Topic: Pleo Self-Dock Ideas! (Read 3792 times)

PleoAibo29 · « **on:** March 05, 2013, 08:10:44 PM »

Hello everyone of earth! Here on the enterprise, were overun by tribbles, (If you dont know what im talking about then I DEMAND you watch Star Trek origional season 2 trouble with tribbles.) So I decided to take my mind off it. I wanted to hear your ideas and opinion about a Pleo self dock! Pleo has short and stubby legs, so he would probably have to sit down to charge. Scetch coming soon! I thought this would be a great way to show the power of technology!
Honk!
PleoAibo29

zetathix · « **Reply #1 on:** March 05, 2013, 10:38:03 PM »

Hello! I'm interest to talk about this!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtwSQ_vQhKk" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtwSQ_vQhKk</a>

This is my really basic idea that using color-mapping and tracking. But Pleo's weak at this, need to find another ways more.

nicholasljy123 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 06, 2013, 04:07:27 AM »

omg cool but make the video longer. its too fast

Crewella · « **Reply #3 on:** March 06, 2013, 04:22:52 AM »

It would be so much easier if the Pleo could just walk onto a charging mat, but hard to do.

PleoAibo29 · « **Reply #4 on:** March 06, 2013, 05:12:52 AM »

Yes, at first i thought it would be like the ERS7 dock
But parhaps there could be a diferent way.

zetathix · « **Reply #5 on:** March 06, 2013, 11:16:48 AM »

IMHO the dock itself must help Pleo to mouth, not to hope on Pleo too much that they will stand on exactly point.

Some other idea need a lot more complication to mouth Pleo. I think something like a cone fence which Pleo walk in and it will softly make them on the right track.

I will fix the idea that charger arm need to place under Pleo, curious that it maybe simpler that it will come from aside. As Pleo will stand at the right place where the fence lead them.

PleoAibo29 · « **Reply #6 on:** March 06, 2013, 02:51:02 PM »

I had the same idea!

Great minds think alike i guess.

Talon · « **Reply #7 on:** March 07, 2013, 09:32:07 AM »

I'm curious about this, too although I don't have any real suggestions. I had this really complecated idea for a docking cave a few years ago but there's no way that could happen. If anyone is curious about my idea just find that old thread about dream pleo features. My question is where would be the best spot to mount the contacts in pleo so that it could dock successfully?
Talon

Crewella · « **Reply #8 on:** March 07, 2013, 10:04:16 AM »

The i-Cybies developed self docking as well, to a stand-up charger. Might be worth looking at?

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #9 on:** March 07, 2013, 01:33:49 PM »

Can I just point out that the I cybies with their somewhat more flexible joints still take a good fifteen minutes of nit picking before they are aligned right to dock. I just don't think Pleo could ever do it. They can't move well enough and I'm not even sure we have access to the necessary functions.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see it happen, but I just don't think Pleo could ever align themselves good enough for it to work.

Kami · « **Reply #10 on:** March 07, 2013, 09:20:23 PM »

I think it would be possible, but to have it work consistently you'd need a fairly large contact area for charging to make up for only having coarse-grained control over Pleo's movements. You could guide the Pleo into the right position by letting it shuffle into a channel as zetathix suggested, but Pleo has a soft body, especially around its feet, and there'd be some variation in the angles it could get itself into.

It's a project I'd love to try when I can afford to buy the necessary parts, but I'd be happy just to have a Pleo that can toddle over to its charging dock when it realises it needs it and call for a human to plug it in.

nicholasljy123 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 07, 2013, 10:04:08 PM »

pleo turns by shuffling. it is rather unlikely that it could align itself. its joints cannot move outward only back and forth

zetathix · « **Reply #12 on:** March 07, 2013, 10:43:11 PM »

Ah, Friction problem... I will try to find a Pledge today too. I just stupidly applied Scratchie with a powder...

I think if we attached with a little roller or ball-bearing panel to help them slip to the position, I mean for the side panel as I don't want to have any base plate. Twisting the back a little could help with adjustment but nothing can rely to.

PleoAibo29 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 08, 2013, 05:03:52 AM »

That could work... what if when pleo was by the charger the charger played a tone? This could help pleo find the charger.

zetathix · « **Reply #14 on:** March 08, 2013, 11:40:18 AM »

I forgot my Pledge today.

Great idea about tone, maybe like some curcuit of simple car bumper's alarm. and add a little blue or some color LED to it for tracking, as it could solve a light situation.

Hmmm... if just they can walk to the charger and beg for me to charge. May I forward to talk about a battery that have a port to allow us to charge when the battery still in Pleo's body?

I'm just not sure that could it possibly charge while Pleo's on or need to turn them off first...

(Sorry I'm thirsty...)

Talon · « **Reply #15 on:** March 08, 2013, 01:50:28 PM »

Tones just would not work. Pleo is always in constant motion and the motor noise would get in the way. *Scratches head* Unless of course the dock immeted some sort of infrared signature that would command the pleo to be still or something when it passed near it and then played the tone? *Shrugs* I don't know. It still seems so... unlikely. Good idea though. All this brainstorming is fun especially when we have so many people with so many ideas.
What if we emploied both the mat and the soft cone-fense idea? Okay here's what I'm imagining. I still can't account for the pleo's approaching the dock and proper alignment but here's my idea. Have enough fensing at eather end so that it measures the length of the pleo's body so it won't bumble off and turn the wrong way. Then give the mat a slightly inclined edge at either end so that the pleo would sort of shuffle up on and off of it. He wouldnt even need to turn or anything he could just keep going forward. As far as contact points go or how to establish a connection, I have no idea. Through the feet maybe? I'm sure someone has already thought of that and I've just missed it. Lol!
Talon

PleoAibo29 · « **Reply #16 on:** March 08, 2013, 03:16:54 PM »

Just a crazy idea, what if a future version of pleo would charge through its chin? It could lay its chin down on a charger or something...

zetathix · « **Reply #17 on:** March 09, 2013, 12:06:30 AM »

I think a crazy idea that someday Innvo will give us a technology that wireless charge by wear the collar for Pleo to chain them to some little pole, I mean this is charger which shape like that.

But for now, I think this idea may need contact points to close with the battery. More it far, more work to do.

But on their feet is a good idea, but maybe need more precise Pleo. One day maybe come that Pleo can exactly align themselve to the charger like Nao.

I think we need all of Pleo's sense. Cam must tracking, Check direction roughly with audio, and keep using IR/RF to find the distance and other. Maybe a custom tag of RFID may do the trick, who know... $:-\$

Keep the idea's flow.

PleoAibo29 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 10, 2013, 06:59:44 PM »

Hmm... I will combine our ideas so far and make a sketch. Im doing this on my Kindle so it won't be to great.

More details...

nicholasljy123 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 11, 2013, 07:53:51 AM »

My idea is to place a docking point under pleo's neck. Small enough.to be concealed and big enough to charge through. like a modern phone charger and cradle if you get what I mean...

Bob the Pleo Forums

Author Topic: Pleo Self-Dock Ideas! (Read 3792 times)