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raretek
2003.01.04, 09:43 PM
I've been staring at a spare Basic Stamp, some polaroid transducers, and a couple of IR emitter/sensors and then looking at my Mini Z and thinking...

Anyone give their Z autonomy yet?

I found this if anyone is interested...

http://216.239.33.100/search?q=cache:U4E5YiNqJ2MC:webs.cs.berkeley.edu/retreat-6-02/RobotHardwareandControl.ppt+autonomous+mini+z&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Fovea3d
2003.01.05, 07:55 AM
I would love to teach my second mini-z to follow a path on my track by itself so I can chase it :D
Driving alone is fun but chase/be chased by a robot would be amazing. If it was just a matter of sensors and drawing a line on a track I'd do it right away :cool:

DavidDeLaurier
2003.01.05, 09:45 AM
OMG! Is this possible? If it is then I want the schematics for it! I could set up races aginst my other Z!

The only problem would be setting the speed around the turns and straights. If you could have a programable chip to determine when as turn is coming up and when a straight is comming up you could make it slow down or speed up accordingly.

Digisane
2003.01.07, 01:26 AM
Originally posted by DavidDeLaurier
OMG! Is this possible? If it is then I want the schematics for it! I could set up races aginst my other Z!


:D I just had a funny thought. I can already imagine your other Z starting off by itself before you are ready!! LOL

:D :D :D



The only problem would be setting the speed around the turns and straights. If you could have a programable chip to determine when as turn is coming up and when a straight is comming up you could make it slow down or speed up accordingly.

This part maybe harder to duplicate a good car to race against. Also, you probably need to program some sort of anticipation counter-steering thingiemajig when it nearly crosses the line for the car otherwise it'll be zig-zagging all over the road trying to correct to the perfect line and throwing itself off in the process esp. when it speeds up.

Draconious
2003.01.07, 05:41 PM
It has been done on larger RC cars.. or trucks rather saw a Black Foot doing it in a school room followed a tape track... and it Learned to get better at it as it drove around less errors etc... obviosly it requires a computer to either be on board, or analys the data remotely through the camera...

not an easy taske on a mini-z but it is doable... just a matter of knowing how, and funding the project.

baseline
2003.01.07, 05:57 PM
maybe you can extract the AI from some game software which is known to have a GOOD AI (not something like NFS hot pursuit 2 LOL)

Draconious
2003.01.07, 06:05 PM
Those AIs are based on a virtual worlds coordanate system and would definatly not work.... a RC AI would need to use a camera and speed sensors to analyse what is in front of it... the virutal car world knows were everything is at all times, just a bunch of 110101010's ;).

baseline
2003.01.07, 06:23 PM
use a GPS.
and the track shape is pre-programmed in the car. so with the two working together, what's the difference from a virtual world?
as for sensing cars in front, well that would require some radar.. just ideas :rolleyes:

Digisane
2003.01.07, 09:31 PM
Originally posted by baseline
use a GPS.


I don't think GPS is accurate to within milimeters yet..

If you're intending to duplicate another racer it's probably going to be harder as the car needs to anticipate going into corners (dealing with understeer or oversteer) then correct itself before it spins, slow down, take a corner, and if it DOES spin or go off the line, the steering tracks correctly other than turning more trying to recover the line and find its way back without going the wrong way, all this is lots of trial and error. Not to mention to build in a 'steering damping' program to prevent zig zags.

I think more likely it's possible for the car to follow the exact line but at really low speeds (and what's the fun in that other than emulating slow traffic on the track while you speed around trying to avoid them).

I think to better emulate a suicidal racer, cut a deep slot in the track and have a pin under the car stick into that slot and set the motor to run automatically at full speed. :D :D Oh yeah back to the lo-tech way


and the track shape is pre-programmed in the car. so with the two working together, what's the difference from a virtual world?


In the virtual world, the AI cars can go off the line and run smack into a virtual wall and be able to head back and follow the road without much problems, and even if it does go wrong the computer can always reset the car back on the roads.

