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Joseph Woolley | 1 Jun 2004 06:15
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Re: Motor-powered transmission

Tiago,

For the steering, I am thinking that you should use a Touch sensor to 
detect when the steering is center.  Attach something to the rack that 
will depress the touch sensor when the rack is centered.

If you need to detect the turn rate (how far the rack is from center), 
then you might need to use a light sensor.  You might be able to mount 
the light sensor or a strip of multi-colored plates to the rack.  As the 
rack moves, the light sensor will detect the different colors, thus 
giving you a way to count the distance from center.

For example, if you would use a black plate 1x2 (or tile) for the 
center.  Then use a white plate 1x2 on each side of the first, then 
another couple black, then another couple white... etc... depending on 
how large a rack gear you are using.  Center the light sensor during 
calibration, then count the color changes to the left or right.

You may be able to use different colors to represent specific turn 
angles.  For example, Black is centered; white is left (shallow turn), 
yellow is right (shallow turn), sand red is left (sharp turn), etc...

I hope I have explained this clearly (enough); and that it is helpful.

// Joe

Tiago Bittencourt Silva wrote:
> Hi everyone,
> 
> I´m trying to build a LEGO Mindstorms car with a motor-powered transmission. I
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Steve Hassenplug | 1 Jun 2004 22:08
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Re: LEGO on TechTV

In lugnet.mediawatch, Harold Jarvie wrote:
> At 02:01 29/05/04, you wrote:
>> Next Friday (June 4th) I'll be making another trip out to San Francisco to
>> be on
>> TechTV's The Screen Savers.
>
>    Congratulations Steve...
>
>    I also would be very happy if someone can video the slot for the web....  our
> TechTV is being cut on  (grrrr) June 7th  :(    

I'm not sure how well this will work.  I just spoke with them, and in addition
to the segment, the robots will be playing against people (staff & audience)
during the entire show.

How big is a one hour show, when converted to mpeg?  :)

Steve

(ok, so you could cut out all the other less interesting non-LEGO stuff...)
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Duq | 3 Jun 2004 20:59
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Re: Motor-powered transmission

On Mon, 31 May 2004 21:06:54 GMT, "Tiago Bittencourt Silva"
<tiagobs <at> brturbo.com> wrote:

>Hi everyone,
>
>I´m trying to build a LEGO Mindstorms car with a motor-powered transmission. I
>only want two or three gears, nothing too much complex for the start. 
>
>I builded the transmission from the chapter 14 of the book "Building Robots with
>LEGO Mindstorms" (Mario and Giulio Ferrari), but it isn´t working very well...
>The 8-tooth gear is always sliping and I need to add a sensor to detect how far
>the motor can go. Does anyone have a better idea for a simple transmission like
>that? Or can help me improve my design?
>
>By the way, in this car I also want to use a rack-and-pinion steering system.
>I´m using one from a set I have (use some specialized parts, but is very
>simple). I´m having also the problem of putting a sensor to detect the center
>(neutral steering).
>
>Thanks
>
>Tiago B. Silva

Try here: http://www.mindstormmanifest.nl.tt/
The automatic gearbox is brilliant!

Duq
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Steve Hassenplug | 5 Jun 2004 18:39
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Re: LEGO on TechTV

In lugnet.mediawatch, Harold Jarvie wrote:
> At 02:01 29/05/04, you wrote:
>> Next Friday (June 4th) I'll be making another trip out to San Francisco to
>> be on
>> TechTV's The Screen Savers.
>
>    Congratulations Steve...
>
>    I also would be very happy if someone can video the slot for the web....  

For all those who missed the show, well, you didn't miss much.  Turns out the
show was taped to air 7/22.  It was a great show, and a lot of fun.

...except for one mechanical failure on my 3 week old robot...

Tune in later for more details.

Steve
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Ross Crawford | 7 Jun 2004 06:27
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Re: Motor-powered transmission

In lugnet.robotics, Ronald Vallenduuk wrote:
> On Mon, 31 May 2004 21:06:54 GMT, "Tiago Bittencourt Silva"
> <tiagobs <at> brturbo.com> wrote:
>
>> I´m trying to build a LEGO Mindstorms car with a motor-powered transmission. I
>> only want two or three gears, nothing too much complex for the start.
>
> Try here: http://www.mindstormmanifest.nl.tt/
> The automatic gearbox is brilliant!

I just built that, but using the instructions, the 20t bevel gear used for 1st
gear scrapes one of the 1x8 plates. Moving the plates up to the top solves the
problem (I also used 2x8s to help keep it square).

