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Stam is a Traxxas Stampede radio controlled (RC) car modified for computer control. It is used as a test bed for systems designed for the larger robot and functions as an autonomous vehicle in its own right. As of August 2010, the main effort is directed to prototyping the C6 (Navigator) micro-controller The Navigator reads all sensors and makes the best estimate of latitude and longitude. Stam is equipped with a 9DOF Razor Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), gyroscope and GPS. It uses motor signal back EMF for odometry. Stam receives a signal from the RC unit and passes it to an Arduino Mega which may modify the command before sending it to the wheels. For example, the RC throttle may specify a speed and the processor uses feedback to keep the robot moving at a constant speed despite slopes.
Stam uses the Light Weight Communications (LCW) protocol developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Mega version of the Arduino was selected since it has four timers, compared to one on the Duemilenove. Timers are used to modulate the signal used in RC.
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