Links

arrowSmall Official Site of the Robotic Football League
Here you can register your bot! Join a team! Start a new league in your community!

RFL Bowl Highlights on youTube
See ESPN style highlights of the first RFL Bowl. Great place to see the robots in action.

Robot Tag Video!
Between games, players engage in some good old fashioned demolition derby like games of robot tag.

Hacks and Modifications for the AI-01

Upgrade to hi speed motors Add LEDs Customize your wheels Reprogram the robot

Hacker's Dream: The AI-01 robot and remote were designed to be "hackable" out of the box. If you like to take apart toys and modify them or recreate them for your own purposes, the AI-01 is for you. We are proud to produce a robot for amusement but also designed to be modified by users that desire this.

NEW: Source code for the robot and remote now available. See advanced hacker section below.

Some AI-01 features of interest to the "hacking user":

• 2 powerful differential drive system motors (wheel locomotion)
• 1 hi torque motor actuator (drives the non throwing arm of football robot)
• 1 hi speed motor actuator (drives the throwing arm for passing)
• Video game style remote control
• Bi-directional 2.4 GHz radio link between remote control and robot, 100’ range. The two way link works ROBOT to REMOTE, ROBOT to ROBOT, or REMOTE to REMOTE. Built in error correction and auto acknowledgment make communication a breeze.
• Robot and/or remote have serial port for easy connection to computer
• Robot has 20 second capacity voice playback chip
• Back panel interface has 8 LEDs, 1 potentiometer, 3-position switch, 2 tact switches
• AUX port on robot’s back gives access to battery power (9.6V and ground) and 2 digital I/O pins
• Serial port on both robot and remote for communication
• Programming and debug port on both robot and remote for users that want to use the Microchip debug interface with an ICD2 or equivalent. Port is identical on robot and remote.
• Runs on 9.6V rechargeable flat pack battery (included, comes with trickle charger)
• Motors are accessible by users, can be upgraded or replaced without exposing electronics.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY MODIFICATION VOIDS THE WARRANTY of the robot and remote.

Having said that, information is broken into categories for 3 levels of users:

Basic: Users with little or no electronics or software experience. Simple projects like adding LEDs, mechanical changes, etc.
Intermediate: Users with some electronic or software experience. Using the serial bootloader to reprogram the remote is a typical project at this level.
Advanced: Users that are well versed in electronics and software. Source code and the hacker's manual (schematics, etc)resides here.