book

Professional Microsoft® Robotics Developer Studio

Name: Professional Microsoft® Robotics Developer Studio
ISBN: 9780470141076

by Kyle Johns, Trevor Taylor

May 2008

Intermediate to advanced

863 pages

23h 16m

English

Wrox

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Copyright
About the Authors
Credits
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Introduction
Who Is This Book For?What Is This Book's Focus?What Does This Book Cover?Part I: Robotics Developer Studio FundamentalsPart II: SimulationsPart III: Visual Programming Language (VPL)Part IV: Robotics HardwareWhat You Need to Run the ExamplesConventionsSource CodeErratap2p.wrox.com
I. Robotics Developer Studio Fundamentals
1. Exploring Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio
1.1. Microsoft Does Robots?1.2. Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio Components1.2.1. Concurrency and Coordination Runtime (CCR)1.2.2. Decentralized Software Services (DSS)1.2.3. Visual Simulation Environment1.2.4. Visual Programming Language (VPL)1.2.5. Robotics Samples1.2.6. Packages1.2.6.1. The Sumo Package1.2.6.2. The Soccer Package1.2.6.3. The Courseware Package1.3. Support for MRDS1.3.1. The SubjuGator1.3.2. Prospect 121.3.3. The uBot-51.3.4. KUKA Educational Framework1.4. Setting Up Your System1.4.1. System Requirements1.4.2. Prerequisites1.4.3. Installing MRDS 1.51.4.4. Robotics Studio 1.5 Directory Structure1.4.5. Installing the Packages1.4.6. Installing the Sample Code for This Book1.4.7. Verifying the Installation1.4.7.1. Runtime1.4.7.2. Simulation1.4.7.3. ProMRDS Sample Code1.5. Additional Resources and Support1.5.1. www.Microsoft.com/Robotics1.5.2. Tutorials and User Guides1.5.3. Online Forums1.5.4. Channel 91.6. Summary
2. Concurrency and Coordination Runtime (CCR)
2.1. Overview of the MRDS Framework2.1.1. The Need for Concurrency2.1.2. Services—The Basic Building Blocks2.1.3. Orchestration—Putting Services Together2.2. Setting Up for This Chapter2.2.1. Using the CCRExamples Project2.2.2. Entering the Code Manually2.2.3. Tips for Coding with MRDS2.3. Coordination and Concurrency Runtime2.3.1. Concurrent Execution2.3.1.1. Tasks2.3.1.2. Delegates2.3.1.3. Iterators2.3.2. Ports and Messages2.3.2.1. Reading from a Port2.3.2.2. PortSets2.3.3. Receivers and Arbiters2.3.3.1. Choice2.3.3.2. Join2.3.3.3. Combining Arbiters2.3.3.4. Receiving Multiple Messages2.3.3.5. Interleave2.3.4. Dispatchers and Dispatcher Queues2.4. Implementing Common Control Structures2.4.1. Sequential Processing2.4.2. Scatter/Gather2.4.3. State Machines2.4.4. Last Message2.4.5. Time Delays2.4.6. Periodic Events2.4.7. Setting Limits with Timeouts2.4.8. Asynchronous I/O2.4.9. Blocking I/O2.4.10. Throttling2.5. Error Handling2.5.1. Causalities2.5.2. Success/Failure Ports2.6. Interoperation with Legacy Code2.7. Traps for New Players2.8. Summary
3. Decentralized Software Services (DSS)
3.1. Overview of DSS3.1.1. Contracts3.1.2. State3.1.3. Behavior3.1.4. Execution Context3.1.5. DSSP Service Operations3.1.6. Generic Contracts3.2. Running a DSS Node3.2.1. Directory Structure of a DSS Node3.2.2. Starting DssHost3.2.3. Exploring the DSS Web Pages3.2.3.1. The Control Panel3.2.3.2. The Service Directory3.2.3.3. The Debug and Trace Messages Page3.2.3.4. The Contract Directory3.2.3.5. The Security Manager Page3.2.3.6. Resource Diagnostics3.2.4. Running a Robot Service3.2.4.1. Manifest Load Results3.2.4.2. Viewing Service State3.3. Creating a New Service3.3.1. Building a Service from Scratch3.3.1.1. Using Visual Studio3.3.1.2. Using the DssNewService Tool3.3.2. Examining the Service Source Files3.3.2.1. The Types File3.3.2.2. Main Service Implementation File3.3.2.3. The Service Manifest3.4. Compiling and Running Services3.4.1. Compiling a Service3.4.2. Setting Up References3.4.3. Proxy Assemblies3.4.4. Running Services3.4.5. Using the Debugger3.5. Defining Service State3.6. Persisting Service State3.6.1. Loading State from a Configuration File3.6.1.1. Using Initial State Partner to Load a Configuration File3.6.1.2. Specifying a Configuration File in a Manifest3.6.2. Saving the State to a Config File3.7. Modifying Service State3.7.1. Replace3.7.2. Update3.7.2.1. Defining a Class for an Update Request3.7.2.2. Adding a Handler to Process Update Requests3.7.2.3. Returning Errors3.8. Service Initialization3.9. Composing and Coordinating Services3.9.1. Starting and Stopping Services Programmatically3.9.1.1. Adding a Service Forwarder Port3.9.1.2. Main ServiceA Behavior3.9.1.3. Using Completion Ports for Synchronization3.9.1.4. Dropping Services3.9.1.5. Running the Services Together3.9.2. Using the Partner Attribute to Start Services3.9.3. Modifying Manifests Manually3.9.3.1. Use Existing Partner3.9.3.2. Contract Identifiers and Case Sensitivity3.9.3.3. Use Partner List Entry3.10. DSS Tools3.10.1. Modifying Manifests Using the DSS Manifest Editor3.10.2. DssInfo: Examining Contract Information3.10.3. DssProjectMigration: Migrating Services3.11. Deploying Services3.11.1. Sharing Source Code3.11.2. Distributing Executables3.11.3. Viewing the Contents of a Package3.12. Summary