In the REAL world, there are no walls, and the car does not know where exactly it is, it only sees how far it is to either side of the line it is supposed to follow. By following one line, it can cause tracking problems such as going the wrong way or zig-zagging, unless we somehow make the path it's supposed to follow bigger.


:cool:

Fovea3d
2003.01.07, 11:19 PM
2 sensors! One in front controls the steering servo proportionnaly
through a modified PCB. The rear sensor controls the throttle. When the 2 sensors are centered, motor gives full throttle and steering is centered. If the cars goes into oversteer or sliding, the rear sensor will be misaligned and will release throttle.
The sensors are 4" large ccd cells that can proportionnaly read the position of a white line under it (I've seen it working on some robot prototypes). Yes I think that robot could kill us all
:D

Fovea3d
2003.01.07, 11:43 PM
Here something involving more sophisticated sensors capable of "counting" gauged marks on side walls. The steering tend to point to the highest number of marks (the most distant wall), the throttle is dependent of the steering, giving full throttle when left and right marks are of the same amount (middle of the track/steering centered).

Draconious
2003.01.08, 01:51 AM
GPS is far from accurate enough... HOWEVEr, using a similar concept, there are Robot Sport games kinda like soccer, that the robot players are 100% pre programed to play, the coach (programer) is not allowed to have any input into them other then between plays... they know the field situation by a camera in the cieling above the "areana" that each team shares... they all use that video feed to send to their team computer(s) wich remotely control the robots so the red dots on the red team and blue dots on the other team can be told apart from team to team.. their locations say who is what player.. and the yellow dot is the ball... green is the playing field etc...

It sounds like fun, but mega bucks $$ ;). These robots in question are often no bigger that 2 or 3 mini-z parked on top of each other... there are rules as to the min/max size of the bot..

Using this would be VERY easy to adapt to Mini-Z's cuz you dont have to alter the Mini-Z!! no cameras, sensors, nothing... just have to put a dot of your color on top of the car or someting.. maybe 2ndary dot to tell what way its facing etc... the track could just be that wich is NOT green... green being the infield/grass etc... each car could have its own pattern or number of dots.. on top. they could even be going full speed with this method... cuz the video dont realy have to update as fast.. and can even be low resolution, as long as it covers the whole track with one camera...

Heck we could record a visiting driver.. save his race.. and then have som eone else a week later challenge that drivers save file.. a REAL ghost car :) as long as the Mini-Z used is actualy the same stats as the guest car ;) hehe... wont realy work 100% but it would be similar.

Sm0lders
2003.01.08, 07:24 AM
Sensors, robots ?, you guys are thinking way to hard :D, I got a very easy method that could do the trick !

Look at this picture:
http://germanaircooled.tierranet.com/FALLER/1627-5.gif

This is a 1/87 car used to run on trainmodel layouts, it's really simple, you lay a copper wire (or anything where a magnet can react on) at the ideal raceline underneeth your track, then a magnet underneeth your car (in this picture number 3) will follow the copper wire underneeth the track as the car drives over it. The little magnet is attached to a little metal plate wich is connected to the stearingbar (as you can see in the picture) and there you have it !, automatic steering !, really easy isn't it, now you only need to putt the transmitter of the fake car to a certain speed, as high as possible, not to high so it won't crash in sharp corners and then you can play against the perfect ideal line driving fake car :) But if you give the fake car a little tag then the magnet could easely get lost, it should be really strong so it can handle little bumps when your racing after him.

Yes I'm a genius ! :D, I think it will fit in a Racer pretty good, a F1 to...but that would need some more work. I didn't build my track yet but I will deffinetly putt a copper wire at the ideal driveline before I putt the carpet on it :)

Now post some mods, I want to see someone with a working prototype :D, don't forget to call it the "Sm0lders carsystem" lol !

