[Robotgroup] more about motor controllers

[Doug Emes]

>  From: Vern Graner <vern at txis.com>
>  Subject: Re: [Robotgroup] more about motor controllers
>  To: The Robot Group Mailing List <robotgroup at puremagic.com>
>  Message-ID: <481609AF.9060303 at txis.com>
>  Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>  Gray Mack wrote:
>  > A secondary safety switch a good idea for big bots.
>
>  I've been contemplating a "bump switch" ring around the boogie bot..
>  like a hula hoop or maybe some "pool noodles" on a wire frame. The idea
>  being to cut power to motors in the event of impact with an object..
>  like a shin... ;)
>
>  Vern

Pool noodle over frame works REALLY well, and is much cheaper than
buying pipe insulation.  We had a "small contact" last month at all-con
between a shin and a robot propelled on mecanum wheels, Sunday we
brought out tie wraps and pipe insulator foam to make it "less painful".
Ideally (well not really, ideally you have proximity detection) you could
have a small wire running just outside the pool noodle, and if the outer
wire comes into contact with a conductor on the noodle surface, it could
then shut down locomotion (and the noodle should have some "give" in
its mounting, maybe on springs).

Just some random thoughts after post lunch induced food coma =)

Doug Emes