4. Advanced Service Concepts
4.1. Setting Up for This Chapter4.1.1. Hardware Setup4.1.2. Creating the Service4.2. Subscribing and Notifying4.2.1. Subscribing to State Changes4.2.2. Unsubscribing from State Change Notifications4.2.3. Building in Support for Subscriptions and Notifications4.3. User Interfaces4.3.1. Using Windows Forms4.3.1.1. How WinForms Work under MRDS4.3.1.2. Creating a WinForm4.3.1.3. Passing Information Between a WinForm and a Service4.3.1.4. Keyboard Handling4.3.1.5. Button Handling4.3.2. Using Web Forms4.3.2.1. Accessing Services from Web Pages4.3.2.2. XSLT Overview4.3.2.3. Setting Up Your Development Environment for XSLT4.3.2.4. Using XSLT for Enhanced Information Display4.3.2.5. Building an XSLT File from Scratch4.3.2.6. Creating an XSLT file Using the MRDS Template4.3.2.7. Displaying the State Using XSLT4.3.2.8. Creating a Web Form for Data Input4.3.2.9. Using JavaScript for Client-Side Scripting4.4. Using a Camera4.4.1. Adding a Camera to a Service4.4.2. Setting Up a WinForm for the Video Feed4.4.2.1. Handling Connection Requests4.4.2.2. Connecting a Webcam4.4.3. Processing Video Frames4.5. Inheriting from Abstract Services4.5.1. Implementing a Generic Service4.5.2. Building Virtual Services4.6. More on Debugging4.6.1. Read the Documentation First4.6.2. Use the Visual Studio Debugger4.6.3. Examine the State of a Node and Services4.6.4. Traditional Debugging Techniques4.6.5. Using Trace Level and Logging4.7. Where to Go from Here4.8. Summary
II. Simulations
5. The MRDS Visual Simulation Environment
5.1. The Advantages of Simulation5.2. The Difficulties with Simulation5.3. Prerequisites5.3.1. Hardware Requirements5.3.2. Software Requirements5.3.2.1. The AGEIA PhysX Engine5.3.2.2. Microsoft XNA5.3.2.3. Microsoft DirectX5.4. Starting the Simulator5.5. Using the Simulator5.5.1. Navigating the Simulation Environment5.5.2. The Status Bar5.5.3. The Help Menu5.5.4. The Camera Menu5.5.5. The Rendering Menu5.5.5.1. Visual Rendering Mode5.5.5.2. Wireframe Rendering Mode5.5.5.3. Physics Rendering Mode5.5.5.4. Combined Rendering Mode5.5.5.5. No Rendering Mode5.5.6. Graphics Settings5.5.7. The Physics Menu5.5.8. Saving and Loading Scenes5.5.9. Saving and Loading Manifests5.5.10. Other File Menu Items5.6. The Simulation Editor5.6.1. Selecting Entities5.6.2. Manipulating Selected Entities5.6.3. The Entities Menu5.6.3.1. Saving and Loading Entities5.6.3.2. Creating New Entities5.6.3.3. Child Entities5.6.4. Modifying Entity State5.6.4.1. Graphics Assets5.6.4.2. Misc5.6.4.3. Physical Properties5.6.5. Other Common Entity Properties5.7. Built-in Simulation Entities5.7.1. Sky and Ground Entities5.7.1.1. SkyEntity and SkyDomeEntity5.7.1.2. HeightFieldEntity5.7.1.3. TerrainEntity5.7.1.4. TerrainEntityLOD5.7.2. Lights and Shadows5.7.2.1. Directional Lights5.7.2.2. Omni Lights5.7.2.3. Spot Lights5.7.2.4. Shadows5.7.3. General-Purpose Entities5.7.3.1. SingleShapeEntity5.7.3.2. MultiShapeEntity5.7.3.3. SimplifiedConvexMeshEnvironmentEntity5.7.3.4. TriangleMeshEnvironmentEntity5.7.4. Robot Entities5.7.4.1. Out for a Drive with the iRobot Create5.7.4.2. The LEGO NXT Tribot5.7.4.3. BumperArrayEntity5.7.4.4. DifferentialDriveEntity5.7.4.5. Pioneer3DX5.7.4.6. LaserRangeFinderEntity5.8. Summary
