Programming a LEGO Atomic Force Microscope

Hi,

I have built a model of the atomic force microscope using the LEGO Mindstorms set. I have the model mechanically set up, but I am having problems programming it so that it produces an image of the sample being profiled.

Basically, I have a cantilever arm that is deflected as the sample stage moves. The sample stage moves in a raster fashion (moves across one row, and then back, and moves up one step and repeats). A mirror is attached to the back of the cantilever onto which a laser is reflected off. The reflected laser hits the light sensors that are stationed on the opposite side of the laser tower. There are 4 light sensors that are aligned vertically. The height of the sample is determined by how high the reflected beam is.

How do I program the system so that I can produce an image of the sample surface on MATLAB?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[David Young]

This may be too big a question for anyone to answer effectively in the space of a MATLAB Answers response. To begin to tackle it one would need to know much more about how the data are organised and communicated to MATLAB. Perhaps you could say something about the specific problems you've encountered in trying to write the program.

If you respond to this comment, please do it by editing your question rather than by adding an "answer".

[Walter Roberson]

Would a diagram be available of the setup ?

Answer 1

[Rolfe Dlugy-Hegwer]

If you are running the R2012a version of MATLAB/Simulink, install support for LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT, by entering targetinstaller in the MATLAB Command Window. When you have completed that process, create a Simulink model that uses blocks from the "Target for Use with LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Hardware" block library. Then run the model on the NXT brick.