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Just saw this cute little guy — Parallax Forums

Just saw this cute little guy

JLockeJLocke Posts: 354
in Robotics
Looks like this was posted in 2011, but I don't recall seeing it before (of course, that COULD just be my old age!).

Amazing Bike Riding Robot

Comments

  • MikeDYurMikeDYur Posts: 2,176
    Wait till erco wakes up to this one, I just have come to reality that it has all been done before. Hang up the inventors hat, and get in line and try to keep up.

    Thanks JLocke for bringing this to our attention.

    BTW: YouTube doesn't let me get souvenir screenshots anymore.
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    RE: " I just have come to reality that it has all been done before."

    To me most "new" products or ideas seem to be a rehash or update of an old idea or invention. In many cases it seems to be that while the original idea was good, the technology was not up to making it viable at the time, or the world was not ready for it.

    Looking at old patent applications is a good source of inspiration.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2016-08-26 15:22
    Yup, I do remember that guy. I love riding bikes and robots to ridiculous extremes, so that one stands out in my mind.

    I keep seeing this RC motorcycle in the toy store. It's $20 and very much like a bigger one I developed ~12 years ago at Mattel. It begs to be made into a Moto-Terminator robot, and it's just a matter of time before I cave. A good outdoor project for using GPS.
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,935
    kwinn wrote: »
    RE: "Looking at old patent applications is a good source of inspiration.

    Completely agree. I also have a Physics textbook from the 1920's that is one of the best physics books I have ever encountered. The basic, yes detailed explanations of physics concepts have greatly improved my understanding. (I also have a biography of Thomas Edison that was published while one of his close friends was still alive, so it is much more accurate than any other biography written in the past 50 years)

    I expect to see Erco replicate this as a tandem bicycle with a robot couple that also has a front view camera. Of course the rear robot rider would need to be "carrying twins". As a tandem bicycle, you have more real estate with two robots for sensors, batteries, etc.

    One question I have.... How efficient are servos as the source of motion in this format? In other words, I see lots of servo action for very little forward motion.

  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    edited 2016-08-27 00:32
    WBA Consulting wrote: »
    I expect to see Erco replicate this as a tandem bicycle with a robot couple that also has a front view camera. Of course the rear robot rider would need to be "carrying twins".

    Reminds me of this white-knuckle bike ride video from 2009. This is riding our tandem bike in nearby hilly Palos Verdes, I was the first guy in the pool with those mini keychain video cameras. You can't see my 8-month pregnant wife on the back, but there were four souls on our Santana tandem screaming downhill. My palms are sweating now watching this. The wind noise and video compression make it look twice as fast as it actually was, but looking back, that wasn't my brightest move. A crash or car pulling out would have been disastrous for our beautiful girls.

    Kids, stay in school and don't take chances on the road!



  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,935
    Erco, yep, the link in my post is for your original posting of that video.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,259
    Doh! Asleep at the wheel again! ☺
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    So, is there going to be some sort of figure of eight challenge for a Propeller powered bicycle robot?
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