robot builders bonanza - gordon mccomb

For technical information and ideas regarding the material in the book, I would like torecognize Ben Wirz, who has an amazing amount of background in robotics and has beenthe co-designer

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PART 1—ROBOT BASICS

1.2.1 Electronics Background 51.2.2 Programming Background 51.2.3 Mechanical Background 61.2.4 Workshop Aptitude 61.2.5 The Two Most Important Skills 6

2.4.1 Skeletal Structures 122.4.2 Frame Construction 12

iii

2.4.3 Size and Shape 13

3.6.6 Adhesives 33

3.7 Scavenging: Making Do with What You Already Have 35

Chapter 5—Electronic Components 47

Chapter 7—Electronic Construction Techniques 79

7.6 Quick Turn Prototype Printed Circuit Boards 87

PART 2—ROBOT PLATFORM CONSTRUCTION

Chapter 8—Plastic Platforms 97

8.2.2 How to Drill Plastic 101

Chapter 9—Wooden Platforms 111

Chapter 10—Metal Platforms 123

10.2 Build the Buggybot 125

PART 3—COMPUTERS AND ELECTRONIC CONTROL

Chapter 12—An Overview of Robot “Brains” 151

12.2 Brains from Computers and Microcontrollers 154

12.4 Inputs and Outputs 164

Chapter 13—Programming Fundamentals 169

14.6.3 Signal Buffering 202

14.10.2 Converting a Value into a Binary-Format String 211

Chapter 15—The BASIC Stamp 2 Microcontroller 213

15.1 Choosing the Right Stamp for Your Application 214

15.4.2 Assignment Statements and Arithmetic Expressions 224

Chapter 16—Remote Control Systems 255

16.1 Controlling Your Robot with a PC Joystick or Control Pad 255

16.3 Commanding a Robot with Infrared Remote Control 264

PART 4—POWER, MOTORS, AND LOCOMOTION

Chapter 17—Batteries and Robot Power Supplies 277

17.11 Battery Monitors 298

Chapter 18—Principles of Robot Locomotion 305

19.7 Pulleys, Belts, Sprockets, and Roller Chain 339

Chapter 20—Working with DC Motors 345

Chapter 21—Working with Stepper Motors 375

Chapter 22—Working with Servo Motors 393

22.9.4 Servo Voltage Margins 405

22.9.6 Going beyond the 1 to 2 Millisecond Pulse Range 40622.10 Modifying a Servo for Continuous Rotation 406

22.11 Attaching Mechanical Linkages to Servos 409

22.13 Mounting Servos on the Body of the Robot 411

PART 5—PRACTICAL ROBOTICS PROJECTS

Chapter 23—Building a Roverbot 417

Chapter 25—Advanced Robot Locomotion Systems 453

Chapter 26—Reaching Out with Robot Arms 465

28.3 Flexible Finger Grippers 494

PART 6—SENSORS AND NAVIGATION

Chapter 29—The Sense of Touch 501

29.5 Experimenting with Piezoelectric Touch Sensors 511

29.5.4 Using Kynar Piezo Film as a Mechanical Transducer 515

30.2.5 Using a New or Removed-from-Circuit Detector 534

30.4 Soft Touch and Compliant Collision Detection 548

Chapter 31—Sound Input and Output 559

32.4 Using Lenses and Filters with Light-Sensitive Sensors 586

33.2 Following a Predefined Path: Line Tracing 601

33.6.2 Interfacing a Polaroid 6500 Ultrasonic Range Finder 618

33.8 Exploring Other Position-Referencing Systems 625

34.2 Using a Pyroelectric Sensor to Detect Fire 631

Chapter 35—Experimenting with Tilt and Gravity Sensors 641

35.1.1 Building a Balance System with a Mercury Switch 64335.1.2 Building a Balance System with a Ball-in-Cage Switch 643

35.3 Constructing a Dual-Axis Accelerometer Robotic Sensor 646

35.4 Alternatives to Store-Bought Accelerometers 650

Chapter 36—Home Robots and How Not

to Chew Up Your Furniture 653

36.1 Sensing the Environment: Protecting the Furniture

PART 7—PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Chapter 37—Robot Tasks, Operations, and Behaviors 663

