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Crazy Caterpillar Robot — Parallax Forums

Crazy Caterpillar Robot

ercoerco Posts: 20,256
edited 2012-06-20 09:01 in Robotics
From Dagu! I laughed out loud when I first saw this yesterday. This robot's clunky motion is hardly graceful. But the more I watched it, the more I liked it. No wheels, it uses ten stationary circular foot pads and 8 servos to produce undulating motion, turns, and self-righting ability. Those geniuses did a great job! Uses a PicAxe 28X2 processor. More at http://www.techsupplies.co.uk/epages/Store.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Store.TechSupplies/Products/BOT130 and http://www.picaxe.com/docs/bot130a.pdf

Comments

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2012-06-02 16:41
    Heck, I must be all alone thinking these caterpillar robots are cool. After this one post, I'll keep these videos to myself! :)
  • photomankcphotomankc Posts: 943
    edited 2012-06-03 06:34
    The self-righting move is cool. Smooth out the motion a bit and it would be a little nicer, like that second video. I like those collision sensor antenna too.
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2012-06-03 12:59
    erco wrote: »
    No wheels, it uses ten stationary circular foot pads and 8 servos to produce undulating motion, turns, and self-righting ability. Those geniuses did a great job! Uses a PicAxe 28X2 processor.

    Russell Cameron (aka Oddbot over on LMR) is the hardware designer on this one. And you're right, he IS a genius. I was very lucky to have Russell as a technical editor for Robot Builder's Bonanza, 4th Ed. He also developed a quad version for DAGU, using the same servo and leg parts. I did a quickie review of this kit for Make a while back:

    http://www.robotshop.com/dagu-quad-bot-quadruped-walking-robot-2.html

    The motion of the caterpillar is probably the way it is because the transit of the servos is at full speed. There's only so much you can do with a PICAXE. Put a Prop on one of these puppies and your "cat" could easily crawl at any speed you want.

    -- Gordon
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2012-06-03 14:54
    GordonMcComb wrote: »
    The motion of the caterpillar is probably the way it is because the transit of the servos is at full speed. There's only so much you can do with a PICAXE. Put a Prop on one of these puppies and your "cat" could easily crawl at any speed you want.

    -- Gordon

    You mean a Prop can move a servo faster than a PicAxe can? That's news to me! How does THAT work? :)
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    edited 2012-06-03 15:14
    erco wrote: »
    You mean a Prop can move a servo faster than a PicAxe can?

    Smarty pants. You're missing the "crawl" part. As in, "Not crawl, CRAWL!!"
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2012-06-03 15:43
    Oh, OK. NOW I see. You meant a Prop can move a servo SLOWER and smoother than a PicAxe, at crawling speeds.

    There are those among us who have gotten smooth slower servo speed out of them there PicAxes...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1GIwpuaFWQ
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2012-06-04 05:55
    GordonMcComb wrote: »
    Smarty pants. You're missing the "crawl" part. As in, "Not crawl, CRAWL!!"

    I loved Get Smart.

    I'm not so sure what I think of Caterpillar drive. I'm guessing the energy efficiency is really poor and it's hard to see how it is better than wheels or legs, other than being different.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2012-06-11 12:43
    Another neat Dagu robot, a Hexapod. Website says it's new. Uses 12 servos, interesting gait in this video. Very nice spins. It looks to me a bit like the Hexbug or Jamie's spider leg motion, except it appears to move in 12 different directions. Directly inline with each of 6 legs, also right in between. Nice execution!

    From https://sites.google.com/site/daguproducts
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2012-06-11 12:54
    Similar in concept to the RBB 112 servo walker: http://www.robotoid.com/appnotes/project-build-12-servo-hexapod.html

    So you could share code between them.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    edited 2012-06-11 13:24
    Cool site, thanks!
  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    edited 2012-06-11 14:16
    Martin_H wrote: »
    Similar in concept to the RBB 112 servo walker:

    Hey, I got jipped! That robot only had 12 servos. I was looking forward to a 112 servo robot.

    I've been busy shaving a yak to get my hexapod up and running.
  • Nick ErnstNick Ernst Posts: 138
    edited 2012-06-20 09:01
    Ok, I have to admit and side with Erco! After watching the video I found myself very intrigued and drawn to the caterpillar robots!
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