AVC Bot Hardware & Source Published

Everything about Data Bus is completely open: hardware, software, everything. Needless to say there are no guarantees that it works... because obviously it didn't *grumble*  But anyway...

I think when we can build on—or learn from—the work of others it speeds progress and advancement. I think robotics contests should further everyone's knowledge. New participants should never have to reinvent the wheel.

Here's the code I ran on the mbed MCU:

http://mbed.org/users/shimniok/programs/AVC_20110423/lqaj8i

I released a number of libraries on the mbed.org site as part of the project.

GeoPosition does lat/long calculations: bearing, distance, movement
IncrementalEncoder handles calculations for the wheel encoders
Steering provides a platform independent way to calculate steering angle corrections
Schedule is a handy utility for scheduling events by polling Timer values
SimpleFilter implements a simple "leaky integrator" filter for integers
ADC128S is a driver for the 8-ch analog to digital converter I used
LSM303DLH is a driver for the so-named tilt compass
TinyGPS is a port of the Arduino library to mbed with some methods added
TinyCHR6dm parses yaw output from the AHRS I chose

I've placed a snapshot of documentation, electronics designs, software from April 23, 2011 on my Google Code repository here:

http://code.google.com/p/bot-thoughts-ugv/source/browse/#

Here's the mbed code:
http://code.google.com/p/bot-thoughts-ugv/source/browse/#svn%2Ftags%2FApril%2023%202011%2FSoftware%2Fmbed

Here are the analysis scripts I used to plot dead reckoning, gps, compass calibration, etc.:
http://code.google.com/p/bot-thoughts-ugv/source/browse/#svn%2Ftags%2FApril%2023%202011%2FSoftware%2FAnalysis

All the schematics and board layouts are here:
http://code.google.com/p/bot-thoughts-ugv/source/browse/#svn%2Ftags%2FApril%2023%202011%2FElectronics

Various documents like the BOM, are here:
http://code.google.com/p/bot-thoughts-ugv/source/browse/#svn%2Ftags%2FApril%2023%202011%2FDocumentation

AVC 2011 Pictures

A few pictures from the 2011 AVC...

This is my absolute favorite robot of the day. It's a micro scale RC truck. Yes, it is sitting on a regular-sized coffee mug.

Inside the creator has packed an unbelievable amount of electronics including an OLED on the bed. Just astonishing. And he said the thing will do 20mph top speed!  That's faster than my 1:10 truck.

Amazing work!!

Me, in the pouring rain, about to botch the 1st heat start...

Rawr. What else can be said?

Above and below is team Zyzzyx's autonomous Traxxas Rustler tearing through a water-filled pothole on its way to a 3rd place run.

The legendary Team Tobor robot ready to claim another first place victory. I had a chance to talk to Scott during the competition; we were in the same heat. Really great guy, and obviously smart as hell.

Anyone who dresses in a gorilla suit for the AVC deserves mention. This is Team "Dr. Zaius' Magnificent Flaming Banana"

Team Blue Blaze. Awesome work on the car, guys. Lot of detail on this one, plus (unlike mine) it works! And there's a little surprise action... hint: think "Class D" ...

Daisy Rover did really well, I thought. They were sitting right behind me in the pits.

Back again this year was the cooler of doom...

And a big thank you to team Donuts Coffee Muffins!!  Thanks!  I had a donut. I needed and should've had some coffee too. I was barely conscious for the first couple hours of the event.

My pit area. I won nothing at all, except the pride in knowing I was the only one with an antiquated oscilloscope on site...

Scott H posted a video on his blog. Check it out! http://scottrharris.blogspot.com/2011/04/sparkfun-avc-2011-video.html

Sparkfun AVC 2011 is over

What happened to Data Bus, you may ask?  One word.

FAIL.

For more detail, add the word "EPIC"

Still more detail:

Heat 1: immediately veered into building
Heat 2: slightly less immediately veered into curb
Heat 3: immediately veered into building

Never made it around the first corner.

Bummer.

But, it was a blast of a time! Met and talked to loads of great people, saw awesome robots, learned a lot, etc.

Congrats to Scott (Team Tobor) for winning again this year!  Congrats to the UAV winner (I was so distracted I have no idea who won, but will edit this post as soon as I find out).

Will post more about my experience soon. Time for (early) bed. I'm pooped.