Best way of robot motion?

jeffrey morris

What's the best way of robot motion?

Wheels, legs, tank treads, crawlers? Making a robot that walks like a human would be very hard for me. Would making a 4-legged robot that walks like an animal be easier?

LoopyByteloose

Rolling is easier to begin with than walking. Intuitively, we understand rotation and steering as simple funcions. Legs have degrees of freedom based on the number of joints and the kind of joints. 4 legs are more stable that 2 legs, so the robot doesn't fall down. Actual 2 legged human walking is a controlled fall and needs some sense of balance. Tank treads used to be hard to come by, but they really make the robot able to negotiate outside the house. They are a nice compromise between roller and walker.

Of course, you haven't mentioned flight or flotation. And, there are climbers, too.

A robot really need a context before the concept of what is best can apply.

Secondly, the type of motor depends on use, size and effiency.

I think you would be more likely to enjoy whatever challenges you. I started with a Toddler because the BOE-Bot seemed too simple. But, I have to be concerned with it falling over.

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G. Herzog in Taiwan

pharseid

For legged robots, probably the first main decision is statically versus dynamically balanced robots. It's possible to make a statically balanced biped and also a dynamically balanced quadraped. Dynamic balance being much more difficult. Statically balanced hexapods seem fairly popular among legged robots. Legs are moved in sets of 3, so there is always a tripod of support.

-phar

rockybulwinkle

I'm experimenting with a hovercraft design. while I haven't received the hovercraft yet, I think it would be great because of the large variety of surfaces that it can operate on

Bruce Bates

knex_master -

I'd be curious to know which (model?) hovercraft you chose, and why you happened to choose it? If you had a web link to it, that would be great.

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Bruce Bates

rockybulwinkle

while I don't know the exact name of the product, I know that if you search http://www.ubid.com·for hovercraft. if you search within the next 3 days, you should be able to see and buy it for $28.