I have noticed this as well when I tried getting stuff in blue or yellow. So, I guess the basic robot color is going to be black except where I can inject a bit of color into it. Black does look a bit more dangerous…
While not necessarily revolutionary I have been experimenting with the tibia on this prototype 2DOF hexapod. There is a spring that allows the tip if the tibia to float while the hex is walking. The middle leg takes the brunt of the floating when the hex is walking forward, but the fore and aft tibias do more floating when the hex is turning in place.
The tibia needs to be made from aluminum, and I need to decide if the femur will be two plates or just the one. Trying to keep the costs down.
The chassis is now aluminum…
Here is an image of the bot.
Here is a closeup of the leg.
Here is the chassis with the optional side panels.
I used to have the original hexapod 1, quadrapod, and hexapod 2 PE… but those got stolen a few years back along with a bunch of my stuff! Coulda been collector editions! I’ll miss the yellow plastic look, but overall I think the aluminum designs are much more practical.
Yeah, that’s a foot alright! A little compliance in a leg wouldn’t hurt. Pad size is about right for a pressure or capacitive sensor as well.
I don’t quite see the function of the linkage on the new 2DOF 'bot (other then transfer of motion). Is it to provide some sort of “soft” linkage to the servo? The “Crust Critter” or some such 'bot was complaining about that, I think I read.
OK ready to copy. I’m just wondering whether or not to take time to check out the touch sensor chips I found. I’ll need to make up a little PCB with a PIC and the QT1081 8-KEY QTouch Sensor IC. Also need to have your I2C interface working! ;>)
It actually looks like a minimal mod to my aluminum tibia to incorporate this touch sensor. It could probably work with ANY of the tibia designs, as an after-sale mod.
I think I’m going to need a couple of Schmart boards (both QT and PIC are SMT). I’ve got a circuit design and the firmware already in mind.