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From: div3@quads.uchicago.edu (Dwight Divine IV)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Parts for Bots
Message-ID: <1991Apr18.220218.2708@midway.uchicago.edu>
Date: 18 Apr 91 22:02:18 GMT
Sender: news@midway.uchicago.edu (NewsMistress)
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Chicago
Lines: 38

Hello,

The AI department at the University is in the process of building a robot,
and I am looking for an inexpensive Chicago area source for the following
items:

	o Two rigid loops of metal 14" inner diameter to use as the base
	  for a rigid bumper.  The bumper must be rigid (or at least nearly
	  non-compressable) because we plan to mount some pressure sensors
	  on the inside (so that the robot can tell when its hit something
	  and how much pressure its exerting on it -- the latter presumably
	  for purposes of trying to push stuff).  I tried looking around at
	  bike parts, but it seems that bike wheels come in two sizes, which
	  fall very nices just outside our tolerance (which is 14-15" inches)
	  on either side [naturally :)].

	o An electronic carpenter's level (I heard about these a while ago and
	  could swear I've seen at least one, but am not sure how much they
	  run).  If we can get it for a reasonable price, we'd like to use
	  it as a tilt sensor (since it has the advantage of being able to
	  tell the robot the *amount* of tilt rather than whether or not a
	  threshold has been reached).  We are already planning some mercury
	  switches to take care of the dangerous tilts requiring sudden 
	  action, but would like this as well (if the price is right).

Thanks very much to anyone who can suggest a good source for these things.
I am afraid that the bumper rims may be tough to find, and we'd prefer not
to have to patch one together (by cutting down a rim which is too large).
Since I am not sure of how much everyone else on comp.robotics wants to hear
about my woes, please email your solutions to:

	div3@midway.uchicago.edu

If there *is* a desire to have the list I receive posted, I will post any
names and addresses which pan out after the email floods [ah, rolls, ah flows,
ah, would you believe trickles... :)] in.  Thanks again.

Dwight Divine IV