Opensource Vacuum Robot

[bhylak]

Yes, that is a valid point. Definitely sonar/laser turret.

[sageman]

well neato dont use anything significant an old apple laptop in power and they just makes small squares for the neato so it dont get overloaded

What are you trying to say here?

right try again lol

as the neatos power plant isnt powerful enough to map and everything it needs to do in one go (per room) it breaks that room size into smaller squares of varying sizes (in my experiance)

understand

[bhylak]

So.. in your experiance, what proof do you have to say that this is in fact the neato's algorythm....

[sageman]

first it does about 5 foot of lengh of living room then the other 5 ish feet small connecting hall and about 3 feet of dining room then finishes dining room goes onto hallway does that in one and then onto kitchen does that in one go then finishes

(all measurement are an ish)

if you dont understand iil do a diagram when i get a hdd for the laptop

[bhylak]

Because it cleans it in squares does not mean it doesn't map the entire room first.

[sageman]

raspberry pi is now out

http://www.raspberrypi.org/#modelb

[glnc222]

Neato navigation algorithm -- limitation
For those programming navigation with Neato Robotics lidar, thought would mention a limitation noted in the manual -- it cannot recognize an area previously occupied when encountering it again around a loop, as through connected hallways in a house. This indicates their software uses lidar only in a relative manner, relative to the space presently scanned, without keeping track of "absolute" location coordinates encompassing the whole house.
Just in case any use had posted elsewhere this possibility to use absolute measures in a limited way reducing computation:

Use start of run position as origin of approximate absolute position coordinates. Estimate a rectangle encompassing the area scan and record the maximum width and height extension, absolutely defining the rectangle. On the first new area, get another rectangle initially bot-relative, then convert to absolute by linking to the original area; then repeat with each new area by linking to the previous and hence to the origin. Record absolute measures (two numbers) for every area. Getting extrema requires a comparison of every point in the scan -- but there's already a lot of processing, and it's integers.
When entering a new area, check estimated absolute coordinates for overlap with the original start position area.
The extra computations are done only at the beginning of navigating new areas, at the boundaries, limiting the burden. Navigation within areas can still be done on the relative basis. Absolute measures just allow connecting the areas to each other properly -- which apparently, from their loop limitation, they did not do.

Sorry not into implementing or testing Neato programming, but make these observations from logical and mathematical considerations in case of utility to programmers.

[djos]

Neato navigation algorithm -- limitation
For those programming navigation with Neato Robotics lidar, thought would mention a limitation noted in the manual -- it cannot recognize an area previously occupied when encountering it again around a loop, as through connected hallways in a house.

I know they say this but I've had a Neato in 2 house with sections that form a loop, one house with an actual loop and my current with a loop formed by my couches in our open plan dining room/lounge/kitchen and our Neato handles it just fine.

[glnc222]

The loop issue was raised March 2012 in the Neato Robotics section thread "Neato XV-11 mapping questions"
http://www.robotreviews.com/chat/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=15819&p=105763&hilit=mapping+loop#p105763
where Neato reiterated it's manual -- which could be way out of date and written years ago. It's kind of legalistic in advice, over-cautious.

[nmbe]

Could you incorporate a system for detecting particulates in the airsteam before the HEPA filter?
something simple like a smoke detector could work if it gave a variable output otherwise diffraction (assuming mainly dust uptake). if it could incorporate that along with mapping it'd allow it to not waste time/power recovering clean areas

[djos]

Hi guys, here's a new android on USB stick computer for $74 that has a lot of potential:

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/05/ ... umb-drive/

The small computer has an AllWinner A10 single-core 1.5GHz ARM CPU, a Mali 400 GPU, and 512MB of RAM. An HDMI port on the exterior allows users to plug the computer into a television. It outputs at 1080p and is said to be capable of playing high-definition video.

The device also has a full-sized USB port with host support for input devices, a conventional micro-USB port, a microSD slot, and an internal 802.11 b/g WiFi antenna. The computer can boot from a microSD card and is capable of running Android 4.0 and other ARM-compatible Linux platforms.

[mfortuna]

Pretty cool. With a USB to serial converter this could control a roomba over SCI.

[jbowser]

Hello all,

I was also playing with the idea of building my own robot vacuum (I think roomba's are more like robot sweepers...), but I couldn't resist buying a roomba 5105 (one of the first models right?) for just 25 euro's!

I was planning on using a hand vacuum (they run on 2.4-3.6V) an arduino as brain and 3 sonars+bumper as sensors and a 1s lipo as battery (either all electronics at 3.3V or using a booster for the electronics).

But I think I would be smarter to use the 5105 as a platform to test obstacle avoidance and I also want to incorporate mapping (in my room it is not necessary, but I want to be able to beat my moms philips homerun!).

I was wondering if it would give this project a higher success chance if there were a couple of different approaches?
The big hurdle seems the choice of uC and what platform, right?
I'd say just about any roomba could be used as a platform, we could always change or add the necessary sensors right?
The final goal is to design and build a superior vacuum bot for the same money (or less off course), that should be the second step, first we need to find out how to make the bot aware enough of its surroundings and a brain capable of processing the "awareness" of the bot.

Just my thought on the matter
I will be dissecting the roomba as soon as I get a working battery...

Jb

[bhylak]

Just an update. If you guys need any help with constructing it, I currently have a CNC Mill and a 3D Printer at your disposal.

[tdeyle]

Just thought I would weigh in here with regards to the Neato issue. Information about how a commercial product accomplishes its magic can be found, (albeit cryptically), by checking the patent. It usually it reveals a little more then product literature, but has to be deciphered, most of the time.

Also, the following video holds information: http://www.parc.com/event/1080/neato-xv-11.html.
This video is linked on these forums elsewhere.

Also, for the multiple rooms issue, the PARC video demonstrated that the robot finds the walls, doors, other features etc.; creates a perimeter in its memory, then uses this as a partial map to begin cleaning. This might be an entire room, or a section of the room.

When leaving a room, it marks the old room as visited/cleaned, then travels to the new location. When it returns to the old room, it doesn't need to know the exact coordinates, but it does know that the area has been cleaned and /or visited.

[hubbleTD87]

Is this thread dead? Or moved elsewhere? I'm interested in this project, particularly the mechanical aspects. I've had some experience in robotics and mechatronics.

[Roombascoobatastic]

Pipe dreams