New Video - RC control using the Acceleration Sensor

HiTechnic has posted a new video showing how you can use one NXT (with the Acceleration sensor) to remotely control a 2nd NXT robot.



I've built the robot shown and it does work. It takes some practice to get used to keeping the RC level in your hand. Very slight movements left, right, forward, or backwards are sent to the robot, so don't sit it on a tabletop or other area where it could fall off.

Comments

Eric D. Burdo said…
I don't have the acceleration sensor, or a second NXT, so I can't test this.

But, is it possible to code for variance in the motion? So if the motion is under a certain amount, it is ignored? That would make it easier to keep the controller "level".
Nice! Very Wii and PS3 controller like. It seems to have pretty fast response rate.

Additionally...does the Acceleration sensor have a mercury switch in it?...or what is in it?

Chris
Anonymous said…
Jim, you published faster than me ;o) I have a "NXTiiMote" that uses a Mindsensors acceleration sensor:http://philohome.com/misc/nxtiimote2.jpg

These remotes are very convenient to use!
Brian Davis said…
Steve Hassenplug also has a wonderful "joystick" like this, using (I think) an acceleration sensor and a compass sensor, to control his robot "Omni" (he developed it a while back, but since at the time the sensors were not commercially availible it got little exposure). Really a wonderful application.

As to how the acceleration sensors work, they don't use mercury switch, but "micro mechanical devices" - specificly, a cantilevered lever etched directly into the chip substrate. As the acceleration changed the deflection of this unsupported arm, it changes the capacitance of a circuit, which can be converted to a measurement. Very slick, very robust.

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Brian Davis

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