RP6 ROBOT SYSTEM - 1. Introduction
1.6. Application proposals and ideas
The RP6 has been designed with good expansion possibilities. If you equip your RP6
with some additional sensor circuits, you can “teach” your Robot some of the following
things (some of the following tasks will turn out to be quite complex and the list is
roughly sorted in order of complexity):
●
Expand the robot with additional controllers providing more CPU power, add addi-
tional memory or simply some I/O-ports and ADCs as it will be discussed in the ex-
ample programs with simple I²C port expanders and ADCs.
●
Output sensor data and text on a LC-Display
●
React on noise and generate acoustic signals
●
Measuring the distance to obstacles with additional ultrasonic sensors, in-
frared-sensors or similar in order to achieve better collision avoidance
●
Track black lines on the floor
●
Track and trace other robots or objects
●
Control the robot from your PC by using infrared signals (this needs extra hardware.
Unfortunately it does not work with standard IRDA interfaces). Alternatively you
might start straight away by using wireless RF modules.
●
Control the RP6 by using a PDA or Smartphone (in this case we suggest to mount
these devices to the robot instead of using them as remote control. But that is pos-
sible, too!)
●
Collect objects (e.g. tea lights, marbles, tiny metal objects …)
●
Attach a tiny robot arm to grasp objects
●
Navigate with the help of an electronic compass and/or infrared beacons (made up
of small towers equipped with a number of IR-LEDs and positioned at a well known
location), in order to determine the robot's position and head for a given location.
●
Providing a number of robots equipped with a ball kick and handling mechanism and
some extra sensors you might be able to raise a team of robots playing soccer!
●
… anything else, which might come to your thoughts!
However, first of all you have to read this manual and become familiar with robotics
and programming. The previous list of ideas is just meant as a little motivation.
And if programming does not succeed at first glance, please do not give up immeadi-
ately and throw everything out of the window: all beginnings are difficult!
- 15 -
