Beginner Starts With Dickeys Rolling Olli

Cobra71

Germany
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Hello, I'm new in this community and got my EZ-Board and Motorcontroller last week. After some problems in the Beginning I flashed the Firmware to the EZ-B and the ARC Software works on my Win8 Notebook with built in Bluetooth.

Now it's time for my first Project with the following Goals:

-Driving autonumous and with XBOX360 Pad that is connected to the Notebook -Wireless Cam in the head that should be modified to Pan/Tilt with Servos -Ultrasonic Radar -PWM dimmed LED-Eyes (one Colour or RGB) -Optional movable Arm('s)

I looked around a little bit at home and found two candidates, a Omnibot 5402 and "Rolling Olli" from Dickie Toys. But even if the Omnibot has no batteridoor an Remote I don't want to destroy it, so I unscrewed the Rolling Olli and found out that is very good built and the right platform for the EZ-B.

I used the place in the Back of Olli to screw the EZ-B on. The Batteriedoor is under the robot and holds six batteries Type A, but I modified it to hold 7,2V RC Batterie-packs with Multiplex Connectors. So I can Use the Batteries from some of my RC-Cars and use my good chargers. I plan to cut off the Head and PanTilt it, so it can follow a red coloured Ball with his head. I also have Sharp IR Sensors that I could use for Radar till the Ultrasonics arrive from China.

I will add some Pics...here is a youtube video to see what Rolling Olli is:

That is not my one, my is Blue...but I got another one in Red for my little Daughter, she is 3 Years old and loves Robots. Her Favorits are not payable for me, she wants an asimo, HPR-4 or a Nao, but all of them aren't really cheap for a little kid's toy. ;-)

EDIT: I got cheap a second Omnibot5402 with Remote and Batteriedoor, but the tapedeck is away, so I have a Base for my next projekt, and also one Complete 5402 that is still very expensive when I look at the ebay prices.

Marc

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United Kingdom
#1  

That's a cool little robot:) Nice change from the 5402 too.

Welcome to the site by the way.

#2  

Cool bot, should work fine with the EZ-B, welcome to the revolution.

#3  

Cool! Welcome.

And by the way, there has been an update that lets you track multiple colors so it doesn't have to be a red ball.

Germany
#4  

Today he has his first "walk"...no problems at all. He drives in the right directions without trying several combinations of the four ports between ez-b and motor controller. I wonder that the controll is not pwm when I use my 360gamepad...he always runs full power. But for the first run it was a.full success. Now begins the finetuning and control by webcam, and I have to cut up his head;).

I will post some pics soon.

Marc

Germany
#5  

Yesterday I went to the cellar and found one of my old rc-cars that could be a ideal, waterproof drivebase for a robot...olli or omnibot. It's a "Robbe" "Rodeo 6x6x6", it's from the eighties and have been reproduced some years ago by "Reely" and named "Kayman". There is a nearly similar car from the manufacturer "Prafa", it was named Samba.

The gerabox has to be modified, because the speed is a "little high". ;-) But the platform is amazing, enough place to hold 12V batteries, power enough to transport even every Robot.

Marc

Germany
#6  

I've done some work...it was a small cut for me...buuuut a great cut for Olli. :D My background music while cutting was "Don't lose your head" by Queen from the motion picture Soundtrack of Highlander. ^^

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On the Back of Olli you can see the ezb, I have to build a, acrylic cover to save ezb from damages.

After cutting of the Head Omnibot grap Ollis head and tried to get away with it...

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...but then Ollis brother caught Omnibot and saves his brothers head.

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Now the head had to be fixed again with Pan-Tilt servos.

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Marc

EDIT: I have fixed the head with two servos, but the mechanical part is a bit shaky, I have to add some parts for more stabilty...pics come soon.

I also got my ordered 50pcs RGB LED's with common cathode, now I have to solder a little amp that can handel two or more RGB LED's on thre PWM Ports of the ezb. I will put them into the eyes, to show emotions or feedback of cam tracking...yellow=searching objekt, green=got objekt, red=objekt not found or something like that.

The cam will be installed in the lower part of the silver stripe of the head, between/over the eyes.

In the Body of olli is a thing that looks like a ~1" magnifier, I will cut it off and put in a fitting ~5W led-lenser. Or I will use a multi led lenser and put 50% visible white and 50% ir led's in so I can switch between visible light and invisible ir light...but when you hear the sound of ollis chains than I need no ir led's because stealth is not one of his his strengths.;)

Germany
#7  

OK, I found a 100% fitting cover for the back of olli to protect the ezb. It is one half of a 3,5" HD Transportcase, it's thin, clear and stable enough to do that job.

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Here a pic of the neck:

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He looks around...

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One problem that I have to fix is that the head movement is a bit shaky, I have to make it more stiff.

ToDo: higher Neck-Stiffness, RGB-LED Eyes

Marc

#8  

This little Olli robot guy in pretty cool looking. He is surprisingly large. A picture by himself you would imagine it would be half the size. Good job so far I will follow this one for sure.:)

Germany
#9  

Here is one for these who want one:
Rolling Olli

And another one

But the first is in austria and the second in Germany. ;-)

Yes there is enough space for a good batterie and some other stuff, like H-Bridges, Servos, and so on. The only problem is that the two arms are connected together in one piece. I have to cut this to get more space and move the arms seperate.

I installed the RGB LED's in the Eyes, put some milky white foil behind the glasses und glued a black point in the middle of every eye.

Now I have to solder three little amps to fire both RGB LED's on three PWM Ports.

Pics come soon.