Final Documentation

Click here to read the final documentation submitted as a part of my final project for this class.

Soon to post pictures of the final presentation.

Work in Progress (last week of class before final presentation)

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How to build an LED Display Robot Part #1

Materials Needed:

- Wires
- LED's
- PC Board
- Shift Registers (model #74VHC595N)
- Soldering Wire
- Solder Iron
- Wire Cutters

Step 1: Prepare a HUGE stash of wires (approx. 1' each).



Step 2: Solder!

a. Insert LED on one side of the PC Board.
b. Solder a piece of wire on the other side.
c. Repeat over and over. Don't burn yourself!




Step 3: Connect to board using Shift Registers

Robot Progress

What is a Robot?

A robot is a mechanical device that can perform preprogrammed physical tasks. A robot may act under the direct control of a human (eg. the robotic arm of the space shuttle) or autonomously under the control of a pre-programmed computer.
-Extracted from Wikipedia





Mindmap 1:



This mindmap shows a connection between the physical components and the more abstracts such as purpose, how, why. etc.

Mindmap 2:



This is a more updated mindmap, showing more in general all the aspects that really interest me for this project.
- Programming
- Robotics
- Film (Movies)
- Building Things
- Toys

Joystick/Controller:



Servos (Hands and Legs):




LED display (Face):



Prototype a:



Prototype b:





Things to do:

- Research Robot concept, terminology, definition.
- Adjust the project to this Robot definition.
- Conceptualize and do mindmaps on more specific concepts.

Finally... Progress!

After spending many days in the DT lab trying to figure out how to work Shift Registers and ADC chips, I finally managed to understand how they work.

First, I connected a round flex cable to the ADC in order to convert the analog signal to a digital one, so that the BS2 could understand it. Once I managed to do this successfully, I connected the shift register into the BS2. I programmed the BS2 so that depending on where the flex cable is pressed (from 0 to 255), 4 different LEDs would light up.



All I need to do now is replace the flex cable with a joystick, figure out how to make it work, make a bigger LED array, control the flow of lighting LEDs with the joystick, and do some cool design.

sigh.

Final Project Phases:

Phase 1:
-Figure out hot to connect LOTS of LEDs using a 9volt battery
-Make ideas more concrete (too many "how-why's")

Phase 2:
-Alter LED behaviour with a joystick

Phase 3:
-Implement character into LED pattern
-Program different perceptions and movements

Phase 4:
-Game?

Final Project Proposal

Title: How to control an LED Robot

Background Questions:
a. What do I want to do with this new acquired physical computing knowledge?
b. How technical do I want to get?
c. How can I combine the multiple elements that interest me into one single massive project?
d. Are these items really necessary for me, or will they help society somehow?

Project Concept:
Control a character displayed in an LED panel by using a joystic.

Concept Research:
Domains: Interactive/Computation/Visual

Summary:
The user will interact with the LED display by using a joystic. Depending on the direction in which he moves the joystic, the LEDs will turn on or off and cause a simulation of movement.

Technicality:
The project consists of an LED display panel which portrays a robot. The idea is for the user to be able to control the robot's basic movements (left, right, up, down) with a joystic. The way this is going to work is by programming certain LED blinking patterns into a pic chip, which are going to be activated depending on the movement of the joystic. For example: if the user wants the robot to walk left, he would move the joystic to the left for as long as he want.

The main idea that needs to be accomplished is the fact that the user feels he/she is in control of the robot in a specific environment. The path in which the robot will walk can have certain obstacles, for which the user will need to control the character in specific ways. Let's say there's a block in the middle of the road. The user would need to move the joystick up, in order to make the robot jump the block and walk forward. This would help the user to feel more in control, while at the same time providing fun and entertainment to the user. Picture this as an interactive mini-game experience.

Electronics:
These are the main electronic components needed for this project (this list will probably change and grow as the weeks go by).

a. Multicolored LEDs (200+)
b. Joystick (1)
c. Breadboard (2+)
d. PIC or BS2 (3+)
e. Shift Registers (10+)
d. Other electronic components such as cables, soldering equipment, and batteriest

Most of these products can be acquired on mouser.com

Precedents:
Although this project resembles most of the classic Arcades and Video Games from the early videogame era, here are some of the precedents that somehow inspired me to create this project.

Super Mario Bros, produced by Nintendo in 1985.
The main character is always positioned in the middle of the screen. Depending on the directional pad, the character will react in a certain way, and the background will change, while triggering certain events. This type of game is called a side-scrolling game.

The Disco Bar, by David Worden.
Implemented a set of 128 RGB LED's, 250 feet of cable, and a computer controlled environment to the top of a bar table. The result is a beautiful display of preprogrammed imagery.