Digisane
2003.01.08, 08:49 AM
I still prefer my idea of cutting a groove in the track and putting a pin under the car into that groove and making the motor run as fast as possible (emulation of Maniacal Suicidal Racer), so you can chase (or be chased down by) the car that never spins or makes any mistakes.

I know, I'll call it a Slot Car!! What's that? The idea's been around for a long time????? NOOOOOO!!

:D :D

Hmm. This actually sounds fun. Plus, no need to learn about robotics and sensors and GPS and magnets and colored dots, although the grooves would be a bit of a problem for your car unless you can make it really narrow.

Originally posted by Sm0lders
This is a 1/87 car used to run on trainmodel layouts, it's really simple, you lay a copper wire (or anything where a magnet can react on) at the ideal raceline underneeth your track, then a magnet underneeth your car (in this picture number 3) will follow the copper wire underneeth the track as the car drives over it. The little magnet is attached to a little metal plate wich is connected to the stearingbar (as you can see in the picture) and there you have it !, automatic steering !, really easy isn't it, now you only need to putt the transmitter of the fake car to a certain speed, as high as possible, not to high so it won't crash in sharp corners and then you can play against the perfect ideal line driving fake car :) But if you give the fake car a little tag then the magnet could easely get lost, it should be really strong so it can handle little bumps when your racing after him.


I imagine the above is possible only at low speeds. Sort of an Slow Road Hog Simulator so you need all your skills to pass the car.

Nice cost-efficient way of doing it though.

Sm0lders
2003.01.08, 08:57 AM
The stronger the magnet to stear the faster it could go ;)

Digisane
2003.01.08, 09:06 AM
Originally posted by Fovea3d
2 sensors! One in front controls the steering servo proportionnaly
through a modified PCB. The rear sensor controls the throttle. When the 2 sensors are centered, motor gives full throttle and steering is centered. If the cars goes into oversteer or sliding, the rear sensor will be misaligned and will release throttle.
The sensors are 4" large ccd cells that can proportionnaly read the position of a white line under it (I've seen it working on some robot prototypes). Yes I think that robot could kill us all
:D

Fovea3d,

I see a slight problem with your idea. It's nothing major, but looking at the diagram you drew, i noticed that in a spin (3rd digram), the car could correct itself, but what if both front and rear slip at the same time? The throttle would cut but the steering would turn even more trying to find the line. It could bring the car facing backwards given enough momentum when the tires grip again. Or would it?

Have to admit your idea is quite clever.

:D

Digisane
2003.01.08, 09:14 AM
Originally posted by Sm0lders
The stronger the magnet to stear the faster it could go ;)

Or, the front of the car would start sticking to the ground and left the rear wheels spinning!! LOL

:D :D :D :D :D

Draconious
2003.01.08, 02:51 PM
Those faller cars go REALY slow.. in comparison to a Mini-Z A z would just lose the track all together ;) and I heard those cars often lose the wire as it is... and they cost too blasted much!

Fovea3d
2003.01.08, 06:58 PM
Thanks Digisane but that was just an instant idea :D
I presume that this setup would need a lot of adjustment before obtaining a decent speed... The chip would have to be programmed for all possible combinations of front/rear sensors.
Your idea of a slotcar groove is not bad but would need a special track... Throttle can also be combinated with steering by putting a potentiometer on the front pin. Straight->full throttle, curves->release throttle.

I like the idea of a top view cam control because it can use regular Mini-Z's :D only a TX has to be modified so it is interfaced with a PC running some kind of AI program... But thats scifi is it? Perhaps in 2025 :D Till then my 2nd Z will remain in its Autoscale box :(

Draconious
2003.01.08, 07:15 PM
Actualy it is far from sci fi, since it has been done already ;)

Fovea3d
2003.01.08, 07:33 PM
Draconious i like your optimism :p In fact if it can be done with a mini-z why can't it be done with a real size car :eek: I wonder wich pilot (Schumacher? :D ) would be the first to take the challenge... This human against machine combat would be pretty hypnotising... :D :D :D... kind of action version of human vs computer chess competition...

