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Parallax Humanoid? — Parallax Forums

Parallax Humanoid?

walice_drelwalice_drel Posts: 81
edited 2007-09-02 11:26 in Robotics
Anyone know if parallax is ever going to come out with a humanoid kit?

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Comments

  • MightorMightor Posts: 338
    edited 2007-08-24 06:50
    They're already here. They're called "employees".

    Prepare to be assimilated...

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  • walice_drelwalice_drel Posts: 81
    edited 2007-08-24 06:53
    LMAO


    They should get joe grand to make a humanoid there next project. Hell if the did I would sure pre order one...lol

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  • walice_drelwalice_drel Posts: 81
    edited 2007-08-24 12:05
    I think it would be really fun to program a humanoid in bs2 instead of C or robobasic or h2h.

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  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    edited 2007-08-24 14:10
    No, no humanoid in the plans around here. I think the Japanese suppliers have already cornered that market for us. I'm also not convincned that the R&D for humanoid design will pay off in sales. To do it right requires some pretty serious tooling with a mix of plastic and metal parts, plus our own servo.

    I really wonder if the Kondo, Hitec guys have recovered enough of their investment at this point.

    But·we may even get into human cloning around here before we get into humanoids.·. . a bit short-staffed on the engineering and manufacturing side of things again. . .

    Ken Gracey
    Parallax, Inc.

    Post Edited (Ken Gracey (Parallax)) : 8/24/2007 2:33:22 PM GMT
  • allanlane5allanlane5 Posts: 3,815
    edited 2007-08-24 15:09
    On the other hand, Parallax has cornered the market in robotic Penguins.
  • walice_drelwalice_drel Posts: 81
    edited 2007-08-24 16:37
    The americans branch of hitec has the humaniod market cornered . Hitec makes a humanoid called robonova and it is the # 1 selling humanoid on the market. You should check it out , they are very cool. I own 2 of them

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    Post Edited (walice_drel) : 8/26/2007 8:03:25 PM GMT
  • allanlane5allanlane5 Posts: 3,815
    edited 2007-08-24 17:09
    Tsk. You ask Parallax if they're going to do one, when you KNOW (and own two) by another company?

    Not very polite, dude.

    Plus, I could have sworn "Hitec" was a Japanese company, no?

    Edit:· A little quick googling show the "Robonova" to be a product of LynxMotion (www.lynxmotion.com).· A complete kit costs $1,000 -- a little beyond the budget of most BS2'ers.· With remote included, it's $1,200.

    Thanks for the reference, it's a nice little package, if expensive.

    Post Edited (allanlane5) : 8/24/2007 5:16:44 PM GMT
  • walice_drelwalice_drel Posts: 81
    edited 2007-08-24 17:18
    Thats not rude just asking a question and also they are not competing companies. He didn't seem familiar with all the new humanoids out there so I gave a example of one for him to check out, not rude at all. There are so many robotics and servo companies making humanoid I figure eventually every robotics and servo company will have there own brand of humanoid. They are becoming very popular. I love parallax products and would love to see a parallax humanoid and the only way to find out if they have any plans to make one is to ask.

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  • walice_drelwalice_drel Posts: 81
    edited 2007-08-24 17:26
    allanlane5 said...
    Tsk.



    Edit: A little quick googling show the "Robonova" to be a product of LynxMotion (www.lynxmotion.com). A complete kit costs $1,000 -- a little beyond the budget of most BS2'ers. With remote included, it's $1,200.



    Thanks for the reference, it's a nice little package, if expensive.

    Its not a lynxmotion product they just happen to be one of the many vendors that carry them, Hitec a servo company makes them. You can get them for $949 (full kit with remote)
    at lots of different places like tossen robotics.

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  • FranklinFranklin Posts: 4,747
    edited 2007-08-24 17:26
    You can always get a kit from someone else and rip it's brain out and install Parallax chips.

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  • walice_drelwalice_drel Posts: 81
    edited 2007-08-24 17:33
    Funny you mention that, I am trying to use a mini atom board with a bs2e chip and ssc-32 controller. Its lust hard to find brackets and sevos I like for it. Lynxmotion sells servo brackets for humanoids but they are big and bulky. I may have a friend with a cnc cut me out some if worse comes to worse.

