Major Make-Over

There has been a major makeover happening to D.R.i.V.e a very corner has been strengthened and improved.  The gear ratio for the rear motors has changed to 1:1 instead of 1:3. I know it sounds weird but the small gear had to wait a while before getting the getting the speed wanted  therefore programming would not be accurate. The bumpers have been joined to the chassis but still can be activated. To make a full proof steering system, I made the motor lying down and built a swivel around it. I have finished the round about,u turn and 3 Point Turn programming and are perfect.

Error!!Error!!Problem located!!

I have just come across many errors such as that D.R.i.V.e was to heavy to move so to solve that, I turned the motors around and worked perfectly. Soon after, another problem occured which was that the bevel gear steering the sviwel kept tripping as in moving awway form the other gear there for not turning the sviwel. I have still not have found the solution to this problem. So if you have the answer please leave a comment. I just first have to say that i have so far 7 followers but I have not received any comments or reactions so please put some. 

P.C.o.P.P.(Pseudo Code of Programming Planning)

I am trying out a type of planning known as pseudo-code which is in a form of a dialogue between my robot and I but except I am doing all the talking. If you have any doubts maybe the following pseudo code will clerify things.

• D.R.i.V.e., follow the route given by Google Maps by compiling your navigation blocks.


• D.R.i.V.e., use your compass sensor to collabrate with Google Maps to make shure you are following the route.


• D.R.i.V.e., use your accelarator sensor to check for inclines and adjust speed accordingly.


• D.R.i.V.e., use your ultrasonic sensor to stop the car a something 2 cm in front of it.


• D.R.i.V.e., use your touch sensors so that if bumped or pressed, stop and wait for further instructions.


• D.R.i.V.e., diplay a green light when moving ordinarily and red when bumped or stopped.

 

The Master of Gravity

To solve my problem of gravity, I purchased a HiTechic set which includes a Magnetic Compass Sensor, a Acceleration Sensor, a Sensor Multiplexer(i.e. a sensor hub for NXT), etc. The acceleration sensor is to solve my problem when it comes to a incline. While the magnetic compass sensor will synchronize with Google Maps to make sure D.R.i.V.e. is driving properly. The sensor multiplexer is because I have used all my sensor ports.

Turning D.R.i.V.e from a Perodua to a Ferrari

To increase D.R.i.V.e's speed I created a very small gear box(if you would like to call it that) I first used a 40 teeth gear with a 8 teeth gear which didn't even make the car move wen it was on the ground.I then tried to use a 40 teeth gear with a 24 teeth gear which made it go slower then when there wasn't any gears so I finally used a combination of a 36 teeth gear and a 20 teeth gear which was x2 the speed.

Driving D.R.i.V.e

I have reconsidered the way that D.R.i.V.e steers himself. Before this D.R.i.V.e.'s steering was using the two back motors one turning clockwise and the other turning anti-clockwise therefore turning it while the front motor pulls the car forward. Now I have altered D.R.i.V.e's steering to more like the modern car's steering to make the wheels  swivel therefore making it more ordinary.Using the base of a Race Car Program I created a swivel.

Forces of Gravity

It has come to my mind that the speed will change if there was a slope and I do not know every slope in the world to program. According to the formula Speed=Distance/Time, I need to know the distance that is needed to travel divided by how long it takes. Please send any suggestions on how I can figure this out in the comments section. The same concept applies when coming down a slope so that it does not crash into something.

Back to D.R.i.V.e and Mindstorm

After finishing the Blender part of this project, all my attention is back on to the robotics and the GPS interface. In conjunction with the programming of this robot, my plan is to first use nxt-g to create my blocks and then opening then in code and using BricxCC to send this information that is told where and when to be by Google Maps according to the route given. Some of the my blocks are Forward, Backward, Left, Right, a 3-Point Turn,U-turn and Round About at 3, 6, 9, 12.The process is:

1. Get Directions ->
2. Save Directions in .txt file ->
3. Read Directions->
4. Create Variables ->
5. Write the Instructions ->
6. Compile program file ->
7. Send it to Brick ->
8. Run the program file

Modeling D.R.i.V.e For Blender

For the 3-D project, I decided to model my lego robot in blender. So to make things easier I went online to find a software that could create my model using lego pieces and then exporting that to Blender. I then found LDraw and LeoCad which could do exactly that. But these software didn't have some NXT parts (The Electric Components)There is a website that specializes in Lego called PhiloHome that has unofficial parts of the NXT for LDraw.

After downloading,I extracted the folder into the Parts folder of the software and then started constructing my car. After finishing contructing, I then started colouring my model. I coloured my model according to the original NXT set. I then saved it and reopened it in LeoCad which I then exported to a .3ds which is a 3D Studio Max format.

I imported the .3ds file to Blender and because the motors, sensors and brick where not coloured, I had to take matters into my own hands and manually coloured them, I then animated the wheel movement.

A Whole New World!

To add on to my boring city I told you about in my blog post Mission:Failure, I have added many different objects and concepts to make my boring city into a more interesting one. One of these interesting concepts is grass .I have added grass to my city to fill in all the gaps which are not covered by buildings so that it dowesn't just lies empty. I have buit  a curb all around the sides of the city's roads  to make my roads look more realistic and to prevent the car from looking  like it is of the road.

To add to that, I have also added a sky to create or fill in the empty space above the city and to make the city look more colorful. I have textured the buildings to color the buildings instead of having gray buildings. I have also changed my buildings by adding roofs and the cross for churches. I have created a car park to park my Lego car and other cars to add extra objects and not let grass take all the fame.Finally I followed the Google maps contours to make my city with those contours.