Theseus



I was experimenting with the GameBoy camera and the Mini RoboMind (MRM) computer when the Seattle Robotics Society began plans for a line maze contest. I decided to build a line maze robot using the camera. I knew this was doing it the hard way, but I wanted an excuse to play with vision, and following a line should be simpler than other kinds of vision.

Doing things the hard way may be an interesting challenge, but it's not the way to win contests. If conditions are just right Theseus can go through the maze with no problems. But he fails completely if the lighting isn't just right, or if he has his back to the main light source and the camera is seeing his own shadow, or if he sees a reflection in the maze surface, or if the phase of the moon isn't just right...

I have also built an attachment for it with three cameras for stereo vision experiments.

What is he made of?

  • The computer is a Mini RoboMind (MRM) by Mark Castiluchio featuring the Motorola MC68332 microcontroller, a half megabyte of ram, a half megabyte of eeprom, an A/D converter, lots of digital IO, and internal timers.
  • A Mitsubishi M64282FP CMOS image sensor (GameBoy camera), black and white, with 128x123 pixel resolution.
  • Ten high output IR LED's provide light for the camera.
  • An Epson chronometer chip, because the Line Maze Contest requires that the robot stop before three minutes is up.
  • Driven by a Tamiya Twin Motor Gear Box, with model airplane wheels, and quadrature incremental encoders.
  • Powered by a 9.6 volt NiMh battery pack.



Theseus from the front.

Crazy Legs Egg Sucker ERC Hexex LC Mutant Speedy Theseus Thumper T3
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Gary Teachout