The Evolution of Ethel
By Steven Nelson
I have been experimenting with kit robots
like the Parallax BoeBot and the Toddler
and various infrared, ultrasonic, and vision
sensors since 2004. All of these great
teaching machines got me back into
programming and taught me about
interfacing microcontrollers with
electronics and software. Once I
understood how to use these
components, I built a slightly larger 6 lb
4WD radio/BASIC Stamp II controlled
robot of my own design called EVA. EVA allowed me to experiment with both
autonomous and radio control, plus a mixture of both. EVA also allowed me to
add a wireless video camera to a mobile machine and perform tasks like getting a
beverage from the refrigerator. EVA used her claw to open the door and grab a
can while I was sitting on the couch watching and controlling the action on TV.
EVA also showed me that I needed to build a bigger machine to do larger tasks
since anything weighing much over 1 lb was too heavy for her to pick up and carry
reliably. I really needed a more powerful friend ... enter Ethel.
40 SERVO 08.2010
