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                                                          Bots /The Ultimate Palm Robot/ Mukhar & Johnson / 222880-6 / Chapter 2






                                                                        Chapter 2  Getting the Parts  39



                                    washers, and nylon spacers to assemble the PPRK. Not surprisingly, the best
                                    place to get the frame and the hardware is Acroname. The Acroname frame
                                    comes in three pieces and is already cut and drilled to the correct size; the
                                    hardware is already selected to fit the holes drilled into the frame.


                                    Miscellaneous Parts
                                    This stuff is available at any hardware store:

                                        ❏ Double stick foam tape   This is for attaching the battery holder
                                           to the acrylic disk.

                                        ❏ 24 AWG wire     You’ll use this stuff for connecting various
                                           components. We recommend getting at least three different colors
                                           for identification purposes.


                         Carry On
                                    At some point, you will want to go beyond the servos and IR rangers that
                                    come with the basic PPRK. Later in this book, in fact, we will do just that. You
                                    can find a number of other sensors, including a flame detector, a compass, and
                                    a line detector, all of which you can integrate into your Palm Robot.

                                      A great web site for learning how to interface your PPRK to other sensors
                                    and devices is Robert’s Gadgets and Gizmos: www.bpesolutions.com/gad-
                                    gets.ws/gproject4.html.

                                      A few of the alternate sensors mentioned at Robert’s Gadgets and Gizmos
                                    include a light sensor, a temperature sensor, and a touch sensor. Both Robert’s
                                    and the Acroname web sites also include information on how to interface
                                    your robot with other output devices (as in Figure 2-9). In addition to operat-
                                    ing the servos, for instance, the controller board from Acroname can be fitted
                                    with a voice module. Robert’s Gadgets and Gizmos shows you how to use
                                    the controller to turn light emitting diodes (LEDs) on and off. This barely
                                    scratches the surface, of course, of what you can find at Robert’s Gadgets and
                                    Gizmos, so be sure to spend some time exploring that site (see Figure 2-10).

















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