Below is a compilation of photos and comments from the evening robot meetings for January.  They are in order of appearance for each week.  Click on a photo to get a bigger version.

Dave has added a Digital Compass to his test robot since last month.  The robot will head in a direction told to by serial command, or preprogrammed test code.  If you disturb the robot while traveling it will doggedly try to correct its travels!

Dennis showed his relay based motor control board.  Its capable of controlling the motor direction.  Rated for Lot-O-Amps!

Greg showed the first robot he ever built, many years ago.  With new batteries it still worked!  Its behavior was a bit shaky though, we guessed caused by the lights in the room which are known to trouble IR sensors.  We have been getting new folks showing up, so for them the old robots are new stuff.  So bring in your dusty old bot to show.  This one definitely fits the bill with lots of dust!

Ed showed the Encoder wheel for the Robo-Magellan group project.  The wheel is made on his home made CNC.  The Slot Opto sensor has a Schmitt Trigger built in it for a nice square wave signal.  There are 40 slots, at 8 degrees apart.

The following week Ed had some more parts for the Robo-Magellan project, these are for the Tail Wheel assembly.  The tail wheel will have a encoder of its own to indicate travel, slip.  Tail wheel travel angle will be indicated by a IR reflector sensor looking at a disk with a Gray Scale printed on it.  Being the tail wheel can rotate 360 degrees a commutation disk, with wire brushes will be used to transmit the wheel encoders signals.

Progress made for the next week on the Robo-Magellan project with the tail wheel assembled.  Note the encoder wheel and sensor are between the twin wheels.  The wheel direction sensor and brush commutation system is in the black cylinder.  Above the cylinder is the ball bearing pivot / mount assembly.

Kim bought in a robot kit.  It seems to be a well document kit with lots of parts.  The base plate appears to be water jet cut 3/16" aluminum.  The robot design is unusual being only one wheel is powered and the other two use automotive style steering.  The processor is a Basic Stamp that is mounted on a board that has some extras on it such as an H-Bridge for the motor control.

For the last meeting of the month the Robo-Magellan group project robot now sports is new fancy tail wheel system, a user interface system and some good sized batteries.  The last photo shows there's lots of guts yet to install!