🚀 go-pugleaf

Each year, UC Davis has a "Micro Mouse" contest in which student teams
compete in a timed maze-run using small robots they have constructed.

A few of us are playing with design ideas, but would be pleased if we
could bounce ideas off of the membership of this newsgroup.  If this is
an inappropriate topic, or if there is a better discussion group for this,
please tell me.

Further, perhaps comp.robotics would appreciate the stimulation of such a
discussion.  To this end I am including a brief description of the contest
and some design considerations

The Problem:  
	The robot must maneuver through a large (8" corridor) wooden maze,
and in order to reach the point in the maze designated as the target, must be
prepared to cover the entire maze in the fastest possible time.

Some Design Considerations:  
	- Awareness of surroundings, memory of where it has been
	- Ability to maneuver quickly in at least 4 directions, or turn easily
	- Ability to correct itself if it gets into weird orientations
	- Well developed algorithm for mapping the maze

In particular our team is concerned with how we can make the mouse move in 4
directions without having to pause for turns.  We had thought of using 2 DC
motors (stepper motors won't be fast enough), to run two central wheels; this
would allow us to turn quickly, and could elminate back-ups since we could
switch direction.  Another idea is a large central track ball, which could
virtually eliminate turns.

Are we overlooking other superior ways in which we could accomplish 4-way
movement?

Thanks for your input,
	Devon Tuck
	tuck@iris.eecs.ucdavis.edu