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Usually, the operating system takes all the values from the sensors, averages them, then finds the one that is the furthest away from that average

The Ant Farm is built next to a very large window that faces east. As a result, with the lab lights off, the brightest light source is always to the east. The robots can use this as a reference and then find all the other directions.

The motor is driven in either the forward or reverse direction, but will swap polarity if the motor encounters too sudden or great of a load

One essential difference is that the Nv responds immediately to an input, and sends the output for a time duration -- the delay occurs AFTER the output is sent. The Nu responds to an input after a delay and sends the output continuously -- the delay occurs BEFORE the output is sent.

"on" first, then a delay, then "off"

delay, then "on", stays "on"

It is powered with two 3.3F Goldcaps. They can be charged in a few seconds. When they are charged, MAXIBUg gets "afraid" of light, and wanders of to go to play "in the dark". After a while, about 20 seconds (depending on the current used by the two motors ), the power has dropped, and it wants to "eat". It gets light attracted, and will turn and go to the light. When it gets there, it will recharge and still will be atrackted to the light until it reaches a trigger voltage , at which it gets "afraid"of the light again. This will go on all day until someone turns off the lightsource. While doing all this it also will backup when bumping into something.

Because of the "on-off" output of the first schmitt trigger, the inputs for the LDRs will switch. That's why it gets light atracted -light afraid. This also means that you cannot use IR diodes (like SHF205). You have to use LDRs !

These bots are powered by a Gold Cap and for a period of about one minute they move, always looking for the brightest lightspot, so in fact they will even follow a lightsource.

All these bots are powered by a 3,3F Gold Cap ( F= farad). You can charge them with a regulated power supply

the two 5 mm red LED's it is capable of following a light source.

The robots do not build a model of their world they simply act in response to the things they encounter whilst existing there.

This form of robotics has proved to be successful in environments that are unknown to the robot, environments that are busy or noisy such as a place with moving objects or people

An important part of the behaviour based theory is "embodiment" This means that a robot must be embodied, have a presence (it is an entity in itself).  In order to react the robot must be surrounded by the real world.

The BASIC Stamp is a microcontroller with a small, specialized BASIC interpreter (PBASIC) built into ROM.

The third variant is the Javelin stamp. This stamp uses Sun Microsystem's Java programing language instead of Parallax's PBasic

all current PICs are Flash-based, and support in-circuit programming.

Note that the resistor value of the pull-down resistor affects the voltage at pin 3 of the Furby's connector. We used a 1k ohm resistor to make it less sensitive to light (since we're now operating with it open to ambient light).

In the above diagram, a 20k ohm resistor is used as the pull-up resistor. You can, however, use any resistor as the pull-up resistor as long as the resistance is high enough to protect the circuit.

This simple circuit can detect the invisible fields of voltage which surround all electrified objects

One man turned the robot back in the direction from which it had just come, saying out loud to the Tweenbot, "You can’t go that way, it’s toward the road.”

pseudocode: read left_photoresistor read right_photoresistor if left_photoresistor detects more light than right_photoresistor then turn robot left if right_photoresistor detects more light than left_photoresistor then turn robot right if right_photoresistor detects about the same as left_photoresistor then robot goes straight loop

Photovore Algorithm, Improved This algorithm does the same as the original, but instead of case-based it works under a more advanced Fuzzy Logic control algorithm. Your robot will no longer just have the three modes of turn left, turn right, and go forward. Instead will have commands like 'turn left by 10 degrees' or 'turn right really fast', and with no additional lines of code! pseudocode: read left_photoresistor read right_photoresistor left_motor = (left_photoresistor - right_photoresistor) * arbitrary_constant right_motor = (right_photoresistor - left_photoresistor) * arbitrary_constant loop

This is the 3 capacitor method.  I used this one in all my RC cars and many of the RC toys that I have taken apart use this method.

One of the easiest and most overlooked technique that can be done to lower motor noise is the twist your motor and motor power wires.  This in affect forces the magnetic fields to cancel each other out.

By placing a metal shield between your motors and radio can do wonders.  Also keep in mind that some metals shield better than others.   Carbon Steel shields several hundred times better than aluminum.  Dont use this shielding as a conductor or you may compound the problem.

1381s are CMOS voltage-controlled triggers -- these "gate" a source until the voltage is above some "trip" limit, at which point it is allowed onto a third pin.

If you can't find 1381s locally, you might have better luck finding its European cousin, the TC-54 -- for details on it, see its data sheet.

A flashing LED is just an LED with a built-in microcircuit to cause it to flash periodically.

Like other LEDs, FLEDs are light-sensitive, and so flash faster in brighter light.

Like other LEDs, FLEDs are light-sensitive, and so flash faster in brighter light.

To use a photodiode in its photoconductive mode, the photodiode is reverse-biased; the photodiode will then allow a current to flow when it is illuminated.

LEDs can be used as photodiodes (tho' their sensitivity is relatively low, so they're only useable this way in very bright conditions). When light is applied to an LED the anode sources current and becomes positive.