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CATPOO 2021 — What Does It Do?

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NOTE: This is a place for me to jot my thoughts regarding what my next robot will do. Expect many stealth edits.

See CATPOO 2021 — A New Beginning for an overview of the whole project.

I remember when I first started playing with robotics, I was always asked what my goals were. I never had a good answer for that. Here’s my thoughts on a better answer.

True Goals

The ultimate goal is to learn enough to consider a change of career. My ultimate dream would be to create affordable robotics kits for kids to built their own robots. I remember how much DJGPP and other free software projects helped me when I was starting out. Wouldn’t it be awesome to allow the next generation access to open source technology? Then I feel good for helping kids, while those kids can one day go on to create something more amazing than I could. Everyone wins.

To accomplish my goal, I’ve got vaguely defined constraints. Whatever I create shouldn’t cost more than $500 to recreate. I want to keep the price low enough that any parent can afford to give their kid(s) the tools necessary to learn the fundamentals. With economy of scale, I should be able to get that down to $100 if my idea pans out.

Functionality Related Goals

  1. Must have a web based UI that works with any browser
  2. Must be able to see in the dark
  3. Must use omnidirectional wheels for a holonomic drive
  4. Power input must be flexible as possible
  5. Should be lit up like a Christmas Tree

Remote Control

  1. I’m a web developer, so the UI will definitely be web based
  2. I’ve enjoyed using Bootsrap for years, so that’s definitely going in there
  3. Video should take up as much of the view as possible
  4. Putting the controls on top of the video worked in the past

Vision

  1. It must be able to see a black cat in pitch black darkness
  2. I’ve had trouble with getting low latency and good frame rates in the past
  3. Resolution doesn’t need to be very high, but should be at least as good as DVD (480p)
  4. The illuminator I have works okay with the all the NoIR cameras I’ve bought

Holonomic Drive

  1. I’m vacillating between 3 and 4 wheels
    • No matter what, still have 4 total stepper drivers wired up.
  2. IR illuminator must be effective at least 3 meters away from the robot

Power

  1. Getting at the battery was always annoying in previous designs, so make it easy to swap out batteries
  2. Using a beefy SPDT switch to allow switching quickly between internal and external worked really well in the past
  3. Don’t worry about designing any advanced charging circuitry

Christmas Tree Aesthetics

  1. Case should be as clear as possible to allow as much light out as possible
    • Engraving designs into the plexiglass might be a fun idea
  2. The 5″ touchscreen should be used for displaying as much internal information as possible
  3. Use power regulators with displays showing voltage will be helpful
  4. Stepper drivers should have LEDs to indicate the following:
    • Direction
    • Steps
    • Power (if I’m allowing the stepper drivers to be disabled)
  5. Power LED for Raspberry Pi
  6. LED to show whether power is coming from the battery or external