I've scoured the web for all sorts of small DIY robots: sumo bot, microbot, symet, pummer, photovore, and the like. Amazingly, I see a very small number of robots using the picaxe, even though I can't imagine a more capable microcontroller with a straightforward development environment in such a low price range.
Most of the BEAM robots use simple discrete logic, even when a 08M would add HUGE flexibility to their capabilities without much cost.
For my project, I didn't want to spend too much time on the chassis and looked around for a suitable platform. Unfortunately, most chassis kits (e.g. base plate, gears, motors, and wheels) cost at least 50% of a Boe-Bot! And for that price, nothing compares with the fine engineering in Roomba's new iCreate product for hobbyists.
Has anyone here built a simple robot using a picaxe? What are the best platforms for such a project? What about links to microbots or picaxe bots?
My early attempt at a robot/toy is at <A href='http://medcosm.com/picaxe_robotoy_two.htm' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a> if it helps stimulate some thought. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the low-cost, high flexibility, rapid construction, and ongoing entertainment value of the project, but I'd like to see what others have done in this area.
Most of the BEAM robots use simple discrete logic, even when a 08M would add HUGE flexibility to their capabilities without much cost.
For my project, I didn't want to spend too much time on the chassis and looked around for a suitable platform. Unfortunately, most chassis kits (e.g. base plate, gears, motors, and wheels) cost at least 50% of a Boe-Bot! And for that price, nothing compares with the fine engineering in Roomba's new iCreate product for hobbyists.
Has anyone here built a simple robot using a picaxe? What are the best platforms for such a project? What about links to microbots or picaxe bots?
My early attempt at a robot/toy is at <A href='http://medcosm.com/picaxe_robotoy_two.htm' Target=_Blank>External Web Link</a> if it helps stimulate some thought. Overall, I'm pretty happy with the low-cost, high flexibility, rapid construction, and ongoing entertainment value of the project, but I'd like to see what others have done in this area.