Maker Pro
Maker Pro

Calling All Accelerometer Gurus

D

DaveK

Jan 1, 1970
0
NEED HELP1

My ultimate goal is to have an accelerometer and a microprocessor work
in combination to accomplishing the following:

Hypothetically: Say I have a rubber ball that contained a two or
three axis accelerometer & microprocessor and allowed it to roll down
a slight incline. The incline is so shallow that it would only roll
approximately 5ft. before it came to a complete stop. The rolling
surface would be an asphalt pavement, like that of a street witch
would allow some deviation in one roll compared to the next. I would
then use the information from the accelerometer as the standard and
compare it to any number of rolls then after. Each roll would be under
the same conditions. Then set an adjustable tolerance of the
deviation from one roll to the next compared to the standard. An alarm
would go off if the roll was not within the allowable tolerance.

I have very limited experience in this field. I am familiar with basic
electronic circuits and components.

Say it was possible to place a LCD on the ball could it display the
following:

1. A plot in-which one roll vs. the other?
2. A plot in-which each roll against each multiple Plots such as g
force / time, speed / time, g force / distance, x / y axis?

Other Questions
1. Could I download the information to a lap top and plot it from
there?
2. Could I have multiple sounds or colored LEDs that would designate
in which part of the roll (distance) it went out of tolerance?

3. Is there a package out there for purchase that would comprise of an
accelerometer, microprocessor and standard code that records the
speed, distance, g. force, position ect. of an object in motion? This
would allow me to tweak the code.

4. If not what would be the closest electronic device that would do
something similar, besides the individual components that would need
to be assembled together by myself?

5. Are there people out there that would put this together for a fee.

Any information at all on this subject would greatly be appreciated.
I've been to most of the sites on the web and read as much as I could.

DaveK
 
B

BobG

Jan 1, 1970
0
Measurement Computing (and other companies... search for data
aquisition and analog inputs) has a wireless accelerometer you could
embed in a ball of some size or another and a graphing package to view
the data.
 
D

David L. Jones

Jan 1, 1970
0
NEED HELP1

My ultimate goal is to have an accelerometer and a microprocessor work
in combination to accomplishing the following:

Hypothetically: Say I have a rubber ball that contained a two or
three axis accelerometer & microprocessor and allowed it to roll down
a slight incline. The incline is so shallow that it would only roll
approximately 5ft. before it came to a complete stop. The rolling
surface would be an asphalt pavement, like that of a street witch
would allow some deviation in one roll compared to the next. I would
then use the information from the accelerometer as the standard and
compare it to any number of rolls then after. Each roll would be under
the same conditions. Then set an adjustable tolerance of the
deviation from one roll to the next compared to the standard. An alarm
would go off if the roll was not within the allowable tolerance.

I have very limited experience in this field. I am familiar with basic
electronic circuits and components.

Say it was possible to place a LCD on the ball could it display the
following:

1. A plot in-which one roll vs. the other?
2. A plot in-which each roll against each multiple Plots such as g
force / time, speed / time, g force / distance, x / y axis?

Other Questions
1. Could I download the information to a lap top and plot it from
there?
2. Could I have multiple sounds or colored LEDs that would designate
in which part of the roll (distance) it went out of tolerance?

3. Is there a package out there for purchase that would comprise of an
accelerometer, microprocessor and standard code that records the
speed, distance, g. force, position ect. of an object in motion? This
would allow me to tweak the code.

4. If not what would be the closest electronic device that would do
something similar, besides the individual components that would need
to be assembled together by myself?

5. Are there people out there that would put this together for a fee.

Any information at all on this subject would greatly be appreciated.
I've been to most of the sites on the web and read as much as I could.

DaveK

Try this wireless Bluetooth accelerometer:
http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=254

Dave.
 
S

Stanislaw Flatto

Jan 1, 1970
0
DaveK said:
NEED HELP1

My ultimate goal is to have an accelerometer and a microprocessor work
in combination to accomplishing the following:

Hypothetically: Say I have a rubber ball that contained a two or
three axis accelerometer & microprocessor and allowed it to roll down
a slight incline. The incline is so shallow that it would only roll
approximately 5ft. before it came to a complete stop. The rolling
surface would be an asphalt pavement, like that of a street witch
would allow some deviation in one roll compared to the next. I would
then use the information from the accelerometer as the standard and
compare it to any number of rolls then after. Each roll would be under
the same conditions. Then set an adjustable tolerance of the
deviation from one roll to the next compared to the standard. An alarm
would go off if the roll was not within the allowable tolerance.

I have very limited experience in this field. I am familiar with basic
electronic circuits and components.

Say it was possible to place a LCD on the ball could it display the
following:

1. A plot in-which one roll vs. the other?
2. A plot in-which each roll against each multiple Plots such as g
force / time, speed / time, g force / distance, x / y axis?

Other Questions
1. Could I download the information to a lap top and plot it from
there?
2. Could I have multiple sounds or colored LEDs that would designate
in which part of the roll (distance) it went out of tolerance?

3. Is there a package out there for purchase that would comprise of an
accelerometer, microprocessor and standard code that records the
speed, distance, g. force, position ect. of an object in motion? This
would allow me to tweak the code.