Digisane
2003.01.08, 07:35 PM
Originally posted by Draconious
Actualy it is far from sci fi, since it has been done already ;)

I think he means consumer level

Digisane
2003.01.08, 07:54 PM
Originally posted by Fovea3d
Draconious i like your optimism :p In fact if it can be done with a mini-z why can't it be done with a real size car :eek: I wonder wich pilot (Schumacher? :D ) would be the first to take the challenge... This human against machine combat would be pretty hypnotising... :D :D :D... kind of action version of human vs computer chess competition...

Chess is simple compared this a computer driver. The chess board is bascially quite 2-D, and the condition always starts out the same (white goes first, the king and queen is in the middle, pawn moves straight etc. etc. etc.) but the possible combination of moves is already billion gazillion fazillion.

And yet, it requires a supercomputer to beat a master chess player, and even so the competition is quite close.

On a race car, or even a normal car, the conditions don't always start out the same. There's track temperature, wind resistance, the track length, weather, then there's the thousands of possible racing lines, driver collision detection, tire wear, fuel weight... all these change during a course of a race. The computer would have to process A LOT of information in 3-D, considering that everything works right. Factor that all together and the possible combination of moves would reach a gazillion mazillion bazillion grinzillion. That's why even the most advanced computer systems is simply only for traction control and altering the gear change for each corner of a track in F1 cars. The steering and judgement at the limits still needed a human brain.

That's why I'd put my money on Schumacher. :D

Also, even the most basic automatic robots have its own limits. We are able to teach it to track around at acceptable speeds, but we've never been able to get them to fly to its limits and still expect to stay on the road, such as turning in a bit earlier or later to compensate a understeer or oversteer, although combine that with traction control technology, we'd get close enough.

It's still pretty much sci-fi.

Sm0lders
2003.01.09, 01:18 AM
It's very sci-fi indeed, we should stop thinking of this autonom Z idea :)

...or someone has some serieus $$$$$ to design the whole package, it would be great as a project on a university ;)

It's possible to let F1's drive by them selfs, they can program it for sure, they just need to putt enough sensors on the car :D

Digisane
2003.01.09, 01:28 AM
Originally posted by Sm0lders
It's very sci-fi indeed, we should stop thinking of this autonom Z idea :)

Too much coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee

Sm0lders
2003.01.09, 01:46 AM
Front heavy

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Sm0lders
The stronger the magnet to stear the faster it could go
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Or, the front of the car would start sticking to the ground and left the rear wheels spinning!! LOL

Haha yeah I can imagine, maybe there should be a mini-wheel on the plate so the car cant tip :), but it would be one hell of a strong magnet if it could tip nosedown !

I like the slotcar idea, but the little gap in the track wouldn't look that nice :(

raretek
2003.01.09, 10:35 AM
Originally posted by Draconious
Those AIs are based on a virtual worlds coordanate system and would definatly not work.... a RC AI would need to use a camera and speed sensors to analyse what is in front of it... the virutal car world knows were everything is at all times, just a bunch of 110101010's ;).

The AI from a game definetly would not work, unless you were able to map the real world into virutal coordinates and then have some respectable computing power in constant contact with the car reading the sensors... forget it. :)

I wanted to throw out there that you don't need a camera, and in fact, image processing in time to keep up with the inZane speed of the Z would require a good deal of processing power as well, unless there is a system I'm not aware of...

I think it can be done with IR and Sonar, though I'm not sure of the Basic stamp I have is going to be fast enough to process the input in time to keep up with the speed of the Z. My first incarnation of this, most people will probably find boring, as I do not think it will be going very fast...

raretek
2003.01.09, 10:43 AM
I love this idea, the only problem is, at this point, the Z is not truly autonomous, it's more like a model train. :)

Originally posted by Sm0lders
Sensors, robots ?, you guys are thinking way to hard :D, I got a very easy method that could do the trick !

