Robotic Wagon

[Sunday]

I'm curious: How easy would it be to build a robotic wagon that follows the HT around? All you'd need is a target for it to follow. This could be some reflective tape onthe HT platform. I've been trying to find somewhere where this type of stuff can be bought, but have not been successful.

Has anyone here ever built anything like this? I think it would be the perfect solution for those of us who want to haul things behind our HT's. It's about time Ginger gets to lead!


Sunday

Segway-more fun than you can stand!

[Neelix]

I recall reading a long time ago that the whole RMP project was to develop a cart that followed the Segway. Can anyone confirm this?

-------------------------
Fear not, for even though I come from the Forbidden City, I surely do not agree with the rules.
Chris Knight

[jdrive]

I remember at some point seeing an ad for a suitcase that would follow you around airports, using RF I believe. Anyone else remember this or know who offers it?

=== Glide On ===>

[Neelix]

quote:Originally posted by jdrive

I remember at some point seeing an ad for a suitcase that would follow you around airports, using RF I believe. Anyone else remember this or know who offers it?

=== Glide On ===>



And people call the Segway lazy? ;)

-------------------------
Fear not, for even though I come from the Forbidden City, I surely do not agree with the rules.
Chris Knight

[pt]

the aibos here in the house will follow / walk towards the ht (it follows bright red, so it looks for the stripe on the back).

to build something that followed, you'd need to make something like the rmp we saw at the fest and it would not operate at the speeds of the ht. it would cost at least $30k :-]

cheers,
pt

[Freddy]

Just hook on a trailer Cost $10.

[Sunday]

Yeah, but a robo wagon would be so cool! In the meantime, does anyone have an AIBO they want to adopt out? My daughter loves the Segway, and she also loves robots. So, if anyone has an AIBO that could benefit from a curious child playing with it, contact me offlist. Hey! I could use it as a guide dog:)


Sunday

Segway-more fun than you can stand!

[Murray Fisher]

quote:Originally posted by jdrive

I remember at some point seeing an ad for a suitcase that would follow you around airports, using RF I believe. Anyone else remember this or know who offers it?

=== Glide On ===>

My brother used to have a 3 wheel golf caddy that followed him around. He had a sensing unit on the back of his belt. He could program it to stop at a prescribed distance behind him when HE stopped. It worked great. This was in Hawaii.



Murray Fisher

[Sunday]

Murray-

Could you ask your brother where he got it, and if the company still makes them? I would love to find out more about it. Maybe I could get one while saving for the HT, and it could be my mule to carry stuff for me.


Mark Sunday

Segway-more fun than you can stand!

[IndyFIRSTengineer]

quote:Originally posted by Sunday

Murray-

Could you ask your brother where he got it, and if the company still makes them? I would love to find out more about it. Maybe I could get one while saving for the HT, and it could be my mule to carry stuff for me.


Mark Sunday

Segway-more fun than you can stand!



I have seen those on TV - but not recently. I expect one of those carts would take quite a bite out of your Segway savings account. I did find "remote control" golf carts on the internet (use a hand-held remote - not automatically following) for $1200 - $1500.

Stuart Bloom - Rolls-Royce Corporation
FIRST Team 1018 - Pike High School "RoboDevils"
AND NOW A SEGWAY OWNER ! :D
“Who goes out and says, ‘You have a better probability of winning the state lottery than making a nickel in professional sports. And by the way, last year two million exciting technical jobs went unfilled in this country because you weren't there to take that job. And it pays you 10 times as much as flipping burgers, and it's fun and it's exciting and you get to create things and build things and help make the world a better place and help make yourself a better living.’ Who tells them this?”
Dean Kamen, founder - FIRST Robotics

[Sunday]

I saw something similar today. I also found the Hill Billy, for around $500. That Radio Flyer is starting to look better and better, especially after hauling my daughter around in our 100 pound Bobbybilt wagon this weekend. I wish it rolled as easily as the Segway!


Mark "The Mule" Sunday

Segway-more fun than you can stand!

[mattk]

My FIRST Robotics bot can follow retro-relective tape

[beckpm]

Sounds like a great project for a FIRST competition! Anyone have any influence on the projects they come out with each year?

quote:Originally posted by Sunday

I'm curious: How easy would it be to build a robotic wagon that follows the HT around? All you'd need is a target for it to follow. This could be some reflective tape onthe HT platform. I've been trying to find somewhere where this type of stuff can be bought, but have not been successful.

Has anyone here ever built anything like this? I think it would be the perfect solution for those of us who want to haul things behind our HT's. It's about time Ginger gets to lead!


Sunday

Segway-more fun than you can stand!


Peter Beck
Arlington, Virginia

[citivolus]

Try Mr. Robot. If you're game and have the time, you can easily build what you want.
www.mrrobot.com

--
swiftly flying

[GadgetmanKen]

There used to be a company here in town that used to make those robotic follow behind golf caddy carts in Park 100. The company I worked for at the time had the pleasure of helping to liquidate the bankrupt company when we moved into their location next door. This was about ten years ago. I believe they worked at that time by infrared. I think I still have one of their prototype recievers here somewhere. They had a infrared transmitter in the middle surrounded by four infrared recievers with wide angle lenses around it in a small hand sized enclosure. There were batteries and motors and all kind of stuff to be had but now are long gone. Except for my case that I still have somewhere.

