Weight Management

[rowandurnbaugh]

Hello,

I am working on a LabVIEW program using LEGO MINDSTORMS robotics. The goal is to create a code that, when a bin is picked up using a medium motor, can determine how heavy the bin is and estimate the weight of its contents. Based on the detected weight, the robot should determine and move the bin to an appropriate drop-off location base doff how heavy the bin and its contents are.

[Bob_Schor]

Very nice.  What have you tried (besides asking us to do your work for you)?  Speaking for myself, I not familiar with LEGO Mindstorms and don't know what it has to do with LabVIEW.

Do you have LabVIEW code?  Have you tried it?  Does it work?  If you don't want to learn to do it yourself, are there friends or colleagues of yours "from whom you can copy" or who will do it for you?

Bob Schor

[altenbach]

It seems you already have a robot that can move, knows how to recognize an object to be picked up, pick it up and drop it later after a suitable move. Is this assumption correct?

Can we assume that the only thing left is how to measure the weight? I am not aware of an NXT or EV3 sensor for weight.

[Henrik_Volkers]

If you can measure the motor current, it would be a measure of the applied torque...

In adition with the involved mechanics, that could be a measure of the the applied force or weight...  however a maybe involved gearbox can have a 'funny' influence ...  , so a better, direct weight measurement using a weight cell (incl. Amplifier)  would be a way.

Or a spring using hooks law ...with analog photocell construction or potentiometer or ...