An attempt at a gyroscopic robot. This is a work very much in progress. I first got the idea from the Gyroscopic Precession Robot by demej00, and ended up accidentally building a larger one than the Meccano one which is shown on his description of a gyroscopic precession bot.
It shakes dreadfully, and isn't at all stable, but it's the best I can manage atm with such Meccano parts as I have. It needs possibly a faster and higher torque motor for a stronger gyroscopic effect … I don't know … I've experimented with a few different flywheels, gearings and motors with mixed and unsatisfying results, and am going to try Lego Mindstorms/Technic next, to see if it's less shaky at a good speed for gyroscopic stability.
Thanks nhbill and Duane for the welcome. It took me all afternoon to get this lot uploaded. I don’t know if it’s the site or my Mac, but for hours I just couldn’t get it to upload photos by any means. It worked in the end, though I didn’t do anything different <shrug>.
Anyhoo, a Meccano gyroscope this size with twin steel Meccano circular plates is a ferocious thing to put one’s fingers near, hence the cage I built around it (see photo). If it fell over it would scoot along the floor really fast and hit the wall, and it was forever making friction burns on the wiring and trying to nip my fingers. It’s safer now, and more stable with the bigger feet I added, and runs smoother and vibrates a lot less since I remembered that, unlike Lego, Meccano needs oiling.
If I pick it up I can really feel the gyroscopic stability not wanting it to be twisted or turned, but I wish I could figure out what to change to make it lift its feet up properly. I added a second circular plate for double the flywheel weight and it didn’t make a noticeable difference.
Now to see if I can get my main current project, my Lego Mindstorms EV3 omnibot/tribot, uploaded properly…
Thanks nhbill and Duane for the welcome. It took me all afternoon to get this lot uploaded. I don’t know if it’s the site or my Mac, but for hours I just couldn’t get it to upload photos by any means. It worked in the end, though I didn’t do anything different <shrug>.
Anyhoo, a Meccano gyroscope this size with twin steel Meccano circular plates is a ferocious thing to put one’s fingers near, hence the cage I built around it (see photo). If it fell over it would scoot along the floor really fast and hit the wall, and it was forever making friction burns on the wiring and trying to nip my fingers. It’s safer now, and more stable with the bigger feet I added, and runs smoother and vibrates a lot less since I remembered that, unlike Lego, Meccano needs oiling.
If I pick it up I can really feel the gyroscopic stability not wanting it to be twisted or turned, but I wish I could figure out what to change to make it lift its feet up properly. I added a second circular plate for double the flywheel weight and it didn’t make a noticeable difference.
Now to see if I can get my main current project, my Lego Mindstorms EV3 omnibot/tribot, uploaded properly…
Wow, looks beautiful, so clockwork - love the sounds. Yeah, gyroscopes seem kind of fickle - the idea is kind of cool but implementing is a real mystery. Neat job!
… steampunk kind of feel to this robot, like a sort of elemental, unstoppable machine force as it trudges relentlessly along its mindless way … ahem sorry, I’m getting poetic.
Thanks for the compliments, and of course for the original inspiration, without which my gyrobot wouldn’t have been born.
… is a real hedonist, only interested in getting stroked and played with. He completely ignores my robots, even when they crash into him. Our two Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs, otoh, consider a robot a definite threat to household security, and will circle it barking wildly.
…is mounted directly on its shaft. The walking mechanism is driven by the same motor through the reduction pulleys. The motor has actually burnt out now, and I need to replace it.
