Carrier-Bot | Thoughts
Project Idea
I want to make a robot that can carry items. The robot can carry items by the user putting their items onto a platform. The robot carries its items to a pinged location. The robot will be pinged by a phone or a portable button. I want the length of the robot to be customizable according to the needs of the user. The robot will have wheels resembling a tank's. I want the robot to have an auto-navigation function (make it so it can find its own way to the ping). I will probably use an ultrasonic sensor to navigate around obstacles. Maybe play a ding sound after completing task (reaching pinged location).
Some Ideas for navigation:
- The robot will store the direction of the pinged place and find its way there by using sensors etc. The robot will have dc motors for this idea.
- A camera system to find the target. The robot will find its way to the target using the location data from the camera. The robot will have stepper motors for this idea.
- A camera the user carries (or is being carried another way), that always looks down, detects the distance the user walked. The robot (with stepper motors) goes to the calculated location. Example: The camera detects four colors at four (or three etc.) points of the taken picture; after like a second, it retakes the picture, looks for the four colors with the same distances to each other; when found, calculate the distance from their first position to get distance moved.
Key Features:
- Can be pinged by a device
- Finds its way to the pinged place
- Can carry items
- Can change its length
- Plays a sound after completing its task
Draft Materials List:
- Ultrasonic sensor
- DC/Stepper motors
- PCB (motor driver, capacitor, resistor etc.)
- A portable power source (probably some batteries)
- 3D printed parts
- Something to play sound with
- A camera
Sketch:
Motivation
People forget things. People forget to take their items with them when changing locations if they're working on a project, talking on the phone, watching/listening to media, or thinking. After realizing you forgot your items, trying to find them on top of your busy day feels like a great hassle. This project is here so that you can get to your items immediately, without having to feel the dread of trying to find or remember them.
The second reason for me to design this is so that you don't have to carry your items. This isn't the first reason even though it's in the name because, if I really wanted the bot to just carry items, I would've just designed a platform with wheels that you can tie to your hand with a string. The main idea of this project is that you don't have to touch or think about your items to have them with you. Just click the button when you need them, and they're next to you.
Carrier-Bot | Basic Components | Update 1
Info About the Update
I wrote a program that'll help the robot find its way to the goal location. You can find the code here and some example outputs here. I also created an electronic design from Kicad and a really basic (it doesn't have all of the functions I'm planning to implement) 3D model of the robot. Also, because of how I've written the code, I'm planning on using four ultrasonic sensors, each directed to different directions, to navigate the bot. The current code can only simulate the movement of the bot in digital space (as in, it can only show what path it'll take in different situations); however, if the code is successful in real life, I'm basically done with the code of the navigation part since it's not that hard to implement code for electronic parts into my code. I currently have no idea on how to do communication between parts. I got some feedback, however, on how to locate the goal location. A relative of mine recommended using GPRS. Currently, I literally have almost no idea how I can use a GPRS, how it operates, or if it would be even applicable in this situation. I'm planning on looking into it before I post the second update of my final project, so you will probably be able to see my decision on using it in the second update.
3D Design
This design is smaller than how its actual size will be. I didn't implement the changeable length and sound playing functions in this prototype; although, I might discard the sound playing function idea altogether.
Electronics Design
I created a simple PCB design for using DC motors.
