Meet the Family -- About These Robots

These robots were built by Chuck McManis who is the president of the Home Brew Robotics Club. This club meets monthly in Cupertino California at the Cupertino Public Library (main branch) on the last wednesday of the month.

The ARBE1

The ARBE1 is based on a mechanical based that was designed by Ray Butts of Lake Oswego Oregon. It uses a 68HC11 in a Miniboard as its brains, although Ray also sells a 68HC11 based controller called the TCOMP. The only sensors this robot has are its two bumpers.

 

Sherman, the first "Robo-Tank"

Sherman is a robot built on top of a Radio Shack Sherman Tank radio controlled toy. This tank was sold during the christmas season by Radio Shack in 1990. The brains for Sherman is the "Rug Warrior" board as described in the book "Mobile Robots: Inspiration to Implementation" by Jones and Flynn. Sherman's sensors include a microphone, and infrared detector, and an array of bumper switches. This robot was featured on the show "The Know Zone"

 

The Wild Cougar

This is the "Wild Cougar." It became pretty famous when I published a paper on the Internet about my experiences creating it. The Cougar's main processor is a 68HC11 based Miniboard, but it also sports a PIC based infra-red scanner/detector. Sensors on the Cougar include wheel rotation sensors, Ultrasonic ranging sensors, infrared proximity sensors, and battery voltage levels. This robot was also featured in an article in Circuit Cellar Ink titled "Turning Toys into Tools."

 

Dino, meal on wheels

Dino is another robot built on top of a Radio Shack R/C chassis called the DinoTrak. The purpose of this robot was originally to be "prey" for the Wild Cougar. I built two Dinos, only this one has survived, that were designed to run around while the Cougar chased them. This exercise taught me just how hard it is to track a moving target! The Dino has wheel speed sensors and an IR proximity detector. It also sports a flashing IR beacon that the Cougar can "see."

 

Robotank III, Lets get Physical

This robot is my first attempt to build a robot that can manipulate its environment in a meaningful way. It has a Lynx Motion arm that is capable of picking up small objects and a video camera for vision. The base brain is a Handyboard, however it also supports an RF link back to a PC where higher level decisions can be made.

The base for this robot started life as an M1A1 Abrahms Tank model that came from Chicago Models International the last contact information I have for CMI is:
	Chicago Model International
	611 Rockland Rd Suite #1 
	Lake Bluff, IL 60044

	Ph: (708) 735-8500
	Fx: (708) 735-8516