Now we have wonderful tutorials for making beginners and small robots, but bigger robot need stronger frame, motors, bigger batteries and can do much more work.
There are good examples of medium size robots here, but it would be useful to me and maybe others if there is a good comparison of various motors and drivers, how to get them and what to care about to avoid crashes and dangers.
So a tutorial wouldn’t be so right
Changed title to “guide”.
I agree that a tutorial would give a false sense of security in a field that require money and practice.
I was thinking more than a guide like OddBot’s tutorial about Arduino than a “start here” guide.
Now i have that i’ve done repairs on laptops, built a 3d printer, made a small robot, hacked a stair elevator and repaired a lawnmover i feel sure enough of myself to try something more challenging.
Shipping from USA to Italy trough UPS it’s crazy and from China is really long, but i can scavenge parts from failure sales, old big toys, car graveyards or old wheelchairs. I have even a two disabled friends that would be so happy to control their wheelchair with a phone( or remote control them for pranks), but hacking their wheelchair is out of discussion, as it’s given from public sanitary service, and they must leave it as it is.
Building a frame also it wouldn’t be a problem as i worked as carpenteer for a year and i can safely fold and cut metal, with lots of spare metal sheets to experiment with.
I was going to make a collection of various approaches, gathering data from good projects like the MDi series, the SuperdroidBot Anna, TOBI from TheGrue, the wheelchair reverse engineered robot from Salvage, the Snow Plow Robot and many other.
However i’m sure that a guide about a wheelchair motor can do, compared to big toy motors or drills could be useful:)
What about drivers?
I searched around for medium size robots and popular motor drivers are the Sabertooth and the T’rex. There are other suitable drivers?
I thought you guys would never ask.
AndyMark- everything*
BaneBots- motors, gearboxes, and wheels
VexPro- everything*
All three of these sites are common part sources for robots that weigh up to 140 lbs for a high school competition that will be using a new control system by National Instruments starting January 2015. Just have a budget ready.
*Structure, electronics, batteries, motors, sprockets & chain, pulleys & belts, pneumatics, wheels (hard rubber, pneumatic, omni, mecanum) & hubs (live axle and dead axle), gearboxes (single stage, multi stage, single speed, two speed, spur, planetary, bevel, adjustable)
Nice!
but all these three shops ship from outside Europe, and i fear to pay too much in taxes.
However i anchored the idea about how much a motor, a frame or a mechanical component would cost.
I suspect all of the bargain
I suspect all of the bargain ‘stuff’ ships from China (via clipper ship), lol. Sounds like your parameters are in the light industrial area- prime for benchtop manufacturing, which is where I need to be in 2015. McMaster-Carr, Grainger, Zorotools, VXB bearings, and other industrial supply houses can be a good starting point for getting into motors, controllers, transmission, etc. Above 2HP (1.5kW), be prepared with a 3 phase load center, lol.
CNCZone’s projects are more geared to the larger loads and budgets.
Robogames.net has a link to
Robogames.net has a link to a fantastic indepth tutorial on building combat robots which was prepared by the Riobotz Team. I guess most of the ideas used in building combots can be taken as an inspiration to build other kinds of medium sized robots as well.
