Advanced S2 pen lifter kit
Hello everybody!
I bet that if you use the S2 robot for scribbling activities you have also dreamed a pen lifter for your robot.
Personally I was inspired from two amazing projects in order to create my own Kit:
1) The Savage Circuits TV Episode 9 from Chris Savage
2) And the Parallax S2 internal Pen lifter mod from Rich Harman (W9GFO)
My suggestion combines characteristics from both above proposals.
The Kit I suggest is very easy to install and it is also internal and a 100% invisible from the outside of the robot. So it doesnt change at all the external characteristic of your S2. However the best advantage of this kit is the fact that you can build it without open the robot. So you avoid the complicate measurements and tests. When you finished the kit construction you can open your S2 and install it into the robot following 2 simple modifications.
Here is my kit:
The kit consisted of : a Hitec Hs-55 servo(1), an aluminum servo bracket (2), a plastic lift cup (3), a servo horn that it is inclouded on the Hitec servo(4), a small srew that is inclouded in the Hitec servo pack (5) and three 4-40 x3/8 screws and nuts (6).
In order to build and install the kit into your S2 robot you also need two spin codes:
1) S2_Servo_pen_center.spin which centers the servo Pen and 2) the S2_pen_lifter_test.spin which tests if the kit lifts Up and Down the pen properly.
Two mondifications are nessesary in order to install the Kit into your S2 robot chassis:
1)You have to drill a hole of the botton of the S2 chassis (you can avoid this modification if you use some glue in order to stick the Kit into the robot) Personally I dont like very much the use of glue .So I recommend to open the hole and use a screw and a nut.
2)You must remove 10mm from the pen tube on the upper part of the robot chassis using a Dremel tool in order to give the necessary space for your pen lifters movements.
I hope that the following video will give you answers for any questions you may have about the kit.
I also send you the SketchUp model with the pen lifter Kit. Users who have a 3d printer will be able to create easily the lift cap and the servo bracket using this model.
I would like to thanks Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) and Rich Harman (W9GFO) for their precious help in order to overcome my difficulties with the Pen lifters software and Ken Gracey (Parallax) for his generous offer (the S2 Robots) which gave me the opportunity to experiment with the robot.
Nikos Giannakopoulos
I bet that if you use the S2 robot for scribbling activities you have also dreamed a pen lifter for your robot.
Personally I was inspired from two amazing projects in order to create my own Kit:
1) The Savage Circuits TV Episode 9 from Chris Savage
2) And the Parallax S2 internal Pen lifter mod from Rich Harman (W9GFO)
My suggestion combines characteristics from both above proposals.
The Kit I suggest is very easy to install and it is also internal and a 100% invisible from the outside of the robot. So it doesnt change at all the external characteristic of your S2. However the best advantage of this kit is the fact that you can build it without open the robot. So you avoid the complicate measurements and tests. When you finished the kit construction you can open your S2 and install it into the robot following 2 simple modifications.
Here is my kit:
The kit consisted of : a Hitec Hs-55 servo(1), an aluminum servo bracket (2), a plastic lift cup (3), a servo horn that it is inclouded on the Hitec servo(4), a small srew that is inclouded in the Hitec servo pack (5) and three 4-40 x3/8 screws and nuts (6).
In order to build and install the kit into your S2 robot you also need two spin codes:
1) S2_Servo_pen_center.spin which centers the servo Pen and 2) the S2_pen_lifter_test.spin which tests if the kit lifts Up and Down the pen properly.
Two mondifications are nessesary in order to install the Kit into your S2 robot chassis:
1)You have to drill a hole of the botton of the S2 chassis (you can avoid this modification if you use some glue in order to stick the Kit into the robot) Personally I dont like very much the use of glue .So I recommend to open the hole and use a screw and a nut.
2)You must remove 10mm from the pen tube on the upper part of the robot chassis using a Dremel tool in order to give the necessary space for your pen lifters movements.
I hope that the following video will give you answers for any questions you may have about the kit.
I also send you the SketchUp model with the pen lifter Kit. Users who have a 3d printer will be able to create easily the lift cap and the servo bracket using this model.
