二月 2nd, 2013 § § permalink
We’ve started a new project in Xinchejian, the Project City, code name “Metropolis“.
More about the project will be in the wiki soon as we just begun. Today we built the table where the city will be installed.
The project will be a fusion of 3D projection and robot hardware combined with mechanics and interactive components.
This project is open for all members with interest. There will be a huge part in 3D mapping/projection and this content has to be created too. The robotics and mechanical part will include Arduino based hardware for the movements, communication between the central computer and the city and interface for interactive components.
If you think you could help with something then just let us know.
十月 29th, 2011 § § permalink
For more information, check our wiki.
九月 29th, 2011 § § permalink
有这些：Mega ADK, USB Host Shield, Midi Shield, X-Board, FTDI Basic，在www.DFRobot.com 网站可以找到相关资料。
六月 18th, 2011 § § permalink
We are really happy to have the opportunities in hosting the Rudy Bike in the past few weeks so they can finish the bike for the Demo Day. Rudy Bike is a cool looking electric bike controlled by Arduino and Android.
六月 8th, 2011 § § permalink
新一代的智能手机拥有一系列的感应器（全球定位系统，加速度传感器，指南针，等等）以及一个足够强大的中央处理器，可以胜任高端决策和像图像处理这样的任务所带来的高强度运算。
除此以外，智能手机的通信能力（蓝牙，无线网络，3G）使得它们非常合适用于存取大量数据和处理其他位置的服务器集群。
最后，所有这些功能都被集成在一起，放入了轻巧的手机中，由于大规模生产，价格也十分亲民。
智能手机和机器人这块拼图中所遗失的一块，是与不同硬件互相交流的方法，比如控制舵机或从其他的感应器读取数据。
为此，我们开始举办工作坊用以向人们介绍如何使用Android开发工具（the Android Development Kit (SDK), Android Development Toolkit (ADT)），后者使用功能强大的Eclipse环境以及最为重要的Android Open Accessory Development Kit.
Android3.1平台（也向下移植到了Android2.3.4）引进了Android Open Accessory support，这使得外部USB硬件（An Android USB accessory）能够与Android设备在一个特殊的“accessory”模式下互相通信。当一个Android设备在这个accessory模式下时，接入的硬件作为一个USB host（为总线供电以及枚举设备），而Android设备作为一个USB设备来使用。Android USB附件是特别设计的，用以附加在支持Android平台的硬件设备上并且遵守一个简单的附件协议（Android accessory protocol）使他们能够侦测支持附件模式的Android硬件设备。
工作坊是每周举行的（目前是英语教学）。我们将探索包括开发Android软件部分和单片机部分，涉及到的方面包括机器人的机械，电子以及软件工程学。
特别的，我们将一起研究那些兼容ADK的硬件开发板，比如Google IOIO board和Seeedstudio提供的新硬件。
付费的新车间会员可以免费参加。非会员需要支付50元/次。
更多的信息请查看“Android & Robots” wiki. 不要忘了做好准备工作以及加入我们的android-robots+subscribe@googlegroups.com mailing list！注意，这是一个需要大家合作的讨论会，我们希望每个人都能积极的参与和贡献自己的力量。
四月 30th, 2011 § § permalink
四月 10th, 2011 § § permalink
Ricky just posted a detail article on hacking HaiPad m701!
The M701 in itself is an example of hacking in China: here, hacking hardware that wasn’t thought to be workable together to achieve something close to a device that is much more expensive is not called a hobby but a full-time job!
Like many others, the extremely low-cost of this 7 inch tablet is made out of a even lower cost chipset, the Telechips 8902. The Telechips was originally designed to fit high end automotive applications, not do tablets or robotics. This chipset powers a variety of similar devices: Augen Gentouch, Coby Kyros, HSG X5A, Haipad M701, Dawa D7, SmartQ v5/v7, Coby Kyros MID7005/MID7015, Imito iM7, Smartbook Surfer (Pictures)
“Shanzhai” integrators prefer to keep their supply chain discreetly low-profile as they consider it their “secret” sauce. This is because in Shenzhen, manufacturers are in a race to produce a whole bunch and sell them before the local competitors do the same, often advertising capabilities of the underlying chipset that are actually unavailable to the user since unsupported by the OS.
十二月 20th, 2010 § § permalink
Wow, this is pretty big news for us at Xinchejian. Google releases Android robot libraries. In China, we have access to the biggest variety of Android devices, all thanks to the Shanzhai industry.
(Via DIYDrone.)
十二月 19th, 2010 § § permalink
I bought an
RC car from Taobao at the extremely cheap price of 67RMB (shipping included! 10$USD!)!
For that price, you get an RC remote, a rechargeable Ni-Cd 400mAh/6V battery pack, the radio transmitter (27.145Mhz). Wheels have rubber, autonomy and range is decent although the chassis is very very cheap plastic obviously.
The downsides: on wood floor, it tends to spin so any autonomous program would need to constantly adjust based on sensor (distance ranging) input. It also has propulsion motors on a simple shock so the base isn’t totally flat with the ground.
The transmitter needed two AA batteries (not included!) so on Friday I ran out late at night to buy a pair of them (6RMB) and went on an excursion in the cold night to acquire a bunch of precision screwdrivers (25RMB, although really they’re worth 15). Pretty difficult achievement since this is after 9pm on a Friday night!
While charging the battery, I used my new screwdrivers and removed the plastic cover. I also took a look at the electronics for the transmitter. The transmitter is very simple, with 4 contact switches, what I assume is a Pulse Modulation IC, a couple of capacitors and resistances. The way an RC transmitter works is described informatively on “
How Stuff Works“.
As an hack, I hook up the four switches to each emitter pin of a ULN2803APG (a simple IC that is basically 8 NPN transistors) with the base controlled by the Arduino itself. This lets me control the car with a very simple program to test Forward, Backward, Left and Right.
The challenges ahead:
1) finding a distance ranging solutions
The robot needs to know how far walls and various objects are…
The GP2Y0A700 looks like one with the longest range, but it’s also very expensive (around 50$USD). The next one, GP2Y0A02, is about 15$USD with a range of 20cm-150cm. I probably want a bunch (3?) so I this is probably more cost effective.
c) probably a combination of them
2) need to mount the Arduino, a breadboard and the sensors on the car. This will probably require a custom aluminium plate that I can mount using the screwholes that were used for the plastic cover.
3) Figuring out how to control the motors.
Two ways;
a) remove the current control board and substitute my own. This means an H-bridge that would let me control the motors both ways (Texas Instruments L293NE or Texas Instruments SN754410)
b) create my own RC transmitter.
I’m favoring (b) right now and I went out to buy a bunch of 27.145Mhz crystals at electronics town (10RMB for 8!)