37.1 “What Does My Robot Do?”: A Design Approach 664

Chapter 38—Integrating the Blocks 673

38.4.2 Multitasking Error Modes for Optimal Flexibility 677

Chapter 39—Failure Analysis 679

Appendix A—Further Reading 695

A.4 Artificial Intelligence and Behavior-Based Robotics 697

A.7 Microcontroller/Microprocessor Programming

Appendix B—Sources 705

B.3 Electronics/Mechanical: New, Used, and Surplus 709 B.4 Microcontrollers, Single-Board Computers, Programmers 712

B.7 Ready-Made Personal and Educational Robots 714

C.13 Quick Turn Mechanical and Electronics Parts

Gordon McComb’s

Acknowledgments for the Third Edition

Only until you’ve climbed the mountain can you look behind and see the vast distance thatyou’ve covered, and remember those you’ve met along the way who made your trek a littleeasier Now that this book is finally finished, after the many miles of weary travel, I lookback to those who helped me turn it into a reality and offer my heartfelt thanks To the gang

on comp.robotics.misc, for the great ideas, wisdom, and support; to Scott Savage, designer

of the OOPic; to Frank Manning and Jack Schoof of NetMedia for their help with theBasicX; to Tony Ellis, a real-life “Q” if I ever met one; to Scott Grillo and the editors atMcGraw-Hill; to my agents Matt Wagner and Bill Gladstone; and last and certainly not least,

to my wife, Jennifer

Myke Predko’s Acknowledgments for the

Third Edition

I had no small measure of concern when I was offered the opportunity to work on the third

edition of what is affectionately known as RBB The book is a staple for both beginners and

experts alike and is crammed with material and knowledge that come from a large number

of disciplines Undertaking this effort required a lot of support from a variety of differentindividuals

My editor, Judy Bass, who had the confidence that I could update RBB and do a

credi-ble job of it, and who kept her sense of humor and interest despite all the emails, questions,and ideas that are generated in a project like this Judy always gives the confidence that all

of McGraw-Hill is behind me

For technical information and ideas regarding the material in the book, I would like torecognize Ben Wirz, who has an amazing amount of background in robotics and has beenthe co-designer on the Tab Electronics robot kits; Joe Jones, a very special robot designerand author; and Ken Gracey of Parallax who seems to have dedicated himself to makingrobots easy for everyone I want to thank all of you for your time, ideas, and energy towardthe development of the third edition of this book

Over the past few years, I have been involved with the Ontario Science Centre alongwith Celestica, my daytime employer, helping to put on robot workshops for local families

Copyright © 2006, 2001, 1987 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Click here for terms of use

Through these workshops, I have learned a lot about what people want to get from robotsand have seen their ideas take wing All the volunteers involved, both Celestica and OntarioScience Centre employees, continue to give excellent suggestions, feedback, and support.

I would especially like to thank Blair Clarkson, the special events coordinator of the OntarioScience Centre for his friendship, help, and prodding over the years to help create some-thing that is truly unique

For those of you following my progress as a writer, you will know that I frequently sult my daughter, Marya, for ideas and a different perspective Her support started out fromjust pressing buttons to watch lights flash and now has progressed to trying out a few of theprojects and critiquing different aspects of the book

con-My wife Patience’s continual support and love are necessary ingredients of every book Ihave written Her enthusiasm for my hobby despite the mess, time taken from the family,and occasional flames accompanied by loud obscenities is nothing short of wonderful.Nothing that I do would be possible without you

Lastly, I am indebted to Gordon McComb for all his hard work establishing the

frame-work for Robot Builder’s Bonanza and the countless hours he has spent making sure this

book is the best introduction to robotics there is

Thank you and I hope I have been able to pass along a bit of what you’ve given me

To the robotics experimenter, robot has a completely different meaning than what most

people think of when they hear the word A robot is a special brew of motors, solenoids,wires, and assorted electronic odds and ends, a marriage of mechanical and electronic giz-mos Taken together, the parts make a half-living but wholly personable creature that canvacuum the floor, serve drinks, protect the family against intruders and fire, entertain, edu-cate, and lots more In fact, there’s almost no limit to what a well-designed robot can do

