par·a·digm noun
1: Example, pattern; especially: an outstandingly clear or typical example or
archetype.
2: A philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline
within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed
in support of them are formulated; broadly: a philosophical or theoretical framework
of any kind.
merriam-webster
A New Paradigm
in Hobby Robotics
by John Blankenship and Samual Mishal
A brief look at the history of computers and microcontrollers can provide insights
into the future of robotics. Based on these insights, a new and innovative approach
to building and programming hobby robots is offered for consideration. Many
aspects of this new proposal are already available and designs to provide additional
functionality are underway. Reader’s comments and suggestions for enhancing the
outcome are welcome at www.RobotBASIC.com.
T
he methodology used by hobbyists for
constructing robots has changed greatly over
the last few decades. In the early years,
significant skills were needed in both
electronics and mechanics in order to create
anything even remotely interesting, let alone
exciting or useful. In the past, it was not unusual for
hobbyists to build wooden platforms propelled with
salvaged automobile windshield wiper motors. When motor
controllers, infrared reflective sensors, or ultrasonic rangers
were required, they had to be built from scratch and that
required an understanding of technical topics such as
transistor theory, phase-locked loops, passive and active
filters design, and an understanding of operational
amplifiers.
In more recent times, vendors such as Lynxmotion and
Parallax have made available a wide variety of motors and
wheel assemblies that can be mounted on precut and
predrilled aluminum or Plexiglas chassis. In addition, a wide
variety of ready-to-use sensors from companies like Parallax
and Pololu can now be used without a degree in
44 SERVO 01.2011
electronics, making it considerably easier to enter the field
of hobby robotics.
The microcontrollers that provide the intelligence for
today’s hobby robots have also evolved. They come in a
wide variety of sizes and abilities, and can be programmed
using an assortment of assembly and high-level languages.
One would think that with all these advancements,
hobbyists would be dedicating more time to programming
robots rather than building them. Unfortunately, there still
are obstacles that must be resolved before that can happen
on an appreciable scale.
Before we look at these obstacles though, let’s
examine why turning the focus from building robots to
programming them is of such importantance. We can learn
a lot from the early history of personal computers. In the
early 1970s, if you wanted a computer you had to build
one for yourself. Hobbyists of that era wanted to learn
about programming their machines, but unfortunately, with
all the time required to build and debug hardware, little
time was left for programming. Even when time was
available, the lack of appropriate programming languages
