New Roboteer

[InfernalRobots]

Hello Robotics World,
I have had a interest in robots for a while and my parents baught my a robonova. I built it with relative ease over two weekends and wanted to see my little creation move. So i popped in the cd that came with the robot. As soon as the program was installed and i ran it i was intimidated, i have absolutly no clue about what to do. Please Help a new roboteer,
Infernal Robots

[hivemind]

Hello, welcome to the forums

The robonova uses roboBASIC which a very stripped down version of basic but has a powerful PTP (point to point) system behind it. What this is, is the ability to enter different points along a sequence with command and control techniques (moving the robot by hand) and then stringing them together smoothly.

I am not sure how familiar you are with programming, so we can decompose my flip routine and see if this helps at all. Comments in the program are noted by ' s and I will add some more to help you along.

'== motor diretion setting ======================
DIR G6A,1,0,0,1,0,0
DIR G6B,1,1,1,1,1,1
DIR G6C,0,0,0,0,0,0
DIR G6D,0,1,1,0,1,0

PTP SETON '>sets the PTP on for all motors
PTP ALLON

'== motor start position read ===================
'> reads all servos (out of 24): any set to 1 move to their zero position (unless I am thinking backwards...??)
GETMOTORSET G24,1,1,1,1,1,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0
'== motor power on ========================
SPEED 5
MOTOR G24 '>all motors powered on

DELAY 5000 '> delay simply to wait for user (you or I)...

'==standard pose== >simple my label for the RN standard standing position, not a true label but helps me know what he is doing
SPEED 10 '>sets speed for all motors
MOVE G6A, 100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100 '>moves group of motors (G) of 6 and is group A, therefore G6A...
MOVE G6D, 100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
MOVE G6B, 100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100
MOVE G6C, 100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100
WAIT
'=================

PWM 2,25 '> controls Pulse Width Modulation ports (dont worry about this it is just for my LEDs)

'==wait for user to move away==
DELAY 2500
'=====================

'==lean back and arms out forward==
SPEED 10
MOVE G6A, 100, 73, 145, 83, 100
MOVE G6D, 100, 73, 145, 83, 100
MOVE G6B, 11, 188, 98
MOVE G6C, 11, 188, 98
WAIT
'========================

'==ankle tilt and then "jump" to arms==
SPEED 15
HIGHSPEED SETON
MOVE G6A, 109, 102, 185, 158, 99
MOVE G6D, 109, 102, 185, 158, 99
MOVE G6B, 10, 185, 104
MOVE G6C, 10, 185, 104
WAIT
'==========================

'==wait for momentum to kick in==
DELAY 150
'======================

'=======================================
'=lands on hands and feet:
MOVE G6A, 99, 103, 101, 10, 98
MOVE G6D, 99, 103, 101, 10, 98
MOVE G6B, 190, 185, 104
MOVE G6C, 190, 185, 104
WAIT
'=======================================

HIGHSPEED SETOFF
SPEED 10

'==bring legs underneath==
MOVE G6A,100, 165, 70, 15, 100, 100
MOVE G6D,100, 165, 70, 15, 100, 100
'==================

'==reposition==
MOVE G6A,100, 165, 40, 100, 100, 120
MOVE G6D,100, 165, 40, 100, 100, 120
WAIT
'==========

DELAY 100

SPEED 8
'==standard_pose======================
MOVE G6A, 100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
MOVE G6D, 100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
MOVE G6B, 100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100
MOVE G6C, 100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100
WAIT
'==================================

PWM 2,0
PWM 0,25

SPEED 14
'==arms up==
MOVE G6A, 100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
MOVE G6D, 100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
MOVE G6B, 100, 160, 85, 100, 100, 100
MOVE G6C, 100, 160, 85, 100, 100, 100
WAIT
'=========

And that is the end of my program, it doesnt need to go anywhere and involves no IR input, but it has some basic commands and a pretty cool output. I suggest using my opening to start out writing some very simple routines and then add them to the overall template later (and just map them to another button).

so here is another example:

'== motor diretion setting ======================
DIR G6A,1,0,0,1,0,0
DIR G6B,1,1,1,1,1,1
DIR G6C,0,0,0,0,0,0
DIR G6D,0,1,1,0,1,0

PTP SETON
PTP ALLON

'== motor start position read ===================
GETMOTORSET G24,1,1,1,1,1,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0
'== motor power on ========================
SPEED 5
MOTOR G24

DELAY 5000

'==standard pose==
SPEED 10
MOVE G6A, 100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
MOVE G6D, 100, 76, 145, 93, 100, 100
MOVE G6B, 100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100
MOVE G6C, 100, 30, 80, 100, 100, 100
WAIT
'=================

So you start a new routine out with that and then you should be good to use the F7 or CTRL+F7 menus to create some new poses, and then use the insert button to place them into the program. Either that or add the MOVE command directly.

Well I hope that is what your looking for to get started, everyone on the forums is pretty helpful, so hopefully you can have all of your questions answered.

Another reference for commands is at the Hitec RoboBASIC command instruction manual

-Hive

[beermat]

Hello InfernalRobots and welcome to the world of Robonovas!

If you could explain what exactly intimidated you the most and how far you got after building the 'bot, that would be helpful for us to guide you. For instance, did you manage to install the software on your PC? Did you manage to open the basic template up, connect to the Robonova and download the basic template to the Robonova, etc. A small post about your progress and where you fell over would help - there's tons of information on this forum, and if you gave a little more info, we could point you to the right posts or provide info right here, as Hivemind has already started doing!

[Ric]

Hi Infernal

Been there amigo! I successfully built the RN-1 and ran the remote control moves (pre installed) but after that was stumped completely. Lets face it the manual is poor in the extreme for us amateurs.

However, a couple of posts here and I was up and running and am now getting to grips with it.
Be a bit more specific with your problems and this lot will soon sort you out

Ric

[InfernalRobots]

Well my problems are almost done. I passed my inital problem and i think it is working because i can read the positionsing of the servos and it seems correct but now i may have the simplest question seen on these forums. How do i execute the program should it defaulkt when i turn the robot on or does it need to be told to by the controller? I am experimenting with the basic walking program. Also my robot sometimes seems to spontaneously buckle in the knees it will ussually catch itself on the way down though is this just low battery?

[hivemind]

Hello,

How do i execute the program. Should it default when i turn the robot on or does it need to be told to by the controller?

So if I understand you correctly, you are wondering how to initiate the program once sent to the robot? Well the program starts automatically as soon as it is sent. For example if you give the template program to the robot it automatically waits for an IR que, but if you say, put my flip move in, then it will wait for a little bit then initiate the sequences on its own. Once it is done it will stop.

My robot sometimes seems to spontaneously buckle in the knees it will usually catch itself on the way down though. Is this just low battery?

That is what it sounds like, yes. Do not let your battary run too low-it is bad for it. The only other issue would be a defect in program as far as I am aware.

Hope that helps.

-Hive

[InfernalRobots]

also im trying to find out how to install my remocon and i cant find the action_auto.bas any ideas on it?

[InfernalRobots]

ok well cool it sounds like once i find this program it will be good to go but i just cant find the action_auto.bas

[InfernalRobots]

ok i got him moving and boy it is cool, i can do the basic punch moves and arm movements but the legs give him some trouble ill try to post a video of what is going wrong but he has slight trouble walking it looks like his feet get caught up in eachother and the somersaults are impossible for him he will do a little step and lift up his foot then he falls and one the ground he raises his hands over his head for the somersault so he appears to have some balance troubles.

[hivemind]

he appears to have some balance troubles.

This and your other problems seem to be either battery or zero position errors... Or perhaps you have placed a servo incorrectly (ensure you have them all in the correct spot as several pages of the manual are incorrect). Make sure you use the zero settings for something that works for you. I do not do as the book says exactly, but I make sure that my robot is squared up and is balanced equally by pushing him slightly forward or back while he stands on a hard surface.

After you test these things and have a charged battery then all moves in the default template should work correctly (except perhaps the C and D diagonal punch buttons which I never felt worked well).

I can presume you have the remocon working properly at this point?

Goodluck-

[InfernalRobots]

yes i do his zero position has his feet rubbing together which i think may be wrong in my case. If i change the zero position will the base codes still function normall i think i will have his hip joints spread out some more. Yes i have him moving around a bit and i will test this some more once he is fully rechared

[InfernalRobots]

my robot is all finished now he can do somersaults catwheels and walk the only thing he cant do is the fast run it turns out he could do it all when i made his feet farther apart and made him lean forward slightly more.Thanks for all the help