HTH

ROSCO
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Alex Christensen | 7 Jun 2004 22:44

Re: VLL Codes

On Mon, 31 May 2004 21:55:46 +0000, Mark Bellis wrote:

> Thanks for the info about VLL, following my earlier questions.  I've
> read the document on programming the Micro Scout.
> 
> Since the Code Pilot and Micro Scout both use the same VLL code format,
> and a couple of the same codes (0 = forward, 1 = reverse and beeps are
> codes 4-8), are any other codes interchangeable between the two units? 
> I was considering printing extra bar codes for a code pilot, as I have
> 4!

If you want to print out all the codes on one piece of letter sized paper,
I have modified the file from <http://www.elecbrick.com/lego/> to do so
for the Codepilot. It is here <http://www.noif.net/~jac/pub/lego/> in both
Postscript and PDF format.

> What does the Code instruction do in a Micro Scout (code 31)?
> 
> Mark
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Philippe Hurbain | 10 Jun 2004 22:58
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Favicon

P'titgneugneu the stairs climber, was Re: CC3:Stairs,

Here is the <http://www.philohome.com/stairs/ptitgneugneu.htm write-up> about
the robot I built for CC3:Stairs contest, that happened to win ;o)

A bit flimsy, not too pretty, but it did the job!

<http://www.philohome.com/stairs/ptitgneugneu.htm<http://www.philohome.com/stairs/stairsfront-v.jpg>>

As the results have not been published here, I inserted the official
announcement below. Don't forget to visit the
<http://brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=85252 gallery> to see all entries!

<http://www.philohome.com Philo>

:         Member of
:        <http://www.freelug.org <http://www.philohome.com/freeluglogo.gif>>
: [<http://www.freelug.org French Enthousiast LEGO User Group>]

----------------------------

_[Winners of CC3:Stairs]_

It is with great excitement that I present to you the winners of CC3:Stairs! I
apologize for it taking us so long in judging. Things are a little slower with
the absence of the great Community Contest and Project coordinator, Buachaille.
:-)

Anyway, on with the announcement...

The First Place Trophy goes to Philo, with his very nicely-constructed
stair-climber which accomplished the goal very smoothly.
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BrickSNAP | 11 Jun 2004 09:37
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Re: Favorite robot ?

In lugnet.robotics, Øyvind Steinnes wrote:
> Finaly somebody are building my favorite movie-star-robot : Johnny Five !
> Just look at this Brickshelf folder (robot does not look finished yet)
> http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=72836
>
> But even if it is not finished yet, it looks stunning!
>
> Just love to see this finished.
>
> I see a lots of gears, and it hopefully is some motors in there and probably
> (or hopefully) a RCX too ?
>
>
>
> Regards
> Øyvind Steinnes
> http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?m=Phoenix

Hi

Today I saw your posting. Sorry for my late replay. I firt had to gain access to
lugnet..

I started building J5 about a year ago. Since then I I built on im my rare
freetime (family an my on company are taken my time away..)

On BrickShelf I'm posting some pictures from time to time. J5 isn't finished
jet. I think, I will have the first release done in autum. In my mind there are
al lot of improvements but I want to fix release 1 first..
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Tiago Bittencourt Silva | 13 Jun 2004 22:54

My new website (with some MOC´s)

Hi everyone!

 I want to anounce my new site dedicated to LEGO! Currently, it have only 3
MOC´s, but I hope to make it bigger with the time... I´m also anouncing my new
robotic car - with rack-and-pinion steering and rear suspension. You can see the
pictures in the site:

http://www29.brinkster.com/hightechplace/english.html

If you visit the site, please send me some feedback, in this thread or by
e-mail.

Thanks for all,

Tiago Bittencourt Silva
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Xanthra47 | 14 Jun 2004 23:52
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New RCX alternative ?

Hi,All
     I just got this in my email.  It appears that there is a new, more 
powerful alternative to the RCX available : )

Check out the XRC here :
http://www.charmedlabs.com/xportrobot.htm

I'm not affiliated with Charmed Labs in any way, other than being a 
happy customer.  I had purchased an Xport to try and do this myself, but 
  my EE skills are pathetic : (

It's kinda' pricey (GBA_SP $99 + XRC Starter Kit $270) but IMHO it looks 
like it's got a lot of potential.  They even list IR sensors, a 
bluetooth module, and LEGO(R) compatible Omni-Wheels (comming 7/04)

-JSM
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Gmane