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Miniaturized SPRAT model controlled by 3 NXT bricks using ROBOTC.

ROBOTC community member Didier Coll has created more than a few awesome robots. In the past couple of months, though, he has made some truly spectacular bridge-laying robots using ROBOTC over multiple NXT bricks.

The first creation is an AMX-13 type bot, which (unlike the other two robots) carries the bridge on its front. Like the MLC-80 though (below), the AMX-13 is programmed to place the bridge and then drive across: it uses 2 motors and 8 actuators controlled via 2 ROBOTC-coded NXT bricks to achieve this goal.

The second robot is based off of the French Army’s current EFA design. Much like a real EFA, the robot drives to the middle of the ‘river’ and extends the folded bridge sections using a series of LEGO pistons; the robot stays in the middle of the bridge and the other robots effectively drive over it. The EFA model uses 2 NXT’s, 3 Multiplexors, 4 motors, and a staggering 10 actuators to perform this task.

Didier’s final robot is a replica of the SPRAT MLC-80 used during WWII. It uses 3 NXT bricks, a whopping 9 motors, 9 actuators, and 5 servos to place the bridge and drive across it, all controlled by ROBOTC for MINDSTORMS. A sample of the ROBOTC code used for this robot is below.

#pragma config(Sensor, S1,     HTIRL,          sensorI2CCustom)
#pragma config(Sensor, S2,     PSPNXV4,        sensorI2CCustom)
#pragma config(Motor,  motorA,           ,             tmotorNXT, openLoop)
#pragma config(Motor,  motorB,           ,             tmotorNXT, openLoop)
#pragma config(Motor,  motorC,           ,             tmotorNXT, openLoop)
//*!!Code automatically generated by 'ROBOTC' configuration wizard               !!*//

//*!!Code automatically generated by 'ROBOTC' configuration wizard               !!*//
///----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/// didier  TWO MASTER SLAVE NXTBee modèle
//  NXT MARRON
///
///
///----------------------------------------------------------------------------

#include "drivers/mindsensors-ps2ctrl-v4.h"
#include "drivers/hitechnic-irlink.h"
#include "ROBOT DATA SPRAT 3 NXT ONE.h"
#include "didier GESTION SPRAT 3 NXT ONE.h";

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

task main()
{
bNoPowerDownOnACAdaptor = true;   // will NOT power down when connected to AC adapter

bFloatDuringInactiveMotorPWM = false;  // the motors will NOT coast when power is not applied

StartTask (ROBOTData);
StartTask (gestionSPRAT);

while (true)
{
wait1Msec(10);
}
}

Want to see more pictures, videos, and information on these bots? Have any thoughts, comments, or questions? Check out Didier’s forum posts (links above) or comment below!