Fun with Fireflies
Grass-roots artificial intelligence
The objective here is for different robots to seek each other out and to recognise their response. For the sensors we use an infrared transmitter and receiver. A ring of eight bi-colour LEDs functions as the visible 'memory' of our 'Firefly' and indicates in which direction it has recognised a counterpart. The Firefly looks around with the aid of the servo on which it sits. All this is driven by a simple-to-program microcontroller type ATmega88.
Materials
Gerber file
CAM/CAD data for the PCB referred to in this article is available as a Gerber file. Elektor GREEN and GOLD members can exclusively download these files for free as part of their membership. Gerber files allow a PCB to be produced on an appropriate device available locally, or through an online PCB manufacturing service.
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The use of our Gerber files is provided under a modified Creative Commons license. Creative Commons offers authors, scientists, educators and other creatives the freedom to handle their copyright in a more free way without losing their ownership.
Components
The BOM (Bill of Materials) is the technically exhaustive listing of parts and other hardware items used to produce the working and tested prototype of any Elektor Labs project. The BOM file contains deeper information than the Component List published for the same project in Elektor Magazine. If required the BOM gets updated directly by our lab engineers. As a reader, you can download the list here.
Want to learn more about our BOM list? Read the BOM list article for extra information.
Component list
Resistors
R1,R3,R5,R11 = 22kOhm
R2,R14,R15,R16,R17 = 4.7kOhm
R4 = LDR, e.g. type A9060, Conrad Electronics #. 145475
R6 = 47Ohm
R7,R8,R9,R10,R12 = 220Ohm
R13 = 470Ohm
Capacitors
C1,C6 = 10µF 16V radial
C2,C3 = 22pF
C4 = 4.7nF
C5,C7 = 100nF
Semiconductors
D1,D2,D3,D4,D5,D6,D7,D8 = bicolour LED, 5mm
D9 = IR LED, 5 mm
T1,T2,T3,T4 = BC547
IC1 = ATmega88, programmed
Miscellaneous
X1 = 12MHz quartz crystal
BZ1 = AC buzzer
S1 = SPNO pushbutton, Tyco Electronics type FSM4JH
S2 = SPDT miniature switch, C&K type ET01MD1CBE
K1 = 6-pin (2x3) pinheader
PCB, order # 100014-1
Servo motor
Ping-Pong ball
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