Lego Project Ideas

• The Mouse Catcher

To facilitate this goal, the droid would be equipped with an infrared beacon and an off switch in the top. The robot would require an infrared sensor, and some type of arm to capture the droid. The sensor could be configured to rotate at the top of the robot until it detected a signal. Then it would narrow its range to a smaller area in the general direction of the first signal, searching for mor signals (also giving a time-out if the droid moves out of the range). So the robot would be working on a polar coordinate system. As it apporached the droid, the arm would be extended, possibly with an infrared sensor facing down until it sensed the droid directly below, and then it would lower its arm, immobilize the droid and shut it off. The targeting system could potentially be equipped with a sound sensor honed into a beeper found on the droid as well to supplement the infrared system.

• The Egg Mover

A robot could be created to find eggs oriented in different positions. Since an egg is very strong only with respect to its longitudinal axis, the robot would need to sense the longest dimension of the egg, orient itself so that its grippers would attach to the egg in its most mechanically strong aspect and grab it. Probably, the egg could somehow be deposited intoa platform inside the robot before ever being gripped. Two sets of arms could come to grab it from perpendicular angles, and whichever arms found it first would be gripping it in its longest dimension. The robot would then deposit the egg into an egg carton, making sure not to crack the egg or put it in any previously used spot.

• The Adaptable Robot

This particular project is my favorite because it best implements the talents of a mechanical engineer. A universal attachment feature could be created on the fron of the robot. Several different arms or tools could snap into place with clips. A type of docking bay could be created so that the robot could attach and unattach the various tools available to it. For example, one of the attachments could be an extending arm, another a forklift type attachment, and a third a plow. When the robots pulls into the docking bay, some well-placed mechanical switches are set off and the tool becomes loose, or the robot could control the switches which attach the tools. Loosening them allows the tool to hang on pegs. The robot could then find the position of the needed tool and attach it.

Then, each particular tool could be used for a task to-be-determined-later. This allows for much flexibiility in the project because, the its main objective would be to create a modular tool capability, it could serve many other purposes as well in order to use fully all the talents of members of the group. For example, one of the tools could be an arm which could attempt to build a simple structure to cross a moat, thus using civil engineering objectives. Another tools could simply be a set of sensors which could be used by a computer scientist in his task to make a robot that can solve mazes. (Admittedly, these are both simple applications of this group's skills, but the potential is there.) So, in essence, this project could test each member of the group.

Please mail comments to me at: dobryan@homer.helios.nd.edu

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