I would like to thanks Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) and Rich Harman (W9GFO) for their precious help in order to overcome my difficulties with the Pen lifters software and Ken Gracey (Parallax) for his generous offer (the S2 Robots) which gave me the opportunity to experiment with the robot.
Nikos Giannakopoulos
714 x 525 - 36K
661 x 832 - 87K
566 x 230 - 20K
705 x 274 - 31K
Comments
It might be asking alot of some folks to dremel the 10mm from the pen tube, Maybe if you could supply a template for that,
or maybe some instruction for a peice of 10mm wide tape, one could wrap around the pen tube,(to mark the cut line.)
that might add confidence to anyone wanting to try this...
-Tommy
You have absolutely right. As I tried to create the video I removed mistakenly from my camera the scene with the tube cutting...
As you understand it was impossible to film again this scene because I had already cut the pen tube.
I will add the kit and to the rest of my S2 robots and I'll make more clear this procedure.
However the "KEY PART" of the kit is the "lift cup". If the Lift cup is adapted right into the neath pen tube and it can move up and down properly it doesn't matter how accurate you will cut the upper tube.
In fact you can cut the upper tube from 6 mm to 12 mm.
Don't hesitate to construct the kit. You can start without open your S2 robot. When you finish the kit construction its installation is very easy. Trust me...
Say, what is your "lift cup" made from?, can it hold a set screw? so one could clamp a pencil instead of a marker.
If so, cool, no more accidental permanent marker lines on the floor from errant S2's...
-Tommy
You believe it or not.....
the "lift cup" before became a this serious part on my kit....
was a chaff plastic bolt.
My Dremel tool made the difference again...
However the plastic of this bolt was excelent.....
When I tried the screw it was extremelly stand on it....
The plastic is the same material which is used by the 3d printers.
For this reason I believe that a 3d printer owner can create the kit very easy!!!
.... Or even better maybe Parallax would can make some of these lifter cups using the same material in which is made the Eddie robot base...
-Tim Ballas
You could leave some of the wrench flat on the "chaff plastic bolt", drill and tap for a set screw to hold a pencil...
Or...if you got yourself a nice 3D printer....
Either way, Your pen lifter looks great!.
-Tommy
The 3d printer would be the perfect machine in my home-Lab but Im afraid that it will remain a dream for me.
The last 3 months I have paid 1800 Euros =2360 Dollars for extra taxies! And new taxies are coming soon from the Greek goverment ..
Dear Jessica,
Your amazing educational videos have ispired me and my students! Your way is unique and we are your fan!
We have based on your fantasic video : "Scribble Your Name with the S2 Robot" , and we work on a new project with the name: "Alphabet for S2 robot: A collaborative project".
I will start a new thread in the forum very soon with the educational stuff that I have collected, and some istruction about the way somebody can contribute in this project.
My students will be the first participants in this project, which the main purpose is to create several types of alphabet for the scribbler 2 robot.
If you find interesting and practical the idea of this project a new video from you, with your unique temperament probably woud be able to help and attract students teachers and hobbyist around the world in order to participate.
Cheers,
Nikos
I love the idea! It's actually a project that I've been wanting to work on for some time now and haven't been able to.
Please let me know how I can help - it would be my pleasure!
-- Jessica
Hi Jessica,
Here is the project: “Alphabet for S2”: a collaborative project.
Nikos
I recall this old thread because I have made the kit's components using a 3D printer.
Here is the result:
I also posted the files on the Tningiverse site for 3d printing objects.
I hope this is helpful for everyone who wants to create the kit.
Cheers,
Nikos
And good work with this alphabet, I use it to entertain the grand kids when they stop by.
What 3D printer are you using?
-Tommy
I'm glad you like the alphabet.
The 3D printer I use is named Creatr. It comes from a Netherland's company and is based on ArduinoMega 2560 Board. I have made some small modifications on it and I'm trying to intergrade it with Parallax boards and electronics in order to extend its abilities.
This year I direct a school project (with another teacher) based on S2 robot that has as theme the ecclesiastic symbols.
We also hope to extend the alphabet project creating the Byzantine alphabet which is based on the early ecclesiastic tradition