Status Report 1/1/01
Created 01/01/01

What is Working
I didn't have a robot when I started working on this website, so much of my early writing was speculative and "blue sky" at best.  I thought everything I wanted to do was possible, but I didn't know for sure.  I've spent the last several months testing and experimenting and I'm happy to report that I've pretty much proved that it all can be done.  Now I just need to do it, and get it all working together.   Here's a short list of what I've definitely got "working":

• Cybert can navigate from any room in the house to any other room in the house (same floor, of course).

• Cybert can navigate to his charger from any room in the house.  Once he finds the charger he can dock with it and recharge automatically.

• Cybert can detect objects that are in front of him.  (The IR beam is very narrow so only items in the middle of his "view" can be detected.)

• My VB program can "reset" the communications port when my PC loses contact with the robot.  (Our house is electronically "noisy" and modern serial ports tend to lockup after awhile.  Manually clicking on the "reset" button on the CyeServ window usually restores the connection -- so I hope this will work!)

• Cybert can "say"anything using sophisticated text-to-speech.  The quality of the voice is quite good!

• My VB program can create textfiles of the latest weather, news headlines, stock prices from our portfolio, jokes, incoming e-mail, and more.  Cybert can then read these text files out loud.

• My program can change the volume, tempo, and pitch of Cybert's voice to correspond with his "mood".  Every statement the robot makes is automatically indexed by the mood variable.  The "Speak(statement)" routine will even pick randomly if multiple comments are available.

• Cybert can measure and record light and sound readings.

• Using the light meter and the IR sensor, Cybert can detect if objects are moving nearby.  (Probably indicating a human or pet.)  In other words, I have a virtual "motion detector".

Map-N-Zap Communications Problem Solved!
The Map-N-Zap software that comes with every Cye robot not only provides powerful navigation capabilities, it lets users create custom "scripts" (called ZAP files) that tell Cye to perform a variety of tasks.  For example: the "home.zap" script tells Cye to navigate from his current location to his home base. 

I had originally planned to have my VB program "shell" to these ZAP scripts when I needed the robot to go somewhere, thus it wouldn't be necessary for me to figure out the complicated job of navigation.  Unfortunately, Map-N-Zap couldn't recognize that my program had already established a connection to the robot, so it wouldn't run.  I finally came up with a workaround for this problem: before I shell to the ZAP script I turn off VB communications with the robot (by setting Cye.RobotAddress to "0").  After a short delay I re-establish the link.  This works great!  (Probotics is apparently planning to release a new version of the .OCX that will provide better integration with Map-N-Zap.  This should allow me to navigate and perform other tasks without having to bring up the MZ software.)

The only real problem with my current approach is that my program has to load MZ every time I want the robot to go anywhere.  It takes four or five seconds before Cybert starts moving once he has decided to go somewhere.  (MZ has to load, establish a link to the robot, call up the ZAP script, execute the script, etc.)

Object Detection Problem Solved!
Using MZ for navigation has greatly simplified my code.  Unfortunately, since Cye robots don't have range-finding sensors, MZ doesn't "look for obstacles".   However, since VB and MZ can run simultaneously I've written code that makes my VB program monitor the IR sensor for nearby objects while MZ is navigating.  If something is detected, I can tell Cybert to "stop" and this interrupts whatever ZAP script is running.  The next step is for me to write a VB routine that does the following:

Scan left and right, looking for obstacles.  Plan and execute a short route around the obstacle based on the scans, then re-run the previous ZAP script.  (MZ will plan a new course based on Cybert's updated position.)

If Cybert can't find a way around the obstacle, I could use his x and y coordinates to look for the nearest checkpoint (if it's on the same side of the obstacle he is) and call a ZAP script to make the robot navigate back to this checkpoint and recalibrate his position.

One small problem was introduced with all of this: when navigating from point A to point B, MZ automatically "checkpoints" along the way.  (This consists of bumping a wall or corner at a pre-determined position so the robot can compare where he thinks he is, versus where he actually is.)  But guess what happens... as soon as Cybert gets close to the wall to check in, the IR sensor detects an object and shuts down the ZAP script!  The current version of the .OCX doesn't allow my VB program to monitor whether the robot is checkpointing or not, but I can monitor the robot's x position, y position, and heading.  It should be fairly easy to ignore the IR readings when the robot is facing, and within X inches, of a checkpoint. 

Alternately, I could create different .MAP files that don't include some or all of the checkpoints.  (So Cybert wouldn't be able to checkpoint at all.)  But this wouldn't be desirable as the robot would get lost more easily.

To-Do List
Here's a partial list of the things that I still need to implement:

• The back of Cybert's head is still missing, exposing wires that I'm afraid our puppies might decide to chew on one of these days.  I haven't decided the best way to fix this problem, but I've thought about cutting a hamster ball in half and gluing the "hatch" side to the back of the robot.  (Then I could just open the door when I need access to the radio or other head internals.)

• The light sensor needs to be mounted.  It was originally behind one of the "eyes" but this didn't work well.  I may drill a hole in the forehead and glue the sensor there.  (It needs to be out of the head and facing forward.)

• The head needs to be mounted to the body.  I'm currently using tacky glue to hold it on... I obviously need something better.  I've thought about gluing a plastic or wood base to the bottom of the head, and then attaching a PVC pipe to it.  That way I could just slide the pipe into the hole on the top of the robot (where Probotics attaches the wagon).  I don't want a permanent attachment, so I can't use glue or screws.  If the pipe idea works it will literally take 10 seconds to convert Cybert from a robot pet to Cye, the vacuum cleaner! 

• Create .ZAP scripts for all the MZ hotspots I've created.  (And to anywhere else I might want Cybert to navigate.)

• Write code to make Cybert look for obstacles when he's navigating.  It will need to "ignore" checkpointing by comparing the robot's x and y coordinates with a table of checkpoint x and y coordinates.  (I might have to use "heading", as well.)

• Write code to make the robot find his way around detected objects.  (And stay away from the stairs!!!)

• Write and implement mood-based comments so Cybert can talk about what he's doing and react to his environment.  (When he bumps something, for example, he should randomly make a comment.)

• Write behavior code to make Cybert: wake us up at a pre-determined time, tell us the news, weather, and stock reports, play games, explore, look for people, sing songs, alert us when we have new e-mail, and more.

• Create a behavior control program that integrates sensor data, Cybert's mood, and other variables with his various behaviors.  The program should make it easy to "drop in" new comments and behaviors.  (And I hope to be able to "drop in" the new .OCX when Probotics releases it.)

• Get Cybert set up to work downstairs.  I could create a separate map for that area and my VB program could select it via a checkbox, or perhaps even automatically based on the time of day.  (After 9:00am and before 7:00pm he assumes he is downstairs.)  We have a lot of hardwood floors downstairs so I may have to put down some floor mats and "runners".  My wife has already agreed to this!!!