Post by Vatchern

Posted: 6/3/2006 2:11 AM
(Edited: 6/4/2006 12:02 PM)

Post subject: A big thanks for all the help lately

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Truncated

Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (969)

Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3109
Location: Sweden

You might have noticed that I have been bothering everyone in #nesvideos with a lot of questions the last few months about C programming and whatnot. I'd like to thank everyone in #nesvideos for their fantastic help with all the questions I've had. I think it's safe to say that this project wouldn't have gotten far without your help... I thought it might be interesting for you to see the results of all the things I asked about:

Sleipner, the robot we built and programmed from scratch. Properties: - Top speed: > 20 km/h - Ground clearance: 25 cm - Weight: 30 kg - Width: < 70 cm (can run indoors) - Operating time: ~1h - Individually suspended wheels with variable damping (terrain driving capabilities) - Low center of gravity - Zero turning radius Actuators: - Three brushless DC motors Sensors: - Motor encoders (RPM) - Rate-gyro (platform angle, angular velocity) - Angle sensor (steer wheel angle) - GPS

What I did mostly - the main operating program - Threaded - Runs via WLAN on ssh - Manual and autonomous steering (waypoints) - Logging of all variables - Tuning parameters during running - Kalman filter for estimating position

Thread and communications overview

Actual position as calculated by Kalman filter and by GPS. (GPS signals tends to distort close to forests and walls. Also it doesn't work indoors.) Finally: Demonstration video (21 MB download) of Sleipner in action! Hugs and kisses for everyone. :)

Posted: 6/3/2006 2:13 AM

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Zurreco

Former player

Joined: 8/1/2004
Posts: 2687
Location: Seattle, WA

I'm digging the name. Excellent work, Truncated. Also, even though I had nothing to do with any of this, you're welcome.

hi nitrodon streamline: cyn-chine

Posted: 6/3/2006 9:05 AM

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Bisqwit

Editor, Active player (296)

Joined: 3/8/2004
Posts: 7469
Location: Arzareth

Very cool I must say :)

Posted: 6/4/2006 5:02 AM

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feitclub

Former player

Joined: 3/13/2004
Posts: 1118
Location: Kansai, JAPAN

Impressive! But where, oh where, is the video of the robot in motion?

Do Not Talk About Feitclub http://www.feitclub.com

Posted: 6/4/2006 8:10 AM

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Swedishmartin

Joined: 11/26/2005
Posts: 285

feitclub wrote:

Impressive! But where, oh where, is the video of the robot in motion?

Truncated wrote:

Finally: Demonstration video (21 MB download) of Sleipner in action!

Posted: 6/4/2006 10:19 AM

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Tub

Joined: 6/25/2005
Posts: 1377

that's cool, and should give you a couple of geek-points :) what made you do it? school/university, or just boredom?

m00

Posted: 6/4/2006 12:01 PM

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Truncated

Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (969)

Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3109
Location: Sweden

Tub: It was a university project, the last course before we go on to write our thesises. We were five guys doing this together for one semester, which would make it about 5 months. I don't even want to start to think of how many hours we put into this. :) feitclub: It's at the bottom as already pointed out, but perhaps I should make it more obvious. Oh, and something I forgot to mention: all of the #nesvideos crew was of course duly thanked in the Acknowledgements section in the documentation.

Posted: 6/4/2006 12:57 PM

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Bag_of_Magic_Food

He/Him

Active player (278)

Joined: 5/29/2004
Posts: 5712

Sleipner the Sky Dragon? Or was that Slipher?

put yourself in my rocketpack if that poochie is one outrageous dude

Posted: 6/4/2006 1:25 PM

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Truncated

Editor, Reviewer, Experienced player (969)

Joined: 4/17/2004
Posts: 3109
Location: Sweden

Sleipnir was Odin's eight-legged horse in Norse mythology. Wikipedia link (It says there that it is sometimes anglicized as Sleipner, but in this case it's actually just the Swedish spelling.)

Posted: 6/4/2006 1:42 PM

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