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Current R/C capabilities have only improved slightly over the past 30 years. The newest features are additional channels and channel mixing. Today's top end R/C radio system, like the FUTABA, provides the ability to remotely control eight channels using the standard dual joystick handheld box. Robot designers use this type of system almost exclusively.
The questions are "Does the standard R/C system do everything the robot engineer needs?" and "Does the designer automatically work within the limitations of the system?"
IFI Robotics, Inc. has a new product that promises to radically change the way we design and control robots. This product was engineered by ex-military designers specifically to control robots, not R/C airplanes. Based on the capabilities of this new "Radio Control System", you may decide to re-think your robot designs after reading this article.
When you first read the specs for this new system, the number of channels is an immediately noticeable difference. You get sixteen outputs for controlling motors, relays, solenoids, lights, etc. There are eight industry standard PWM outputs for controlling speed controllers, servos, and the like. There are also eight relay outputs, used to control 20A H-bridge relay modules. The relay channels allow for control of up to four motors or for control of up to eight solenoids and high-current relays.
All these extra channels are nice, but that is not where the IFI Robotics system excels. The first major improvement over standard R/C gear is the bi-directional communication architecture. In simple terms, not only do you get wireless control of your robot, but your robot also has wireless communication back to you. Out of the box, the system lets you see (on the Operator Interface box) battery voltage and sixteen status/feedback LED's from your robot. Eight of these are user definable feedback LED's that can indicate just about anything. If you want to see even more feedback, just plug a PC or laptop into the Operator Interface box, and now you can see all the data your robots "sensors" feel.
Yes, sensors! The second significant improvement over typical R/C stuff is sensors. Built into the Robot Controller box (located in the robot) are eight digital and four analog sensor inputs. The digital inputs are used to monitor switches of almost any type, including limit switches, optical switches, reed switches, pressure switches, thermostat switches, etc. The analog inputs feature an industry standard 0-5V interface for connecting potentiometers, pressure transducers, proximity sensors, range sensors, etc. The possibilities are endless. Now you can monitor battery voltages, see the CO2 pressure, check if the weapon is locked and ready, and know if your enemy is within firing range.
This leads us to the third big improvement, a built in programmable STAMP micro-controller. The STAMP micro is powerful, fast and easily programmed in a basic language. No programming is required to use this system, since the micro is pre-programmed to do a lot right out of the box. The micro receives all of the control data from the pilot and all the data from the onboard sensors.
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Oh sure, it can do all the basic things you would expect; like unlimited mixing and tapering of any channel; like speed sensitive steering; like stopping a motor when an arm trips a limit switch; and like moving a weapon to a specific angle based on potentiometer feedback. That's easy. But remember, this micro knows what all the sensors "know", and it knows all the controls you are sending, and it knows anything you have programmed it to do. The micro could take over some critical split-second decisions. With the ability to change any or all the outputs signals forty times per second, it could automatically fire weapons only when the enemy is in range, or it could re-arm weapons immediately after firing.
Many of you are probably thinking that no amount of sensors and micro-controllers can take the place of a human controlling the important functions of a robot during a battle. And you are right. The improvements to the driver control interface is the final improvement that makes this system better than any R/C equipment. The Operator Interface box provides you with total flexibility over how you pilot and control your robot. The most basic control can be achieved by plugging in up to four PC compatible joysticks. This could allow a co-pilot to control some of the non-driving functions. The real advantage to this system is achieved by building your own custom input controls, tailored for your specific needs and your robot's capabilities. The Operator Interface has sixteen analog inputs (joystick axis) and sixteen digital inputs (buttons). You can even add feedback LEDs on your control boxes that are software controlled by the STAMP micro. This means you could illuminate the firing trigger when the weapon is ready, you could design your own "glove" type of controller, or anything else you can dream up.
All this technical stuff sounds great, but can it perform in the heat of battle? This system has logged thousands of multi-robot battles, so it's already a proven technology. The robust system was designed for the harsh robot environment, electrically and mechanically. The radio communication system is a good example of the engineering that went into this system. Communication to the radios is done via a military-style RS-422 interface for noise rejection, every data packet is check-sum verified for transmission errors, then every data packet is address verified to ensure that data is not from the wrong source, 900 MHz is used for immunity to interference, the system has 35 protected channels for "Competition Only" meaning no-one else is on your channel when you compete, and the system provides a fail-safe shutdown of all outputs when no signal is received. The entire system, from top to bottom, was over engineered to ensure reliability.
What really sets the new IFI Robotics Radio Control System apart is all the amazing things you can make it do that no-one has even thought of yet. The combination of feedback from the robot, onboard robot sensors, programmability, a flexible control interface, and reliability make the IFI Robotics Radio Control System whatever you want it to be. |
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DO NOT CONSTRUCT OR OPERATE A ROBOT OR BATTLEBOT UNLESS SUPERVISED BY A QUALIFIED ADULT.
CONTESTANTS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ROBOT OR BATTLEBOT WHETHER OR NOT IT COMPLIES WITH THE RULES OF BATTLEBOTS, INC. (COMPANY) OR HAS BEEN INSPECTED FOR SAFETY OR OTHERWISE BY THE COMPANY.
THE CONTESTANTS' RESPONSIBILITY INCLUDES ALL MATTERS OF SAFETY, CONDITION, DESIGN, CONFORMITY TO LAW, OPERATION, MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR USE AND FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
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Tools of the Trade highlights the gear and applications that BattleBot designers use to build their combat hungry machines.