Look at this picture:
http://germanaircooled.tierranet.com/FALLER/1627-5.gif

This is a 1/87 car used to run on trainmodel layouts, it's really simple, you lay a copper wire (or anything where a magnet can react on) at the ideal raceline underneeth your track, then a magnet underneeth your car (in this picture number 3) will follow the copper wire underneeth the track as the car drives over it. The little magnet is attached to a little metal plate wich is connected to the stearingbar (as you can see in the picture) and there you have it !, automatic steering !, really easy isn't it, now you only need to putt the transmitter of the fake car to a certain speed, as high as possible, not to high so it won't crash in sharp corners and then you can play against the perfect ideal line driving fake car :) But if you give the fake car a little tag then the magnet could easely get lost, it should be really strong so it can handle little bumps when your racing after him.

Yes I'm a genius ! :D, I think it will fit in a Racer pretty good, a F1 to...but that would need some more work. I didn't build my track yet but I will deffinetly putt a copper wire at the ideal driveline before I putt the carpet on it :)

Now post some mods, I want to see someone with a working prototype :D, don't forget to call it the "Sm0lders carsystem" lol !

raretek
2003.01.09, 11:01 AM
Originally posted by Digisane
Too much coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee coffee

Yes, toooooo much coffee... Hehehe....

But I think everyone is thinking too grandly. A PC104 Pentium class computer, with onboard USB ports, CF, and alot of other great stuff, can be had for about 400 bucks. A CCD based cam that can work off the USB bus can be had for about 30 bucks. I think the hardware is in my cost range, but I simply do not have the programming skills to take advantage of it.

I just ordered a VW Z for experimenting. When I get the stamp on it and the sensors, we'll see how fast I can get it to go. If it doesn't look too lame, I'll make a video. If it does, I won't even talk about it here again... :D Probably be a few months. My priority right now is modding my Z to the point where I won't get spanked when I race others. :)

Digisane
2003.01.10, 12:33 AM
Originally posted by raretek
Yes, toooooo much coffee... Hehehe....
But I think everyone is thinking too grandly. A PC104 Pentium class computer, with onboard USB ports, CF, and alot of other great stuff, can be had for about 400 bucks. A CCD based cam that can work off the USB bus can be had for about 30 bucks. I think the hardware is in my cost range, but I simply do not have the programming skills to take advantage of it.
I just ordered a VW Z for experimenting. When I get the stamp on it and the sensors, we'll see how fast I can get it to go. If it doesn't look too lame, I'll make a video. If it does, I won't even talk about it here again... :D Probably be a few months. My priority right now is modding my Z to the point where I won't get spanked when I race others. :)

You'll be putting it into action? Interesting stuff! Be sure to let us know about how it works out.


**Runs around in circles from coffee overdose **

Draconious
2003.01.10, 02:23 AM
Just so yall, know I've had this link in my favorites Longer then this forum existed ;). one of a few reason I even got a Mini-Z was to control it via a PC indoors, however not autonomously, remotly by another computer in another location, via my web site.. however the servers and bandwith required were insane, so I never realy bothered, today it "might" be concievable if I pay out the back side for dedicated lines etc ;). Infact I once brought this idea up to plantraco via email,, oddly that 6 months later they have a PC controled software and stuff, even an online version. :)

http://www.assumption.edu/users/fry/david/conner/default.html

there is a video of his "black foot" moving autonomously around a track.. and learning to not cross the lines...

Sm0lders
2003.01.10, 07:24 AM
Great link Draconious, but I still think the hardware needed on the car is to big now, maybe Kyosho produces kits to make your car to drive automaticly on track in a few years ;)

But, couldn't it be smart to putt something like 6 camera's above the track then 1 on a car ?, so you don't have to modify the car and your computer can transmit a signal like a normal Tx does. The guardrills on the track should all be white, so the camera system can easely indentifie those, and your car is indentified with different colored spots on the edges of the car. You'll need to write some serieus software how the car should pass other cars and how to cut the corners the fastest way. To develop a system like that would be pretty pricey I guess :(, or wouldn't it ?

