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Ken Gracey (Parallax)
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  		   Posted 5/20/2005 1:27 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Hello Robo-heads,
 
This is a picture of a couple of prototype "Penguins" made here at Parallax. Same concept as the Toddler but more advanced. These robots stand 3.5" tall and have the following features:
  • BASIC Stamp 2px chipset
  • Hitachi HM55B digital compass
  • Mini blue seven-segment LED for Penguin ID in group behaviour (or for program number)
  • Two photoresistors in R/C circuits
  • Two infrared emitters and a detector for near-field objects
  • 3-pin socket for Ping)))
  • Speaker within the body, on the back of the battery PCB
  • CR123 camera batteries for 6V power supply
  • Pushbutton for reset

The robots are CNC machined from AL6061 and use GWS micro servos. The stride linkage (moves the legs foreward and backward) attached to the servo horn is a broached Delrin rod turned on a lathe. These robots walk very well and precisely compared to their larger counterparts. They're part of ongoing R&D at Parallax and will now be used to test a future wireless programming/network interface. There are no formal plans to make them as a product at the moment.

 

Sincerely,

Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.

 


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Ryan Clarke
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  		   Posted 5/20/2005 10:30 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
So, um, is there any way to get an 'unsupported' copy of one of these kits? :)

Ryan
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Gadgetman
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 2:26 AM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Yeah...

Is there any way one of those could accidentally fall into a box adressed to me in Norway?

:-)

You know, teasing us like that is not nice. Not nice at all...
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Forrest
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 4:12 AM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
I'd like to see a video of those robots in action. Judging from the pictures, it appear the ends of the feet would flap up and down but not produce any forward motion.
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Jon Williams
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 4:32 AM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
What you may be missing, Forrest, is a second servo that is under the belly of the Penguin that pulls the legs forward and back for locomotion. I have seen video and these little dudes go like gangbusters.

Jon Williams
Applications Engineer, Parallax
Dallas, TX  USA

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Forrest
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 5:06 AM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Ah - it makes a lot more sense now.
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pcrobot
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 5:29 AM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
They look cool. But, is there any way you guys at Parallax could post a video or two?
It would be nice. ;-)

Robotics
ro-bot-ics (noun)
the science or technology of robots, their design, manufacture, application, use, etc.

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kb2hap
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 6:19 AM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Wow! Those are neat little robots!
Nice custom board, and machined parts.
Ken always has his mind going on those toddler style bots.

DTQ

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Robert Kubichek
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 7:47 AM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Ken Gracey (Parallax) said...
Hello Robo-heads,


This is a picture of a couple of prototype "Penguins" made here at Parallax. Same concept as the Toddler but more advanced. These robots stand 3.5" tall and have the following features:

<UL>
<LI>BASIC Stamp 2px chipset
<LI>Hitachi HM55B digital compass
<LI>Mini blue seven-segment LED for Penguin ID in group behaviour (or for program number)
<LI>Two photoresistors in R/C circuits
<LI>Two infrared emitters and a detector for near-field objects
<LI>3-pin socket for Ping)))
<LI>Speaker within the body, on the back of the battery PCB
<LI>CR123 camera batteries for 6V power supply
* Pushbutton for reset
</UL>
The robots are CNC machined from AL6061 and use GWS micro servos. The stride linkage (moves the legs foreward and backward) attached to the servo horn is a broached Delrin rod turned on a lathe. These robots walk very well and precisely compared to their larger counterparts. They're part of ongoing R&D at Parallax and will now be used to test a future wireless programming/network interface. There are no formal plans to make them as a product at the moment.



Sincerely,

Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.



Geez, thats not fair, I'd love to test em for you!!

smilewinkgrin



Bob N9LVU scool
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Ken Gracey (Parallax)
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 8:43 AM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Kb2hap:

You're right. I've been living and breathing two-servo Toddler-style robots for a good seven years now. In fact, for a good period of time this winter I would go to sleep thinking about how to design a particular part and wake up with a pretty good solution. After this robot walked off the CNC machine I thought it would be time that I finally expand my robotics interest (duh) to something different. But I feel this robot mastered two-servo walking, and I couldn't put the darned thing to rest until I got close to perfect mechanics. There's only minimal friction and almost no slop. It will outrun a Toddler but didn't fare well in a Boe-Bot race yesterday.

Even though it walks really well and the PCB design is nearly perfect, I still see room for mechanical improvements.

Electronic control system is perfect so far, but the HM55B compass isn't working as expected. Can you guess why?

And I will get some videos posted, maybe later today. It's Saturday morning and we planned on cleaning the house a bit.

We could put them into production, but CNC parts are not cheap. I like things to be affordable to our customers and this is not. This would have to be some kind of Parallax collector's edition robot.

Wait till you see them walk - they look like some kind of backpack-toting robo-Penguins with ski poles on their way to the Arctic circle (via Gadgetman's house of course).

Ken
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Gadgetman
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 8:57 AM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Make certain they're able to swim...

It's easier to ski from Alaska or Canada to the North pole than from Norway....
:-)

It wouldn't be posssible to replace the CNC parts with stamped metal and cast plastic pieces?
(I know it wouldn't look just as nice, but... )

Besides, I think I deserve to get ahold of one of those as I've worked with penguins before...
(All right, Penguin Mark III air to surface missiles.)