4. If not what would be the closest electronic device that would do
something similar, besides the individual components that would need
to be assembled together by myself?

5. Are there people out there that would put this together for a fee.

Any information at all on this subject would greatly be appreciated.
I've been to most of the sites on the web and read as much as I could.

DaveK
Re.3.
All those are integrals of acceleration against time. Any guided and
unguided rocket should have the relevant software included in its computer.
Try NASA or similar.

Good luck

Stanislaw.
 
B

Bob Masta

Jan 1, 1970
0
NEED HELP1

My ultimate goal is to have an accelerometer and a microprocessor work
in combination to accomplishing the following:

Hypothetically: Say I have a rubber ball that contained a two or
three axis accelerometer & microprocessor and allowed it to roll down
a slight incline. The incline is so shallow that it would only roll
approximately 5ft. before it came to a complete stop. The rolling
surface would be an asphalt pavement, like that of a street witch
would allow some deviation in one roll compared to the next. I would
then use the information from the accelerometer as the standard and
compare it to any number of rolls then after. Each roll would be under
the same conditions. Then set an adjustable tolerance of the
deviation from one roll to the next compared to the standard. An alarm
would go off if the roll was not within the allowable tolerance.

I have very limited experience in this field. I am familiar with basic
electronic circuits and components.

Say it was possible to place a LCD on the ball could it display the
following:

1. A plot in-which one roll vs. the other?
2. A plot in-which each roll against each multiple Plots such as g
force / time, speed / time, g force / distance, x / y axis?

Other Questions
1. Could I download the information to a lap top and plot it from
there?
2. Could I have multiple sounds or colored LEDs that would designate
in which part of the roll (distance) it went out of tolerance?

3. Is there a package out there for purchase that would comprise of an
accelerometer, microprocessor and standard code that records the
speed, distance, g. force, position ect. of an object in motion? This
would allow me to tweak the code.

4. If not what would be the closest electronic device that would do
something similar, besides the individual components that would need
to be assembled together by myself?

5. Are there people out there that would put this together for a fee.

Any information at all on this subject would greatly be appreciated.
I've been to most of the sites on the web and read as much as I could.

DaveK

Putting accelerometers in a rolling ball is
going to make for a really messy computation,
what with all the axes rolling in arbitrary
directions. Is this really needed?

You seem to have decided upon a solution
and are asking for help in implementing it.
Instead, perhaps if you defined the actual
problem you want to solve, we could propose
better approaches.

Best regards,


Bob Masta

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com
Scope, Spectrum, Spectrogram, Signal Generator
Science with your sound card!
 
T

Tim Wescott

Jan 1, 1970
0
DaveK said:
NEED HELP1

My ultimate goal is to have an accelerometer and a microprocessor work
in combination to accomplishing the following:

Hypothetically: Say I have a rubber ball that contained a two or
three axis accelerometer & microprocessor and allowed it to roll down
a slight incline. The incline is so shallow that it would only roll
approximately 5ft. before it came to a complete stop. The rolling
surface would be an asphalt pavement, like that of a street witch
would allow some deviation in one roll compared to the next. I would
then use the information from the accelerometer as the standard and
compare it to any number of rolls then after. Each roll would be under
the same conditions. Then set an adjustable tolerance of the
deviation from one roll to the next compared to the standard. An alarm
would go off if the roll was not within the allowable tolerance.

I have very limited experience in this field. I am familiar with basic
electronic circuits and components.

Say it was possible to place a LCD on the ball could it display the
following:

1. A plot in-which one roll vs. the other?
2. A plot in-which each roll against each multiple Plots such as g
force / time, speed / time, g force / distance, x / y axis?

Yes, but it would have to be a large ball.
Other Questions
1. Could I download the information to a lap top and plot it from
there?

Yes. This would allow you to dispense with the LCD, and make the ball
smaller. With a bit more development time you could make an inductive
coupler that would talk to the PC wirelessly and charge the sensor
board's batteries. With luck, this would let you seal the ball.
2. Could I have multiple sounds or colored LEDs that would designate
in which part of the roll (distance) it went out of tolerance?

Yes, although getting sounds out of the ball without weakening it may be
a challenge.
3. Is there a package out there for purchase that would comprise of an
accelerometer, microprocessor and standard code that records the
speed, distance, g. force, position ect. of an object in motion? This
would allow me to tweak the code.

Not for what you want, I think. Check Spark Fun for the bits, though.
4. If not what would be the closest electronic device that would do
something similar, besides the individual components that would need
to be assembled together by myself?

An IMU would do the measurements, although I think that for what you
need an 'ordinary' IMU is 100 to 1000 times more expensive than could be
achieved by building something up from components.

The 'easy' algorithms to allow you to record distance & speed require
that you supply three axes worth of rotational information, and gyros
are more expensive than accelerometers. I think that if you can trust
the ball to grip the surface you could use just accelerometer input --
you'd have to do some analysis to verify that theory, though.
5. Are there people out there that would put this together for a fee.

I certainly could, and have fun doing it, too. Contact me via email
(tim at wescottdesign dot com).
Any information at all on this subject would greatly be appreciated.
I've been to most of the sites on the web and read as much as I could.

DaveK


--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Do you need to implement control loops in software?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" gives you just what it says.
See details at http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html
 
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