Today I finished the assembly of the walking version of my Egg Robot. Egg Robot wobbles like an egg (or a penguin). The basic mechanicals and electronics were assembled this week. I’ve function tested the electronics with a basic program. The robot can “walk” and remain upright when I move the motors by hand. When I add full walking capabilities to the programming this week, I’m confident the robot will walk. The gait should look hilarious.
To walk, Egg Bot has two legs and a pendulum controlled by the grey servos. The robot leans to one side using the pendulum. Then it advances the opposite leg forwards. Egg Bot leans onto the now advanced leg, thereby lifting the other leg. That now lifted leg is then advanced forwards. And so on to walk forwards. Turning is accomplished by advancing the two legs different amounts.
The electronics are all assembled and have basic function testing. The accelerometer can read lean angles, though I’m not sure it will be needed for the “first steps” of the robot. The servos are zero’d and can move through their respective ranges. This coming week, I will be writing code to have the robot move under its own power.
Bonus Robot: Vacuum Cycle
In my head, vacuum cycle is a motorcycle stylized speeder robot that powers itself from material ingested into it’s front scoop. Lately I have been sketching fantasy robots that feature more fun external shapes than what I am currently producing for the mechanically active robots. These will be just static models that are fun to design and play with. I think that they are also useful for learning to CAD-model non-primitive shapes, to 3D print more arbitrary shapes, and to assemble prints from multiple parts.
This project was made in five parts that were connected together with glue and pins. I have many challenges working out the clearances to the parts and making the connections look aesthetically neat. I think it came out great. There is room for improvement, especially in the connection between the top and two side pieces. Also the false seam across the middle of the sides is not deep enough.