Web Enabled Robot

[badcat89]

Here's a project I've been wanting to try out for some time.  Its a small vehicle controlled via the IO-204 along with a serial smart board and other hardware.
The wireless link is accomplished using a pair of bluetooth serial adapters.  Serial commands from an html document with Javascritps issue the serial commands to control
the speed and direction of the motors on the "robot"

Here's a link to a short Youtube video showing more about the components in the system, along with a demo at the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UmOqWQZbcY

I've also attached  a block diagram of the electronics.

In the future I'd like to apply this to a different vehicle. I built the machine in the video several years ago, so it was quickest just to use that for a demonstation.  I've seen some airsoft RC tanks for sale that actually have articulated turrets and shoot plastic pellets. Those would be cool if I added live video feed and had the turrent and gun functions under remote control also.

[zerogx]

nice execution... ive had an idea similar to that one for a while.... its actually what prompted me to ask for the servo sliders.

[iobridge]

Wow, that's really slick! Nice work. Seems really responsive. I think you are the first to get Bluetooth involved.

SkyNet needs some robots...swarm!

[uknative]

Thats a really cool idea,
how difficult is it to wire up the bluetooth?
is there any lag between the mouse clicks and
driving?

[badcat89]

The bluetooth was not difficult to wire up. The iogear devices have a 9 pin male connector for serial data (wired as a DTE, like a computer), and a coaxial power jack for power.  The devices come with wal warts that supply the 5V DC power.  On the robot side I used a 5V regulator on a small pcb to provide power to the servo controller and the bluetooth. (this isn't visible on the video, as it is inside the small plastic box). If you look closesly in the video you will see a short black and red wire going from the plastic box and plugging into the side of the bluetooth.

The iogear bluetooth devices I used actually have pretty bad reviews online if you visit the various sites that sell them.  They are intended just as a cable replacement.  I have had some weird troubles with them when I tried them on other projects.  If you send them a nice string of characters with uniform spacing, what often appears on the receive end will have delays of up to tens of milliseconds between characters. This didn't prove to be an issue in this application, but be warned that these may be a headache depending on how they are used. I haven't tested them to determine maximum range, beyond about 30 feet.

Sometimes there is a delay between the mouse click on the interface and the transmission of a character via the IO-204.  Usually the response seems instantaneous, but the delays, when the do occur, can be a second or two from what I have observed so far.  So, any robot controlled in this manner probably shouldn't be going extra fast or you will hit things.

[iobridge]

I posted a blog entry for the project. Thanks for sending me some great photos and screenshots.

http://www.iobridge.net/projects/2010/01/wireless-robot-with-web-controls/