January 12, 2013

Meeting Date: 
Saturday, January 12, 2013

Robotics Society of Southern CA Meeting 1-12-13

CSULB Engineering department building, 302

Minutes : Patricia

 

Class CM900 by Prof Mason

Prof Mason, with the support of Robotis' Jinwook Kim and a support engineer, presented the use of the CM 900 for a pan-and-tilt camera feature.  The class put together an assembly of two chained Dynamixel servos supporting a camera on a platform mounted to one of the servos.  A modified version of the Arduino programming software was then used as a programming environment for the Robotis CM 900.  The program implemented a pan-and-tilt feature using the assembly.

 

Participants installed the software and supporting files on personal laptops.  Some had issues with installation and are asked to report in their issues to Robotis. cs@robotis.com

Supporting files (http://profmason.com/?cat=2) include the presentation, modified programming environment, installation and program execution instructions as well as program samples for pan and tilt and resetting the servo ids.

Notes: several Robotis product lines were used in today's presentation: The evolving CM 900, the parts for assembly (plastic with fitted nuts and bolts) and the Dynamixel servos.

 

 

BUSINESS MEETING

 

RCX Convention

Walter Martinez reminded the group of the participation at the Radio Control Expo that will be held at the Long Beach Convention Center on June 1st and 2nd. The club will be exhibiting at a booth at the show.  Please put it on your calendar, more to come.

RCX.com

 

Leaf Robot

 

Dr. Bruce Weimer introduced the AI Based Robots that he is currently working on. Leaf project started in 2000, Steve Grant's Creatures games, norms, play, feed, reproduce. Robots have limited capabilities.  In 2000 when the project was started, cameras could only detect color. Steve Gender, Robo Realm, developed things camera could do. Shape, blob, camera recognition, object recognition.  Navigation by vision followed.  The robot could plot a course and go. Working to evolve the emotion and motivation systems. The AI can be run from a desktop and can work with the hardware/ROS.

Startup is fairly easy: download from http://www.leafproject.org

References for your review:

  • Buck the Talking Deer Head. Search on @BillingsGazette.
  • 1920s robot arm.  Carnes artificial arm rebirth.

Price for constructing a Leaf robot of your own design can range from about $300 to $5K depending upon what you want to do.

Currently 600 group members worldwide.

The club decided that there will be a Special Interest Group dedicated to the Leaf project  and ROS that will meet at 10:00 AM Sat before the regular meeting begins.

 

501c3 Update

Board will discuss at separate meeting pros/cons, issues, changes in operation that may need to be made to support 501c3 status.

 

Feb 9 is next meeting

Starts with 10-11 leaf project

11-12 ROS Launch files by Doug

Firefighting contest.  Black tape line in entry to each room.  Rules : http://profmason.com/?s=firefighting

 

It worked at home in Latin: Eam Operatus Est Domi

 

 

Sumobot Contest

 

The Winners

Sergei - The Sensable one (1st)

Miles - Howarth  (2nd)

Alex - Mini Rocky (3rd)

 

Other Entrants

Alex - Pi

Dargroon

Mason - Pushent

Charger

Doug - Tough Guy

 

 

PROJECT AND INFO SHARES

 

Boris - shared his project to develop a low cost vision module: http://www.negtronics.com

 

Prof Mason & James - Polulu Zumobot chassis.  Inexpensive, convenient.

 

Tim - Fear Net Tales From The Crypt. He presented videos of the New Year's Eve program. Tim worked on the original Crypt Keeper.  http://www.magicandtechnology.com/

 

Ron - Treasurer -  Shared an inexpensive Harbor freight digital 3 digits meter $2.

 

Electronics West - Westcon convention.  Sessions, automations, manufacturing, medical, materials, free. promo card, go to website www.electronicswestshow.com

 

Walter - Shared his robots that he worked on over Christmas break.

Two sizes, with treads and PVC.  One size used Lynx tracks, the other Snowmobile tracks.

Electric wheelchair motors, the new one uses drill motors. Ni Hydride batteries. LiPos, PVC pipes in bodies, actuators.

Lynx motion - kit $220. $200 for tracks alone. Sno-Trac

Links:

 

Thomas - 100 year old Robot arm.