We are adding a few more brackets to the Servo Erector Set today. Among other things they make possible a more insect looking leg design. This example uses a spring to load balance the leg. We will have an indirect drive version soon.
I, for one, would like to welcome our giant robot bug overlords.
Is that the Ball Bearing Hub Kit at the “knee” joint?
And can we pretty please have an advance photo of the indirect drive version?
Um… Me to I guess… 
Yep it does use the BBH-01 at the knee.
I am still waiting for the sample brackets to arive. I will post images soon. 
Here is the prototype for the indirect drive version. I am still experimenting with the servo placememnt and the linkage. It looks promising. I personally can’t wait to build up the other 5 legs and give them a good workout.
Let me know what you think…
All I can say is, Jim do you realize you have one of the coolest jobs on earth? 
Tinman
Sometimes I wonder…
But really I started selling robot kits in my spare time out of my basement in 1995. It sorta took off on me. The business side of things interests me the least. I do enjoy the robotics design aspect. I alway say, “it’s easy to build a cool robot. It’s not easy to make a cool robot kit that anyone can build.” I do appreciate the good words. Thanks…
That should be nice and strong.
And we get a new bracket to play with too!
Thanks!
I can relate to that Jim.
I had an online landscaping business that specialized in backyard water gardens. I sold products from my web page, and the part I hated was the business side of things also. I enjoyed designing the webpage and making the graphics to most. My site started at a slow crawl, but began to to move forward after six months online. Unfortunately, I had to shut down due to personal finances. I give you a lot of credit because this is something you have to deal with every day, like a small child in diapers; you constantly have to be with it and baby it. Vacations are very hard to come by.
No doubt running your own business can be a hassle on the “business” side of things.
I too had my own business in the early 90’s. I sold and set up custom saltwater aquariums for restaurants, doctor/dentist offices with custom tanks and matching furniture. Fun job but the financial side was a real drag. Luckily my very brilliant wife handled that side so all I had to do was the “fun” part.
I didn’t have a vacation for the entire three years I owned my company. Eventually I traded it in for a job building interiors for executive aircraft.
Tinman
Jim, wouldn’t the use of a ABS-19B as the servo horn inprove the speed, since the servo would move only a few deg.s as compare to the larger movement of the round servo horn?
Um, yes… but it would significantly reduce the strength of the arangement. In an indirect drive system you want to use as much of the 180° range of the servo as possible, then link it to the device you want to move in a way that it only moves the maximum amount required, but not more. Break these rules and you either loose strength or you don’t have enough movement to do what you want.
Oh here is video of this leg on a bot walking. 
lynxmotion.com/images/video/buglegs.mpg
That is awesome.
Indirect is the way to go!
Now lets get our bipeds arms and legs lighter too so they can move faster.
