wozbot update

[aiiadict@hotmail.com (Rich J.)]

wozbot:  mobile robot

http://rich12345.tripod.com/woz/wozbot.html

new aluminum chassis
new drive wheels (no problems in thick carpet)
much of his software has been redone is assembly
map searches and path planning are optimized

I am very pleased with the software at this point.
it is doing everything I want it to so far.  next
to add is landmark and/or room recognition.

new pictures, videos, software soon to be
uploaded (As soon as I get back to SF and my DSL
connect)

I put his old software back on the net.  I did
all of that without any help from anybody...  no
information about how to plan paths or represent
maps.  I used "zork" type of system to represent
cells/maps (IE, to north of room 1 is room 2. to
east is room 3, etc.)

This saved memory because cells were allocated
as needed.  more memory was eaten to keep track
of what cell attached to which.

path planning wasn't optimized.  the robot
would search for unexplored areas (cells that
connected to nothing in one of the 4 compass
directions)  and he would follow the path
he searched...no planning.  just follow where
he looked.


http://rich12345.tripod.com/activeGS/woz.html

you can mess with the software on the page.  
replace PI.MAP with an HGR image of your choice
and see if the robot can figure out the map. he
runs out of memory pretty quickly.  after about
100 cells have been allocated.

the software is kinda neat.  a simulation of
the realworld.  the robot knows nothing about
the map around him until he takes sonar readings
(simulated with a "HSCRN" command that uses
trig to simulate a 180 half circular scan)

Rich

http://rich12345.tripod.com
aiiadict AT hotmail DOT com