September 10, 2000

Progress

Platform:

  • Basic platform design still unclear.

Sensors:

  • Have received some sensor chips and have some ideas about using Atmel AVR microcontrollers as sensor interface units, but nothing really firm yet.
  • No other measurable progress.

Software:

  • No measurable progress.  I don't even have a computing platform yet.

Motors:

  • I got a sensor to move under computer control!
  • No other measurable progress.

Brains:

  • No platform; no progress.

Other:

  • Work area progressing nicely.  Another week or two and I'll be satisfied with my "environment".
  • Built a table!  Woo hoo!


This week's picture.  My almost-complete main workspace.  Click for a larger view.

This week was one of those "infrastructure" weeks.  The "deadline" for the project is still almost seven months away, and since this is all for fun, I want to have a workspace that is as close to "perfect" as space, time, and funds will allow.  So besides getting my "main" work area (shown above, to be used for electronics and computer work) nearly ready, I spent most of my time building a small work table out of wood from the local lumber yard (see the image below).  This table will be used for mechanical construction; I still need to get some more tools for that task.  Besides about 50 screws and bolts, the bill of materials:
  • 1 -- 8 foot 2x12
  • 3 -- 8 foot 2x6
  • 3 -- 6 foot 1x4

It's not progress on building Bing, but at least I built something!

On other fronts, I have received some sensors -- air pressure sensors which I hope to adapt to dealing with foot pressure, and an accelerometer.  I have decided to dedicate one or more Atmel AVR processors for various sensor data collection duties, but haven't really made any progress on linking all of it together.  More on this as the weeks progress!

Regarding the robot's body, I have cut some little pieces of basswood to help me try to visualize how the feet and legs could work, but it is still far from being a real design.  There doesn't seem to be enough room for all the devices, so there is much work still to be done before I build anything.  I doubt that I'll get anything built in September.  Oh well, lots of time left!  I bet I'll regret that statement.

Here is a "CAD" drawing of the worktable I built this week.  My previous hobby was computer graphics (raytracing), and during that phase I swallowed hard and bought a program called Rhino which is marvelous.  It will serve me well designing and building Bing.