Hi Carl,
Whew! You’re FAST! My CH3-R 'Bot is still not all together. I’ve got two more servo horns to swap out.
Yours is looking good, 'tho.
Yep! and cool nylon inserts to keep the servo centered in the brackets. Reminds me of TO-220 mounting hardware. Nice mod! 8)
Thanks much for the compliments guys.
When building my robots I use all kinds of pieces parts. We are fortunate to have in Orlando, SkyCraft Surplus. It is one of those places you can browse for hours and always find things you need or things you will need sometime in the future. Heck, even my wife likes going there now with me to shop. 
Got a couple more things planned which I will be working on after Thanksgiving. One of the mods is pretty ‘kool’ so I will be taking a few pictures to show what I have done.
Carl
Jim, thanks much for a great product. In fact, all your kits are great and all your pieces work fantastic. Wish more businesses had your attitude about quality work.
Yes Carl,
Where DID you get the Nylon inserts?
I noticed some black rubber shock mounts in the kit that comes with the '475 servos I just bought, but it doesn’t look like they can be used with the current brackets.
Alan KM6VV
I got them at SkyCraft Surplus but it is one of those items you just see in the aisles when you are browseing and shopping.
I am flying to Orlando tomorrow and plan on going to SkyCraft before we leave to go see my mom for Thanksgiving. I will try and pickup a hundred or so of the nylon inserts if they still have them.
Carl
Thanks Carl!
I’d appreciate it!
What are they called? Are they special for R/C servos? I don’t believe I’ve seen them before.
Alan KM6VV
As for what they are called, I believe they are just shoulder washers. That is the name I have always known them by.
Carl
Hi Carl,
Just shoulder washers? they looked like they had a little index tab to key into the servo; must be my imagination!
Alan KM6VV
That’s what a shoulder washer is… I’m guessing it’s just coincidence that it fits the servo holes.
A while back I saw a video of a hexapod that used its front legs for pincers to pick up something and carry it around. Well, I thought about that and decided I wanted to add that feature to my hexapod but how to do it was the big question. Finally, I was browsing the Lynx site and saw these pieces, lynxmotion.com/Product.aspx? … egoryID=87, Low Profile Axis kits, and new that was the ticket.
Since today is miserable outside, which means I can’t fly my helicopters, I decided it was time to add the pincers to my hexapod.
I have not finished all the code just yet but she is still walking and moving and that is a good thing.
Carl
http://www.thequickster.com/images/IMGP3819.JPG
http://www.thequickster.com/images/IMGP3820.JPG
http://www.thequickster.com/images/IMGP3822.JPG
http://www.thequickster.com/images/IMGP3825.JPG
http://www.thequickster.com/images/IMGP3828.JPG
http://www.thequickster.com/images/IMGP3831.JPG
Nice! Those LPAs added quite a bit of added abilities! when you have the code done, you have got to get a Youtube video of it! 8)
Hi!
Very creative! I guess those Low Profile Axis kits make the femur part a bit longer? But since you are working with the code (IK part…) you hopefully has it under control 
Would be fun to see a video of these nice pincers in action!
Great job! 8)
Thanks for the comments SN96 and zenta.
The LPAs only add about .5" to the femur so that is not too bad. I may make some new brackets for the front legs and make them each .25" shorter.
Carl
Wow, Carl! That is an awesome use of the LPA. I have never used the LPA so far, but am going to have to investigate the possibilities. I have some new ideas… 
Come join us at the HexaPodRobotIK group! We need you there. Be sure to edit your membership and select “Traditional” instead of “Full Featured” to cut out all the Yahoo stuff in messages.
I just got a WowWee RoboQuad.
8-Dale
WOW! That is really creative! This should be made into a totorial on LM so others can learn how to modify their hex’s like this. Its super cool and must be a real useful to have use of picking up objects with the front legs instead of adding an arm to the top (which can be way more expensive).
Cudos! Excellent idea IMO 8)
Hmmm, facinating… This might be workable with the CH3-R leg style, even to the extent of allowing for the 0.5" or so added length to the leg. If I understand how IK works, it should be possible to adjust for that in the software.
8-Dale
What I’d really like to know is if you can get that thing to walk on only four legs (while the two front legs are holding an object). Quads are harder to make walk because there is on weight on 2 legs at a time when walking - not to mention the weight of the object your carrying will make the robot quite front heavy and will be a challenge to distribute weight into the back more when walking.
Although, if it does work, again, it will be a neat way to be able to pick up objects with the bot without the need to add an arm or some kind of pinsers.
So when you get it to work I think we should make this a sticky or perhaps a neat totorial on the website. Its a low-cost idea that is more “life like” or animal/insect like (rather than having an arm strapped to its back)
This will be the interesting thing. Can it actually walk on four legs and balance while using the two front legs to hold something? I am positive this could be accomplished with an octapod, because then you would still have six legs for the robot to walk on while gripping with the front two.
This will be a bit if a challenge to do with four legs, but I believe it can be done.
I would love to see a tutorial such as this, and other things that would use the LPA. Now I wish I had a hexapod to tinker with.
8-Dale
Hi Carl,
Yes! That’s what I was talking about! Although I was thinking of putting the new rotating joint up next to the coxa. How does it work where you have it? Makes a LOT of sense.
The Tibias seem to work for grippers as well! I suppose one could add some sort of serrated rubber grips along the inside of the “leg” to improve the gripping area.
Well done! And the pix are great, lots of detail! looks like I need to order some parts!
Might be just a little tight on my 'bot, as my body is smaller. But I do want to try it!
Could probably just make shorter tibias; but shortening the brackets works too!
(and Dale)
Now He just needs 8 legs! And maybe space them a little more like a spider, with one pair of tibias bigger (the rear). With 8 legs, you’d have a full 6 for walking!
Alan KM6VV
I need to see if there is a 3D model of the LPA assembly, and if not I want to create one. I have been creating quite a few 3D models lately. I need to send an archive to Beth soon (all in Alibre, IGES, and STEP 214 formats).
I am going to see if I can fit something like this on the end of the arm I am designing for the front point on WALTER’s new body.
I am ready to create the 2D drawings of WALTER’s new decks as soon as I figure out how to do it. It’s time to send some stuff off to you. I haven’t even gotten in to trying to learn how to use the new AlibreCAM module yet - I don’t have nothing to use it with.
8-Dale