Regbot

REGBOT is a small robot designed for exercises for our linear control course (PID control) (author).

Figur 1. Version 2 af Regbot.

Introduction

Design overview can be found here.

User interface, how to configure the robot using the Regbot client.

Control overview gives some information on control possibilities.

Mission, how to write a mission.

REGBOT comes in 2 versions:

• version 2B - with extension boards to match version 3
• version 3 - new configuration with (almost) all on one board (REGBOT version 3 technical notes)
• version 4.1- using Teensy 3.5 (Regbot version 4)

REGBOT robot status

Video presentation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOz4eNkjTM0

Intro til HW http://aut.elektro.dtu.dk:rse/regbot/lektion_1_intro_1_hardware_software.mov

Robobot

Robobot is a base robot for "Building dependable systems". See details here (Robobot), it is basically a Regbot robot extended with a raspberry pi.

Use software as is

To use regbot two software parts are needed - one for the robot (regbot.hex) and the client (regbot.exe (for windows)).

Client software

Get the client software (regbot.exe) from file sharing on campusnet, place it in a directory, this directory will be default for configuration file and result files from the robot.

• get software from SVN, or from the link below.
• http://aut.elektro.dtu.dk/regbot/regbot-gui/regbot.exe

For windows a complete executable file (regbot.exe) is in the dist subdirectory, or can be downloaded as an exe-file from the link above.

windows 8/10

On windows 8, a USB driver must be installed to get in contact with the robot - see installation in windows - should be OK in Windows 10

The driver will (on Windows) create a COM-port when connected - most likely com3 or any higher number. When the robot is disconnected by unplugging the cable, then the client may need to be restarted, if it was connected when the cable was unplugged (no connection detect in windows).

Software download

The source code for the robot and the client is available here. NB! the software source can not be compiled without the proper tool-chain (compiler and library for the robot and python and libraries for the client)

repository for software - client and robot (version 3)

• client: svn://repos.gbar.dtu.dk/jcan/regbot/qtgui
• robot: svn://repos.gbar.dtu.dk/jcan/regbot/regbot
• robobot (c++): svn://repos.gbar.dtu.dk/jcan/regbot/robobot

On windows something like TortoiseSVN needs to be installed, see e.g.: http://www.gbar.dtu.dk/faq/39-svn

On a Linux computer install the subversion package, and do something like this:

svn co svn://repos.gbar.dtu.dk/jcan/regbot/regbot regbot
svn co svn://repos.gbar.dtu.dk/jcan/regbot/qtgui qtgui
svn co svn://repos.gbar.dtu.dk/jcan/regbot/robobot robobot

• Robot software version 3.943 (as of 9 Oct 2018) added overload protection (full motor voltage for 0.5sec gives overload).
• Robot software (including regbot.hex): version 2.285 (as of 31 January 2016) - ready for F16 course

• Client software : 3.923 (23 Mar 2018) added new chirp command for identification - require big log (teensy 3.5)
• Client software : 3.484 (as of 15 November 2016) - adapted to hardware 3, modular control settings and wifi access
• Client software (including regbot.exe for windows): 2.285 (as of 31 January 2016) - ready for F16 course

Older version

repository for software - client and robot (version 2)

• client: svn://repos.gbar.dtu.dk/jcan/regbot/version2/qtgui
• robot: svn://repos.gbar.dtu.dk/jcan/regbot/version2/regbot

Install software tools

The software tools to modify the software requires some tools.

• Software installation and tool-chain - Linux
• installation in windows with some of the tool-chain
• Schematic

Extensions

Camera based line follower

This extension adds a Raspbery Pi with a Raspberry Pi camera on top of the robot. The Raspberry Pi is connected to the robot base through the UART serial connection.

The Camera based line follower detects a tape line in front of the robot and controls the robot to follow the line through the serial connection.

Go to Vision based Line Follower for detailed information on the project and instructions on how to setup a new Line Following RegBot.

ESP8266

This extension adds wireless communication to the robot through the Teensy's UART serial connection.

Go to ESP8266 for instructions on how to add the ESP8266 to the Teensy board.