6. Extending the MRDS Visual Simulation Environment
6.1. Simulation DLLs and Types6.1.1. RoboticsCommon.DLL6.1.2. SimulationCommon.DLL6.1.3. SimulationEngine.DLL6.1.3.1. VisualEntity Methods and Members6.1.3.2. The SimulationEngine Class6.1.4. SimulationEngine.Proxy.DLL6.1.5. PhysicsEngine.DLL6.1.6. Microsoft.Xna.Framework.DLL6.1.6.1. The Microsoft.Xna.Framework Namespace6.1.6.2. The Microsoft.Xna.Framework.Graphics Namespace6.1.7. Using Statements and DLL References6.2. Building Your Own SRS-Robo-Magellan Simulation6.2.1. Simulation Services6.2.2. Creating a Simulation Service6.2.3. Defining a Custom Robot Entity6.2.4. The Drive Methods6.2.5. The SimulatedQuadDifferentialDrive Service6.2.5.1. Simulation Entity Notifications6.2.5.2. Testing the SimulatedQuadDifferentialDrive Service6.2.5.3. Testing DriveDistance and RotateDegrees6.2.6. Tuning the Corobot Entity6.2.6.1. Tuning MotorTorqueScaling6.2.6.2. Tuning the Tire Friction6.2.6.3. Making the Wheels Turn6.2.6.4. Adding Encoders6.2.6.5. Making It Look Real6.2.6.6. Adding the Custom Mesh to the Corobot Entity6.2.7. Adding a Camera6.2.7.1. Adding the Camera Entity6.2.7.2. Adding the SimulatedWebcam Service6.2.8. Adding Infrared Distance Sensors6.2.8.1. The CorobotIREntity6.2.8.2. Adding a SimulatedIR Service6.3. Summary
7. Using Orchestration Services to Build a Simulation Scenario
7.1. The Robo-Magellan Referee Service7.1.1. Customizing the SimulationTutorial1 Service7.1.2. Starting a Service from the Browser7.1.3. Building the World and Adding Cameras7.1.4. Adding a Sky, Sun, and Ground7.1.5. Adding Barriers7.1.5.1. Running the Service7.1.6. Building a Better Traffic Cone7.2. The Robo-Magellan Orchestration Service7.2.1. Generating the SimMagellan Service7.2.2. Creating a Manifest with the Manifest Editor7.2.3. Adding a Windows Forms User Interface7.2.4. Creating the Form7.2.5. Connecting the Service to the Form7.3. How to Make a Robot Behave7.3.1. Defining Behavior States7.3.2. Implementing the Behavior for Each State7.3.3. Processing Camera Frames7.3.4. The Wander Behavior7.3.5. The Approach State7.3.6. The Final Approach State7.3.7. The Back Away State7.3.8. The Finished State7.3.9. The Avoid Collision State7.4. Using the SimMagellan Service7.5. Future Directions7.6. Summary
8. Simulating Articulated Entities
8.1. The Joint Class8.1.1. The Joint Frame8.1.2. Joint Properties8.1.2.1. JointAngularProperties8.1.2.2. JointLimitProperties8.1.2.3. JointDriveProperties8.1.2.4. JointLinearProperties8.1.2.5. EntityJointConnector8.1.2.6. JointProperties8.1.3. A Joint TestBench8.1.3.1. Subclassing Entity Types to Add Custom Joints8.1.3.2. Adding Joints to the Test Bench8.1.3.2.1. A Joint with One Angular Degree of Freedom8.1.3.2.2. A Joint with a Smaller Damping Coefficient8.1.3.2.3. A Six Degree of Freedom Joint8.1.3.2.4. A Joint with Different Connector Orientations8.1.3.2.5. A Joint with Motion Limits8.2. Building a Simulated Robotic Arm8.2.1. The Physical Model of the Arm Entity8.2.2. Running the Arm Service8.2.3. Moving the Arm8.2.4. A Fly in the Ointment8.2.5. Inverse Kinematics8.2.6. Using the Arm User Interface8.3. Summary
