Hello again everyone, Jaidyn here just bringing you a quick update on the progress of PopPet 2.0.
Today I am laser cutting out what I believe to be the final design iteration. It has undergone a LOT of changes which has taken some time. PopPet 2.0 will come with two light sensors, an IR distance sensor (mounted underneath or on top), an ultrasonic sensor of course and a piezo buzzer.
The piezo buzzer has been a welcome addition, I've found it great for notifying the user of PopPet's current status (something 1.0 didn't have). Turning on 2.0 will sound a little tune and begin its program. If the batteries are flat however, 2.0 will sit stationary beeping at a low pitch. This ensures that the battery voltage doesn't drop too low which can cause bootloader corruption. When 2.0 is exploring it occasionally makes a decision to change direction and it notifies you of this by making a different noise depending on what that decision was. I feel this adds a little more personality and 'life' to 2.0 over 1.0. Another example of it being used is in a theremin sketch I am working on. 2.0 will sit stationary and use the ultrasonic sensor to report back on the distance to an object (a hand for example), depending on the distance, the pitch of the buzzer will change respectively.
Some of you may be asking, 'Why put a distance sensor on the bottom of the robot?' That's a great question, at first I thought I was crazy as well BUT it works. The IR sensor is primarily used to detect whether or not 2.0 is actually on the ground. I found a big problem with smaller children playing with 1.0 was that they would pick it up and immediately want to grab the wheels and make them stop, this can strip the gears inside the LBD motors. 2.0 can now detect when it has been picked up, if it has, it immediately stops moving and buzzes using the piezo buzzer. In the edge detection sketch I am working on, 2.0 relies on the users help to stop it falling off a table. 2.0 will drive forward looking for your hand for guidance as to how close it is getting to the edge, the closer it gets to your hand, the slower it gets until it detects the edge of the table, it then turns around and continues this procedure. This is a great game to get kids looking after their robot and can lead to a bundle of laughs as the kids race around the table making sure 2.0 doesn't fall off. So far the only problem I have found of course is the fall if the user doesn't show 2.0 how close it is, slowing down to half speed fixes this (gives it plenty of time to stop) but the damages that result are just batteries that come loose. The IR sensor can also be mounted on the 'roof' of 2.0, this allows it to recognize if it is being 'patted' or if something has been placed on top of it.
The Advanced kits will also come with a Bluetooth module, this allows wireless Scratch4Arduino programming and wireless control from mobile devices. So far I have tested the S4A side and it works brilliantly, I'm a big fan of trying to make programming easier to understand for children and many schools already teach Scratch as part of their I.T courses. The mobile side I have tested very briefly, this is because we are working on making a full blown app to control 2.0 with. This app will allow for complete remote control, toggling between remote control and autonomous behaviour, perform pre-programmed routines, play music and perhaps even utilize the phones camera. This part is all still very much in the works so for the time being we will just market the fact it is S4A compatible, the app will come later.
This is pretty much all I have got for you now, I will get back to work on the laser cutter as I finish my first morning cup of tea. If you have any further questions don't be afraid to contact me through the Contact page.
Regards,
Jaidyn
Today I am laser cutting out what I believe to be the final design iteration. It has undergone a LOT of changes which has taken some time. PopPet 2.0 will come with two light sensors, an IR distance sensor (mounted underneath or on top), an ultrasonic sensor of course and a piezo buzzer.
The piezo buzzer has been a welcome addition, I've found it great for notifying the user of PopPet's current status (something 1.0 didn't have). Turning on 2.0 will sound a little tune and begin its program. If the batteries are flat however, 2.0 will sit stationary beeping at a low pitch. This ensures that the battery voltage doesn't drop too low which can cause bootloader corruption. When 2.0 is exploring it occasionally makes a decision to change direction and it notifies you of this by making a different noise depending on what that decision was. I feel this adds a little more personality and 'life' to 2.0 over 1.0. Another example of it being used is in a theremin sketch I am working on. 2.0 will sit stationary and use the ultrasonic sensor to report back on the distance to an object (a hand for example), depending on the distance, the pitch of the buzzer will change respectively.
Some of you may be asking, 'Why put a distance sensor on the bottom of the robot?' That's a great question, at first I thought I was crazy as well BUT it works. The IR sensor is primarily used to detect whether or not 2.0 is actually on the ground. I found a big problem with smaller children playing with 1.0 was that they would pick it up and immediately want to grab the wheels and make them stop, this can strip the gears inside the LBD motors. 2.0 can now detect when it has been picked up, if it has, it immediately stops moving and buzzes using the piezo buzzer. In the edge detection sketch I am working on, 2.0 relies on the users help to stop it falling off a table. 2.0 will drive forward looking for your hand for guidance as to how close it is getting to the edge, the closer it gets to your hand, the slower it gets until it detects the edge of the table, it then turns around and continues this procedure. This is a great game to get kids looking after their robot and can lead to a bundle of laughs as the kids race around the table making sure 2.0 doesn't fall off. So far the only problem I have found of course is the fall if the user doesn't show 2.0 how close it is, slowing down to half speed fixes this (gives it plenty of time to stop) but the damages that result are just batteries that come loose. The IR sensor can also be mounted on the 'roof' of 2.0, this allows it to recognize if it is being 'patted' or if something has been placed on top of it.
The Advanced kits will also come with a Bluetooth module, this allows wireless Scratch4Arduino programming and wireless control from mobile devices. So far I have tested the S4A side and it works brilliantly, I'm a big fan of trying to make programming easier to understand for children and many schools already teach Scratch as part of their I.T courses. The mobile side I have tested very briefly, this is because we are working on making a full blown app to control 2.0 with. This app will allow for complete remote control, toggling between remote control and autonomous behaviour, perform pre-programmed routines, play music and perhaps even utilize the phones camera. This part is all still very much in the works so for the time being we will just market the fact it is S4A compatible, the app will come later.
This is pretty much all I have got for you now, I will get back to work on the laser cutter as I finish my first morning cup of tea. If you have any further questions don't be afraid to contact me through the Contact page.
Regards,
Jaidyn
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