Scout
lecblue@bhm.bellsouth.net
Intrepid
Current Status: Entrant
|
Scout lecblue@bhm.bellsouth.net |
Intrepid |
Current Status: Entrant |
|---|
They say, "Everyone can be an example." Let this site be an example to you.
This is the log of a little robot named Scout. She is being built by the Intrepid team. Her goal is to be the first and the fastest to complete DARPA's Grand Challenge. This is no simple task. The Grand Challenge is a trek of 175 miles. Scout must do it alone. Scout is the culmination of 20 years of ideas and pencil sketchings. I want to thank Darpa for providing the opprotunity to entice me to bring this robot to life.
A number of years ago, I had an idea of building a robot. Not some little toy that crashes from wall to wall. This would be a real robot. I was hoping to do some farming. This robot would be my farm hand. Its code name was Not Corn. Not Corn was designed to be autonomus. It would do its chores, refuel itself when thirsty and put itself to bed at night. In my imagination, I had nearly every detail worked out. I would buy little pieces of equipment. A TI Sinclair here. A starter motor there. In the end, work took me out of town. Not Corn was swepted into the recesses of my mind.
The intervening years brought some sadness. I always believed I would find the time to build Not Corn. Later, I hear of the CIA creating a lawn mowing robot. In the back of my mind, I knew "I could have done that." Then later the Roomba appeared. Again, I am thinking "I could have done that."
If I only had time.
If I only had money.
Though I never subscribe to anything, I enjoy picking up a science magazine. It gets my mind going "what if?" (I particurly liked "Science Probe") Back in September of 2004 I picked up the current "Scientific American". The cover story "Fly by Wire" looked really interesting. There in the back of the magazine was the overturned Humvee. I read the trials and tribulations of the teams quest to complete the Grand Challenge. There was no winner. There would be a race in 2005.
a little voice said . . . you could do this
I can build this robot! I had worked out the details before. I can do it again. Today, I have the Internet. I would build from scratch. I would need machines. I purchased a drill press, a metal cutting band saw and a metal lathe. I would need parts. I bought skateboards, starter motors and electric clutches. I need a power plant. (but I need to wait for that.) I machined and assembled the first "leg" of my robot.
We dubbed the robot "Scout". We had recently seen "To Kill a Mocking Bird". Inquisitive little Scout observed and asked probing questions hoping to understand the world around her. (We knew we would need to make a ham costume for the robot :) Because of the way the robot was coming together, I had thought of calling my team the "A Team" (Hannible would have been proud) or Paclids (We look for things. We look for things to make us go.)
This was the end of November.
|
| Scout's Inards |
|---|
I had not completed a working leg. Birthdays, Chirstmas and work consumed my free time. It was ok. The race is in October. The technical paper wasn't due until August (I obviously was more interested in looking at the pictures than reading rules.) I had plenty of time. But by the end of November, I knew I could not perfect my chassis before the race.
First of January. I revisted the Darpa site. Find out the time limit of the application. Application is due Febuary. Demonstratable robot is due 28 days later.
No Time! No Money! Not again. Not this time. I am not going to miss this race. I am determined to make THIS RACE. After the video for March there would be the site visit in May. This figures. I have 36 acres to test the robot on. I actually have a site someone could visit. I just didn't have the robot. Reread the rules. The video could be of a radio controlled test. I can do this. I can do this. That gives me two months to work out the sensors. Then I would have five months to perfect the road following logic. I can do this. I can do this.