Using a gyro in SEQ as an input to adjust leveling a hexapod

Lynxmotion Electronics & Software
1

I was pondering something. Using a Hexapod or a Biped for example, would it be possible to use a single axi gyro, or a couple of them, to maintain an upright position in a robot?

In my case, I’m still making my way through the BasicX guide to learn how to program. I can do simple things but I think programming to use an accelerometer is out of my abilities at the moment. I, however, am very familiar with helicopter gyros and have used them in other applications as well.

So I thought, a rate gyro will sense a a change in rotation on an axi then respond by moving a servo to correct and stop the change (and return to the original position before the change in the case of a Head-Hold gyro). So if you were to put a gyro on a Hexapod so it sensed a change in the lateral axi, front to back (so any rotation to the left side or right side, tipping) then had the gyro, instead of moving a tail servo on a helicopter, it would adjust the height of the legs on the left or right side of the Hexapod to level itself out. Make sense?

So basically the gyro would work independently but you would need a way to collect the servo out data from the gyro lead and translate that into a custom group movement. So if the Gyro sensed the hex was leaning considerably to the left (walking sideways across a bank or slope) it would respond by extending the height of the left legs slightly and lower the height of the right legs slightly. Basically by offsetting the right and left leg positions by adding or subtracting from the normal operating position. The Hex walking seq would continue running as intended but with these small offsets in height added in at the same time, determined by the gyro.

I hope this makes sense. This I think I could do except for the group adjustment required. I can’t wire the hip joints together to be run by the gyro for obvious reasons so I’m wondering if there would be a way to use the SEQ program to accept the gyro output as an input, and react by adjusting the leg height. Or would this require programming as well and I might as well use an accelerometer of some sort?

Thanks

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If my description is a little vague or just plain doesn’t make sense, let me know. :smiley:

I’m curious if I can incorporate a helicopter gyro to adjust group positions. Does the SEQ software allow input devices to make changes to servo positions?

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From what I know of SEQ, it is able to output code for either a Basic ATOM or ATOM PRO microcontroller. You could then hook whatever code you need for the gyro into that and call the necessary routine(s) to level your position. SEQ will do a lot of the work for you, but it would be up to you to add the code to take input from the gyro and call routine(s) to change the robot’s position.

8-Dale

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Well my MiniAtom botboard and Atom Pro 28 chip are on there way in the mail now. I haven’t got as far as exporting Basic code from the SEQ. I’ll have to familiarize myself with it a bit. I’m learning BasicX too.

I didn’t think it would be as simple as plug and play the gyro and setup the response to the inputs in the SEQ.

Thanks for the advice. I’ll work on it once I get to that point.