Congratulations Zenta. Your Morphex made it onto the best robot videos of the week from Slate Magazine!
The Week’s Best Robot Videos
Awesome work, Kåre…
dj
Had to read this from start to current. This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!
My hats off to you!
Thanks guys, glad you liked it!
Yeah, it sure got some attention. I just hope more people can see the fun in this kind of hobby.
There are still much work left on this project. I’ll keep you updated when I’ve done some progress.
Merry Christmas to all of you!
Zenta,
WOW, I really like your MorpHex!
I just checked out your blog and videos.
You really do great work.
The MorphHex looks like a robot you might see in a high budget movie.
Regards,
zappman
Hi,
Luckily I had some free time around new-year and this evening to work on this project again. I’ve made some special brackets for the upper sphere section for making them more stable and to give them a little more range. I hope to be able to take some pictures tomorrow or by the weekend of the progress.
I do have some ideas of how to make it roll/move when its in the sphere mode. But I’m still not sure if its gonna work. I’m worried about two things:
- Not sure if the sphere sections are strong enough for this operation.
- Not sure if the servos (5990) are strong enough…
. Currently the 5990’s for the upper sphere section are powered by 6v regulated, I might need to power them directly from the 2S LiPo to get more torque (like I’ve done to the femur servos).
Anyway, I’m having fun! 
10 points to Jim! 
I’ll see if I can post some pictures of the servo power-switch.
Ah i was under the impression jim had a chance to play with MorpHex. inside info. he he.
look forward to the pictures as always. oh and another video would be cool. maybe outside?
Your reading my mind. I’ve been thinking of a outdoor video, maybe when MorpHex walks on top of a hill and then transform into a sphere and roll freely downhill. Or something like that, not sure yet. Would be cool though.
Hi,
I did get enough free time for taking some pictures today! I did plan to do it earlier this week, but suddenly our washing machine broke down… 
So I had to spend some frustrating hours fixing it. 
Before I posted the MorpHex part II video I cheated a little to make the upper sphere sections to operate as intended. The “cheat” was to use some kitchen rubber bands. As you can see from the pictures below the 5990 servo push the upper section out/upward. The rubber-band work like a spring and simply make the sphere section move inward.
http://zentasrobots.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/01/MorpHex51.jpg
http://zentasrobots.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/01/MorpHex52.jpg
I must admit that I’m not a big fan of rubber band solutions though…
Like I said in my previous post I’ve made some special brackets for the upper sphere sections. So I started this year by making six of these:
(One day I’ve got to get me a CNC machine)
http://zentasrobots.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/01/MorpHex50.jpg
They are made of PC and glued together. I did take some pictures of the process of making them, but they are on another camera (at work).
As you can see the brackets makes the upper sphere section much more stable and no need for rubber bands:
http://zentasrobots.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/01/MorpHex53.jpg
http://zentasrobots.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/01/MorpHex54.jpg
As you can see I’m not finished with all sections yet, but so far they seem to work fine.
I did spend some time to figure out a good solution for operating the servo power switch. Its operated using a simple tool for turning it ON. As you also could see in the video turning it OFF is pretty easy (KISS).
Close-up of the switch:
http://zentasrobots.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/01/MorpHex56.jpg
The tool:
http://zentasrobots.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/01/MorpHex59.jpg
The little hole work as a hook for turning the switch ON.
http://zentasrobots.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2012/01/MorpHex58.jpg
That’s it for now. I’ll post some pictures of Morphex when its complete.
Then the most exciting part of this project begins…
As always, nice work Kåre!
Do the Plexiglas brackets add much weight?
Alan KM6VV
Hi, Kåre,
Incredibly beautiful modeling work as always, and the photos are superb. Are you using special close-up lenses?
We are glad to see further progress being made again. It has been an amazing project to follow, so we eagerly await each update like a serial novel in a magazine. But with your showman’s flair, you casually drop a remark about real fun yet to begin and leave us hungering for still more.
I believe you are so skilled and inventive you could somehow build your own CNC machine out of old soccer balls and used TV antennas. If you had Swiss watchmaker’s genes, you could miniaturize your design and build fleets of MorpHexes out of ping pong balls.
Waiting for more
All hand made…!
I give you my hat… lol
Impressing as always.
Thanks Alan!
The brackets add about 154 gram (5,4 oz).
Always enjoy your comments, thanks Ted!
I’m not using my macro lens this time. I’m using a Zuiko digital 14-54mm, the camera is an Olympus E-30.
Thanks!, keep your hat on…
Another MorpHex Sighting
Congratulations, Zenta. Your MorpHex has made the bigtime again!
Servo Magazine’s Feb 2012 issue briefly mentions your bot in, appropriately, the “Bots in Brief” article on page 21. Pictures and tantalizing description included.
Way to go, Kåre!
Hi Ted,
Yeah, I noticed the little article when I got the servo magazine last week. I think its a bit silly when they start talking about laser guns though . But its always fun to get some attention though.
An amazing machine
HI!
I’m probably way to excited to write anything that make sense now 
. Anyway, to day I got MorpHex to roll like a ball ! YEAH! 
The fun part is that I’ve not done anything to the code yet. I’m just using the functions I’ve already made. That mean the rolling motion is not very controllable, more like a proof of concept. But when I’m finished writing the “roll code” it will perform much better and hopefully be easier to control in “roll mode” too. The only thing I’ve done so far is to do the mechanical stuff I’ve already mentioned and calibrated the upper sphere servos.
Powering the upper sphere servos (5990) directly from the 2S LiPo was also a major reason for success, the extra punch made almost the ball to jump (almost 
), well the ball started to roll pretty fast too. So far the sphere sections seem to hold. It look likes the PC panels are strong enough for the task too.
This is one of these wonderful moments I just love.
…Ok, I think its time to stop writing.
Excellent news! Great to hear of the success. 8)
Thanks Jim! I’m taking a brake the rest of the evening. way to excited for thinking clear.
Sounds great!
Can not wait to see it.
Kurt