In just about any science, it is the independent experimenter who first establishes the neering ideas and technologies At the turn of the last century, two bicycle mechanicsexperimenting with strange kites were able to explain the basics of controlled flight RobertGoddard experimented with liquid-fuel rockets before World War II; his discoveries pavedthe way for modern-day space flight Alan Turning, tasked to create logic equipment todecrypt coded radio transmissions during the Second World War also worked at designingthe basic architecture for the digital computer In the 1950s a psychologist, Dr W GreyWalter, created the first mobile robots as part of an experiment into the operation of nerves

pio-as part of the decision processes in animals

Robotics—like flight, rocketry, computers, and countless other technology-basedendeavors—started small Today, robotics is well on its way to becoming a necessary part

of everyday life; not only are they used in automotive manufacturing, but they are exploringthe solar system and prototype robot servants are walking upright, just like humans, as theylearn to navigate and interact with our world

What does this mean for the robotics experimenter? There is plenty of room forgrowth, with a lot of discoveries yet to be made—perhaps more so than in any other high-tech discipline

I.1 Inside Robot Builder’s Bonanza

Robot Builder’s Bonanza, Third Edition takes an educational but fun approach to

design-ing workdesign-ing robots Its modular projects will provide the knowledge to take you from ing basic motorized platforms to giving the machine a brain—and teaching it to walk, moveabout, sense what is going on around it, and obey commands

build-If you are interested in mechanics, electronics, or robotics, you’ll find this book a

trea-sure chest of information and ideas on making thinking machines The projects in Robot

Builder’s Bonanza include all the necessary information on how to construct the essential

building blocks of a number of different personal robots Suggested alternative approaches,

Copyright © 2006, 2001, 1987 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Click here for terms of use

parts lists, and sources of electronic and mechanical components are also provided whereappropriate.

There are quite a few excellent books that have been written on how to design and buildrobots But most have been aimed at making just one or two fairly sophisticated automa-tons, and at a fairly high price Because of the complexity of the robots detailed in theseother books, they require a fairly high level of expertise and pocket money on your part

Robot Builder’s Bonanza is different Its modular “cookbook” approach offers a

moun-tain of practical, easy to follow, and inexpensive robot experiments and projects Integratedtogether, the various projects presented in the book, along with ones you come up with onyour own, can be combined to create several different types of highly intelligent and work-able robots of all shapes and sizes—rolling robots, walking robots, talking robots, youname it

I.2 About the Third Edition

This new edition features a new author, Myke Predko, who has revised the second edition(published in 2001 and the original edition in 1987) from the perspective of an electricalengineer Myke brings his experience as an electrical engineer that has worked with a widevariety of different computer systems as well as the development of low-level softwaredesigned for hardware interfacing Many of the circuits presented in the earlier editionshave been redesigned to both simplify them as well as make them more robust in robotapplications In the previous edition of this book, a number of different computer controlswere presented while in this edition the projects have been consolidated on the ParallaxBASIC Stamp 2, which is an excellent tool for new roboticists The examples can alsoinspire the more experienced robot designers who already work with their favorite controlhardware The book has also been updated with new material on such topics as commer-cially available robots for the home as well as how to organize your own robot competitions

I.3 What You Will Learn

In the more than three dozen chapters in this book you will learn about a sweeping variety

of technologies, all aimed at helping you learn robot design, construction, and application.You’ll learn about:

• Robot-building fundamentals How a robot is put together using commonly available

parts such as plastic, wood, and aluminum

• Locomotion engineering How motors, gears, wheels, and legs are used to propel your

robot over the ground

• Constructing robotic arms and hands How to use mechanical linkages to grasp and

pick up objects

• Sensor design How sensors are used to detect objects, measure distance, and navigate

open space

• Adding sound capabilities Giving your robot creation the power of voice and sound

effects so that it can talk to you, and you can talk back

• Remote control How to operate and train your robot using wired and wireless remote

or toy as just junk, but as the potential starting point or parts source for your own creations

