Cesar: Geek out your powerwheels

posted Jan 25th 2008 5:03pm by Will O'Brien
filed under: robots hacks

[Zack Anderson] built this computer controlled autonomous robot (back in 2003) out of an old, ugly powerwheels Jeep. It’s got a full onboard computer with wifi, video camera, SONAR sensors, a robotic arm and it can self-navigate. He’s provided server and client code (I haven’t tried it yet), and The project shouldn’t be a surprise, since he’s been working on entries for the DARPA challenge for a while.

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I used to have a Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Power Wheels. I have regretted getting rid of it many times. Yeah, I’m a young one…still only 17, so this is probably 12-13 years ago. Had lots of fun in that thing…

Posted at 6:55 pm on Jan 25th, 2008 by Robbie

zack is pretty awesome. a friend of mine stayed in his room during mit accepted student weekend. his room control system is really awesome, but it’s far too dependent on strange parts to replicate. i’ve been working on a modular room control system based on his with an actual parts list. i should document that soon…

Posted at 6:59 pm on Jan 25th, 2008 by Dean

Too bad he is still not around at the Palos Verdes High School. He helped build the first car and now I helped build our second entry. Too bad its all over now. With him around maby we would have been able to fix the steering controller. Its funny how the old black Dell server that ran the original PVHS DARPA car is now used as an Architectural Engineering workstation/Print Server. Every day I use that computer and wonder what exactly it did before being converted back to school use.

Posted at 2:43 am on Jan 26th, 2008 by TheDeepFriedBoot

hmmm anyone get a copy of the source code before the gov. blocked it? (or maby just the site admin)

email me ‘HeBDis’ that google email place. u know the one ;)

Posted at 4:33 am on Jan 26th, 2008 by HeBD

That some nice work right there.

When I explored the use of powerwheels vehicles for my rov project I ran into traction problems and ended up scrapping the powerwheels platform for one I built from the ground up.

I see a little modification has been done to change out the wheels, which is a great idea!
I didn’t want to have to deal with the inevitable chain of reinforcements to the thing that follow, but they handled it all really well.

kudos adventurers!

Posted at 10:16 am on Jan 26th, 2008 by strider_mt2k

Yeah anybody know where to get the source code? The site returns a “not valid” page

Posted at 3:19 pm on Jan 26th, 2008 by Darth Hackius

Anybody else think this could use an automated sentry gun?

http://www.hackaday.com/2005/09/21/robotic-sentry-gun/

Maybe a voice synthesizer?

~Please put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply… You now have 15 seconds to comply… You have 10 seconds to comply…You have 5 seconds to comply… four… three… two… one… I am now authorized to use physical force!~
~/ED209~
:-D

Posted at 2:19 am on Jan 27th, 2008 by tommy

found the software, here it is.
http://www.geocities.com/cesartherobot/program.htm
still looking at it to see whats up.

Posted at 8:03 pm on Jan 30th, 2008 by jim