I'm deffinetly going to tryout my magnet system in the future, because I'm driving F1 cars it would be great to have a slow driving safetycar on the track if someone crashed :) So the safetycar would ride over the ideal raceline, but instead of going down the straight he goes through the pit.

So imagine this situation: You're driving with 6 cars, and in the race you're on second place, at a sudden you lose a tiny bit of concentration and you spin, then the 4 remaining cars behind you all crash into you, resulting in big chaos, everyone is franticly going in reverse to putt the car back in the right direction and to continui the race. Now the number 1 driver is still racing on full speed while all the others were caught in the crash, he has so much advantage that the whole race is ruined. During the crash the safetycar can be called and the number 1 driver has to throttle down and get behind the safety car, it stays on the track for only 1 lap and all drivers that were chrashed quickly go to the safetycar and behind it before it returns to the pit. [There is a rule in Formula 1, noone may pass the car that is running first, everyone gets behind eachother and there is no passing, when the safetycar returns to the pit and the car that is running first goes over the finishline the race continuis] Now all the cars are together again and the race continues. You can add another rule, if 50% of the drivers say they want the safetycar during there crash then it should get on the track. What if you make buttons on the floor at the drivers feet, and if they want the safetycar they can vote by stepping on it, if more then 50% votes for the safetycar then the computer decides to activate it, the safetycar should be on standby during the whole race, I don't think that takes so much battery power. You could actually remove the whole circuitboard, batteries and a switch are enough to let the car run, but I dunno how the computer can activate it then :)

It would add some depth to the race, it can be used for any class ofcource, Formula1, Touring, whatever you want.

O I forgot something, the person who hits the safetycar gets a 10 second penalty ;)

And no I didn't drink coffee, I don't like coffee :D

Digisane
2003.01.10, 09:31 AM
That's a superb idea! I'm an F1 fan as well, nothing beats watching the F1 cars struggling when they go slow behind a safety car!! A good feature to make a fair race.

What an excellent suggestion. You could also use the safety car for a formation lap.

However, the hilarious part is, as what Draconious had said about magnet "systems", when you all end up following the safety car into the wall if it loses the magnet!

:D :D :D :D

P.S. meanwhile why not get someone with a Mini-z CLK to perform safety duties? Although he might end up racing with the rest of you guys as well.

And no I didn't drink coffee, I don't like coffee :D

Coca-cola perhaps? :D

---


Draconious,

Great link. That big foot thing was moving at around the speed i would imagine an automated system would do, and even then it ran off the line a few times. I also see a big of zig-zag. I'll bet teaching it to speed around the track is alot harder.


---------


Originally posted by Sm0lders
I'm deffinetly going to tryout my magnet system in the future, because I'm driving F1 cars it would be great to have a slow driving safetycar on the track if someone crashed :) So the safetycar would ride over the ideal raceline, but instead of going down the straight he goes through the pit.

You can add another rule, if 50% of the drivers say they want the safetycar during there crash then it should get on the track. What if you make buttons on the floor at the drivers feet, and if they want the safetycar they can vote by stepping on it, if more then 50% votes for the safetycar then the computer decides to activate it, the safetycar should be on standby during the whole race, I don't think that takes so much battery power. You could actually remove the whole circuitboard, batteries and a switch are enough to let the car run, but I dunno how the computer can activate it then :)

Sm0lders
2003.01.10, 12:12 PM
0mg I was just typing a reply, took me 20mins, then the forum says I got to many pics in my post, now I got to typ it all over again, h0ly cr@p :S

However, the hilarious part is, as what Draconious had said about magnet "systems", when you all end up following the safety car into the wall if it loses the magnet!


