As an efficient way of powering both the Pi + 4 x CAMJAM (6v) motors we are experimenting bespoke power board.  This operates in a similar manner to the ASTRO Piz-Moto HAT, we’ve tried last week.  The board fits neatly under the chassis – attached to an H-bridge/   The H-Bridge / 5v regulator module […]

Read more "Voltage drop"

Our STEM Ambassador Ernie Prevost has been busy helping to develop code for the Wii_mote + nunchuck. His code (available for all here)  uses pigio library, PWM to set three different speeds, and….. also controls the servo to raise and lower our golf ball gizmo.  Nice work Ernie.  This video shows how the controller works […]

Read more "Wii_code + bling"

This week we’ve been mainly testing out the code for navigating the “rainbow box” – some success, but we need a magnetometer/another sensor.  The problem with this and the script we’re using for the maze is that the robot does not know how to turn exactly 90 degrees.  We will try adding a second sensor […]

Read more "Marching on!"

Team Thundering Hells reporting: Today was the Pi noon competition. First, we were introduced to a server motor for the slightly deranged golf competition. We decided to think of ideas that would mean that our prototype meccano golf ball grabber to be attached properly to the motor. We eventually settled for a small modification of […]

Read more "Noon_balloon+golf!"

This week, we used the maze to try out some autonomous script edits and as a course to enable the teams to drive around in the fastest times. A mix of different skills to get some points built up.  Some used SSH (via laptop & phone), some use wifi keyboards, and some used the Wii […]

Read more "A-mazed_challenges"

Thundering Hells Regiment reporting: First, we continued on trying to perfect the script to allow us to go around the course autonomously with ultrasonic sensors. While we were doing this, we decided to try and think of ideas to make the Pi better and started to work on the mechanical side of the preparation for […]

Read more "Slightly deranged"

Team RBFM reporting: It is the third week of planning for the maze. We have fixed the replacement top; Ben had to file the slots so that they fit on to top of the robot. He also had to use a junior hacksaw to remove some of the top. In the session, we needed to […]

Read more "Re_building"

Blog by Team RBFM. Last week in our Raspberry Pi session, we had to do some emergency repairs to the robot because the top of it had been snapped off. We had to modify a replacement top as it did not fit onto the robot`s frame, but we were not able to make the necessary adjustments […]

Read more "RBFM robot test"

Team Thundering Hells and RBFM continued this week to refine placement of the ultrasonic sensor to enable it to avoid the maze walls! Limited success; but at least we’ve now got two teams trying to get the CAMJAM script to operate as expected. I can see these refinements lasting a few more weeks!   Thundernig […]

Read more "Little sense!"

Team RBFM – spent time yesterday adding an ultrasonic sensor to their robot, and managed to get it wandering aimlessly around the maze for a minute or two.  More tweaks and code fettling required for better success next week.

Read more "Sensing victory!"