None of these require large investments. These systems are at
most several hundred $US and can run on a desktop. There are also a
number of kit robots that include printed-circuit boards and
components.
"Advanced Design, Inc."
6080 N. Oracle Road, Suite B
Tucson, Arizona 85704
USA
tel: 520.544.2390
fax: 520.575.0703
net: desk@robix.com
url: [60]Robix WWW Site
ADI makes the Robix(tm) RCS-6 Robotic Construction Set, priced at
US$550, or US$565 for 220V/50Hz and PAL video. The RCS-6 is designed
specifically for use by educators and industrial modelers, and is used
to build and operate a wide variety of PC connected desktop robots.
Included are many construction parts, 6 hobby-type servos, an
electronics interface with an 8-channel 8 bit A/D, power supply,
software, manual, video, carrying case, and more, even including a
pair of safety goggles.
The 40-minute video that comes with the set is also available
separately for just the airmail postage cost: US$3 to US locations, $4
to Canada, $5 to Mexico and $8 to all other countries. Shown in the
video are 5 different arms built for (and performing) 5 different
tasks, a pair of 3-servo-each opposable fingers twiddling a ball, 3
animatronic figures, and a 3-legged (but 6-footed) walker with both a
walking and galloping stride. In addition, an arm is built
step-by-step in the video, and then programmed interactively. The
software includes a scripting interface as well as complete C and
QuickBasic 4.5 libraries with documentation and sample code.
For complete technical information, a faq section, text of a cover
story about the RCS-6 in Popular Electronics Magazine, plus over 50
image files (.gif's), a DOS PC .gif viewer, a useful section on what
the set does *not* do, and more, download from the anonymous ftp site:
[61]ftp://ftp.robix.com/pub/. See the readme.txt file there
first.
To get the video, order by phone or fax, or by email from
desk@robix.com. Visa and Mastercard are accepted.
"Aleph Technology"
Parc Heliopolis
16 rue du Tour de l'eau
BP 295-38407
Saint Martin d'Heres cedex, France
tel: +33 76422999
fax: +33 76444620
Small, turtle robot for education. 17000FF
"Angelus Research"
6344 Sugar Pine Circle #98
Angelus Oaks, CA
tel: 909.794.8325.
contact: Don Golding
net: [62]http://www.AngelusResearch.com
Angelus' line of robot products includes:
Whiskers the Robot-A 13 pound rugged robot which is very
intelligent and is very simple to program ($895).
Advanced Whiskers-Two networked processors allow real-time
collision avoidance and navagation ($1895).
ARC-100 controller-Build your own intelligent robot($895) like
Whiskers. Networkable. ARC-110 controller-Like above but has
our narrow beam sonar onboard. Networkable.
HiPower Board-Drive two 10 amp DC motors($195).
MR-1-Series robot for the serious researcher or roboticist.
Available March 1996. ($1995-$10,000).
Heathkit Hero intelligent upgrade kit ($795) includes:
1 ARC-110 controller
1 HiPower Board
4 6 inch Light sensor arrays
"Capsula"
Play-Jour International
Room 914, New World Office Building
(East Wing), 24 Salisbury Rd
Tsimshatsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Capsula is a robot construction set. Looks like a series of bubbles
connected together. Some intriguing modules including IR control,
voice commands, motorized clutches etc. Edmund Scientific sells this
as do many toy stores.
"Circuit Specialists Inc"
PO Box 3047
Scottsdale, AZ 85271-3047
tel: 800.528.1417
tel: 602.464.2485
Quickshut robot arm sold by Circuit Specialists for $259. Appears to
be a nice low cost 5 axis arm for education. IBM (or compatible)
interface, kit including all components and board, power supply kit,
software package, logic probe and experiments and instructions. If
anyone has information as to who actually makes this please send me
email. CSI has a FAX back service at 1(800)622-5426. At the voice
prompt, enter 3060 for more information on the arm. The software
package supplied includes test routines and Robot control proceedures.
The software is written in BASIC and Assembly languages.
"The Electronic Gold Mine"
PO Box 5408
Scottsdale, AZ 85261
tel: 602.451.7454
Roamer Robot Kit. A simple, hardwired robot kit with all parts
necessary to complete the kit. It sells for $39.95.
"FischerTechnik"
[Germany]
Fischerwerke
Arthur Fischer GmbH & Co. KG
Weinhalde 14-18
D-72178 Waldachtal
tel: germany 07443/12-487
fax: germany 07443/12-591
[USA]
Model Technologies
2420 Van Layden Way
Modesto, CA 95356
tel: 209.575.3445
fax: 209.575.2750
url: [63]Fischertechnik
[UK] Economatics Ltd
Epic house, Darnell Road
Attercliffe, Sheffield
United Kingdom
tel: +44 742 56 11 22
fax: +44 742 43 93 04
telex: 5 47 095 ECOMAT G
Like Lego, Fischertechnik is a european-developed construction kit but
much more comprehensive in scope. Electro-mechanical parts galore
including a wide variety of switches, relays, slip rings, contacts,
etc. Many types of building block units as well and computer
interfaces available. More expensive than Lego. Model Technology,
listed above, is one distributor. See also the Robot Explorer in the
publications section.
