robotmaker
I buy a lot of NEATO XV-11 ROBOTIC vacuum cleaner and take apart and sell the parts mostly the LASER
A looking at the idea that DJ uses to control IROBOT ROOMBA with serial and it can be done the same way.
FEW hack sites has info on the serial commands and they have it controlled by another computer
NEATO XV11 if you read the many reviews on it ,its a lot better then ROOMBA ,one main reason it uses a LIDAR tracking system ,where ROOMBA uses a IR BEACON system
SO it will make a great robotic base,used ones on ebay are about $100
MAY be latter DJ can make a Movement Panel for it,but for now it can be controlled by serial using scripts.
LIKE to hear any good or bad comments on it,and will be looking at the code soon, do need to open it and solder wire to ground and TX line.
Actually the Roomba does not have any type of navigation system. The IR sensors are for cliff detection, virtual wall detection, Light touch sensor, obstacle sensors, and remote control commands.
The Neato control commands are documented on the NeatoRobotics.com website. I looked at this robot for use with the EZ-B system but since the Lidar component cannot easily be controlled all you can do is basically the same commands that would be sent to a Roomba. There is no way to take advantage of the Lidar function within the Neato and incorporate it for use by the EZ-B. Possibly in the future something could be done using a bluetooth wired to the Tx and Gnd on the Lidar unit to build a room map.
You will have to stay with the early versions of the Neato XV-11 with a (rev 113 circuit board) since later models had a newer (rev 64 circuit board) that did away with the comm port.
When you do get around to opening one of the XV-11s you might want to use Gnd and Rx since the commands will be sent to it from the EZ-B.
I must of open more then 100 neato xv- 11 and i know about the comm port not used in the new board
I will post a few hack sites that has a lot more info on api codes and more,and i know the guy who won the bounty on hacking the neato codes
And i know about the codes on the neatorobotics website they put that info up after it was hacked N ot very much info as the hack sites has,and i bought a few neato LIDAR control boards to give usb output and speed control,but all you need is usb to ttl converter and special time circuit to give 300 rpm,very easy to make
so many different ways he has on hook it up ,like using a chumby internet screen and using the neato lidar sensor WITCH IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST item i sell on ebay the most and i have one working on LINUX ROS software
And about roomba its not really navigation the IR beacon are to home-in on home base and virtual wall beacons
I also sell LOTs of Lidar units and drive wheels for Neato owners but that has nothing to do with hacking the Neato using the EZ-B.
The Roomba does not navigate. If there is no home base nor Virtual Walls it still manages to clean the environment it is placed into.
YES it doesn't add it for others to buy my neato lidar like a few from this place did there is a home base that uses whats called a omnicone and IR receiver and a IR sender VIRTUAL WALLS are so that the roomba doesnt pass a certain area
AND roomba doesnt do a great job of cleaning bad navigation software,it needs some type of navigation or it just cleans in one area,sensors mostly for furniture and other objects in its path,for dirt sensor it uses a type on sonar pickup it has a metal copper plate that sends and receives a sonar pulse.
But this post is mostly about neato xv-11 has a lot better navigation system then roomba and using serial i should easy make code for it,if not i have a friend that is very good in coding
ALSO THE LIDAR used on a neato xv-11 it almost compares to a lidar at $1200 ,accuracy and there is data on both of them on the hack site
pretty soon i might be able to get schematics for the neato xv-11 from the neato company ,they said i just need a tax ID number for my repair company and they will send me a copy,they said no schematic on the lidar yet (rats) BUT i still repair broken boards or send them another one. so schematics might help in using EZB board ,like another idea i have remove lcd and mother board and use only EZB lidar is my only problem ezb CANT RECEIVE commands only send,but another idea may be is using I2C bus some how may be I2C bluetooth module
I know there are more expensive Lidar systems in the world. What I will do as well as others on the forum will be to patiently wait for the forthcoming coding to appear for the XV-11.
As far as Roomba navigation software, there is none. There really isn't a comparison since the Neato has and uses navigation software and the Roomba does not even have navigation software.
IT needs some type of navigation to find its way around in a room,have to ask this question on the roomba site you are a member of ,
I finally found a bluetooth to I2C and cheap receives and sends,and then use the ttl to bluetooth that EZB uses ,can be a master or slave $19.50 CHEAP it may work for lidar and other designs.
WILL have to read up on the I2C bus info and will try with something simple like serial lcd first.
Havent found a TTL to I2C adapter yet
ON THE CODING for the NEATO its already out there ,hackspaces,com is one ,another it neat hack wiki site,will find the links pages and pages of info on the neato besides the neato lidar
Robot-Doc you sell Neato Lidar and Neato complete?