Myles – Physical Computing

Autonomous Robot Part 2 – Waddle

Myles — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 20:46:11 +0000

Jake Scherlis- Designer, Vivian Qiu-Integrator, Myles Blodnick-Tutor, Scribe


Introduction 
Waddle is a robot that explores the idea of an autonomous entity with an inherent personality achieved through different behaviors triggered by a variety of stimuli. Originally intended to embody an anthropomorphic form, Waddle evolved to become a quirky robot with movements reminiscent of a duck. After exploring the wide range of potential behaviors achieved through the design of the robot, we decided to match the robot’s movement to its lovability. As a result, Waddle is a dancing robot that exhibits its ability to dance in the presence of music. 
Fabrication Design 
The robot’s mechanical structure is adapted from an online video. Waddle has been adapted to have a completely redesigned frame to achieve a wider range of motion, durability, and precision, but most importantly an entertaining and identifiable behavior.  This personality is achieved through sensing two types of stimulus with proximity sensors and sound sensors. In this iteration, Waddle exhibits an engaging reaction to music or sound, while navigating throughout its environment to avoid collision. 
Waddle’s mechanical structure is a refined result of three completed prototypes that led to a final design with the most mobility as well as smoothest range of motion in both its gait and its dance. Challenges in previous iterations include finding the correct counterweight to counteract the robot’s constantly shifting center of gravity from step to step, maintaining the structural rigidity in parts of the frame while allowing for movement in others, packaging electronics without interfering with the robot’s movement, and finding appropriate mounting mechanisms.
Technical Notes
The technical aspects of this project can be addressed in two aspects: the hardware and software components. To detail the former, three servos were utilized, two that act as the left and right feet and the third as a balancing mechanism. An Arduino Uno was utilized as the microprocessor along with two sensors, a sound sensor and a distance sensor. A mini protoboard was utilized to connect the power to the servos and sensor. The main power source for this iteration was a USB due to complications in battery powering, which will be solved by the next deliverable. On the software side, the algorithm for walking was heavily adjusted through design and many tweaks, which this class is referring to as iterations, to account for the new fabrication of Waddle. The walking formula is significantly different from the first iteration. In addition, sound sensors were now utilized. Whenever sound levels surpass a certain threshold, Waddle will trigger a dancing sequence. This needs to be fine-tuned more for the next iteration, but accomplishes the task of creating a behavior that facilitates some component of human interaction as of now . A distance sensor was utilized, but the functionality was not complete enough for this iteration and will be developed more for the next prototype. 
Video

 
Process

Code

https://github.com/mblodnick/Waddle



1C – Dream Machine – LISTEN.
Myles — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 19:26:09 +0000
Jake Scherlis- Designer, Jonathan Ortiz- Tutor, Kaan Dogrusoz- Integrator, Myles Blodnick-Scribe

Introduction
Ideas can be either great or terrible, but can be propelled in polar opposite directions based on the owner of them. Ideas hold unlimited potential, and should be held to standard leaving the message unequivocal and unbiased from the author. With this in mind, we create an anonymity device that separate the author from his idea. This was done by creating a mask that would have the user talk into a distortion mic. The analog input would then be shifted by pitch by a random amount depending on voice volume amplitude levels. The audio then would be output through two speakers that were embedded into the front of the mask.
Technical Notes
The basic frame of the mask is a fencing helmet. The helmet contains a single NeoPixel LED strip, a former webcam microphone, and two portable speakers that were mounted into the front of the helmet. 
Video

 
Process




1A – Basic Circuits Project – Wearable Turn Signals
Myles — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 10:05:24 +0000
Jake Scherlis- Designer, Jonathan Ortiz- Tutor, Myles Blodnick- Integrator

Introduction
As the world has grown to become more environmentally conscious and less likely to pay the rising costs of fuel, there has been a huge growth in the percentage of the population using bicycles as their main method of transportation. Urban governments have encouraged this shift in an effort to reduce traffic congestion in growing cities as well as to mitigate pollution.
Before the advent of turn signals, automobile drivers would use their left hand to signal turns. Bicyclists adopted this and are legally required to use hand signals to turn and change lanes, but automobiles have evolved to use battery powered turn signals. As turn signals have become commonplace, a lot of new drivers on road are unaware of hand signals as they have not been previously exposed to them. This results in drivers not being able to properly interpret hand signals, leading to potential accidents and dangerous driving patterns.
The goal of our project was to make a wearable glove that would not hinder the riding experience or require any extra input on behalf of the bicyclist. This increases the bicyclists' safety as their turn signals are more easily interpreted by the automobile driver. This increases the safety of the rider in general, and also provides the opportunity to safely ride a bicycle during nighttime. With the use of this glove, the association between the hand signals and vehicular turn signals is restored.
The input for our machine is the rider’s hand motion while the ouput is a directional LED display of the user’s intention to turn or slow down.
Technical Notes
The basic frame of the wearable is a bicycle glove manufactured by Endura. The turn signals are composed of four white LED strips containing three LED’s , while the slowing down signal is made of one RGB LED strip containing six LED’s. The power source is one 9V battery, which utilizes a gravity dependent switch composed of a nut hanging from conductive thread and copper fabric contact points. Conducting threads caused a lot of errors and made me cry. They suck. We replaced them with wires.
Video

 
Process