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Robot Builders Meetings "RBM"

Each Saturday @ 10:00 am Aerospace Museum

Come on down for a coffee and build!
 

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Jim and Kristoph's Robot Building Resources

As presented by same on Sept 12, 2002 meeting ( thanks guys! )

  • Robot Building Resources

    • Calgary Sources:

      • Active Electronics: The first leg in the "Golden Triangle". Best source in Calgary for any electronic components you need for your projects (LEDS, Transistors, Resistors, 74HCxxx, CMOS, Linears, Multimeters, Oscilloscopes, Test equipment, Compressed Air cans, Slodering irons, Deslodering equipment, wire, etc.). They also sell things at prices over 50% lower than Radio Shack (basically you shouldn't have to pay $5.00 for six diodes at Radio Shack when you can buy them for less than $0.25 each at Active). This is one source that everyone should/will visit at least once because it is the only source that offers all of these components in Calgary (If you are a student be sure to ask about their 10% student discount! and mention that you heard about Active through the Robot Games).

        2015-32 Ave. N.E., Unit 1
        Calgary, Alberta
        T2E 6Z3
        Tel:(403)291-5626
        Fax:(403)291-1020
        .
      • PMS Hobby Shop: Second leg in the "Golden Triangle" (it's right across the street). This is where you get most of your hobby supplies that you may need. They sell servos (meant for model airplanes, but if you hack them they make good gear motors) and some motors, some wheels, and other general hobby building stuff.

        2020B-32 Ave. N.E.
        Calgary, Alberta
        Phone: (403) 291-2733
        Fax: (403) 291-5324
        .
      • Princess Auto: The Third leg in the "Golden Triangle" (a couple of doors down from PMS). This is where you get your surplus stuff and tools at great prices. at the very back left corner is where they have their surplus motors, take a look at their high torque windshield wiper motors (Great for Sumos). They also sell tools at good prices.

        2020-32 Ave. N.E.
        Calgary, Alberta
        Phone: (403) 250-1133
        .
      • Calgary Metal and Metal Super Market: If you want some metal to build your 'bot these guys have a ton of scrap Aluminum and new angle iron. If you want new Aluminum angle bars/plates that is closer to home try looking at the metal that Canadian Tire, Revy, or Home Depot sell first.

        Metal Supermarket:
        Bay3 3716 56 Ave. S.E.
        Calgary, Alberta
        Phone: (403) 720-2267

        Calgary Metal:
        3415 Ogden Rd S.E.
        Calgary Alberta
        T2G 4N4
        Phone: (403) 262-4542
        .
      • Solarbotics Ltd. is a great resource if you're interested in putting BEAM principles into your device. Has many kits from beginner (simple solar speeder) to advanced (four motor neural network controlled walker with optional moving light seeking head attachment) including parts (SOLAR CELLS, LARGE CAPACITORS (does a 1 FARAD capacitor sound big enough for your tiny little solar speeder?), and basic BEAM stuff).
      • JCM Inventures: Sells really cool robotic insectoid kits, such as the CYBUG series (a really wierd acting robot (very insect like movement) which is the basis for an expandable robot platform which you can add "instincts" to your robot. Like the hunger instinct (prey) and the predator instinct (hunter)). Another kit the Queen Ant series give you the option of plugging in a Basic Stamp I into the circut so your can program your own unique characteristics into the robot. Another kit that is offered is the Vulcan Logic Trainer, a interactive kit which teach the basics of logic design. Also included is the Vulcan Lugic Trainer software which allows you to build and test circuts virtually without the chance of blowing something up.
      • HVW Technologies carries those "hard to get" robotic parts and kits that you just can't get anywhere else such as the full range of Basic Stamp equipment, Motor controllers, infrared range finders (for finding people in Sumo/Mini Sumo), and high quality motor/gearbox combinations (their twin motor gearbox is Great for mini sumo, combined with a L298 motor controller, and a Basic Stamp you have a competition ready mini sumo). Also a good source for beginning robot books.   

