George by Ben DeKraker

Built by Ben DeKraker and Bob Potter

As of Feb. 2001:



Wheels: (2) 6" Lawn Mower, (1) Support Caster

Motors: (2) 24vdc Gear Motors, 140 RPM

Computer: Bondwell 286 Laptop, Stripped for Weight, Running QBASIC 4.5

Sensors (Planned): Bump, Sharp IR Distance, Ultrasonic Distance

Frame: Aluminum Stock

Power: Ni-Cad Rechargable Battery Packs

Cost: ? $150.00 US (Including Planned Sensors, $105.00 Without)


Details:

George was started in 2000 with a friend, Bob Potter. The robot is 
designed to stay indoors, navigate through a building, and perhaps
warn about any trouble (fire, etc). The frame was constructed around
my Bondwell computer. Motors were bought from All Electronics
(www.allelectronics.com). Custom bushings were used to attatch the 
lawn mower wheels.

The control computer is a Bondwell 286 laptop, which I stripped of its
case and LCD screen for weight. The control program is written in
QuickBasic 4.5, and controls the motors via a dual H-Bridge.

There are no sensors (yet), but we plan to add bump switches, a Sharp
infra-red distance sensor, and maybe an ultrasonic sensor. These
sensors will allow George to navigate inside a building without
(hopefully!) hitting anything.

Power is provided from a pack of Ni-Cad rechargables, and we hope the
robot will be able to locate and "dock" at his charger.

So far, we have run into several problems, many of them solved. We had
a hard time securing the wheels onto our flattened motor shafts. A
custom bushing fixed this, but the bushings are not very strong. I,
being in charge of the computer and electronics, also had a hard time
figuring out all the input/output commands. I'm still working out the
snafus as we go.

If there is another robot out there named George, contact me and I'll
gladly change his name, or perhaps tack on a "W".  ;-)

-Ben DeKraker

Email: bdekraker@hotmail.com