I.4 How to Use This Book

Robot Builder’s Bonanza is divided into seven main parts Each section covers a major

component of the common personal or hobby (as opposed to commercial or industrial)robot The sections are as follows:

1. Robot Basics What you need to get started; setting up shop; how and where to buy

robot parts

2. Robot Platform Construction Robots made of plastic, wood, and metal; working with

common metal stock; converting toys into robots or using other mechanical odds andends to create robots

3. Computers and Electronic Control An explanation of computer operation;

introduc-tion to programming; interfacing computers and controllers to electronic devices

4. Power, Motors, and Locomotion Using batteries; powering the robot; working with

DC, stepper, and servo motors; gear trains; walking robot systems; special robot motion systems

loco-5. Practical Robotics Projects Over a half-dozen step-by-step projects for building wheels

and legged robot platforms; arm systems; gripper design

6. Sensors and Navigation Speech synthesis and recognition; sound detection; robot

eyes; smoke, flame, and heat detection; collision detection and avoidance; ultrasonicand infrared ranging; infrared beacon systems; track guidance navigation

7. Putting It All Together Discussion on the techniques for integrating different parts

together into a single robot; finding and efficiently fixing the problems you encounteralong the way; putting on a robot competition

Many chapters present one or more projects that you can duplicate for your own robotcreations Whenever practical, the components were designed as discrete building blocks,

so that you can combine the blocks in just about any configuration you desire The robotyou create will be uniquely yours and yours alone

The Robot Builder’s Bonanza is not so much a textbook on how to build robots but a

treasure map The trails and paths provided between these covers lead you on your way tobuilding one or more complete and fully functional robots You decide how you want yourrobots to appear and what you want your robots to do

I.5 Expertise You Need

Robot Builder’s Bonanza doesn’t contain a lot of hard-to-decipher formulas, unrealistic

assumptions about your level of electronic or mechanical expertise, or complex designs thatonly a seasoned professional can tackle This book was written so that just about anyonecan enjoy the thrill and excitement of building a robot Most of the projects can be dupli-cated without expensive lab equipment, precision tools, or specialized materials, and at acost that won’t wear the numbers off your credit cards

If you have some experience in electronics, mechanics, or robot building in general, youcan skip around and read only those chapters that provide the information you’re lookingfor Like the robot designs presented, the chapters are very much stand-alone modules Thisallows you to pick and choose, using your time to its best advantage

However, if you’re new to robot building, and the varied disciplines that go into it, youshould take a more pedestrian approach and read as much of the book as possible In thisway, you’ll get a thorough understanding of how robots tick When you finish the book,you’ll know the kind of robot(s) you’ll want to make, and how you’ll make them

I.6 Conventions Used in This Book

Mechanical drawings, schematics, and other diagrams have been created using standardconventions and should not look significantly different from other graphics found in differ-ent sources The basic symbols used in the diagrams will be explained as you read throughthe book

If there continue to be symbols or components that are confusing to you, please look atthe different reference material listed in the appendices

Integrated circuits are referenced by their part number Remember that the part numberand the operation of the part can vary when different technologies are used This meansthat when you are given a TTL chip of a specific technology (i.e., LS) do not assume thatother chips with the same part number, but different technology, can be used

Details on the specific parts used in the circuits are provided in the parts list tables thataccompany the schematic Refer to the parts list for information on resistor and capacitortype, tolerance, and wattage or voltage rating

In all full-circuit schematics, the parts are referenced by component type and number

• IC means an integrated circuit (IC) Some integrated circuits will be referenced by theirpart number or function if this simplifies the explanation of the circuit and there aremany different substitute parts available

• R means a resistor or potentiometer (variable resistor) All resistors are 1/4 W, 5% erance, unless otherwise specified

tol-• C means a capacitor Capacitors can be of any type unless specified

• D means a diode, a zener diode, and, sometimes a light-sensitive photodiode

• Q means a transistor and, sometimes, a light-sensitive phototransistor

• LED means a light-emitting diode (most any visible LED will do unless the parts listspecifically calls for an infrared or other special-purpose LED).