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  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2007-08-24 18:14
    The reason Parallax makes and sells penguins, not humanoids...

    My guess is because Parallax is an 'Enabler' comapny. They give us the tools(Penguin/Toddler/BoeBot, servocontrollers, BSII/Propeller) and points us in the right direction, expecting us to 'go forth and innovate'...

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  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    edited 2007-08-24 22:41
    Well, there you have it. Robonova takes the award so why bother? I don't see a reason to do what they're doing just to do it better [noparse][[/noparse]if that's even possible].

    There is another robot coming from us shortly, however. It's a really big, hydraulic robot that costs $5,000. Speaking of "enabling" as Gadgetman says, this one will enable you to cross a field, damage a moving car or even people if you are not careful, and navigate by GPS. We expect to sell only a few units per month. We aren't making this particular robot for income, but simply to make another unique product available to our customers.

    Today we had four Japanese professors in our office. They teach robotics at Shizouka University. Though they live in the land of humanoids, it's the simple stuff which really impresses them.

    Ken Gracey
  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2007-08-24 23:38
    I almost bought one of these http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2309912 in toys-r-us yesterday.
    But I cannot find any info about it other than what is on the link I posted.
    Has anyone tried to hack this yet ?

    Bean.

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    Student: I don't know and I don't care
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  • allanlane5allanlane5 Posts: 3,815
    edited 2007-08-24 23:43
    Wow. $30 and you can disassemble and reassemble it. For a minute there, I thought the link would be another "Robosapien" product. But that's the Right Price, alright.
  • BeanBean Posts: 8,129
    edited 2007-08-25 00:51
    From what I can see, only the legs are motorized. But·for $30 it a perfect hack-bot.

    Bean.

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    Post Edited (Bean (Hitt Consulting)) : 8/25/2007 12:06:10 PM GMT
  • walice_drelwalice_drel Posts: 81
    edited 2007-08-25 02:30
    Check this one out only about $300. Im thinking of getting it to see if it can be hacked. Those tiny servos and sensors may come in very handy.

    http://www.trossenrobotics.com/tomy-i-sobot.aspx

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  • walice_drelwalice_drel Posts: 81
    edited 2007-08-25 02:50
    Ken Gracey (Parallax) said...
    Well, there you have it. Robonova takes the award so why bother? I don't see a reason to do what they're doing just to do it better [noparse][[/noparse]if that's even possible].

    There is another robot coming from us shortly, however. It's a really big, hydraulic robot that costs $5,000. Speaking of "enabling" as Gadgetman says, this one will enable you to cross a field, damage a moving car or even people if you are not careful, and navigate by GPS. We expect to sell only a few units per month. We aren't making this particular robot for income, but simply to make another unique product available to our customers.

    Today we had four Japanese professors in our office. They teach robotics at Shizouka University. Though they live in the land of humanoids, it's the simple stuff which really impresses them.

    Ken Gracey


    Is there any info out on the new bot you guys are making and also can they be pre orderd? I always wanted to mess around with a hydraulic bot. It sounds really cool.

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  • inakiinaki Posts: 262
    edited 2007-08-25 10:34
    I think the first step for Parallax would be to make a smart servo. I believe the smart servos made by Robotis are, currently, the way to go in servos for hobby robotics.

    And I like better the idea of having general purpose brackets instead of having an humanoid body 'only'.

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  • walice_drelwalice_drel Posts: 81
    edited 2007-08-25 15:36
    I agree, Digital servos seem to be more and more the norm in robotics. And it is a very nice feature to get feedback from your servos.

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  • MightorMightor Posts: 338
    edited 2007-08-25 16:15
    The Robotis servos start at about $50 each or so and probably more for the fancier ones. That's a heck of a lot more than the $10-$13 which you pay for the el-cheapo standard ones [noparse]:)[/noparse] Sometimes all you need is an el-cheapo solution to a simple problem. I must admit though, the Robotis servos and their ability to give so much feedback is pretty cool. Some day I'll order a few... some day...

