Picture of Webcam Controlled Mower Robot!
The standard push mower attaches to one end and is pushed and pulled around!
This project was developed from scratch. First the robot it's self was constructed to accepts wireless servo commands. Speed, direction etc... The second step was to create the control computer. The control computer and web cam is placed high above the area to be mowed. The control computer determines where the grass needs to be mowed and then commands the mower robot to mow the uncut grass. The control program draws the course and also plots out the actual position as it mows. I have never seen it deviate more than 20cm even at the back of the garden. Not bad!
I extract each image as a bit map from the web cam and then run image analyzing algorithms that I developed my self. Windowing, object finding etc... The program finds the red dome on top of the mower robot. There are no other red domes in my garden so the program has no trouble locating the robot, if there was though the program eliminates objects that don't follow commands.
The program calculates the course using vector mathematics.
The program sends the commands wireless using basic rs-232.
This project proved to be a good personal development project and it was also fun to see it work for the first time.
Picture from Webcam Controlled Mower Robot Program Tracking!
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