• XTAL means a crystal or ceramic resonator

• Finally, S or SW means a switch; RL means a relay; SPKR, a speaker; TR, a transducer(usually ultrasonic); and MIC, a microphone

Enough talk Turn the page and open your map The treasure awaits you

P A R T 1

ROBOT BASICS

Copyright © 2006, 2001, 1987 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Click here for terms of use

C H A P T E R 1

THE ROBOT EXPERIMENTER

Alone he sits in a dank and musty basement, as he’s done countless long nights before;pouring over plans, making endless calculations, and then pounding his creation intobeing With each strike of his ball-peen hammer, an ear-shattering bong and echoes ringthrough the house Slowly, his work takes shape and form—it started as an unrecognizableblob of metal and plastic, then became an eerie silhouette, then

Brilliant and talented, but perhaps a bit crazed, he is before his time—an adventurer whobelongs neither to science nor fiction He is the robot experimenter, and all he wants to do

is make a mechanical creature that will ultimately become his servant and companion Thefuture hides not what he will ultimately do with his creation, but what his creation will dowith him

Okay, maybe this is a rather dark view of the present-day hobby robotics experimenter.But though you may find a dash of the melodramatic in it, the picture is not entirely unre-alistic It’s a view held by many outsiders to the robot-building craft It’s a view that’s over

100 years old, from the time when the prospects of building a humanlike machine firstcame within technology’s grasp It’s a view that will continue for another 100 years, per-haps beyond

Like it or not, if you’re a robot experimenter, you are considered to be on society’sfringes: an oddball, an egghead, and—yes, let’s get it all out—possibly someone looking for

a kind of malevolent power!

As a robot experimenter, you’re not unlike Victor Frankenstein, the old-world doctorfrom Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s immortal 1818 horror thriller Instead of robbing graves

in the still of night, you “rob” electronic stores, flea markets, surplus outlets, and other

spe-3

Copyright © 2006, 2001, 1987 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Click here for terms of use

cialty shops in your unrelenting quest—your thirst—for all kinds and sizes of motors, teries, gears, wires, switches, and other odds and ends Like Dr Frankenstein, you galva-nize life from these “dead” parts.

bat-If you have not yet built your first robot, you’re in for a wonderful experience Watchingyour creation scoot around the floor or table can be exhilarating Those around you maynot immediately share your excitement, but you know that you’ve built something—how-ever humble—with your own hands and ingenuity

And yet if you have built a robot, you also know of the heartache and frustration ent in the process You know that not every design works and that even a simple engi-neering flaw can cost weeks of work, not to mention ruined parts This book will helpyou—beginner and experienced robot maker alike—get the most out of your roboticshobby

inher-1.1 The Building-Block Approach

One of the best ways to experiment with and learn about hobby robots is to construct vidual robot components, then combine the completed modules to make a finished, fullyfunctional machine For maximum flexibility, these modules should be interchangeablewhenever possible You should be able to choose locomotion system “A” to work withappendage system “B,” and operate the mixture with control system “C”—or any variationthereof

indi-As you start trying to create your own robots, using a building-blocks approach allowsyou to make relatively simple and straightforward changes and updates When designed andconstructed properly, the different building blocks, as shown in diagram form in Fig 1-1,may be shared among a variety of robots

Most of the building-block designs presented in the following chapters are complete,working subsystems Some operate without ever being attached to a robot or control com-puter The way you interface the modules is up to you and will require some forethoughtand attention on your part (this book does not provide all the answers!) Feel free to exper-iment with each subsystem, altering it and improving upon it as you see fit When it worksthe way you want, incorporate it into your robot, or save it for a future project