9. Adventures in Simulation
9.1. Simulating a Sumo Competition9.1.1. SimulatedSumo9.1.2. The Simulated Sumo Referee9.1.3. Communicating with the Sumo Referee Service9.1.4. The Sample Sumo Behavior9.1.5. Creating a New Sumo Player9.1.6. Where to Go from Here9.2. Building a Six-Legged Walker9.2.1. The Hexapod Entity9.2.1.1. Building the Main Body and Legs9.2.1.2. Defining the Joints9.2.1.3. Building the Hexapod9.2.1.4. Creating and Attaching the Joints9.2.1.5. Attaching a Camera9.2.2. The Hexapod Differential Drive Service9.2.2.1. The MoveLeg Method9.2.2.2. The MoveLegs2 Method9.2.3. Where to Go from Here9.3. Implementing a Soccer Strategy9.3.1. The MRDS Simulated Soccer Environment9.3.2. Changing the Players on the Field9.3.3. Building a Better Soccer Player9.3.3.1. Improved Image Processing9.3.3.2. Improved Behavior9.3.4. Where to Go from Here9.4. Exploring Virtual Worlds9.4.1. Background9.4.2. The Modified DifferentialDrive Service9.4.3. The Maze Simulator9.4.4. The ExplorerSim Application9.4.5. Where to Go from Here9.5. Summary
III. Visual Programming Language
10. Microsoft Visual Programming Language Basics
10.1. What Is a Data Flow Language?10.2. The VPL Development Environment10.3. A Simple VPL Diagram10.3.1. Creating a VPL Diagram10.3.2. Running a VPL Diagram10.4. Inputs, Outputs, and Notifications10.5. Basic Activities10.6. VPL Variables10.7. Looping and Conditionals in VPL10.8. The VPL Execution Model10.9. Debugging a VPL Diagram10.10. Creating Custom Activities10.10.1. Defining a ForLoop Custom Activity10.10.2. Improving the ForLoop Custom Activity10.11. Using Lists and Switch Activities10.12. An Example Using List Activities10.12.1. The PluralNouns Activity10.12.2. The Phrases Activity10.12.3. The GetRandom Action10.12.4. A Final ForLoop Improvement10.13. Summary
11. Visually Programming Robots
11.1. VPL Activities and Services11.2. Compiling Diagrams to Services11.2.1. Service Compilation Options11.2.2. A Service Compilation Example11.3. Configuring Activities11.3.1. Setting the Configuration for a Diagram11.3.2. Starting the SimpleDashboard Service Upon Execution11.3.3. Modifying the Diagram to Use a Real Robot11.4. VPL in the Driver's Seat11.5. Using VPL to Read Sensors11.6. The Laser Range Finder11.7. Controlling Multiple Robots11.8. Summary
12. Visual Programming Examples
12.1. VPL Explorer12.1.1. Interfacing with the Xbox Controller12.1.2. Reading the LRF Data12.2. VPL Sumo12.2.1. The VPL Sumo Main Diagram12.2.2. The PlayerOne Start Action12.2.3. Reading Data from the Infrared Sensors12.2.4. Reading the Create Bumper Sensors12.2.5. The Manouver Message12.3. Arm Mover12.3.1. The ArmMover Activity12.3.2. The SetPollInterval Action12.3.3. Moving the Arm12.4. Line Follower12.4.1. The LineMesh Utility12.4.1.1. Using the DSS Command-Line Tools12.4.1.2. Generating a Mesh from an Image File12.4.2. Building a Brightness Sensor12.4.3. Building the Simulation Environment12.4.4. The Line-Follower VPL Diagram12.5. Ball Follower12.5.1. Building the Simulation Environment12.5.2. The BallFollower VPL Diagram12.6. Summary