    • Other Supplier links:

      • Digi-Key.ca:Basically THE source for components. If you thought that I emphasized that Active Electronics had a lot of electronic components I lied. Basically take the electronic components that Active offers and multiply it by 100 then you have Digi-Key (take a look through their 1000+ page catalog and drool). (Sure you will not buy even 98% of the items but it offers items that Active does not offer (such as Atmel AVR processors, temperature sensors, electroluminesint backlighting, surface mount LED's, etc. (and I really mean etc.)). They also have the best prices (sometimes better than Active) especially if you buy in bulk (...well...that really is a good price for 200 red LED's...what do you mean how am I going to use 200 LED's?! Of course I will use them...eventually...). The only thing is that they are a mail order company so be prepared to shell out some money for shipping from the US. (www.digikey.ca has Canadian prices, and www.digikey.com has US prices).
      • Mondo-tronics' Robot Store: The place to get robot kits galore (over 400!) all the way to basic line followers to a six legged twelve motor walking robot with optional arm attachment. Also supplies a cool product called muscle wires (they are around the size of a human hair (and also some larger diameters) and contract when electricity is applied to them).
      • RobotBooks.com has every book you need to get started on or improve your robots from a person with real robot building exprerience. He is the same person who built the Battlebots world heavy weight champion Biohazard so he knows a thing or two about building robots.
      • The online Robot Magazine is The World's Only Magazine Dedicated To Real Robots.
      • Wow, this stuff is amazing! Lego Mindstorms is a great way for the beginning robotics hobbyist to get into this field without having an engineering degree (or even high school for that matter).
      • Tomi Engdahl's electronics info page is the ULTIMATE online resource for absolutely anything related to electronics and robotics.  It is the only resource you need if your are an electronics hacker or robot builder.
      • The Robotic Internet Resources Page contains links to almost every robotics related site on the net.
      •  Robohoo.com has great resources for the robotics hobbyist.

  • Other Competitions

    • Manitoba Robot Games
    • Eastern Canadian Robot Games
    • The Trinity College Fire-Fighting Home Robot Contest is the parent competition to our "Extinguisher" contest. There are two divisions (Junior and Senior) and first place prize in each is $1000 US! Also, they will partially sponsor winners of our event so that they may travel to the Trinity event!
    • Want to program robots but don't have that mechanical intuition? Try out Robot Battle, This unique game allows robot designers to create a Virtual Robot and challenge other designers around the world.

  • Canadian Robot Clubs

    •  

    Places to buy Kits:

    Looking for simple ways to get started in robotics? Why not start with a robot kit. Visit these links below and pick up a couple kits to get started with.

    Solarbotics Ltd.

    If you are interested in BEAM robotics, visit this Calgary-based sponsor of the robot games. They feature:

    • Solar cells
    • Tiny motors
    • BEAM Kits
    • Other hard-to-get BEAM paraphernalia.

    JCM Inventures

    Another excellent Calgary Company featuring a variety of popular robot kits including the

    • CYBUG Scarab, Solarfly, Sunflower powerplant, Chloroplast, and Queenant robotic lifeforms
    • Motor controllers, CPLD programmers, and Vulcan Digital Logic training systems
    • Lots of robot building tips

    HVW Technologies

    Another very supportive sponsor of the WCRG and is based in Calgary, Canada.

    • Platforms
    • Cybug series
    • Growbot
    • Basic Stamp Walking Bug
    • Gearboxes
    • Motor Drivers
    • Sensors

    MondoTronics RobotStore

    • Mondo-tronics' Robot Store Web Catalog features over 400 robot kits, books, and software, as well as Muscle WiresŪ shape memory alloys, and lots of other great robot related hardware, electronics, video tapes and more! 

    Mr. Robot

    • Robot kits
    • Microcontrollers and Microcontroller kits
    • Autonomous Programmable Mobile Robots
    • Software for Robots & 68HC11-based Microcontrollers
    • Printed Circuit Boards
    • R/C Servos and Gearhead DC motors
    • Sensors
    • Motorola chips
    • Wireless Mini Color Cameras and Parts.  

    Catalog Sources

    These catalogs are all in Adobe Acrobat format. To view you have to have the Free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed.

    DIGI-KEY http://info.digikey.com/C023/digikey.pdf (WARNING, 35 Megabytes!)

    ROBOT STORE http://www.robotstore.com/catalog/default.asp

    SOLARBOTICS: http://downloads.solarbotics.net/pdf/solarbotics_catalog_4.pdf

    BG MICRO: http://www.bgmicro.com/pdf/catalog.pdf

    MOUSER: http://www.mouser.com//catalog/611/mouser.pdf (WARNING, 48 Megabytes!)

    ALL ELECTRONICS:     http://www.allelectronics.com/pdfcat.html
    THE ELECTRONIC GOLDMINE: http://www.goldmine-elec.com/PDFCatalog.htm

    MECI: http://www.meci.com/PDF/CAT118_complete.pdf (WARNING, 20 Megabytes!)

    There's many more robot-related websites "out there" - just bring up any search engine and type in what kind of robot information you're looking for! And for more personal information about robotics, join the Western Canadian Robot Society's Yahoo Group.

    Last updated Sep 12, 2002. Made By Kristoph Minchau.