The IQ100:
Is like and unlike most robots on the market today.
Its single board computer is an 8051 based microcontroller.
Controlling two dc motors. It
does not use conventional servos or any mechanics with gears.
Its locomotion is achieved by a friction belt drive train. The
two dc motors connect to the drive train by two pulley driven
belts. The IQ100 connects to the real world via three
visible light sensors and four front wheel position sensors.
The control board has a total of four analog inputs. Three are
for the light sensors and one for user applications. Actually
all four analog inputs are available for user applications.
The controller board also comes with one bit digital IO port. That
can be jumpered to swing between 0 and 3volts input output, or
can be jumpered to control an included opto isolator for higher
input or output voltages. This digital bit can also be jumpered to
control a bi-directional dc motor. The opto isolators included
with the board. The user analog input can accept an input
voltage swing of 0 to 2.4 volts. This analog input can be
programmed to a five bit resolution, or 32 voltage steps at 75
mili volts per step. And of course can be connected to be a
digital input as well.
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Side view. The IQ100 is designed to be a learning tool for studying Autonomous Robotics.
The IQ100 is a tabletop bot and designed to be "hackable". It's for the beginner as
well as for the advanced. Disassembly is for the beginner, however re-assembly is for the
advanced.
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IQ100 rear view. The chassis is made of a copolymer material that can be modified by drilling, punching
and cutting(with shears), using simple hand tools. However this plastic does not cut well with a hand saw.
The IQ100 can be disassembled and reassembled, like a robot kit, by following the instructions
in the manual.
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The IQ100 is not programmed at the
8051 level by the user. No Basic, C compilers or Assemblers are needed.
Instead it's delivered with its own instruction set designed
for control. It's a scripting language in plain English, easy
to understand. These instructions can be issued as single
commands or put into a script for playback as a series of
instructions. The instruction set has "while", "jump on
condition" and "wait" instructions to give it its autonomous
behavior. This instruction set runs inside software as a Real
Time Event Driven Finite State Machine Operating System. The
IQ100 is not delivered with any serial cables to program it.
Instead, two easy convenient ways are provided to program the
scripts. Using a TV/VCR remote control can program the IQ100.
Since it has a TV/VCR IR module detector on board. The second
way to program the IQ100, is by the sbcRobotics Windows application.
Very simple to use, just click and drop the instructions into a
script. The scripts can of course be saved and retrieved, as
any other Windows application does with files. The Script
Studio Windows application also does the pseudo compiling.
Then the scripts are loaded into the IQ100 via the desktop
screen. Just point the IQ100 at the screen and click on the
"transfer button" in the Windows application. Then just use
the TV/VCR remote control to start the script
playing.
The IQ100 is delivered with built in
scripts. The scripts can be selected and played with the
TV/VCR remote control.
The IQ100 is delivered assembled
with a manual, software on CD and a TV/VCR remote control (
optional). Ready to use, program and learn. It's delivered
without any serial cables, since none are needed.
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Top view. The IQ100 was mostly constructed from off-the-shelf mechanical parts and materials.
Only a few parts are custom made.
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The TV remote control is optional but necessary to control the IQ100. Since this is the only means
to issue commands. The TV remote is optional, in case the owner of the IQ100 already has a TV remote
control for the DAEWOO TV. But if not, then the OneForAll controller is available from sbcRobotics
or any other retail outlet. This programmable universal TV/VCR remote controller is set to the
DaeWoo TV remote control code of "092". Some of the controller keys have been re-assigned, since the
IQ100 requires different controls.
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Windows ScriptStudio screen shot showing the compiled
opCodes window panel after trying the,
"Try this:" exercise.
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Screen snapshot of the Windows ScriptStudio showing the transfer sub window. When the transfer starts,
this small subwindow, will rapidly start to blink the white area, alternately between black&white. The
script will then be transfered to the IQ100 while its center photo sensor is being held close to the
blinking screen.
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To learn more about how the photoSensors and the opCode/instructions
work together, click here for more info:
opCodes
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| More details and pics coming soon. Web page last updated; Nov 13, 2006.
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| Copyright © 2003-2007 by sbcRobotics, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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