IV. Robotics Hardware
13. Using MRDS with Robotics Hardware
13.1. Safety Considerations Before Starting13.2. Types of Robots13.2.1. Tethered Robots13.2.1.1. The Monitor Program13.2.1.2. Boe-Bot Monitor13.2.1.3. Boe-Bot Evasive Behavior13.2.1.4. The Communications Link13.2.2. Autonomous Robots13.3. Buying Your First Robot13.3.1. General Recommendations13.3.2. Robots Discussed in This Book13.3.2.1. LEGO Mindstorms NXT13.3.2.2. Parallax Boe-Bot13.3.2.3. Lynx 6 Robotic Arm13.3.2.4. RoboticsConnection Stinger CE13.3.3. Other Robots Supported under MRDS13.3.3.1. Parallax Scribbler13.3.3.2. iRobot Create13.3.3.3. Surveyor SRV-113.3.3.4. CoroWare CoroBot13.3.3.5. White Box Robotics 914 PC-BOT13.3.3.6. MobileRobots Pioneer 3DX13.4. Fundamental Concepts: Sensors, Actuators, and Controllers13.5. Sensors13.5.1. Contact Sensors13.5.2. Range Sensors13.5.2.1. Infrared Sensors13.5.2.2. Sonar Sensors13.5.2.3. Laser Range Finders13.5.3. Light Sensors13.5.4. Video/Image Sensors13.5.5. Other Sensors13.5.5.1. Global Positioning System Sensors13.5.5.2. Compass Sensors13.5.5.3. Acceleration/Tilt Sensors13.5.5.4. Sound Sensors13.5.5.5. Wheel Encoders13.6. Actuators13.6.1. Motors13.6.2. Servo Motors13.6.3. Digital Outputs13.6.4. Sound and Voice Synthesis13.7. Controllers13.7.1. Understanding a Closed-Loop Control System13.7.2. Behavior-Based Control13.8. Summary
14. Remotely Controlling a Mobile Robot
14.1. Remote Control and Teleoperation14.2. Setting Up Your Robot14.2.1. Using a LEGO NXT Tribot with MRDS14.2.1.1. Establishing a Bluetooth Connection14.2.1.2. Communicating with the LEGO NXT Brick14.2.1.3. LEGO NXT V2 Services14.2.2. Using a Parallax Boe-Bot with MRDS14.2.2.1. Establishing a Bluetooth Connection14.2.2.2. Communicating with the Boe-Bot14.3. Using the Dashboard14.3.1. Creating a Manifest14.3.1.1. Setting Up a Manifest14.3.1.2. Starting the Simple Dashboard14.3.2. Running the Manifest14.3.3. Using a Joystick or Gamepad14.3.4. Creating a Shortcut to Run Your Robot14.4. Making a Robot Dance14.4.1. Building a New Service14.4.2. Partnering with a Robot Using a Manifest14.4.2.1. Using the LEGO NXT Tribot14.4.2.2. Using the Boe-Bot14.4.2.3. Managing Multiple Manifests14.4.3. Reviewing the Results14.4.4. Improving the Behavior14.4.5. Flashing and Beeping14.5. Exploring Using Sensors14.5.1. Reading from the Sensors14.5.2. Making a LEGO NXT Wander Around14.5.3. Making a Boe-Bot Wander Around14.5.3.1. Processing Bump Notifications14.6. Summary
15. Using a Robotic Arm
15.1. Introduction to Articulated Arms15.1.1. Servo Basics15.1.2. Controlling Joints: Speed and Travel Constraints15.1.2.1. Speed15.1.2.2. Travel Constraints15.1.3. Forward Kinematics15.1.3.1. Arm Linkage Configuration15.1.3.2. Finally, a Use for Grade-School Geometry15.1.4. Inverse Kinematics15.2. Setting Up a Lynxmotion L6 Arm15.2.1. Building the Lynxmotion L6 Arm15.2.2. Starting the Lynxmotion L6 Arm15.3. Controlling the L6 Arm15.3.1. Using the Generic Arm Contract15.3.1.1. Setting Joint Angles15.3.1.2. Using GetEndEffectorPose15.3.1.3. Using the Dashboard to Control the Arm15.3.2. Recording Motions15.3.2.1. Using the Simulated Lynx Arm15.3.2.2. Inside the Motion Recorder Service15.3.2.3. Using the Motion Recorder15.4. Pick and Place15.4.1. Logjam15.4.2. Using an Overhead Camera15.5. Summary
