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Solarbotics BEAM Robotics Kit 2 Manual

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The BEAM Photopopper 4.2
The BEAM Photopopper 4.2
Photovore Robot
Photovore Robot
Unlike most robots, this BEAM robot is
not have an off switch. Optical and touch sensors give the palm-
sized Photopopper Photovore light-seeking and obstacle-avoiding
behaviour. This robot doesn't use a microprocessor or computer
"brain", making it straight-forward and easy to construct and tune!
A Complete BEAM Solar-Powered
Produced by
(Soldering skill required)
Robot Kit Inside
Document Revision: February 13, 2002
©
©
solar-powered
, and does
®
Ltd.
1
2
3
4
5
Skill Level

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Summary of Contents for Solarbotics BEAM Robotics Kit 2

  • Page 1 Skill Level The BEAM Photopopper 4.2 The BEAM Photopopper 4.2 Photovore Robot Photovore Robot © © Unlike most robots, this BEAM robot is solar-powered , and does not have an off switch. Optical and touch sensors give the palm- sized Photopopper Photovore light-seeking and obstacle-avoiding behaviour.
  • Page 2 This page left intentionally blank...

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Solarbotics Ltd reserves the right to make substitutions and changes to this product without prior notice.

  • Page 4: Kit Component List

    Kit Component List This is what you should find in your BEAM Photovore Photopopper kit: 1 - Printed Circuit Board (the PCB). This will be the body and brains of your Photopopper, so DON'T LOSE IT! 2 - 2.2 kOhm resistors (band colours red, red, red, gold). These tune the Solarengines for optimal performance. 2 - 680 kOhm resistors (band colours blue, grey, yellow, gold).

  • Page 5: Introduction

    BEAM Robotics Kit #2: The BEAM Photopopper 4.2 Photovore Introduction BEAM Robotics is a relatively new field of robotics where the robot does not have a “traditional” brain (ie: a microprocessor), does not have a “traditional” power source (ie: a battery), and does not look anything like a "traditional"...

  • Page 6: Critter Overview - Why It Does What It Does

    Critter Overview - Why it Does what it Does As previously discussed, this BEAM robot uses only solar energy to make its way around the environment you place it in. The solarcell used in this particular application has just enough power to run one of the motors continually in direct sunlight, but what good would this do you when the sun goes behind a cloud, or you want your robot to do something else besides spin in circles? The trick is in the use of the Solarengine.

  • Page 7: Photovore Behaviors

    Photovore Behaviours Your Photopopper is designed to exhibit two main behaviours: Light-seeking and Obstacle avoidance. The primary goal of any Phototropic (light-seeking) robot is to find and maintain access to a source of light (it's primary source of energy). The secondary goal is to keep from getting stuck. Your Photopopper is equipped with optical sensors to find the light, and touch sensors to avoid any immediate obstacles.

  • Page 8: Step 1: Solarengine Components

    Assembly - Bringing your Photopopper to LIFE! (insert "maniacal laughter" here) Step 1: The Solarengine Components 1381 Solar 2N3906 Cell Transistor 3906 E B C Clip Clip 2N3906 Wire Wire Transistor 2.2kOhm Resistor 3906 3906 3904 E B C Trim Pot Top View Soldering and Trimming 3904...

  • Page 9: Step 2: "Brains" And "Eyes

    Step 2: The "Brains" & "Eyes" of the Photopopper "Igor! Bring me a brain! And a pair of 1381 Trigger Trigger eyes while you're at it..." 680kOhm 680kOhm Resistor Resistor In this step of construction, we're adding the 1381 components necessary to give the Solar Cell Photopopper the eyes to see which way has...

  • Page 10: Step 3: Motor Mounts & Motors

    (again, look at the photo). Don't forget to clip the remainder that sticks out of the other side (you have been clipping the excess leads, haven't you?). Solarbotics Solarbotics The motor connections are quite straightforward. The blue (or PHOTOPOPPER 4.2...

  • Page 11: Step 4: Solarcell Installation

    Step 4: SolarCell Preparation and Installation This step isn't the most complicated, but it is one of the 1.Solarcell Preparation most delicate you'll perform in putting your Photopopper Bare Pad together ONLY IF your solarcell doesn't have pre-tinned solderpads. Otherwise you'll have to perform step 20. So please follow these next steps with due care and diligence, or I'll have to sick my pet frog "Guido"...

  • Page 12: Step 5: Power Capacitor And Activation

    Step 5: Power Capacitor and Initial Activation or, The "IT LIVES!!!" Stage (insert "jump for joy" here) Ah, 'tiz time to add the power storage capacitor. Since you've already added the solarcell and all the other necessary components, this step will actually give your Photopopper the "Spark of Life".

  • Page 13: Step 6: Initial Test & Tune

    Step 6: Initial Testing and Tuning As soon as you connect the power capacitor to the PCB and place your Photopopper near a source of light, one of the motors should start pulsing. If so - BRAVO! Congratulations! You're the new proud owner of a partially- complete functioning BEAM Photopopper robot! If not - don't dispair.

  • Page 14: Step 7: Wire Crossmember & Motor Wheel-Sleeves

    Step 7: Adding the Wire Crossmember & Motor Wheel-Sleeves Now that your Photopopper is operational, we'll bend the PCB so it can move on a flat surface. By using the PCB as the body in addition to the holding the electronics, the Photopopper is much lighter than traditional robots.

  • Page 15: Step 8: Touch Sensor Preparation

    Step 8: Touch-Sensor Preparation The touch-sensors used on the Photopopper are unlike almost any other switch you may have seen. These omni-directional switches, which have a unique ability in that they activate when touched from almost any direction. They are also very robust and sturdy, unlike regular switches that snap and break when they are flexed from the single direction for which they are designed.

  • Page 16: Step 9: Touch Sensor Installation

    Step 9: Touch-Sensor Installation ( feelings...nothing more than feelings... This is the last physical step in the assembly of your Photopopper - installing the two touch-sensors you just finished building. As good as the optics are in your robot for finding and tracking light, they are not that good at seeing obstacles, so the touch-sensors are necessary for fundamental obstacle avoidance.

  • Page 17: Step 10: Final Assembly, Tuning & Touch-Ups

    You can reduce the sensitivity by sliding the tuning sleeve forward towards the pin tip. This means the sensor must bend more before it activates. Experiment over time to see what sensitivity works best for your Solarbotics Solarbotics Solarbotics Solarbotics PHOTOPOPPER 4.2 PHOTOPOPPER 4.2...
  • Page 18 Photovore Competitions Once you are familiar with the behaviour and operation of your Photopopper, you may want to enter it in the official BEAM Photovore Competition. This is one of the events held as part of the annual BEAM Interna- tional Robot Games, and is usually quite interesting.

  • Page 19: The Wrap Up

    If you are interested in finding out more about BEAM Robotics, the BEAM Robot Games and what other products we have to offer, please contact us at: Solarbotics Ltd. 179 Harvest Glen Way N.E. Calgary, Alberta, Canada T3K 4J4...
  • Page 20 A Brief History of...Photovores! Photopopper 4.2 Photovore is one of latest in a string of solar-powered robots designed to seek out and maintain access to sources of light. The Grand-daddy of them all is the original BEAMant 3.0 (fig 1), which used a modified greeting card timer as it's "brains".

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