:D :D :D :D

Yeah yeah, I know I know :), I found a solution for this, but if the car spins a 180 it's helpless and will run into the incomming F1's :D The car won't spin out if:
1. The magnet is strong enough
2. The car drives under it's maximum speed, don't you guys get it ?, it has 1 speed, and it's a low one, it doesn't go faster :)
3. Noone bumps into the car

Hmm, what if the guy who bumps into the safetycar has to putt it back on the track ?, that's a good timepenalty :)

P.S. meanwhile why not get someone with a Mini-z CLK to perform safety duties? Although he might end up racing with the rest of you guys as well.

He would deffinelty do that hehe, if I were him I would do it to :) That's why it's a good reason to give the safetycar a magnet following a metal cable instead of giving him a racefan as a driver :D

I can't wait to see a converted DTM functioning as safetycar...

Coca-cola perhaps? :D

NO, hahaha now stop it :D

Sm0lders
2003.01.10, 12:14 PM
http://www.dgrracing.com/~mia-f1/gazo/safety/1.jpg
http://www.dgrracing.com/~mia-f1/gazo/safety/2.jpg
http://www.dgrracing.com/~mia-f1/gazo/safety/3.jpg
http://www.dgrracing.com/~mia-f1/gazo/safety/4.jpg

MIA-F1 is so great :)

raretek
2003.01.10, 02:44 PM
Draconious,

You just saved me a good deal of work. What a GREAT link. Thanks!


Originally posted by Draconious
Just so yall, know I've had this link in my favorites Longer then this forum existed ;). one of a few reason I even got a Mini-Z was to control it via a PC indoors, however not autonomously, remotly by another computer in another location, via my web site.. however the servers and bandwith required were insane, so I never realy bothered, today it "might" be concievable if I pay out the back side for dedicated lines etc ;). Infact I once brought this idea up to plantraco via email,, oddly that 6 months later they have a PC controled software and stuff, even an online version. :)

http://www.assumption.edu/users/fry/david/conner/default.html

there is a video of his "black foot" moving autonomously around a track.. and learning to not cross the lines...

Fovea3d
2003.01.13, 12:03 AM
Draconious.
Thanks for the link! Amazing videos too :D I would say thats it, this shows that a robot MZ can be built using this technique. The only thing a stock Mini-z would need is an inboard cam, like the Plantraco. The TX would be controlled by a PC apart of this I must say the trickiest part is still the software. This guy has done an amazing job so far and possibly his program using the power of today computers could give even better results. Also barriers/walls would keep the MZ on the track so it would never loose its way.
Do you guys know if a proportional TX that can be controlled from a PC software with a joystick, using USB or serial port is on the market today? I know plantraco makes one but not proportionnal.
Digisane.
You are right we won't see a robot F1 challenging a pilot soon but I believe R/C is where this kind of experiments can be made with no harm.
Except this :D :D :D
http://www.hankookbep.co.kr/kstahle/stahle03.html

Draconious
2003.01.13, 01:19 AM
like I said I been pondering this for over a year ;)

http://www.supercircuits.com/STORE/prodinfo.asp?number=AVX434S2&variation=&aitem=4&mitem=6

thats the entire camera, camera+transmitter excluding a 9v battery, but im sure for just one or two races you could run it off a few bitcharge size batteries....


The obstacles that stoped me are:
Band width
Cost of band width
cost of hardware
programing the software
number of frequencies on the smaller camera
whole lot of stuff...

Billiam_Returns
2003.01.14, 08:33 PM
Racing a slot car around a Mini-Z track with it's little grove. Set it to a constant power so it won't spin out (however one might do that), and you could race against it and practice passing!

Sm0lders
2003.01.15, 08:33 AM
Really good Billiam_Returns, we allready mentioned that, I can understand you don't want to read all those giant feelds of text :D

I found a Safetycarbody for my magnetcar :) It's a slotcar from Ninco, 1:24 scale, so I buy a benz readyset and this slotcar, putt em together and voila a great safetycar :D, the Ninco body allready got lights !, so I only need to do a little rewiring and making it fit on the chassis