Meet Arlo, our new Robot Base System
Matt Gilliland
Posts: 1,406
Hi all you Robot Developers out there -
Arlo has arrived and is looking for new homes and offices to play and/or work in ;-) Arlo's the latest addition to our Robotic Platform Lineup.
Arlo bears a strong resemblance to his mother and father (MadeUSA and Eddie), but he also sports some new capabilities...
The Arlo Base Kit (#28960) is the same physical size (slightly less than 18" dia) as his parents, however his usable surface area has been increased due to smaller motor-mount hole milling requirements. He comes pre-drilled for all the "standard" sensor mounts, as well as a double-battery tray as standard equipment.
The Caster Wheel Kit Rev B (#28961) is a very slight modification of his ancestor (the original Caster Wheel Kit # 28971). Mr. Caster needed to grow up a tiny bit (1/8") in order to stand up to the new Motor Mount and Wheel Kits...
...Which brings us to the New Motor Mount and Wheel Kits #28962 and #28963. What's the difference you ask?
Several things actually...
Firstly, the #28962 model is precision machined out of solid aluminum bar-stock, by our Master Machinist Kenneth. Quality is top-notch, and the load capacity of the kit combined with the Arlo Base is rated @ 60 lbs. Cost? Same as the prior model $299- but sporting far less backlash in the gear train - greater navigation precision.
Secondly, the #28963 model contains the same components except that the really expensive parts - the aluminum blocks and rim sets - are made with injection molded HDPE - High Density Polyethylene. The big difference? This Kit,is rated for a *measly* 20 lbs.
When I say 20 lbs, that's the payload that the platform can carry. In other words, put together a full Arlo using the Base, MMWK-MP, and two casters, add a couple of batteries under the deck on the battery tray - now with all that "dead weight" - go ahead and add another twenty pounds.
Cost? A paltry $199 USD. -Are you kidding me? dual, high torque dc drive motor assemblies with integrated 144 tick quadrature encoders?
Specs for each of these? Check out the links above, and I'll back-fill more here in this thread soon.
Both of the MMWKits come with our Famous 144 tick Encoders as well. Oh, and very, very, very little backlash with the new motors as well.
Only trouble I have is that every test unit I put together mysteriously disappears
More to come...
-MattG
Arlo has arrived and is looking for new homes and offices to play and/or work in ;-) Arlo's the latest addition to our Robotic Platform Lineup.
Arlo bears a strong resemblance to his mother and father (MadeUSA and Eddie), but he also sports some new capabilities...
The Arlo Base Kit (#28960) is the same physical size (slightly less than 18" dia) as his parents, however his usable surface area has been increased due to smaller motor-mount hole milling requirements. He comes pre-drilled for all the "standard" sensor mounts, as well as a double-battery tray as standard equipment.
The Caster Wheel Kit Rev B (#28961) is a very slight modification of his ancestor (the original Caster Wheel Kit # 28971). Mr. Caster needed to grow up a tiny bit (1/8") in order to stand up to the new Motor Mount and Wheel Kits...
...Which brings us to the New Motor Mount and Wheel Kits #28962 and #28963. What's the difference you ask?
Several things actually...
Firstly, the #28962 model is precision machined out of solid aluminum bar-stock, by our Master Machinist Kenneth. Quality is top-notch, and the load capacity of the kit combined with the Arlo Base is rated @ 60 lbs. Cost? Same as the prior model $299- but sporting far less backlash in the gear train - greater navigation precision.
Secondly, the #28963 model contains the same components except that the really expensive parts - the aluminum blocks and rim sets - are made with injection molded HDPE - High Density Polyethylene. The big difference? This Kit,is rated for a *measly* 20 lbs.
When I say 20 lbs, that's the payload that the platform can carry. In other words, put together a full Arlo using the Base, MMWK-MP, and two casters, add a couple of batteries under the deck on the battery tray - now with all that "dead weight" - go ahead and add another twenty pounds.
