stibaer. Only 1 camera with ARC right now. You could have additional cameras on the pc and probably find a way to communicate to them with the SDK.

Alan

Hey all,

Blue tooth or any RFID solution could certainly detect presence, but tracking is going to be very tough right now. You could use something like XaP automation protocol to do bluetooth presence detection but I have not yet seen a board that will give you a line of bearing (LOB) which requires Radio Direction finding (I have not looked alot however). RDF is pretty common on lots of hobby type boards for some lower frequencies like VHF band stuff, but I have not yet seen it for wifi and Bluetooth yet. There are some solutions probably based on signal strength on some of the wifi utilities, but I don't think it is that accurate. Maybe someone has seen something.....Would love to avoid shaving my head. I might consider a tattoo however (jk).

v/r

Kevin

I have a Mega Byte 2.0 Hound Droid that has a "follow me" function. If I recall it worked pretty well. It uses an Infra-red remote to control the dog's functions. I think the "follow me" mode just broadcasts or pings an IR signal from the remote, that you clipped to your belt, to the dog droid and it'd just home-in on the IR signal?

Granted, the robot won't find you in another room, but line-of-sight following was pretty good for a toy robot. Don't know if this would be possible with the EZ-B, but since we can already use IR ping sensors with the EZ-B might it also be possible to use IR detectors? confused

Any web cam can see an IR led without modification. DJ says if you set the color following to blue it will work. Haven't tried yet. It is on this week's to do list. With the SDK you could add only follow a specific blink pattern so it doesn't chase just any ir source.

Alan

The camera speed isn't quick enough to do a blink detection. Also, the priority is low on refresh and put towards detection. So your frame rate changes based on "real" activity, like movements and detection, etc. Frame rate and camera resolution isn't as important to the robot, it's merely esthetics for us

As for ir tracking with blue, it'll work. I'll do a tutorial video for you

That makes sense. Steady led it is.

Alan

I use a pair of infrared beacons ( see link ) one unit mounted on robot ,interface to Ez b ,connect batt to other unit hold in your hand or strap to you body and it will follow you or do what you want with a little programming. http://www.pololu.com/catalog/product/701

:) Pat

Why cant radio technology be used for the positioning? Would be the most efficient solution, since its the only solution, where you dont need a direct line of sight.

A Tracking transmitter broadcasting a radio signal which can be detected by a directional antenna (typically a Radio Direction Finder.) could be carried at your body.

By rotating the antenna on the robot, one can determine the direction the signal lies in and of course whatever it may be attached to. "

Also the strenght of the signal can be measured -> you have all needed data to let the robot drive in a certain distance and angle to you.

Source of information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracking_transmitter