1.2 Basic Skills

What skills do you need as a robot experimenter? Certainly, if you are already well versed

in electronics, programming, and mechanical design, you are on your way to becoming arobot experimenter But intimate knowledge of these fields is not absolutely necessary; allyou really need to start in the right direction as a robot experimenter is a basic familiaritywith electronic theory, programming concepts, and mechanics (or time and interest to studythe craft) The rest you can learn as you go If you feel that you’re lacking in either begin-ning electronics or mechanics, pick up a book or two on these subjects at the bookstore orlibrary (see Appendix A, “Further Reading,” for a selected list of suggested books and mag-

azines) In addition, you may wish to read through the seven chapters in Part 1 of this book

to learn more about the fundamentals of electronics and computer programming

1.2.1 ELECTRONICS BACKGROUND

Start by studying analog and digital electronic theory, and learn the function of resistors,capacitors, transistors, and other common electronic components Your knowledge neednot be extensive, just enough so that you can build and troubleshoot electronic circuits foryour robot You’ll start out with simple circuits with a minimum of parts, and go from there

As your skills increase, you’ll be able to design your own circuits from scratch, or at the veryleast, customize existing circuits to match your needs

Schematic diagrams are a kind of recipe for electronic circuits The designs in this book,

as well as those in most any book that deals with electronics, are in schematic form Youowe it to yourself to learn how to read a schematic as there are really only a few dozen com-mon schematic symbols you will have to familiarize yourself with Several books have beenwritten on how to read schematic diagrams, and the basics are also covered in Chapter 5,

“Electronic Components.” See also Appendix A for a list of suggested books on robotics

1.2.2 PROGRAMMING BACKGROUND

Sophisticated robots use a computer or microcontroller to manage their actions In thisbook you’ll find plenty of projects, plans, and solutions for connecting the hardware of yourrobot to any of several kinds of robot “brains.” Like all computers, the ones for robot con-

ObstacleDetectors

Central Computer orControl Circuitry

Sound Generator:Music and EffectsVision System

FIGURE 1-1 The basic building blocks of a fully functional robot, including central processor(brain), locomotion (motors), and sensors (switches, sonar, etc.)

trol need to be programmed If you are new or relatively new to computers and ming, start with a beginners’ computer book, then move up to more advanced texts.Chapter 13, “Programming Fundamentals,” covers the programming basics If you’venever programmed before, you are probably expecting that there is a lot of knowledge thatyou must have to successfully program a computer Actually there is about a half dozenbasic programming concepts that once you understand completely you will be able to pro-gram just about any computer system in just about any programming language.

program-1.2.3 MECHANICAL BACKGROUND

Some robot builders are more comfortable with the mechanical side of robot building thanthe electronic and programming sides—they can see gears meshing and pulleys moving.Regardless of your comfort level with mechanical design, you do not need to possess anextensive knowledge of mechanical and engineering theory to build robots This book pro-vides some mechanical theory as it pertains to robot building, but you may want to supple-ment your knowledge with books or study aids

There are a wealth of books, articles, and online reading materials on mechanical designequations and engineering formulas for you to draw upon when you are designing andbuilding robots This eliminates the need for this book to repeat this information, but likethe information provided in electronics and programming, this book gives you many of thebasics required to cobble together the robot’s mechanical systems

1.2.4 WORKSHOP APTITUDE

To be a successful robot builder, you must be comfortable working with your hands andthinking problems through from start to finish You should know how to use common shoptools, and all related safety procedures, and have some basic familiarity with working withwood, lightweight metals (mostly aluminum), and plastic Once more, if you feel your skillsaren’t up to par, read up on the subject and try your hand at a simple project or two first.You’ll find construction tips and techniques throughout this book, but nothing beatshands-on shop experience With experience comes confidence, and with both comes moreprofessional results Work at it long enough, and the robots you build may be indistinguish-able from store-bought models (in appearance, not capability; yours will undoubtedly be farmore sophisticated!)

1.2.5 THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS

Two important skills that you can’t develop from reading books are patience and the ingness to learn Both are absolutely essential if you want to build your own working

will-robots Give yourself time to experiment with your projects Don’t rush into things becauseyou are bound to make mistakes if you do If a problem continues to nag at you, put theproject aside and let it sit for a few days Keep a small notebook handy and jot down yourideas so you won’t forget them

If trouble persists, perhaps you need to bone up on the subject before you can adequatelytackle the problem Take the time to learn more about the various sciences and disciplines