The compass is probably tricked because of all the metal so close to it.
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Forrest
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 9:57 AM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
You could make those machined parts out of FR-4 (printed circuit board) laminate. FR-4 is commonly available in thicknesses of .031, .062, .093 and .120 inch. I think the .093 or .120 inch thick laminate would work great. Add soldermask (red, green, blue or black) and you'd be set. FR-4 will not interfere with the electronic compass. Prices are comparable to printed circuit boards of the same size. Contact your favorite printed circuit board manufacturer for more info. You can contact me if you need some sources. The printed circuit board manufacturer just needs a gerber file showing the outline of the part and a drill file with hole locations.

I'll be happy to beta-test those robots! cool

Post Edited (Forrest) : 5/21/2005 6:00:17 PM GMT

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Ryan Clarke
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 10:35 AM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Ken, could we pay for a kit without the CNC parts, that had the plans for them? Even if it was a limited edition kit, as long as it wasn't *astronomically* too expensive I'd be interested in one (maybe a limited run?)

My wife's Dad is an engineer who works with metals- he made the base that the "David" statue sits on, it is earthquake proof- but maybe we could have our own parts fabbed....just a thought....



Ryan
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Larry
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 1:29 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Greqat robot, Ken,

Have you seen John Olson's Pocket walker? It scoots around pretty well also.

http://forums.parallax.com/forums/default.aspx?f=10&p=1&m=74498#m74545

Larry

 

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Larry
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 1:32 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Argh!

wrong URL

http://www.pdxbot.org/gallery/pdxbot04/IMG_6500

Larry

 

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Ken Gracey (Parallax)
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 4:24 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.

And to answer the request for a couple of videos:

http://www.kengracey.com/download/SlowPenguin.wmv
http://www.kengracey.com/download/FastPenguins.wmv

Thanks,

Ken

 

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Ryan Clarke
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  		   Posted 5/21/2005 6:16 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Excellent!

Ryan
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pcrobot
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  		   Posted 5/22/2005 5:43 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Cool videos! Those penguins look awesome! smilewinkgrin
Also, Ken has another, shorter video clip on his site; at:

http://www.kengracey.com/penguin_walker.asp

Go Parallax! jumpin

Robotics
ro-bot-ics (noun)
the science or technology of robots, their design, manufacture, application, use, etc.

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Tricky Nekro
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  		   Posted 5/23/2005 12:39 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.

Are they programable?

I don't see any port on them???

Probably it i under their legs, right?

 

 

It's good to see all these two-legs-bots being able for us to buy but how about a four-legs one? Has a prototype ever been made and tested ,not only from Parallax??? Would it be difficult to program or balance it's weight? Is it the cost which make it unaffordable for most of the customers , sothing which I don't believe of course...

 

Thank you for your time, Provas

-Rule your Destiny-
--Be Good. Be Bad. Be Provas--

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Chris Savage (Parallax)
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  		   Posted 5/23/2005 12:59 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.

Provas,

   The 4 legged and 6 legged bots are available from Parallax at the following web page.  They are called the Quad-Crawler and the Hex-Crawler, respectively.

http://www.parallax.com/html_pages/robotics/shop/robo_comparison.asp

Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
 

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pcrobot
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  		   Posted 5/23/2005 3:35 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Yeah...how do you program them??
On the video on Ken's site it shows a BASIC Stamp board (can't tell which one) wired to the penguin, as someone held it. (the BS board)
That must be how... idea

Robotics
ro-bot-ics (noun)
the science or technology of robots, their design, manufacture, application, use, etc.

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Chris Savage (Parallax)
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  		   Posted 5/23/2005 6:12 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
   The Quad-Crawler and Hex-Crawler each have a Board Of Education and BS2 Module on them.  There is also a Parallax Servo Controller.

Chris Savage
Parallax Tech Support
 

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Kevin B Slater
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  		   Posted 5/23/2005 8:00 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Chris,
I think the question about programming was in reference to the PenguinBOTs and how they are programed.

Kevin
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Ken Gracey (Parallax)
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  		   Posted 5/23/2005 8:34 PM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
I can clarify the questions about the Penguin.
 
On these two robots:
 
 
the programming port is a 4-pin header underneath the battery pack, on the back. There is no DB-9 on this robot becuase it would be as big as the top PCB. Ultimately it will have a USB mini-B connector with an FTDI chip or a wireless programming interface.
 
The other Penguin referenced by pcrobot in which a BS2/BOE is held above the Penguin's head is an earlier prototype. That Penguin never got a brain mounted on his body, so I held it above him as he walked along.
 
John Olson's robot (Pocket Walker) was developed at the same time as Penguin, albeit much faster. John is a friend of mine and a big inspiration for any robotics hobbyist.
 
By the way, the Penguin walked for about eight hours today in our office. It looks like CR123 batteries can last for a long time, making them more cost effective (in terms of milliamp hours) than AA or AAAs.
 
Ken Gracey
Parallax, Inc.  
 
 
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noah44
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  		   Posted 5/24/2005 12:39 AM (GMT -8)    Quote This PostAlert An Admin About This Post.
Great design. I will be interested in purchasing one when they are available.
Noah
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