EvoSapien.com

[smartbot]

OK here's a few shots of my 1st couple mods
you can see how I routed the LED pins around the plastic housing. The black wires route to J2 on the USB port, and the Yellow wires route to the farthest opposite pin, which is powered when the camera is activated with a flinch.


Here you can see how the LEDs are mounted in behind the faceplate. After double checking the LEDs are 3.6v 20mA 1100 mcd from radioshack.


After close inspection I can see that I drilled (3/16" drill bit) about half a millimeter high on one side. Hardly noticeable, but i will probably beat myself up about it for eternity.
Just be careful when you drill and maybe you can get yours perfect.
Drill from the back of the faceplate, and rest the drill lightly between the side-housing, and the top of the round color recognition holes.


Here's a shot with his headlamps engaged. They look brighter in the photo then they do in person. They do a great job and an added bonus is knowing exactly when the color camera is functioning.


And lastly a quick shot of my volume knob mounted behind his right shoulder. If you decide to mount your volume in a similar spot, be sure to drill low enough, so that the potentiometer internals and wiring don't interfere with the plastic collar inserted.

[roschler]

Smartbot,

Excellent pictorial! How's the image recognition accuracy after the LED hack? Can you ignore the Camera Light settings now?

[smartbot]

The image recognition is excellent!! I would say 99% accuracy!

I reccommend the "Sunlight" setting for best recognition with the LEDs.

[bipedworld]

just finished this hack. Image recognition is @ least 99% accurate on the sunlight setting. Very easy to do and the lights only come on when the camera is active. looks awsome because it looks factory.No external mounted LEDS.

[roschler]

bipedworld,

Glad to hear it! Where did you buy LED's? Do you have a part #? I'm going to have to try this one myself.

[bipedworld]

Bought LEDs from Radio Shack 3.6v 20ma 1100mcd the two are more than enough light needed. recommend 100%.

[roschler]

bipeworld,

Thanks! There's Radio Shack nearby I'll be visiting soon.

[robotkid]

Hi smartbot, really like the LED mod and very professional indeed. Been having tonnes of trouble trying to get my RSV2 to recognise the green ball, seems like a 10% chance each time to enable into bowling mode. Hope the LED mod will make a difference. With the LEDs, are they wired paralled or in series?

Also in your pictures it's not quite clear. When you refer to J2 the USB board, are you referring to the one that sits behind the face here the camera and IR sensors are fixed or the horizontal board? Sorry if i sound clueless, just need to make sure where i solder as i don't want to blow up my xmas present! Are you able to post a pic of where the wires are soldered to as i don't quite understand which pin you are referring to.

Cheers!

[firestag]

Oh wow!!!That looks realy cool!
I dont have a robosapien v2(or v1)
but i realy want to get one!!!!!!!!!
sounds like this hack is a very good one to have on v2!!!!!!!!

[pcphobic]

[firestag]

wow thank you!
and your hack looks very good too

[Sparkie]

Hi Smartbot.
I love your headlamp mod. I received my V2 today... woo hoo. But most other ppls he has a prob with green. In anticipation of this yesterday I purchased a pair of 5mm White LED's from Dick Smith, part No. Z 3980 Version 2b.
The spec sheet says 2000mcd (min) at what I presume is 3.1V and
3000mcd (max) at what apperas to be 3.4V.
These were the closest I could get to the LED's you described in your post. Can I use these leds as per your post or will resistors etc be required. Should I wire them in series or parallel?
Thanks

[Deathanyl]

I've saved the methoid and live in radioshack country so i'll do it but why? How bad is the vision stock? Does anyone have a picture through the eyes of the V2 say before and then from one of you guys/gals who had a mod. say something simple for a standard like the cover of a popular international magazine at a fixed diffrence under a 60 wt light bulb, ect.... I'd asume they tested it pretty roughly at the factory, does this mod change the ability so see in different room conditions?

[Sparkie]

Hi Deathanyl,
As you are about to find out a V2's color recognition is not that great. As I understand it he uses a 3x3 pixel camera to determine color. And the object has to be within inches of the camera. So forget you magazine cover and distance idea

Out of the box he is "reasonable" at differentiating red & blue but try him on his green bowling ball, in normal room lighting, and see how often he gets it right, not very often.

The mod in question adds 2 leds to his head (right next to the camera). They VASTLY improve his ability to distinguish color, the extra light MAY also increase distance but any increase is only going to be minimal.

[TalonClaw]