@ckclik (Troy) LOL

@RichMR2 can you send me an email? I would like to discuss something off the board. alan at thetechguru.net

Alan

Another thought about a second EZ-B guiding the robot back to base, it could control lighting. So, lets say, instead of colored objects that the robot is looking for, it's looking for colored lights.

The second EZ-B activates the lights when the robot runs low on power. Essentially, it would be creating active waypoints.

Hiding LEDs in a room is probably easier than having a solid object.

Which I think is similar to what Robotmaker mentioned in one or more of his suggestions, using IR Sensors...but, I'm not entirely sure. (Sorry, dude, but you speak way over my head sometimes.)

Hmm... Web cams, even without removing the IR filter see IR LED's as blue(ish). Embedding a little IR LED in the wall is a whole lot less noticeable than sticking a QR code on the wall.

Maybe DJ can add recognition of blink patterns to the camera control, and you can have a series of LED's that tell the robot where it is and let it just follow the lights to the charger..

Don't know that you would need a second EZ-B to drive the LED's. Probably able to do that with a simpler circuit.

Alan

great idea MCJEFF

ON circuit to drive a LED it pretty easytimer like to make it flash

I HAVE IR receiver in my wall bnut near my TV with using USB-UIRT module i can set any stations,and volume and long list of others without using a remote

And the system controls my 3 large flat screen tv in any room and any stereo,plus X10 system and lot more

one reason i am hopping DJ can do is make a script that we can add our own IR CODES.to get the code is simple just need a free software and usb-uirt and use the learn mode

on the EZB WITH NEED A SPECIAL IR receiver board i am designing and roomba output pin DO

but back to this post with a second there is a lot of add-ons to control and read

like another problem ho does your robot find a way back to home base charger when the room is dark pretty simple on home base second board it checks the light level (lux) and turn lights on as needed

and thats another ba d item about using QR codes you cant see them in the dark but like aways RICH has a answer for it

Also RICH i told you but i guess you missed in my post it mostly uses IR and 3 of them then adding sonars

second the map is from a different software

DJ has a map you can add to EZB look in the manual tells how to use it,its not great but it may work ok.

on the board i was using it has 125 digital I/O 8 analog ports and 8 IR ports plus alot more like accel and compass and servo and motors with encoders ,WORKING little at a time to PORT IT to EZB

I love the EZB more then most of the guys here,and want to use it on almost every project except ROS that uses LINUX

Second i like to build other robot designs and compare to EZB and other robot designs

FEW REASONS i do this first to learn the deign ,second to use part of the design on EZB or other designs and third to test software and compare results my first robot processor robot i made was using 6800 cpu AND ANOTHER was the SINCLAIR Z80

THATS WHY I MADE MANY home base finder designs

Coloured light waypoints could be a good idea although the issue I can see with them is what happens when it's daylight and the sun is shining in to it's path? Would the robot be able to detect the waypoint?

Visually looking for the way home will always have it's issues. Natural light and lack of light are both things that need to be gotten around. If going down the visual route then more than one way would be more than likely required for 24/7 functionality.

Not quite sure how the EZB can turn on the lights if the light level is too low, sure it would work if everyone had an X10 or other home automation installed (and it's easy to do with the HTTPGet and EventGhost) but again, it's adding to the cost. $69 plus shipping plus power supply etc. for an extra board, however many hundreds of dollars to install X10 (which isn't without it's own problems)... A solution but one for those with a lot of extra cash lying around which rules out the majority.

The Roomba IR beacon idea sounds like the better option but with a great lack of usable information on how to get it set up and working with the EZB and ARC software it doesn't help much.

Another idea could be to use sound, an audible beacon. The function added recently to use stereo mics in the robot to detect direction of sound would make it pretty easy for the robot to know where the dock is but again it's not without it's problems (ambient noise, noise of the beacon)

the x10 SYSTEM RICH IS system i have already ,and it not solution for for finding home base,plus the cost is very high,sofar i had it for more then 15 years without any problem yet

and yes the EZB can turn on lights at a very low level even darkness,the senso goes well below 1 LUX witch is no light and 0 is darness,the sensor is very cheap $2.00 for LDR (light depended resistor) and a simple resistor in seies with it to ground

that what i am expert at SENSORS tested all most every sensor made and even very special sensor at work i am electroc designer,so circiuts to me are super simple any type to to turn on a light all you need is a optocoupler and traic and 2 resistors ,all parts are under $6 total optocouple is moc3011 and if using 220 volts its moc3021 (i think) i only use moc3011 for 120 volts AC

to make it dim ,need a few other parts

eventghost it a great software,but it has no sensor to tell if the light is down or window blinds are close in my house when my blinds are close and no sun ,very little light is seen now in eventghost you can set the times ,but also you need a interface X10 is one way ,HIGH COST

AND EZB fairly low cost at $70 for the great board plus $2 for sensor (photocell or LDR) and SSR relay using moc3011 and a traic

Roomba design you need a roomba platform or build the circuit ,receiver and transmitter,witch to build it is cost some money too about $60 to $80 a nd it has problems mostly it cant track right with furniture and other stuff in its way.ROOMBA kinda fix it wit 2 OMNICONES TO 360 deg pan but still buying a roomba with the homebase charger ,witch i buy alot for omnicones is near $#75 used on ebay

plus problem of putting the platform on your robot design

i guess since there is 2 names with RICH going to call the other guy RICHMR

on the sound idea kinda sound good ,but would need special filters to block noise or use sound encoders called tone detectors LM567.witch the circuit is easy and iuse that chip many times,but does take a lot of parts the make at a high cost too. out of my head i know most chip part # pretty easy ,only semi-bad at programming

I never knew you were an expert at sensors, if only you had mentioned that before...

Please explain how in the blue hell you expect the EZB to turn on house lights? Short of connecting it in to the house electrics, rewiring the lighting circuits and switches to allow a permanent live at each light fitting, figuring out a way for the switches to work too, wiring it via relays back to the EZB it wouldn't work. It certainly isn't feasible to do it and would need to be carried out by registered electricians holding the correct qualifications and registered with the correct governing bodies in some countries.

For the record, although not related to this specific discussion, EventGhost can know everything there is to know about your home automation, and home automation needn't cost a lot. I wont go in to details here as this is not the correct site for that but I suggest you check out the eventghost forums if you are interested.

No need to call "the other guy" anything, but it's great that it's confused you

I didn't say to use the Roomba platform I said to use the idea. The IR beacon. Since you are the "expert at sensors" perhaps you could explain clearly how it is achievable without the Roomba, so far you've pretty much just typed a bunch of jibberish that's barely understandable and goes over everyone's head (not meant in an offensive way). Explain it clearly, how it works, what goes where, how it integrates with the EZB and ARC.