Tag Archives: hexarideablepod

Hexapods

hexapods / summer status update

hexapod: IK, preprogrammed dancing+lilypad controls ETA end of August (2 months, pure software development)
electronics working, now apply programming
(look at trossen robotics code, implement IK)
buy things: xbee tx and rx, two lilypads, some battery male plugs + femfem servo cables, maybe a sensor or two?, maybe a ps2 controller? or accel for lilypads?, el wire, [conductive thread]
vision: sound-reactive EL wire’d body, movements depend on real-time sound input processing. lilypad
buy them soon. spend money, you can do it. o__o
mechanical: upgrade to laserjet acrylic, 3d printed, or waterjet+Al body. Put HITECs on shoulders. double-sided support. (ETA New Year ish)

hexarideablepod: ETA end of July (1 month), ideally by next week…
order steel monday or tuesday
learn welding tuesday or wednesday
CAD slightly larger version, possibly with gearing to avoid undervolting and provide more torque/power. probs not for first version… check for bolts etc.

laser-cutter: ETA end of IAP (next January)
make spreadsheet of options and commercial cost
e.g.
bed size, laser wattage, commercial price & URL, laser commercial price & URL.
Then email out to MITERS.

direct-to-pcb/garment printing: requires just a weekend. maybe with Rush funding?

MITERS, lights automation and RFID keyholding, ETA last two weeks of August (begin after GSoC end).
*go ahead and order parts


Timeline:
hexarideablepod, until Monday July 11th (intense build during week off from CfA).

hexapod w/ IK and bluetooth, 2 weeks. w/ EL wire, 1 week. (aug 1st). w/ lilypad, 1 week (aug 8th).

Then 3 weeks left…
Plan A: MITERS personality core, 1 week, RFID keyholding, 1 weekend, rotary phone Putz, 1 week.
Plan B: make a scooter (hate walking). Last week = rush.
Plan C: start on hexaawesomepod

mysekritproject, 1 weekend sometime.

Hexapods

hexarideablepod

Rideable Hexapod (aka spiderbot or hexabot or whatever). Anyway, I want.

Step A. KISS. Clone someone else’s work on a linkage hexapod.

~$ git clone git@instructables.com:Hexabot-Build-a-heavy-duty-six-legged-robot/

haha I wish hardware was as easy as software to duplicate.

Substeps:

  1. Acquire materials
    1. Steel stock
      1. Turner Steel (carpool with someone)
        1. 60 feet of 1″ square steel tubing, 0.065″ wall ~$72
        2. 20 feet of 2″ x 1″ square rectangular steel tubing, 0.065″ wall ~$37
        3. Directions
        4. (508) 583-7800 –inquire about cost for delivery to MIT, also hours
      2. Inquire from the Central Machine Shop, bldg 38-001
  2. Apply CAD (scale up, can motors handle? torque calcs?)
  3. Apply controller to motors (make original one? probably stick with relays)
    1. schematic
  4. Learn welding (MIG or TIG)
  5. Build build build
Oh, right, youtube research: (specifically for this kind of linkage-based rideable hexapod)
Look it’s bicycle powered http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJY1fqzuqL0
Look it’s wheelchair motor x2 powered http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuRT9gC0CGs

in the meantime, I learned a bit of serial by asking Leighton, a hallmate, so now I understand the pololu code. But I still don’t understand why it’s sad. Yay I kept thinking it was something with the code, and I couldn’t find my cute tiny 2.007 battery to try . But I tried something I knew wouldn’t work, and it worked! yay. will post in pololu forums to make it more findable.
http://forum.pololu.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=3944&p=19496#p19496