"Wouldn't it be cool, if?...is like Folgers in my cup"

[GadgetmanKen]

I know having a robot wagon would be cool, but how aboout a tow behind wagon teathered by a cable/leash. Like walking a well trained dog. When you take off, the cable is pulled, then the motor controller adjusts the speed of the wagon motor to the speed of the Seg. When the Seg is slowed down the tension is less and brakes or drag are applied accordingly. To follow in a turn it would be as simple as placing a steering rod around the cable attached to the steering swivel on the wagon. Not quite robotic is it? But different and challenging to build , I would bet.

Oh, sure a wagon could also be pulled along by cable without a motor, but getting it to stop when the Seg stops without running into you could be a problem.

"Wouldn't it be cool, if?...is like Folgers in my cup"

[Sunday]

Nah. I like the idea of the robot wagon so I could still have the freedom to turn in place. I could have reflective tape or some kind of sensor target on the back and the front. If I got too far away, the wagon would sit still and wait for me to return.

A trailer hitch and a lighter wagon with less rolling resistance are looking awfully appealing. But robot wagon could follow a p unit, and allow folks with the p to have cargo carrying ability. I'll have to try finding Mr Robot again. That link didn't seem to work for me.



Sunday




Segway-more fun than you can stand!

[citivolus]

Mark,
If www.mrrobot.com isn't working for you. Try Mekatronix http://www.mekatronix.com/ directly. It seems to be mostly the same stuff.

--
swiftly flying

[Sunday]

Worked that time! I'll have to check out those sites to see what kind of goodies they may have.


Sunday

Segway-more fun than you can stand!

[Murray Fisher]

quote:Originally posted by IndyFIRSTengineer

quote:Originally posted by Sunday

Murray-

Could you ask your brother where he got it, and if the company still makes them? I would love to find out more about it. Maybe I could get one while saving for the HT, and it could be my mule to carry stuff for me.


Mark Sunday


Hi Mark,
Sorry. This was a very old "remembrance". My brother died 13 years ago!! I asked his wife, who lives here now, if she had any idea what happened to it and she did not. I am not a golfer but asked a few golfing friends about it......they said they had not seen one for years, but used to see them. All I could suggest would be to contact some golf pro or an old timer golfer. I walked around the course with my brother, in Hawaii several times and it worked great. It had two wheels and then a third "crazy wheel" that swiveled. You could not "fool" it....if you stepped to one side it followed those steps.
As an "aside", I remember him saying that the gold course (on Oahu) owned ALL of their own regular golf carts and rented them out...you could not bring your own, and they frowned on my brother using this, but he was a newspaper publisher there and had "connections" Ha.


Segway-more fun than you can stand!



I have seen those on TV - but not recently. I expect one of those carts would take quite a bite out of your Segway savings account. I did find "remote control" golf carts on the internet (use a hand-held remote - not automatically following) for $1200 - $1500.

Stuart Bloom - Rolls-Royce Corporation
FIRST Team 1018 - Pike High School "RoboDevils"
AND NOW A SEGWAY OWNER ! :D
#8220;Who goes out and says, #8216;You have a better probability of winning the state lottery than making a nickel in professional sports. And by the way, last year two million exciting technical jobs went unfilled in this country because you weren't there to take that job. And it pays you 10 times as much as flipping burgers, and it's fun and it's exciting and you get to create things and build things and help make the world a better place and help make yourself a better living.#8217; Who tells them this?#8221;
Dean Kamen, founder - FIRST Robotics


Murray Fisher

[Sunday]

I think I found what you described. I found a used one for sale in California for $1,200. It is called the Shedda, and is made by a company called Gettig in Pennsylvania. I've contacted the company to ask if they would make a robotic wagon, or perhaps sell me the componenets to make my own.

I also thin the idea of a robot wagon could be very useful to person with limited ability to carry things. The elderly, those with disabilities like MS, or amputees missing an upper limb. A little robot mule to carry groceries and give kids a ride in too! DEKA should build them! Just think...someone in an iBOT could have the robot wagon follow behind them when they go shopping!



Sunday

Segway-more fun than you can stand!

[pt]

http://www.gettig.com/images/SheddaWalk.gif

looks like they start(ed) out at $3,000.

company who makes(made) them:
http://www.gettig.com/Shedda.html

one for sale:
http://www.donivan.org/shedda/

video (quicktime):
http://www.gettig.com/movies/Cart.mov

neat stuff.

i suspect that the rmp segway we saw at segwayfest could be used for this purpose, without the human cargo (just bags) the range would be greater as well. no matter what, i think the price will be well over $3k with the functionality folks would want (auto-stop, auto follow, range, climbing, etc...).

cheers,
pt

[Sunday]

I also found a contact with the Navy at the Point Mugu Research Center, that has developed a robotic caddy. Theirs uses sonar for navigation, and is being investigated for use by the disabled for carrying things around. I haven't seen any pics of theirs though.


Sunday

Segway-more fun than you can stand!

[GadgetmanKen]

I found this site that sells to golf courses six, hands free, wireless golf caddies, six built in chargers, one spare contol board rental forms etc, for twenty two thousand-two hundred? Breaks down roughly to almost 4,000 a piece.
http://www.remotegolfcaddy.com/availmodels.html

Looks more like what you are looking for and similar to the ones I helped liquidate, ten years ago.

Then there's Hammacher Schlemmer that sells one with a hand held remote with membrane switches for forward, reverse, L, R, 100 yards range and 6 mph, folds up and looks like a three wheeled stroller backwards. But who has got a free hand to do that on a Seg?

"Wouldn't it be cool, if?...is like Folgers in my cup"