Here is a listing of some of the kits that they build: Interface for
Macintosh: "Service II" from Boenig and Kallenbach, sold by
Pandasoft Uhlandstrasse 195 D-1000
Berlin 12
fax: 030 315913-55
For DM 498.- for Mac Plus or better. 8 digital in and outputs, 2
analoguous inputs. With Hypercard Stack Computing Experimental and
driver software for all Pascal versions, 4th Dimension and Ragtime
(comparable to MSWorks). Works also with the FischerTechnik Robot and
Plotter assembly kit, 80 pages manual in german?, 3 Diskettes.
There are also computing kits containing interfaces for C64, PC and
Apple II.
Profi Computing by Fischer Technik:
"High-end" kit, 3 motors, 6 switches, 4 lights, 2 fotocells, 20
plugs patch bay, construction base-support plate, 12 models
explained as there are a robot with a controlled hand, a
plotter, a slot-machine, a credit-card reader and a CD-player
(certainly without audio out), 888 parts in total: DM 376,
needs the Service II interface.
Training robot by Fischertechnik:
3 rotation axes which may be controlled simultaneously. Working
radius between 12 and 37 cm, fetching height: 6 to 25 cm,
driven by 3 Fischer Technik S-motors, positioning with infrared
photocell, with cabling and manual, needs the Service II
interface, for DM 547.
Plotter/Scanner by Fischertechnik:
Scanning head not included, "heavy duty" construction,
precision less than 0.5 mm on a A4 surface, driven by 2 bipolar
stepper motors, needs the Service II interface. For DM 487.-
Computing by Fischertechnik:
10 models possible, all explained: antenna rotor, Plotter,
Graphic Tablet, 2-axis robot etc., needs Service II and power
supply for DM 298.-
One source for Fischertechnik that was claimed to be the best,
cheapest and fastest source is Tim King. He stocks a full line of all
the kits as well as the individual components, including repair parts
or service.
Tim King Electronics
14595 Oceana
Allen Park, MI, 48101
tel: 313.928.2598
"Graymark International"
Box 2015
Tustin, CA 92681
tel: 800.854.7393
Graymark sells a variety of electronic kits, like Heathkit used to,
and some small robot kits that resemble the OWI kits. (see below)
Currently they sell a small sound-controlled robot "Scooter" (601A), a
line finder "blinky" (602A) , and a small programmable robot "Copycat"
(603A) and computer interfaces for the Copycat (parallel, serial and
microprocessor interface. Robots are from $19 to $57 and interfaces
are $18-$41.
"Johuco, Ltd."
Box 390
Vernon, CT 06066
Muramator and Photovore. These are simple robot control boards that
are hardwired but can be adjusted using potentiometers. They sell bare
PCBs and you can get the parts from Radio Shack or DigiKey. The PCBs
sell for about $25.00.
"Khepera Support Team"
LAMI - DI - EPFL
INF Ecublens
1015 Lusanne
Switzerland
tel: ++41 21 693.52.65
fax: ++42 21 693.52.63
net:
contact: Franscesco Mondada
Web site is at [64]http://lamiwww.epfl.ch/Khepera
A VERY small mobile robot. Motorola 68331 Processor with 256K RAM and
256 or 512K ROM. Serial port. Six 10bit analog inputs. DC motor
powered with incremental encoders. Eight IR proximity and light
sensors. NiCd batteries. Additional capabilities can be added by using
stackable K-extension bus. Software environments: Calm assembler (PC
or MAC), Gnu C compiler (on all machines supported by GNU) and LabView
(PC, Mac or Sun).
* Size: 55mm diameter, 30mm high
* Weight: 70grams
* Cost: 3000 Swiss Francs [About $2K US]
* Vision and Gripper modules under development.
See also:
Mondada et al. Mobile Robot Miniaturisation: A Tool for Investigation
in Control Algorithms. Third International Symposium on Experimental
Robotics, Kyoto, Japan, Oct 28-30, 1993
"LEGO"
Lego Dacta
555 Taylor Road
PO Box 1600
Enfield, CT 06083-1600
tel: 800.527.8339
fax: 203.763.2466
Canadian office for Lego/Dacta: tel: 800-387-4387.
LEGO Dacta is the educational branch of the LEGO company. Dacta sells
the LEGO Technic product line. These are the geared and motorized
versions for the LEGO system.
Use anonymous ftp to obtain a list of a variety of lego information
and application programs from:
[65]ftp://earthsea.stanford.edu/pub/lego/
CAD/ contains several languages for specifying models
faq/ contains latest faq sheet for alt.toys.lego
games/ Rules for games using lego people and pieces
images/ Pictures and drawings of sets and instructions
sets/ Database listings of lego sets and catalog numbers
upload/ Place your files here!
Lego kits recommended for robotics work include:
1038 Technical Universal Buggy - dual drive vehicle. $60
1032 Technic II w/ motorized transmission - $76
9605 Technic Resource Set - general parts kits - $200
Lego-to-Mac software:
Paradigm Software at tel:617.576.7675
Bots at tel: 415.949.2126
MIT has papers on LEGO projects available via FTP from:
[66]ftp://kame.media.mit.edu/pub/el-memos. The files are in
memo8.* "LEGO/LOGO: Learning Through and About Design"
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