My Love Affair with Electronics
My fascination with electronics began in 5th or 6th grade. As a child, I was captivated by robots and electronics. In the 90s, our home had few gadgets (CRT TV, tape recorder), but I was eager to explore their inner workings. With curiosity, I'd dismantle them, often ending up damaging them.
Fast-forward two decades, and my passion remains unchanged, despite the tech evolution (CRT to LCD, tape recorder to media center).
Introducing Raspberry Pi
This blog post showcases my latest hobby project, built around the Raspberry Pi (RPi), a $25 credit-card-sized computer. I believe RPi will revolutionize the computing world due to its affordability and open-source nature. Already, it's made its way into European and African schools.
Popular Distributions
1. Raspbian "wheezy" (Debian)
2. Soft-float Debian "wheezy" (Debian)
3. Arch Linux ARM
4. RISC OS
5. RASPBMC (Debian-based, XBMC-compatible)
Why Raspberry Pi?
Its accessibility, affordability, and ease of use make it ideal for various projects, from robotics to media centers. The only drawback is the lack of analog interfaces, which can be supplemented with microcontrollers.
My Project: π-Bot
I chose Java on Debian Wheezy for my project, thanks to my neighbor Sridhar's expertise.
π-Bot Features
Implemented:
1. Obstacle detection and distance estimation
2. Four-wheel drive with differential steering
3. Power via battery pack with self-charging
4. Universal IR remote control with voice operation
In development:
1. Acceleration, angular movement, ambient light, and temperature sensing
2. Speech recognition using Google API
3. Speech synthesis
4. Gesture and object recognition
5. Room mapping using Kinect and OpenCV
6. Entertainment system control and media streaming
7. Mobile phone interface via Bluetooth
8. Email display
9. Touchscreen interface
10. Thermal management
Conclusion
Ambitious as it may seem, I don't want to limit my imagination. Here are some pictures and videos of π-Bot in action.
My fascination with electronics began in 5th or 6th grade. As a child, I was captivated by robots and electronics. In the 90s, our home had few gadgets (CRT TV, tape recorder), but I was eager to explore their inner workings. With curiosity, I'd dismantle them, often ending up damaging them.
Fast-forward two decades, and my passion remains unchanged, despite the tech evolution (CRT to LCD, tape recorder to media center).
Introducing Raspberry Pi
This blog post showcases my latest hobby project, built around the Raspberry Pi (RPi), a $25 credit-card-sized computer. I believe RPi will revolutionize the computing world due to its affordability and open-source nature. Already, it's made its way into European and African schools.
Popular Distributions
1. Raspbian "wheezy" (Debian)
2. Soft-float Debian "wheezy" (Debian)
3. Arch Linux ARM
4. RISC OS
5. RASPBMC (Debian-based, XBMC-compatible)
Why Raspberry Pi?
Its accessibility, affordability, and ease of use make it ideal for various projects, from robotics to media centers. The only drawback is the lack of analog interfaces, which can be supplemented with microcontrollers.
My Project: π-Bot
I chose Java on Debian Wheezy for my project, thanks to my neighbor Sridhar's expertise.
π-Bot Features
Implemented:
1. Obstacle detection and distance estimation
2. Four-wheel drive with differential steering
3. Power via battery pack with self-charging
4. Universal IR remote control with voice operation
In development:
1. Acceleration, angular movement, ambient light, and temperature sensing
2. Speech recognition using Google API
3. Speech synthesis
4. Gesture and object recognition
5. Room mapping using Kinect and OpenCV
6. Entertainment system control and media streaming
7. Mobile phone interface via Bluetooth
8. Email display
9. Touchscreen interface
10. Thermal management
Conclusion
Ambitious as it may seem, I don't want to limit my imagination. Here are some pictures and videos of π-Bot in action.
Pic1-Full assembled π bot
Pic2- Motors and Cypress PSoC Microcontroller controlled my master RPi
Pic3-The RPi on the the Bot
Pic4-Obstacle distance measuring sensors
Pic4- RPi in close up
Pic5- Android App to control Pi-Bot (Early stages)
A short video of it in action-finding obstacles and navigating
I will present more details on implementation in next post.