    Gr,
    Mightor

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  • FranklinFranklin Posts: 4,747
    edited 2007-08-25 18:25
    Parallax does not make servos and if you want a digital or small or powerful servo you can buy them from many suppliers. Just because Parallax does not make it does not mean you can;t use it. [noparse]/noparse]end rant [noparse];)[/noparse

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  • MarkSMarkS Posts: 342
    edited 2007-08-25 18:45
    Franklin said...
    Parallax does not make servos and if you want a digital or small or powerful servo you can buy them from many suppliers. Just because Parallax does not make it does not mean you can;t use it. [noparse]/noparse]end rant [noparse];)[/noparse

    I think the comment inaki made was a suggestion to Parallax to start making robotic servos, would you not agree?
  • FranklinFranklin Posts: 4,747
    edited 2007-08-25 19:11
    Mark, no I don't agree. Other companies make good servos and Parallax should stay in the business of making chips and controllers (something they do VERY well may I add) and leave the parts to those that do that well. No need to reinvent the wheel.

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  • inakiinaki Posts: 262
    edited 2007-08-25 22:35
    Franklin, IMHO making a humanoid and not making the servos too is like making cars and buying the engine to third parties. Of course it can be profitable but you are not making a true humanoid robot.

    I have built many kind of robots and successful humanoids depend more than·any other kind·on well designed,·smart·servos.

    Suppose Parallax announces it is selling some brackets with Robotis servos included.·Would it·be a true·maker of humanoids or a mere reseller ?



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  • DufferDuffer Posts: 374
    edited 2007-08-25 22:58
    Bean,

    You should wait a couple of years before trying that Toys-R-Us robot. It clearly says: Age 10 and up. ;-D
  • FranklinFranklin Posts: 4,747
    edited 2007-08-26 03:05
    inaki, my point exactly. Parallax makes controllers well and I would like to see them make the best controllers around rather than pretty good controllers and thirty types of other things. There are only so much a company can do before they overextend themselves and die.

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  • inakiinaki Posts: 262
    edited 2007-08-26 10:16
    Agreed!

    Perhaps I should have said: 'I wish·Parallax would make a smart servo!'.

    I was thinking more on the electronics part of a servo. Motors on servos have not evolved much. But the electronic part in smart servos have evolved a lot in recent years. I bet Parallax would make a very good servo brain.

    By the way, I tried to put a Propeller inside an AX12 servo box and·I was unable to make·it·to fit inside. A mini Propeller would be great to have.







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  • HumanoidoHumanoido Posts: 5,770
    edited 2007-08-26 17:48
    To set the record straight, Hitec & Robonova is a Korean company and a Korean product. It's a Korean design and sold in the USA, Germany, Japan, Korea, and most of the world.

    "Hitec - the Korean hobby electronics company that developed Robonova - has a good English language site that includes a list of their US online distributors plus robot retailers by state."
    http://www.robots-dreams.com/2006/01/roboone_q_a.html

    If you want a small fantastic affordable robot, take a look at the Parallax Penguin robot. This robot has so much capability and potential, it's mind boggling! It was recently released by Parallax, in a very modest way, with very good discount pricing. The engineering and design that went into this robot is very significant!

    One of the great things about the Penguin robot is it can be programmed in the most advanced version of PBASIC and it uses the most powerful basic stamp microcontroller in the lineup (BS2px). I don't need to tell you what this means, but we know it's going to be a bright future for Penguins! scool.gif

    humanoido
  • walice_drelwalice_drel Posts: 81
    edited 2007-08-26 18:39
    Hitec is a Korean company but is the only humanoid facility in the US that I know of. Also there are tons of places you can buy a robonova not just robot dreams.

    http://www.trossenrobotics.com/store/c/2760-Hitec.aspx

    http://www.robotshop.ca/home/products/robot-kits/advanced-robot-kits/hitec-robonova1-kit.html

    http://www.lynxmotion.com/Product.aspx?productID=452&CategoryID=91

    Just to name a few.

    North and South America :
    Hitec RCD USA,LLC.
    12115 Paine St., Poway, CA 92064
    Tel : 858-748-6948
    Fax 858-748-1767
    Service and Product Support x308 (service@hitecrcd.com)
    Sales x315 (sales@hitecrcd.com)
    Marketing x310

    The Penguin is a great little bot but a far cry from a humanoid.

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