DB1 Robot Project
 
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(@dronebot-workshop)
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The DB1 is a real robot that I am building and documenting with videos and articles.  You can follow along and build the same robot, or just use the design ideas for your own robotic creation.

You can follow the series about building the DB1 robot on the DroneBot Workshop Website.

If you have questions, suggestions or comments about DB1 please start a topic in this forum.

 

Bill

"Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window." — Steve Wozniak


   
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Duce robot
(@duce-robot)
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Have you thought about putting a sound system on db1 a cool lighted Bluetooth speaker would be awesome! 


   
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(@starnovice)
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@duce-robot

Maybe not that exactly but a cargo area where you could place you speakers when you have a garden party and the robot wanders around.  Then afterwards you can use it to help you clean up the debris

Pat Wicker (Portland, OR, USA)


   
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Duce robot
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I was just going to make my robot remote control but seeing the db1 project it completely took it in another direction now I see why there are not as many real robots in homes everywhere its because this stuff isn't that easy its hard to build one of these things and make it work right I can't wait to see how everything starts to come together  Im still wrestling with the pi 4  I didn't realize you can't flash with balena  well such is life .maybe I can get it going before the next video I hope before bill makes another video and leaves me in the dust again ? I'm still trying to catch up.???


   
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codecage
(@codecage)
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@duce-robot

I was able to use balenaEtcher with my two RasPi 4s!

SteveG


   
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Robo Pi
(@robo-pi)
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Posted by: @duce-robot

I can't wait to see how everything starts to come together 

Me too.  The DB1 project seems to have taken a summer sabbatical.  Hopefully this winter it will return with weekly updates.

DroneBot Workshop Robotics Engineer
James


   
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(@starnovice)
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@robo-pi

Gives us a chance to investigate things like ROS and review videos on some of the electronic components.

Pat Wicker (Portland, OR, USA)


   
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Duce robot
(@duce-robot)
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@codecage

I thought I could but it just dragged the files on to the SD but it wouldn't boot pi turns on green light and all but no signal green light just flashes looked it up says balena won't flash for pi four wonder why? As you can imagine its very confounding especially for people like me who are new to the SBC game .


   
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codecage
(@codecage)
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@duce-robot

Interesting!  I had a similar experience with never getting anything on the screen I was using but had the green LED on the Pi.  I was using a Visio LED TV that a RasPi 3 was working fine on, but the RasPi 4 for would never display anything on the screen.  I even had a second RasPi 4 sent to me by CanaKit and had the same experience even with the CanaKit supplied microSD card.

I then tried connecting to my big Sony screen in my living room and the RasPi 4 came up just fine, using both the CanaKit supplied microSD and the ones I made with Etcher.  I then started looking into video issues associated with the RasPi 4 and discovered there was a file that gets created on its first boot that handles video settings.  Sort of like Microsoft INI files.  After playing around with that for hours on end I got some settings configured that allowed a picture on the screen of my Visio screen.

Any chance that could be your issue?

Do you have a different brand screen with a HDMI port?  It is interesting that you found something that says there is an issue with Etcher and yet that's all I ever use and in my case anyway it turned out to be just a settings file that had to have video settings changed.

If you can, take a look at that to see if you can make some progress.

SteveG


   
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Duce robot
(@duce-robot)
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@codecage

I have the 7 in touch screen for raspberry pi 4 but as you said it won't show up and I think it said balena won't flash noobs3.2.0 to pi 4 which is what I have  etcher balena  seems to be different from the first version I had pre loaded card is coming tomorrow from love i think that is the company


   
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Spyder
(@spyder)
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@duce-robot

I put the 7 inch touch screen for Pi in the laptop I built in the Simple Project thread. The only OS I tried on it was Raspbian, but it booted up first time no problem

I used Win32DiskImager instead of etcher.

I don't think etcher likes me, and I only use noobs occasionally cuz I like collecting images , but I've never had a problem with it


   
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Robo Pi
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Posted by: @starnovice

@robo-pi

Gives us a chance to investigate things like ROS and review videos on some of the electronic components.

Agreed.  I don't have time to work on robots during the summer anyway.  So I'm actually glad Bill's not making videos right now.   Otherwise I'd be falling far behind.   But come winter it would be nice to see weekly updates on the DB1 project.

DroneBot Workshop Robotics Engineer
James


   
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Duce robot
(@duce-robot)
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@spyder

That's why it worked different flasher balena won't flash noobs to pi 4 it just puts the files on it but it won't boot for pi 4 with noobs 3.2.0 at least that is what I read and it seems to be accurate but I can't be for sure maybe both pi 4 I have are defective the pi three was perfect no problem mates but pi 4s are another thing turn on green light comes on just flashes doesn't boot with any monitor touch screen or otherwise they get one more chance tomorrow getting pre loaded SD specifically for pi 4  if not pi 3 b+  and another panda for the other touch screen the pi and the panda parts interchange well too bad the quality doesn't .


   
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Spyder
(@spyder)
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@duce-robot

You don't flash noobs. All you do with noobs is just copy the files onto the card. 

noobs isn't an image.

It's just the minimum amount of files required to boot the pi, then it takes you online to pick whatever OS you actually want

As to the pi 4 specifically, I can tell you that I DID have issues with the thing while testing various power options ! 

It's VERY picky when it comes to its power requirements ! So picky that I worked for HOURS trying to figure out what I'd done wrong when I'd really done nothing wrong except for not feeding it enough power (amperage, not voltage)

As a test, why don't you try flashing Raspbian Buster onto an SD card with Win32DiskImager (cuz I know that specific combination of things works)


   
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Duce robot
(@duce-robot)
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@spyder

I have that card with buster on it coming tomorrow but I'm going to  to get win32discimager and flash buster to the other 2_cards I have if it works I have a 2nd raspberry pi I can use it in I hope this works  I need to get these computers back in yes back in I was to confident and space in that thing is at a premium as in there isn't any well I hope this attempt works thanks!??? I'm going to try to get buster now which means I have to hook my arduino computer up to wi fi which I hate doing but here goes . I have to charge up duce'ees broadband its going to take a minute. I'll keep a play by play going if I can in case I mess up


   
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