Exhibit: Programmable and Free Roaming Robots
Venue: Ontario Science Centre
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date: Summer, 2006
Client: Ontario Science Centre
Contributors: Mystus (design, electronics, microprocessor control)

Visitor Experience: By exchanging keyed wooded pucks the visitor could alter the command set for the robots. On pressing start the robot would execute the command set and the visitor would see the physical outcome of their program sequence. The effect is quite humourous and engaging while educational.

Client Requirements: Our client needed a robot that the visitor could easily program. They also needed a similar robot that could roam the halls averting people and obstacles. The robots needed to work well on an uneven floor and they needed to look like something someone might build in their basement. Some programming assistance was applied to two Flash based interactives in the same exhibition.

Mystus Expertise: While looking like something you could make in your basement, the robot internals were actually quite sophisticated. Using a Z8 based microcontroller we effected the programming to read the bump sensors, read the hall effect programming card sensors and drive the wheels.

Unique Features: The robots could run all day on their battery pack.