My K9 Robot's Overall System Architecture

Nothing is set in stone yet but I have been thinking about this for a while and decided to map out what peripherals I will be including in this project. I have spent a lot of time building the shell but I am just starting to build the electronics that will integrate my Raspberry PI into it. Below is an overall map of the systems that will be connected to the PI.

Where possible, I try to include what resources they will use in terms of ports or pins and nothing is connected directly to the PI's GPIO as of yet. This may become necessary if USB access for sensor data is too slow.

So where on the actual shell will these systems be located? Here are some callouts that will give you a general idea.

LEFT SIDE

RIGHT SIDE

FRONT/REAR

These diagrams come from the original BBC plans with my callouts added to show equipment location. I will attempt prevent these real life peripherals from altering the normal appearance of the original prop.

I have already constructed some of these peripherals including the dorsal control panel and LCD display which will need to have a post all its own when it is completed. Here is a short video showing it performing one of its first self tests.

Keep in mind that the surface of this piece has only been primed and will not show the rough line marks that a visible now when it is completed. Here you can see the display light individual lights by generating powers of 2^n as integers. It is capable of lighting any combination of the twenty four lights simultaneously. Once the switches are wired into the Arduino, I will be able to use them to interact with menus displayed on the LCD screen.

There is already as small body of Arduino sketch and python code which controls this control panel and I have been thinking about putting this on GitHub in the near future. I will also start including parts lists and diagrams which are probably to detailed to post in my blog in case anyone gets the idea to try this project themselves in the future.