Re: Trash-Bot

["Richard Henry" <rphenry@xxxxxxxx>]

"Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:43D159AF.79FD5DFD@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Phil Hobbs wrote:
> >
> > Bill Kearney wrote:
> >
> > > You could hack the brains out of one of those robotic lawn mowers.  I
don't
> > > recall them needing buried wire.  Likewise a radar sensor could deal
with
> > > unexpected obstructions.  Even machine vision would work. Since it's
> > > following a regular track it'd be simple comparison against a
known-clear
> > > path, not actual pattern recognition.
> > >
> > > Dealing with someone stealing it isn't technological, but some sort of
"I'm
> > > too far from my base station, scream like a banshee" feature might be
> > > entertaining.  Heh, have it scream "help, help, I've been stolen
from..."
> > > and start frantically running it's drive wheels.
> > >
> > > Hmmm, if they're cheap enough one of those robo-mowers might indeed be
a
> > > cool starting point.  Teach it to traverse a fake lawn path and then
hack it
> > > onto something with enough drive motor horsepower to move the weight.
> > >
> > > You could start the experiment by building the cart and using a radio
> > > controlled car circuit to operate it manually.  Prove that the drive
> > > hardware works and then cobble up the brain for doing it
automagically.
> > > Hmm, an R/C car design using a gas motor and some sort of battery
operated
> > > starter would probably get around the rather hefty battery
requirements that
> > > moving several cans of trash might require.
> > >
> > > -Bill Kearney
> > >
> >
> >   C'mon, guys, all this stuff is _way_ too complicated.  It's not the
> > _robot_ you need to place accurately, it's the _trash_.  I recommend
> > using Kevlar-reinforced bags, an extra-heavy-duty trash can, a bit of
> > silicon carbide and water, and a spark plug--ta-daa! the Trash Cannon.
> > Measure the weight of the trash bag, and adjust the amount of carbide
> > with a PIC controlling a small motorized hopper.  The metering curve
> > would have to be calibrated experimentally.
> >
> > Alternatively, if local laws or jumpy neighbours render pyrotechnics
> > inappropriate, you could use a Trash Trebuchet.  This would have the
> > advantage of a much more predictable trajectory, since the initial
> > velocity of the payload is more nearly constant than with a gun.
> >
> > Either of these would solve the navigation problem, since the relative
> > positions of trash can and curb can be calibrated in advance, and both
> > would be a bit big and nasty to steal.  (Control algorithm suggestions
> > welcomed.)  A small CO2 laser (eye-safe!) could be used to shoo
> > pedestrians out of the line of fire.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > Phil Hobbs
>
>
>
>    If you build it big enough, you can lob the trash bags into the
> garbage truck from a couple blocks away.

If you can lob it that far, you can stop paying the garbage service
altogether.  And you don't even have to hit the truck.