Introduction
Robotnacka is autonomous mobile drawing robot, which is controlled from educational development environment Imagine. In collaboration with research lab of FEI STU, FMFI UK and Microstep-MIS was developed basic software for controlling Robotnacka, sample educational projects, lab exercises for students and long term installation of robots in a virtual lab. The main purpose of robot is its educational aspect which also is the aim of this project.
Technical Specification
- Diameter: 210 mm
- Height: 70 mm
- Mass: 1,8kg (0,6kg battery)
- Wheel radius: 50 mm
- PC Communication: Bluetooth
- Processor: Atmel AT89S8252,
- Motors: 2 x Microcon SX 17-0402-09
- 1 x solenoid for pen control.
- Sensors: 6 x CNY 70
- Power supply: SLA 6V / 3,2 Ah
Turtle Graphics
Imagine is programming language for students where using simple commands you control a movement of a turtle on a field. The main idea is simple – as soon as her tail is down, she can draw trajectory of its movement. Turtle can move forward and backward as well as rotate by any angle. The most common version in Slovakia is Imagine Logo and Commenius Logo.
Contour drawings
The goal of the project was to create an application which can load an object, apply functions of graphics library on it, takes its contours and transforms point coordinates of it edges into commands for a turtle.
Main application allows you to open any image. Once you open the image, you can specify treshold for contours which are extracted using algorithm from OpenCV library. Every picture consists of multiple contour levels. Application chooses the most visible one and considering contour as a closed object, it writes into a file coordinates of the edges.
Another application called KorGra(Turtle Graphics) opens the file with coordniate couples. For each two points it calculates angle and distance to be moved. KorGra can also resize the image. Output of the application is text file with clear commands for a turtle.
Last step happens in Imagine. We open the file and let turtle to draw it. Robotnacka is real image of virtual turtle in Imagine. Using the robot we can thus transform the contour on the paper.