16. Autonomous Robots
16.1. PC-Based Robots16.1.1. Windows XP-Based PCs16.1.2. Onboard Laptops16.1.3. PDAs16.1.4. Embedded PCs16.1.5. The Development Environment16.2. Setting Up a Stinger Robot16.3. Setting Up Your PDA16.4. Driving a Stinger Remotely16.4.1. Code Overview16.4.1.1. Windows Form16.4.1.2. Keyboard Handling16.4.1.3. Service Operations16.4.1.4. Interfacing to the Serializer Board16.4.1.5. Reading the Infrared Sensors16.5. Wandering Using Sensors16.5.1. Handling the IR Sensors16.5.2. Defining Wander Modes16.5.3. Running the Wander Code16.6. Creating a CF Version of the Service16.6.1. Deploying a Service to a PDA16.6.1.1. Creating a CF Package16.6.1.2. Running the Service16.6.2. Debugging a Service on a PDA16.6.2.1. Testing the PDA Connection16.6.2.2. Setting Up for Debugging16.7. Setting Up the eBox16.7.1. Booting the eBox for the First Time16.7.1.1. The Boot Menu16.7.1.2. MS-DOS Refresher16.7.2. Setting Up the Serial Port16.7.3. Setting Up Visual Studio16.7.3.1. Software Requirements16.7.3.2. Establishing a Connection to eBox16.7.4. Transferring Files to the eBox16.7.5. Building a Windows CE System Image16.8. Running a Service on WinCE16.8.1. Setting Up the Service16.8.2. Testing Operation of the Service16.8.3. Autonomous Operation16.9. Where to Go from Here16.10. Summary
17. Writing New Hardware Services
17.1. Integrating New Hardware17.1.1. Microcontrollers17.1.2. Chips with Built-in BASIC Interpreters17.1.3. MRDS Support from Other Vendors17.2. Creating a Generic Brick Service17.2.1. Terminology17.2.2. Design17.2.2.1. No Reconfiguration of the Brick (in this First Version)17.2.2.2. All Devices Must Have a Name17.2.2.3. Hardware Identifiers17.2.2.4. Timestamps17.2.2.5. Automatic Connection17.2.2.6. Inputs and Outputs17.2.2.7. Unit Conversion and Calibration17.2.2.8. Locations of Sensors and Actuators17.2.2.9. Access to Switches and LEDs is Included as a Convenience17.2.2.10. Motors and Wheel Encoders17.2.2.11. I2C Bus is Not Supported17.2.3. Brick State17.2.3.1. Definition of the State17.2.3.2. Overview of State Members17.2.3.3. Devices17.2.4. Device Enums17.2.5. Brick Operations17.2.6. Additional Components17.2.6.1. Creating a Helper DLL17.2.6.2. Adding Embedded Resources17.3. The Integrator Robot17.3.1. Integrator Robot Monitor Program17.3.1.1. PICAXE Programming Editor17.3.1.2. Pin Assignments17.3.1.3. The Main Loop17.3.1.4. Protocol Commands17.3.2. Creating the Integrator Robot Services17.3.2.1. Initialization17.3.2.2. Serial Communications17.3.2.3. Handling Sensors Using Polling17.3.2.4. Completing the Brick Operations17.3.3. Creating a New Drive Service17.3.3.1. Command Overload!17.3.3.2. Timed Operations17.3.3.3. Using XSLT17.4. Testing a Generic Brick Robot17.5. The Hemisson Robot17.5.1. Hemisson Brick Service17.5.1.1. IR Sensors17.5.1.2. Testing the Hemisson Brick17.5.2. Hemisson Drive Service17.6. Where to Go from Here17.7. Summary

