Timmer's Robot Projects

RetBot

During my super senior year I worked as an undergraduate staff member in Christof Koch's lab here at Caltech to build a mobile platform to demonstrate the use of the various analog VLSI vision chips being constructed both in Klab and those from Carverland. In particular this project focused on the use of Misha Mahowald and Prof. Carver Mead's Silicon Retina. This project utilized a 6800 microprocessor (8-bit, 1.2MHz) and used the retina chip to drive along lines taped to the floor as well as to pursue small objects such as cockroaches. The vehicle is approximately 12 inches long and has been retired to the Klab Robot Museum. This robot achieved limited fame by appearing "curious" on the cover of Caltech's Engineering and Science Magazine in the summer of 1990.

RetBot Jr.

Here's a picture of my advisor Christof Koch holding one of my robots for a photo in a spread in the Los Angeles Times Magazine. This robot has a silicon retina mounted on a rotatable head which is in turn mounted on a toy tank model. This robot uses the retina to track edges while the head turns to maintain tracking. The body, in turn, tries to keep the head centered while moving toward the edge. This vehicle is only 8 inches long.

ASTRO

In the summer of '91 and part of '92, I worked on a project at the Hughes Aircraft Malibu Research Labs to build a small mobile robot (named ASTRO) which integrates many different sensors to do a surveillance task. The system consisted of independent sensory and motor modules (each with their own microcontroller) which competed for control of which behavior was active on the robot. There existed a hierarchy of reflexive behaviors which served to prevent the robot from colliding with objects as well as objects from colliding with the robot. The final system system constructed from off-the-shelf parts consisted of a one-dimensional visual edge tracker, a pyroelectric motion detection ring, an auditory localization system, and proximity sensors.

In the badly dithered photo of ASTRO above, the vehicle is seen with only the lowest (motor) board attached. The vehicle is approximately 14 inches long and was constructed from a Tyco radio-controlled vehicle. Oh, yeah, ASTRO stands for the Autonomous Surveillance and Tracking Robot.

Humbug

Currently I am developing a second generation robotic vehicle which will feature many of the same sensors found on ASTRO and more. Like ASTRO, Humbug will embody the philosophy of distributed, asynchronous processing, but will include several analog VLSI sensors and focus on behavior selection. Currently Humbug has flinch reflexes to avoid contact with objects and has an escape response like a cockroach.

In 1993 Mrs. Hall's 2nd grade class from an elementary school in Pasadena came to visit the robot lab and we played with some of the robots. A boy named Sergio drew a great picture of me scaring Humbug with my feet.