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TecFoot Log

Condor            Wild-Eagle
development prototype            production prototype

Condor
20 Oct 2015. Added a voltmeter on 9v battery line.
Condor
15 Feb 2015. Changed the CMS03 for a Devantech CMPS10 tilt compensated compass. On bench tests the variation in heading was about 1/10 of the roll and about 1/3 of the tilt angle. I fastened it on the ruler in place of the CMS03 and Condor perfomed well.
The compass reading when the compass is enabled from the IRremote is taken as the desired heading. If in stopped mode and turned Condor will turn back to the zero heading and when walking will curve to the desired heading. Now it works I will mount the compass in the air above the main PCB.
Changed IR and US disable keys.
'    KEY_MINUS enable IR sensors
'    KEY_PLUS  enable US sensors
'    KEY_9,KEY_MINUS disable IR sensors      'changed from Bambino key to more logical key
'    KEY_9,KEY_PLUS  disable US sensors      'changed from Bambino key to more logical key
'    KEY_9,KEY_Fd  enable compass/heading
'    KEY_9,KEY_Bk disable compass/heading

13 Feb 2015. Experimented with a Deventech CMS03 compass. I was going to put it by the OLED on the LHS but the OLED has a steel bezel, the AAcells in the body underneath the PCB shelf have steel casings, the motor in the Splay servo has magnets and they all affected the compass. It needed to be 6" away from everything so I tried it out fastened to a 12" ruler as in the photo. I arranged the software so it was read when both feet were flat on the floor at the end of each stride but it still gave readings which varied by 20deg from step to step. The variation seemed to be about 3 to 10 times the roll angle.
The adapter board jumpers PWM select to 0v and routes 0v,5v and PWM to the standard 'servo' pinout.


Condor
22 Jan 2015. holding the toes affected the IR calibration so the PicAxe can now set f_b_IR, f_b_US
'    KEY_MINUS enable IR sensors
'    KEY_PLUS  enable US sensors
'    KEY_9,KEY_7 disable IR sensors         'same as Bambino
'    KEY_9,KEY_8  disable US sensors        'same as Bambino

Condor
25 Aug 2013. Changed the software in the BS2 and PicAxe18m2 so Condor now responds to the codes from a TVR010_PicAxe_IR_controller.
Now I can add code to the PicAxe18m2 so that it can store and replay keyboard taught routines as does Bambino.
IRcmnds
-------
key_power  Halt
key_up     Fd
key_down   Bk
key_right  Rt
key_left   Lt
key_1      Rock
key_0      Wander

'25Aug13 141 commented f_fixed tip statements, moved _GetPA18data: IF f_IR=0 THEN _ReadSonar  to end
'            decoded IR from TVR10controller
'09Jul13 15F moved 'ActOnMap: so IRcmnd gets preference, cmnd Byte, made UpdateMap, deleted Avoid:
'09Jul13 v3.6

Condor
10 Jul 2013 made a plug-on IRreceiver module.

Condor
'09Jul13 15F moved 'ActOnMap: so IRcmnd gets preference, cmnd Byte, made UpdateMap, deleted Avoid:
'09Jul13 v3.6
'09Jul13     added IRcmnd in from PicAxe18m2
'31Jan13 136 GetDo: changed to SetDo:, getDo: put after DoCmnd: (faster - no sensor test)
'12Dec12 13F changed round sensor tests and moved Avoid:  (was _CaseStatus:)
'08Dec12 v3.5
'08Dec12 124 added pDo, DefaultDo DATA, pDo DATA, reorganised variables
'            moved ActOnMap: back, IRthreshX changed to floordistX
'08Dec12 v3.4
'09Dec12 11F moved ActOnMap: but doesn't work properly there, don't use this
'08Dec12 v3.3
'30Jul12 119 removed 'pin13 =footsoleX' from adjfoottipX:    why was it there?
'            changed topcase of rightleg servo - lugs broken after a fall at MakerFaire
'            made new leftleg tendon - broken
'            removed   'IF f_fixedtip THEN....' from BehaviourSetup: to Init:
'30Jul12v3.2

02 Jul 2012 Condor
I removed the upgrade 7805 and added a heatsink to the PicAxe18m2 one. Now just the Milinst Servo-co-processors and the toe pullups run from the BS2_5v, everything else runs from the heatsinked 7805. Also added a Reset switch after the photos were taken.

 


01Jul12 Condor
Condor - Replaced the left stride servo. For some reason it had gone a little stiff, With power off the motor is harder to turn than the other servos. Not the gearbox, something to do with the bridge. Still works fine at light loads but Condor was limping as the servo couldn't swing the leg fast enough.
Also turned round the foot servos to match WildEagle (the production TecFoot) so extension cables are not required. I made extension plates on the foot instead of making new longer tendons.
Added 100k pullup to toes so can run program without toes connected.

   


11 April 2012 Condor
Cleaned up the circuit board. Changed the original 78L05 5v regulator for a 7805.
Changing the foot switches meant unsoldering the leg cables, which prompted me to add connectors for the foot sensor cables.
Also added connectors for the IR-rangers.
Plus added a 3.5mm jack-socket for 9v logic power to save running down the logic battery during development.
 

28 March 2012 Condor
Replaced the PicAxe18x with a PicAxe 18M2, added three pin header for IRcode(PicAxe).
Removed the fixed/auto tip jumper and made connector into standard servo connector, for BS2p13 but not yet connected.
19Feb12 Condor
Changed (worn out) foot switches to microswitches which have less springiness -> tip range needs to be bigger

Changed foot flat positions from 1.5ms To R1.25ms and L1.75ms'
To allow bigger tip range, altered default tip To 140


27Nov11 Condor
Added fixed 18M2-OLED@2400, (won't work at 9600) - Shown above at 11 April 2012
WildEagle - added fixed 18M2-LCD@2400, (won't work at 9600)

29 Oct 10 Condor
Added mode jumper for P13 fixedtip. Removed the series 2AA cells and went back to 4AA cells for the servos and 6AA cells for the electronics.
29 Oct 2010 Condor


25 Oct 2010 Condor
Added PicAxe18x to read SharpIR sensor analog values
October 2010 Condor
Fitted two Sharp GP2Y0A21YK IR analog sensors looking down. TecFoot manual
26 November 2009 Wild-Eagle
Changed LCD to pin14.

Error in circuit - Beeper is in series with 0u1 to P6.

16 November 2009 Condor
Speaker put on and 6AA removed and 2AA put in series with servo 4AA
14 Feb 2008 Condor and Wild-Eagle
Added RevEd-LCDs to see what US distances are
13 February 2008 Condor
Added toe sensors.
TecFootManual/TecFoot.htm#Toes
06 Feb 2008 Wild-Eagle
Added piezo speaker, pot and 2 headers for Ping us sensors
Circuit-board enhancements TecFoot MkII manual
Ping sensors TecFoot MkII manual

See TecFoot.htm#PCBenhance for LED across speaker - shown in under view.
about Jan 2008 Condor
Added 2 headers for Ping us sensors
Condor Pings
May 2003
The TecFoots were detailed in A Minimalist Approach to Biped Walking Robots which was revised from "Experiments with Three Minimal, Autonomous, Biped Walking Robots; David Buckley and Martin Smith,CLAWAR 2003".

25 September 2000
Prototype with control pendant, production-prototype and prototype, and production-prototype.
The prototype became Condor because it reminded me of a baby eagle and so the production-prototype became Wild-Eagle.
Details are in the build manual.
Milford Instruments flier for TecFoot

29 July 2000
The cardboard space model.