Archive for Mindsensors
Holonomic Platform for 125mm Rotacaster Omniwheels
I’ve been working on a very solid, Holonomic Platform to be used with the large 125mm Rotacaster Omniwheels as part of my display for the TAZ-Brick Collector Club’s Brixhibition to be held on the weekend of 20-21 April 2013. LEGO Technics Compatible 125mm Rotacaster Omniwheel This Holonomic Platform is built around a very solid “Triangle” [...]
LEGO Mindstorms NXT Bin Emptying Robot – Mark III
This is a LEGO Mindstorms NXT "Bin Emptying Robot Mark III". It is part of a larger project I have been working on, my "Ball Sorting Factory". A forklift delivers full Bins of balls to be emptied. The Emptied bins are then taken away to the processing facility to be refilled. The Mark II version [...]
Power the Mindsensors SensorMUX from a 9V Battery
The is a multiplexer to connect 4x NXT sensors to single NXT port. The multiplexer can connect any sensor designed for Mindstorms NXT, both LEGO and/or third party sensors. The is requires an external battery source supplying a voltage range between 6 and 8.4 volts to operate. Mindsensors recommend using LiPO battery or 6-AA battery pack. [...]
What’s inside your Mindsensors GlideWheel-M
My decided to die on me at a most in convenient time whilst building the Mark II version of my 'Bin Emptying Robot'. I was forced to use limit switches instead. After talking to Deepak Patil from , he suggested I take a knife in hand and disassemble it. The process was straight forwad enough, [...]
Mounting a Mindsensors GlideWheel-M to a Worm Gear
The Mindsensors GlideWheel-M, Power Functios (PF) Motor controller for the NXT is designed to control PF motors from NXT. Providing high precision speed and rotation control, in an easy to use design. The GlideWheel-M PF Motor controller allows direct connection of PF Motors to your NXT. No extra power needed as Power for the motors is [...]
PS2 Controlled Holonomic Platform Using RobotC
Yes, another Holonomic Platform. My son, Anthony requested a Holonomic robot to take to school for show-and-tell. So here it is with a few scholarly extras, including the code. A Holonomic platform is one of the many types of Holonomic drive trains — it can move forward and backward as well as left or right [...]
‘Melon Factor’ – Conclusion
This was to be Part 4/5 of my Melon Factor Project, for the NXTLog FoodFactor Competition for May 2012. It's unfortunate, but time has not been kind. I had more important real life issues that dragged me away from the project. Link to this post!
Mindsensors GlideWheel-M PF Motor Controller
I have received a pair of Mindsensors' GlideWheel-Ms, Motor Controllers to Beta-Test. The GlideWheel-M is a motor controller for (PF) Motors that allows you to connect Motors to NXT Motor Ports. Using the built in encoder, the GlideWheel-M, allows rotational control of Motors. The GlideWheel-M is connected to the NXT Motor Port via NXT a [...]
The Mars Rotacaster Rover
Part I Lookout NASA, you have Rover competition. And it uses the amazing Rotacaster Omni-wheels for unsurpassed manoeuvrability in confined spaces. There is no need of a steering mechanism to turn the Rotacaster Rover thanks to the unique wheel design. NASA Mars Spirit Rover I've had a few attempts, going back to the days of [...]
A Shinning Light for the NXTCam Camera
I've been experimenting with my new Mindsensor NXTCam. As most people are aware of the inherent issues associated with optical sensing, mainly due to changes in lighting level, can be very frustrating. In attempt to minimise this lighting issue, I decide to construct a stable light source for the NXTCam. To begin, I needed to [...]
Restore / Upgrade Mindsensor NXTCam Firmware
After receiving my NXTCam a couple of days ago, I experimented with it for an hour or so initially before turning in for the night. The next morning, I found my NXTCam's Firmware didn't like being woken from it's slumber! I found Deepak Patil of Mindsensors extremely helpful in getting me pointed in the right [...]
Mindsensors NXTCam on Linux, with aNXTCam
Love Linux, have a Mindstorms NXT Kit, and your wishing for a Mindsensors NXTCam-v3, that works in Linux! If you are a Linux user and own a Mindsensor NXTCam, you life has just become a lot easier with aNXTCam. aNXTCam is a native Linux software suite written by Janosch Gräf for the Vision Subsystem v3 [...]
Wot-NXT: DottyWot & SpottyWot?
The WotWots is filmed in Australia at the Melbourne Zoo, and follows the adventures of two adorable siblings from outer space, SpottyWot and DottyWot. These delightful creatures come to explore planet earth in their steam-powered spaceship and land themselves in the middle of a zoo. All their adventures are built on one central ingredient which [...]
Quad-Drive Rotacaster Omni-Bot
As I have a set of four Rotacaster Omni-wheels to test drive, I decided to build a 4-wheel Omni-Bot for a change from the normal 3-wheeled versions. Build a solid & compact 4 wheel platform wasn't as easy as I first envisaged. But after 3 attempts I hit upon something that worked. The Lego purists [...]
Rotacaster Omni-wheels in Action!
An example of a Lego Mindstorms NXT Killough Platform featuring 3x Rotacaster (www.rotacaster.com.au), R-2048-01 Double 48mm Omni-Wheels. 3x NXT Motors and a Mindsensors PSP-Nx-v3, a Sony PlayStation2 Controller interface for NXT to control the Robot. Structurally, the 'Killough Platform' consists of three wheels arranged in a triangle or three-point star separated by 120 Degrees. Each [...]
Rotacaster Omni-wheels Arrive
Christmas arrived early this year for me when the Postman knocked today with a package from Peter McKinnon containing a set of 4x 48mm Rotacasters with the Lego Axel adapters. At this stage these prototypes appear to have been worth every bit of development time they have taken up so far. The softer Durometer Type [...]
Controlling a Killough Platform
The easiest way to control a Killough Platform type Omni-wheeled Robot is with an an Analogue Joystick, such as the Sony PlayStation PS2 Controller. Mindsensors produce the PSP-Nx-v3: Sony PlayStation2 Controller Interface for use with the Lego Mindstorms NXT. You can used any PS2 compatible Remote Control/Joystick Controller with the PSP-Nx-v3. I prefer the PlayStation2 [...]
Using Multiple Ultrasonic Sensors
If you wish to use Multiple Ultrasonic Sensors on your NXT Robot, you need to program them so only ONE Sensor is taking a measurement at any time. If you have all the Ultrasonic Sensors on at once they interfere with each other and give incorrect readings. To get around this you need to take [...]
