Radius

Changed the Radius values and the robot responds accordingly.
32768 = 2^(16-1).
16 is the number of the bits.so higher is the radius the path is straight.
// Drive radius special cases
#define RadStraight     32768// radius of the path the robot starts to move. 32768 is 2 ^15 = 2^(16-1). 16 because it can work on 16 bits

#define RadCCW          4 // Counter clockwise radius
#define RadCW           -1 // Clockwise radius
The robot moves CCW when hit on the left side and CW on the right side of the bumper. Behaviour shud be observed later on hitting at the center.

Hands on

The first hand on the create. This create package comes with the Create robot, a Remote control, 2 Virtual walls,a Command Module and a software disk. It also comes with a USB connector and a serial cable. Manuals are provided in the disk and I am including the most required steps for getting started.

• Setup the create by installing the battery component and charge it completely before use. Once the robot is charged, it is ready to play and this robot comes with  inbuilt behaviors that run on hitting play button.There are 11 different behaviors that the robot comes with. To stop and particular behavior and to move on to the next, hit fwd button and play button respectively.The robot returns to the first behavior after the 11th one and the cycle continues. ( Basically it is written in an infinite loop). 
• To get started on the programming, the command module must be installed and WinAVR must be installed on the pc you are going to work with. The manual provides everything and the examples give a really good start in programming them. 
• It is very important to note that the program you downloaded onto the robot works on initiating the command module. So either hit soft button or the reset button ( depends on your program) to get started on the execution of the program you just downloaded. 
• The robot has a 8 bit ATMega168 MicroController ( Command module's brain). So the maximum integer when using a 8 bit operation (unsigned) is 999. { 8 bits = 2^n-1; n = 3, the max integer value with 3 digits is 999}

Introduction

Hi,

This blog is about my research that I am currently working towards my Master's thesis. My work is currently based on the research robot from iRobot by name Create. My advisor is Dr.Seddik M Djouadi from EECS department from Univeristy of Tennesse, Knoxville.