The turf robot

[entropie]

Well that is fun :D

It moves via a GPS protocol. Because of GPS being slow it uses infrared diodes to measure a round circle around itself to see possible dangers, like a pond for example. To perfect the navigation it has a built-in induction coil that works within a boundary loop and works as a reference measurement set.

The trimmer is build pretty easy, as shown here:

http://www.rad-ro.de/Rasenrobo/IMGP1223.jpg

Furthermore it uses incremental wheel position detection, so it can accurately turn its wheels to a 20 degree accuracy.

http://www.rad-ro.de/Rasenrobo/IMGP1224.jpg

What do you think ? I just love it :D

http://www.rad-ro.de/Rasenrobo/IMGP1210.jpg

[Jack Flak]

No lasers?

[entropie]

It probably still needs to get the license from the U.S.E. on nuclear warheads that by then can be implemented :D

Here is a vid of the turf-o-matic in action :D

http://www.rad-ro.de/Rasenrobo/Imgp.avi

[Geoff]

Needs something more accurate than GPS I expect. How about a specially trained hamster to watch out for obstacles?

[entropie]

xD yeah a Hamster with a wodden leg and a captains hat :D:D

No it has not only GPS. You lay copper wire around the area you want it to cut. And then you let a little current flow through it (should be isolated naturally). When one of the four induction coils on the edges passes over the copper, its circuit reverses polarity and the controlling unit is informed.

It is pretty tough to build a good navigation. An optical one is to diffcult and in danger of distortion on the mechanical site. GPS is as said to inaccurate for a fast reaction time...

The simplest one would be to have a not so fine calibrated diode array to detect green grass :D or respectively the hamster :D

[Jack Flak]

You lay copper wire around the area you want it to cut. And then you let a little current flow through it (should be isolated naturally).
"You may now have current flow through you, copper wire!"

[ygolo]

What do you think ? I just love it :D


Very cool!

Are you going to use it in a lawn mowing business or just to mow your own lawn?

Incidentally, I used to be on my school's Autonomous Vehicle Team.

They have really perfected the art of combining laser-range-finders and a camera with vision program (to stay withing two painted white lines). The vehicle I worked on is no longer on the list of vehicles pictured. It had ultra-sound instead of a laser-range-finder. We generally found that the range-finders were more reliable and usable.

VT Autonomous Vehicle Team (http://www.avt.me.vt.edu/)

[entropie]

Ah, now I understand what Jack meant by "no Lasers" :). I am used to the word "optical sensors", Laser I combine with StarTrek :).

The thing of the project was to build from a low budget and to make it universally applicable. You can just lay out the induction ring on every form of area and it works within it. The GPS thing makes it just expensive and is pure luxus.

I will have a look into your idea of a solution. I am just on a run, right now.

See you later

[entropie]

My turf-o-bot is getting shape :D

Finished the gearbox + wheels today. Picture is of bad quality sry for that

http://sn0opy83.sn.funpic.de/turfbot.jpg