Hi All,
Before posting an issue or a problem in the ArduRover Discussion Forum, please check the wiki table of contents, review the firmware release notes in the subforum, and search that subforum for existing answers to your question. Help avoid duplicate threads by finding other members with the same issue and their solution.
When formulating your post, use a descriptive title such as "rover will not navigate to waypoints in the Auto mode" (not "HELP!" or "Problem").
Please include the following information to help diagnose your query:
- Describe the problem you are having. What is the expected verses the observed behavior?
- Provide hardware information such as the brand and version of your autopilot, GPS, radio, and compass, as well as any other pertinent details about your rover setup.
- What version of the APM: ArdurRover2 firmware version are you running?
- For navigation issues, provide your tlog and/or dataflash log. Click here for instructions on retrieving a dataflash log.
TCIII
Comments
Another one bites the dust!!!
Lynxmotion Inc. has been officially taken over by RobotShop Inc. Guess that Jim Frye just could not hack it any longer. I have a number of Lynxmotion robots and components and they were all of great quality.
Regards,
TCIII
@All,
Nice to see that we got some good dialogue going! Just about got all of the "honey dos" out of the way and as soon as it quits raining here in FL I will get back to my Traxxas E-Maxx ArduRover.
Regards,
TCIII
@Randy -- after doing the AVC where no external land beacons are allowed, I'd take any opportunity to "cheat" with virtual walls, beacons, DGPS, anything and everything. :)
@Jim I'll be using a uBlog I just received from 3DR, as well as their mag compass. The sonars are Devantech SRF05s and the infrared rangers are GP2Y0A21s. The garden is a 3x4 array of raised beds. The bed walls are high enough that I don't have to worry about robot running over the vegetables and will actually act as guides to get the robot back on path.
@Randy I've use odometry in several experiments but the consensus among those of us that build robots, is that it tends to be pretty unreliable in an outdoor environment. Especially if your running off road. Any fence technique, be it infrared, RF, or even an actual physical fence, to keep your robot out of the flowers is probably a good idea. Without stepping up to a good vision system there aren't many options to guarantee the robot doesn't cut a path where you don't want it to.
As Adam pointed out the Roomba uses infrared beacon which it detects with an omnidirectional tower. Outside I could see building beacons that might make use of solar cells.
@Jimmie, thanks. I never considered exploring the fence option. I will have a look.
Still thinking about beacons but I hesitate because it's not something I really pictured in the finished product and besided I think I would need too many beacons.
Randy
@ Randy - I know you directed you comment to Rich, but if you are using an APM doesn't it have a fence option? If it does is it accurate enough? Could that be used? You could set your system up to use a "invisible" dog fence that would not let the lawnmower close to the flowers. I definitely set it up to shut down if left your property.
Jim (KD0SWA)
@Jimmie, I'd think a rescue 'bot would make a good RoboMagellan! Although you might desire more weight for more load capacity.
Alan
@ Rich - Glad to see you have most of them covered. As for GPS are you going for the uBlox or another. I have a couple Garmin roof mount receivers that I interfaced with a Parallax BS2 and displayed on a LCD. Have you considered hacking an off the shelf range finder to use. I have a couple laser measuring tapes to hack. Also have a hunting range finder, purchased at garage sale, that ranges 17yds.,(15m) to 500yds., 450m that will also be hacked. My intent is to adapt both for rover and flight use. My barometric altimeter is not accurate enough.
Later.
Jim (KD0SWA)
@Randy: Perhaps the irobot "virtual wall" trick would work for you too? Use some sort of infrared beam around areas you don't want the mower to cut, and have a sensor on the mower?
I have encoders on my rover lawn mower and plan to install a GPS but I understand that a GPS accuracy is only good to 3 meters.
Therefore it is likely I will be cutting the flowers as well as the grass if I don't use a combination of GPS, compass and encoders. I was looking at a sensor to measure color but the sensor would have to be too close to the ground.
I was wondering if there is a way to measure the texture of a surface such as hard, soft or course, fine?
I was thinking RoboRealm to assist in identifying objects, perhaps beacons. Just some thoughts.
Randy