Rand Whillock

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Rand Whillock

Solar Roller 1

• Type: solar roller
• Purpose: demonstrate beam solar engine
• Controller: type 2 Flashing LED solar engine
• Software Development Environment/Methods:
• Sensors:
• Actuators: 1 motor driven wheel
• Height, width, length: 4cm X 4cm X 8cm
• Weight:
• Power source: solar cell
• Speed: slow
• Operational description: charges cap for 1 min then rolls 1"-2"
• Future Enhancements/Plans: none
• Status: done
  
• More Info: www.solarbotics.com

Solar Photo Vore

• Type: dual solar roller photo vore
• Purpose: demonstrate beam photovore
• Controller: 2 type 2 Flashing LED solar engines
• Software Development Environment/Methods:
• Sensors:
• Actuators: 2 motors with a few layers of tape for wheels
• Height, width, length: 5cm X 9cm X 9cm
• Weight:
• Power source: 2 solar cells
• Speed: slow
• Operational description: two solar rollers each driving a motor. The solar cells are on the opposite side of the robot from the motor. The solar cell that gets the most light will fire the opposite motor more often causing the robot to turn toward the light.
  
• Future Enhancements/Plans: none
• Status: done
• More Info: www.solarbotics.com

Photo Popper

• Type: photopopper
• Purpose: demonstrate a beam solar photovore
• Controller: 2 1381J solar engines charging from a single solar cell
• Software Development Environment/Methods:
• Sensors: two photodiodes for eyes
• Actuators: 2 pager motors with tubing on the shafts for wheels
• Height, width, length: 4cm X 4cm X 10cm
• Weight:
• Power source: 1 solar cell
• Speed: faster than my other solar robots
• Operational description: Two solar 1381 voltage trigger based solar engines each running a motor. The voltage triggers measure the common stored voltage plus the voltage across one of the photodiodes. The photodiode the see's more light will trigger more often causing the entire bot to turn toward the light.
• Future Enhancements/Plans: none
• Status: done
• More Info: www.solarbotics.com

S1 Bat

• Type: sumo robot
• Purpose: entrant in our mini sumo contest
• Controller: counterfeit stamp
• Software Development Environment/Methods: stamp basic
• Sensors: cds sensor for sensing ring edge, IR for sensing opponent
• Actuators: 2 motor driving 2 wheels
• Height, width, length: 4" X 6" X 6"
• Weight: 1.15 lb
• Power source: 4 AA for motors, 9V for cpu, 9V for IR
• Speed:
  
• Operational description: turn to find opponent, go forward, if you see the ring edge back up and repeat the loop
• Future Enhancements/Plans: none
  
• Status: done
• More Info:
  

S2 Rhino

• Type: sumo robot
• Purpose: entrant in our mini sumo contest
• Controller: counterfeit stamp
• Software Development Environment/Methods: stamp basic
• Sensors: cds sensor for sensing ring edge
• Actuators: 2 motor driving 2 wheels
• Height, width, length: 6" X 6" X 6"
  
• Weight: 2.7 lb
• Power source: 8 AA for motors, 9V for cpu
• Speed: slow
• Operational description: turn 20 degrees, go forward, if you see the ring edge back up and repeat the loop
• Future Enhancements/Plans: I plan to add an IR sensor to find other bots
• Status: done
• More Info:
  

No CPU Walker

• Type: 4 leg 2 motor walker
• Purpose: proof of a concept
• Controller: hardwired
• Software Development Environment/Methods:
• Sensors:
• Actuators: 2 motors from teddy ruxpin
• Height, width, length: 11cm X 8 cm X 13cm
• Weight:
• Power source: 4 AA for motors
• Speed:
  
• Operational description: two motors and two DPDT switches. The motor drives the legs. When the legs reach the farthest rotation they trip the DPDT switch which reverses the other motor. The combination of motors and switches causes the cycle: motor 1 forward, motor 2 forward, motor 1 backward, motor 2 backward, and repeat.
• Future Enhancements/Plans: I plan to add a waist motor for steering.
• Status: done
• More Info: