URBI-BIOLOID Version BETA

[alzb92]

Hello bioloid-mania,

Gostai has made available the beta version of URBI-BIOLOID.

And I can tell you that it's great

http://www.gostai.com/bioloid

this platform relaunch the bioloid for novices like me

alzb92

[limor]

very very very nice!

this gives an interactive programming environment to the Bioloid.

It replaces the default firmware (that executes scripts based on the Motion-Editor/Behavior-Control code) with a firmware that serves as a slave to a PC program that runs the URBI interpreter.

The URBI language is neat and allows parallel processing and multiple threads that deal with different events.

However, unlike the software provided by Robotis where the code is compiled on the PC and downloaded to the CM5 for interpreting and execution, if i'm not mistaken, the URBI interpreter runs on the PC and keeps a constant open communications channel with the CM5 running the URBI firmware via the 57500 bps serial port.
ie: slow frame rate.


so i'm curious to see some videos of what impressive stuff can actually be done given this communications speed with the bioloid using URBI.

[gnibu]

Hello,

I'm gnibu from Gostai.

Here are answers to your questions:
Yes, everything is remote controlled. The speed is sufficient, the same speed is used between the CM5 and the motors.

We have not much videos at the moment. Here is a small video showing a binding between the joystick axis and motors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJl3FtJZglE

The video is accelerated, because its just a demo and its hard to control the robot this way. An easiest way to make it walk controlled by a joystick would be:

Code: Select all

at(joystick.x > treshold) robot.walk(inf) ...

You can use our remote to control the robot.

http://www.gostai.com/urbiremote.html

At the moment, we are looking for beta testers. So if you are interested to test and give us feedback, please send a mail to contact@gostai.com. We will then send you a key to have full access for 6 months.

Enjoy!

[JonHylands]

Is there any chance of getting a version that bypasses the CM-5, and talks directly to the bus at 1.0 Mbps (using either a USB2Dynamixel or one of my USB interface boards)?

Or perhaps this version is already capable of that?

- Jon

[Rob]

I'm using a facade + strategy pattern to do this in C#, so just set the comms type in a config file and you can use CM5lib, UsbToDynamixel or Jons Board to talk to the Dynamixels.

Thought you might be interested...

[JonHylands]

Rob,

Are you saying this is how URBI does it, or how you do it in your own code?

- Jon

[Rob]

How I do it I think it's a good OO pattern for that sort of thing. Thought the guys at URBI might be interested.

[siempre.aprendiendo]

Hello,

I'm gnibu from Gostai.

Here are answers to your questions:
Yes, everything is remote controlled. The speed is sufficient, the same speed is used between the CM5 and the motors.


Enjoy!

You mean 57600bps?

The speed between CM-5 and AX-12+ is 1M, isn't?

[ted0xff]

hello,

I'm Ted0xFF from Gostai.

I work on Urbi firmware for Bioloid.

Actually communication between PC and CM-5 is 57600bps and communication between CM-5 and Ax-XX modules is 1Mbps.

A speed of 57600bps, isn't a strong restriction, I think, for the moment:
Explication:

-57600 bps is +/- 57600/8 = 7200 bytes /s,
-We divide this value by 2 because of half duplex : 3600 bytes/s
-To set position of a motor, we need to send 11 bytes (see AX-12documentations)
-so theorically we can set 3600/11 = 327 positions / second.

So as exemple, during 1 seconde you can drive 8 positions to 40 AX-12 servos simultanously with control of speed.

For now, to use Urbi for bioloid you need a CM-5 on the network which forward packets from PC to AX-xx network.
An interesting fact is that you can mount a bluetooth dongle on the CM-5 and control robot with some distance.
In case you use a usb2Dynamixiel you need to be physically plugged on robot with a cable and don't have very much freedom. (in the beta version available on http://www.gostai.com/bioloid, Bluetooth not yet supported)


Hoping I answer your questions.

Ted0xFF.

[JonHylands]

Actually, with the right hardware and software, you can get a full 1.0 mbps between a PC and the Bioloid, wirelessly.

I use a gumstix verdex on my Bioloid, which has a wifi module, and also USB host. With USB host you can talk directly to the bus at full speed, and of course through wifi we get much more than 1.0 Mbps, so it is possible...

I run a host socket on my gumstix, which forwards to the bus any command packets it receives, and forwards to the PC any responses it gets from the bus.

Does your URBI implementation support SYNC_WRITE?

- Jon

[Dewey]

Ted0xff Question....

If you use a Usb2Dynapixel why can't you add a Zig100 module and one to the CM5 and go wireless this way?

Dewey

[ted0xff]

Ted0xff Question....

If you use a Usb2Dynapixel why can't you add a Zig100 module and one to the CM5 and go wireless this way?

Dewey

I don't understand your question : yes it is possible but useless; or we don't see the network of the same manner

In case you use a USB2Dynamixiel, and with no CM-5 on network : you can't use Urbi, for now.

In case you use a USB2Dynamixiel, and with a CM-5 : I don't think it's useful to have a bluetooth dongle in CM-5 because you are linked by wire to your PC by the USB2Dynamixiel

or Dewey, maybe you speak about 2 robots : one connected to PC and one wireless?

Actually, with the right hardware and software, you can get a full 1.0 mbps between a PC and the Bioloid, wirelessly.

yes, I agree with you but with some old computer, serial link is not very efficient and for compatibility purpose we lowered the baudrate.

[Rob]

Jon,

Sorry this is a bit off topic but have you had any problems with the power draw on your gumstix wifi module? I looked into using that but was put off by the power draw,people also reported the wifi module got really hot to hot to touch.

Cheers
Rob

[JonHylands]

The wifi module gets very hot, but that's normal. We have a separate battery to power the electronics from the one powering the bus, but realistically the gumstix with wifi takes about the same amount of power as one servo at stall.

- Jon

[Dewey]

Ted0xff

If you use the Zig2Dynapixel in RS232 mode and connect a Zig2Serial board and to that add a Zig100 module.

You now have a wireless link between the PC and any Zig100 enabled CM5. I can use this link to TX/Rx between the PC and CM5. I have posted software on this forum which gives TX/Rx between the PC/CM5 no problems.

Dewey