Content preview from Professional Microsoft® Robotics Developer Studio

Chapter 16. Autonomous Robots

And now for something completely different . . .

So far you have seen robots controlled directly from your desktop PC. However, it is much more fun to let them roam free. To do this you need to make them autonomous, i.e., give the robots onboard brains.

In writing a book like this it is hard to predict the skills of the audience. Some of you might have worked with MS-DOS in what now seems like a previous life, and others might be young enough to have grown up without having to deal with the horrors of command prompts, Autoexec.bat, Windows for Workgroups, and so on. Unfortunately, in some ways working with onboard computers is taking a step backwards from the comfortable environment of Windows XP or Vista that you have on your desktop PC to the bygone era of DOS.

Some of this chapter, therefore, is about introducing you to what might be new concepts and ways of programming and debugging. The robotics content is not very high, but unless you understand how to work in these environments you will not be able to create autonomous robots.

Regardless of whether you want to build an autonomous robot or not, you might find parts of this chapter useful. For example, it discusses using the .NET Compact Framework (CF) on a personal digital assistant (PDA) to control a robot via Bluetooth.

You should read the entire chapter even if you are using Windows CE because some of the material in the section on PDAs is relevant to Windows CE as well.

PC-Based Robots

It has already ...

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Professional Microsoft® Robotics Developer Studio

by Kyle Johns, Trevor Taylor

Chapter 16. Autonomous Robots

PC-Based Robots

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