The ME 2011 Robot Project!

The ME2011 Robot Project is a chance for students in ME 2011 Introduction to Engineering to be creative, to face a substantial challenge, to show off, and to stretch themselves as designers. Each student is charged with building a computer-controlled, autonomous machine that "does something interesting" for 45 seconds. The definition of "interesting" is up to the student and the results are always unexpected, clever and just plain fun. The culmination of the project is the ME2011 Robot Show, an event open to the public, where students show off their work. The remainder of this web site is to help ME 2011 students with their project, but the information be of interest to anyone building a robot.

Robot Project Documents and Resources
Project Brief The document that describes the project and contains the official rules	Robot project frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Robot Store -- A source for some electronics parts. Run by the course.

BASIC Stamp Technical Information
Tutorial Information BASIC Stamp Guide ( PDF file, 148 Kb) BASIC Stamp Programming Summary ( PDF file, 22 Kb) Stampw.exe editor (750K .exe file)	Debugging Tips Debugging a Stamp board Debugging a Stamp robot Debugging Stamp circuits
Computer Connections Connecting a Stamp to a USB port Using a Stamp in room ME308	Demo Code Samples #1
Information from Parallax Parallax is the company that makes the stamp. The Parallax web site is a wealth of information Homework Board: the Stamp board used in the course. Homework Board Specs: technical details on the Stamp board used in the course. Downloads: the main download area for documentation and software from Parallax. BASIC Stamp User's Manual: Reference manual for the Stamp, including operating the editor and the complete Stamp command set. (PDF, 5.3 Mb) BASIC Stamp Documents: All kinds of information about Stamps, including the BASIC Stamp FAQs (23 pp.), the BASIC Stamp Manual, Version 2.2 ( 351 pp.), the BASIC Stamp 1 Application Notes (126 pp.), and the BASIC Stamp 2 Application Notes (18 pp.). Customer Applications: A collection of interesting Stamp apps developed by customers Resources: More tech notes and applications. (Check out the "Nuts and Volts Columns") Stamps in Class: A whole site devoted to using Stamps as a microcontroller education tool. Check out the "SIC Curriculum" for Stamp info at the very beginners level.	Interfacing Devices to the Stamp Hooking up an LED, a switch and a motor Transistors Relays Microswitches All about LEDs Incandescent lamps (light bulbs) IR light beam sensors Photocells (light sensors) Small DC motors Controlling motors (PDF file) More on how to control a motor Bidirectional motor control using a DPDT relay Motor control using the L293 motor driver Motor control using an H-bridge Stepper motors Electromagnets Sound and speakers Distance sensing with sonar Connecting an LCD Temperature sensing Reading analog signals Servomotors Batteries Circuit boards Generating random numbers
Random Topics Info on the BASIC Stamp Rev. D boards (an older model used previously by ME2011)	Data sheets for electronic parts

Construction and Electronics Information
Mechanical Design and Construction How to fix broken motor leads How to build a wheeled platform using the Ax-man motors (courtesy TC Robotics Club) Rotary-to-linear motion using a lead screw (courtesy of Seattle Robotics Club) Some drive-train pictures (courtesy TC Robotics Club) How to get the gear off the Ax-man gearmotor	Electronics Construction and Tools Soldering Tutorial Ideas for how to lay out a circuit Some notes on how to wire up a circuit (courtesy TC Robotics Club, several page article) How To Wire-Wrap Fluke 10 Digital Voltmeter instructions (PDF file)

Robot Resources
Where to Get Robot Parts Local stores for robot builders Web-order sourcesfor robot parts	Links to Robot Building Sites Robot resources
Robot Project Hints and Tips Great ideas from past ME 2011 robot designers!

Past Robot Shows

Pictures from past Robot Shows!

Robot Show Jury

Information for members of the Robot Show Jury

Page maintained by wkdurfee@umn.edu