Meet the Robotics Challenge (Basic) at Embedded

We first flagged the Roboteers programme at Embedded Live at the beginning of the month, but here is the full low-down on the Basic Level entry requirements, for all budding Robotics Masters.

As mentioned, there are three levels in the robotics challenge, where prizes will be awarded for outstanding achievements and the best in class robots: Basic (Letry Arduino-based robots, for example, see www.robotiq.co.uk), Intermediate, and Advanced.

It is a live event, for any attendee to come and have a go with their own robotics kits. Please note, though, that places are limited on a first-come, first-served basis, but with priority given to attendees taking the Tuesday classes. The only condition of entry is that you or your team have your own robot...

Okay. So having got the prelims out of the way, what are the Basic challenges you can choose to meet? Well, the organisers will be keeping things in the spirit of Arduino development, where low cost, fun and ingenuity count highly...

Sprint to the edge, where the robots will sprint to the edge of a "drop" and stop with the leading wheels on the very edge

• robots must not use any kind of "dead reckoning" strategies
• only the original LeTry motors can be used (no super-charging)
• the robot with the fastest "average speed" will be the winner

Remember the journey, a line following challenge with a difference

• a robot will follow a path - a winding path - with intersections - printed on a large sheet of paper, all software used must be programmed into the Arduino, no communication with any other computer is allowed when the robot is following the path and then recreating it
• the robot must then recreate the path followed - by drawing it on a blank sheet of paper - using some kind of attached pen or marker
• the winner will be the robot that can best recreate the original path followed

Dancing robot, which is an exercise in creativity and ingenuity

• you are to create a dancing "LeTry" robot
• your robot can be equipped with LEDs, servos with various attachments to create an "exotic" effect.
• you will need to program your robot so as to "choreograph" its activities so as to be "in synch" with the music you have chosen
• a dance sequence is to last for 5 minutes exactly
• the winning robot will be judged on its "turnout" and its dancing and entertainment abilities

Oh, yes, and the design and code are to be open sourced... so that other "Arduinistas" can learn and be inspired.

Have a go!

(Detail of the Intermediate and Advanced challenges will follow.)

Read the Embedded Live blog >>

The Embedded Live programme (19 - 21 October) includes two technical workshops - one on embedded Linux and one on embedded programming for robotics - to give people the basic development skills.

The workshops will run on Tuesday 19 October, and the live event is on Wednesday, 20 October. (Please note these are paid classes, including class notes and live demonstrations.)

HP and Hynix to manufacture universal memory chip

Hynix said today that it will develop and manufacture memristors with HP. The products will be called ReRAMs (Resistive Random Access Memory).

“The memristor has storage capacity abilities many times greater than what competing technologies offer”, says Hynix CEO, Dr. S.W. Park.

The two companies expect to launch commercial product in three years time.

The Hynix statement reads: ‘The two companies will jointly develop new materials and process integration to deliver ReRAM to market by transferring the innovative memristor technology from research to commercial development.’

 Hynix reckons memristors could replace flash and act a ‘universal storage medium’ i.e. a memory that can behave as flash, DRAM or hard drive.

‘The memristor, short for “memory resistor,” requires less energy to operate, can retain information even when power is off, and is faster than present solid-state storage technologies,’ says Hynix.

“This agreement brings together HP’s core intellectual property and a first-rate supplier with the capacity to bring this innovation to market in world-class memory on a mass scale,” says  Stan Williams, HP senior fellow and founding director of the information and quantum systems laboratory at HP Labs.

ReRAM is  based on the principle of the difference in the resistance value of a dielectric material caused by applying a charge. Its state changes to on or off depending on the varying resistance value of the dielectric material.

Wireless Projects

Door Monitor Project
Wireless Weather Station
WMP3 - Wireless Internet Radio Player
MOBILE JAMMER
"Mobile BUG"
Wireless Auto Tachometer
Digital Remote Thermometer
Device control through Bluetooth from Symbian OS Mobiles

Robotics Project

ROBOTIC CAR
Adam - I
Adam - II (micromouse competition entrant)
Optical Mouse Hack - Used in Adam - II
The 1381-based solar engine
555-based solar engine
90S2313 AVR Robot Board
IR Detector for Robot
RF Modem Robotics Project
Small 3-wheel ROBOT with PIC16F84 brain & InfraRed eyes
Line Follower ROBOT
Desktop Line Following Robot
Mini line follower Robot
Fire Fighting Robot (AT89S52)
Line Following Robot (AT89C2051)
PC Based Robot (AT89C2051)

Water level indicator cum controller

present concept implements controlling of pump which pumps water from the sump (underground tank) to the overhead tank, using 8951 microcontroller.
The control panel, i.e. the main control unit of the system which consists of the primary control switches, pump indicator, siren and level indicators. The visual example of how switches And the indicators can be placed as shown the figure below.

Front view of the model

In the figure shown above there are total of nine LEDs, four of which indicates the water level in the tank, another four indicates the water level in the sump and one LED indicates whether the pump is ON/OFF. It also consists of three switches.

1. Switch 1 is the main power switch which is used to activate the system.
2. Switch 2 is used to select whether to operate the pump in AUTO or MANUAL mode.
3. Switch 3 comes to picture only when the system is operated in MANUAL mode. It controls the direct activation of the pump.

Description :
This system is built around an 8951 microcontroller and the circuit diagram is as given below.

Circuit diagram of Water level indicator cum controller

As you can see in the above diagram, port 0 is exclusively used as an input port which takes the information regarding the water level in the sump as well as in the overhead tank.
Port 1 is used as output port which is connected to the indicator that indicates the water level in both the tanks.
Port 2 is used as in/out port, it takes the input from switch 2 and switch 3 and gives the output which is connected to pump indicator, siren and the relay which controls the switching of the pump.
Working of the system:
There are two modes of working for the system

1. Manual mode
2. Auto mode

Which is controlled by switch 2 (refer control panel diagram)
Manual mode:
When the system is active and in manual mode, it only indicates the water levels in the tanks and it doesn’t control any working of the pump. To activate the pump in manual mode switch 3 is used.
In this mode the operator should manually control the working of the pump. As in case if the tank is full, operator should switch of the pump which is not the case when compared to auto mode.
Auto mode:
When the system is active and in auto mode, it only indicates the water levels in the tanks and it controls the working of the pump.