Some decisions

I've been researching a few different avenues and decisions. First decision was I didn't want a prefab bot, not really interested in being limited by somebody else's design parameters. I don't want a huge body, nor something tiny, and not something expensive either. On the processor front, I thought about the Parallax stamp modules, 68HC11 and propellor, I have some experience with the 68hc11 series and I know that there is C compilors for them, so that's a plus.

So here's where the decisions stand today are:



Body Type : Tamiya Power Shovel/Dozer Model Kit ($29.99 and already had it)
Drive Type : Tracked (included on the body)
MCU Type : 68hc11 series
Battery Type : Lithium Rechargeable(plenty around here and not expensive)
Sensors : Encoder on the tracks, front and back bumpers
Actuator : N/A (though I think with a bit of tinkering the dozer apparatus might work)
Language : C based and free would be even better

Decisions yet to be made:

Board Type : Fingerboard, Handy Board from M.I.T., HC11 EVB {Mainly need/want 64k mem and lots of I/O)
Body Modifications : Do I keep it the way it is, do I make the bottom more into a box to house 'brains' and batteries?

Research to do

Figure out which boards have the option for 64k ext mem and lots of I/O
Bumper types and schematics
H Bridge (DPRG.org)

Shopping List


Cheap Mouse for encoder wheels and sensors (<$5) (frys.com)
1/4inch thick pine board( 1", 2" and 3" wide and various length) (homedepot.com)
Sandpaper 400 grit to smooth edges (have around here)

By the way, I did join the Dallas Personal Robotics Group mailing list. Will have to shove some money into paypal to get full membership.