Cost? A paltry $199 USD. -Are you kidding me? dual, high torque dc drive motor assemblies with integrated 144 tick quadrature encoders?
Specs for each of these? Check out the links above, and I'll back-fill more here in this thread soon.
Both of the MMWKits come with our Famous 144 tick Encoders as well. Oh, and very, very, very little backlash with the new motors as well.
Only trouble I have is that every test unit I put together mysteriously disappears
More to come...
-MattG
Comments
Looking forward to playing with the new Arlo platform and motors.
Congrats on your purchase Roy!
I think you'll be very happy with this selection: it's evolved nicely through the years. The encoder system is high resolution, motors are low-slop, and the system is very expandable. Next time you come here you can have it carry your 3D printer into the office on the Arlo top deck. What Matt didn't mention is that there's a new PCB in process called the Arlo Control Board which will allow ActivityBot code (with minor library mods) to be easily run on an Arlo platform, giving educational customers a way to get into larger robots.
Most people prefer the black molded plastic when they see it side by side with aluminum.
You'll be the first person to get one. Both of us already know that.
Agreed. It's really frustrating how our selection of demos continues to vaporize unless they're mounted to a wall, attached to a ceiling, enclosed in acrylic, supervised by an intern, etc. I've brought a full Arlo kit to my home office so the intern Max can build it as his first project. But the packaging looks so nice I'm reluctant to open the box and see all of the parts taken out.
Ken
What a nice and clean home office! It sure puts my own at eternal shame!
Mrs. Yanomani can't see that picture! Or I'll be condemned, to a lifetime house cleaning penalty.
This makes me wonder. At 60lbs..... Huummmmm...
How about some floor and carpet, U clamp held, automatic debris scanner ready, vacuum cleaning kit?
Nicely done robot kit!
Yanomani
What caught my attention this time was his having an intern at home....not sure if I want one of my own or if I want to be Ken's intern!
Rule 1: No blue dresses
Rule 2: No cigars
I think Ken and I can completely agree on those rules.
Is Arlo "the One", or will there regular changes every two years? Collect 'em all!
IMHO, yes Arlo is the one.
The primary reason that there needed to be a change is because the Eddie and MadeUSA platforms were based on a particular set of motors that have been out of production for years, and as far as we can tell, there are no surplus units available anywhere on the planet.
We had to to find new motors - and we did - They're only about 80% the speed of the former ones, but their advantages far outweigh the speed compromise.
Firstly the motors are in full production now - and for the foreseeable future. Even when they're gone surplus stock should be around for years after.
Secondly, they have very little backlash- they work much better than the prior motors did with our 144 tick quad encoders.
Thirdly, we get them at very nearly the same price as we were able to get the former ones - that means no price increase from the prior version.
-MattG
That's exactly right, Matt. The motors we initially used were available as overstock through Surplus Center. Several years back they had 1,400 left and right motors. We bought a few, then bought 20 more, and then purchased a number of pallets of them!
You and Rick shouldn't be impressed. It's clean because I don't have any time to work in my shop! When there's a project going on it turns really messy. It's only 15'x12' but a very well-planned area with every square inch being used for my cherished tools: Wabeco CNC, Wilton bandsaw, a Taig lathe, Servo drill press and a couple other items. I probably haven't done much here lately because we have an amazing shop at Parallax, and that's where I've poured my energy along with MattG and Kenneth Glass (the other KG). In fact, the Haas CNC Mill at Parallax was once in my garage. Lots of fun until I had to start doing production work. These days, I can very lazily give KG or MattG a drawing of a part and it'll be on my desk a few days later.
Strays? Oh no, those ActivityBots are far from being strays. They're carefully packed and destined for a special customer in Netherlands!
And the basic Arlo platform? That's in the bag behind the boxes. We don't ship those in boxes because they're always being packed up with other products the customer orders.
If you put a big mirror on one wall, it really seems to double the size (and occupancy) of the room!