Alibre Design has been able to do this for quite awhile, but I have not used it much. That could be changing soon though. I can “publish” any 3D model to a 3D PDF file. This allows the viewer to rotate, spin, zoom, etc. to see the model from any angle.
All you have to do is click on the image a couple times, and a top toolbar will appear with the 3D controls. You can now rotate and zoom the model any way you want to see it from any angle. I have published 3 of these 3D PDFs of v5.0 of The Bipod for everyone to try out.
Enjoy and let me know if this is useful or not. If it is useful, I will probably start publishing my models this way instead of taking multiple pictures of them from fixed angles. This 3D PDF is really much more flexible.
You need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader for this to work.
I have assembled almost all of the brackets for The Bipod now. I still need to get the brackets for the feet and another pair of L brackets to handle a design change I had to make on the fly to handle the ankle rotation and attachment of a second 3" U channel at the back of the body for a battery holder and electronics attachment.
I had designed the ankle rotation joint such that the two ASB-04’s were connected in a way that would not work. I have also discovered another fit related problem where I can not attach a second 3" U channel to another one at the back of the robot for a battery holder.
It is so close, but there is not quite enough clearance because the C brackets connecting the legs to the body prevents attachment of the second U channel to the main body U channel. If the C brackets were just a little bit narrower, and it would not take much shaving off to make this work.
I will probably attach an L bracket to the back of the body U channel and attach the second U channel to that.
With the feet designed the way they are, The Bipod can take a bit more weight at the back without falling over.
Yup, I agree with Seamus. Its a nice feature to have!
You can also add a gyro and accelerometer on each leg to add even more support! Then have an interrupt get triggered when the G forces are rather high (falling over) and have it stabilize itself. Then you can make one of those cool videos where you poke and push the bugger around but it stays up .
I would really like to put one of those 5DOF IMU’s on The Biped - accelerometer and gyro all in one neat package.
I have not been able to get interrupts to work with the Atom PRO yet. I have no idea what I am not doing right.
Yeah, The Bipod wobbles, but it don’t fall down…
This is no ordinary biped though. Its legs are mostly the same as those of a 3DOF hexapod (look close at a 3D model and you will see), with one additional joint to make the legs 4DOF…
Here are the latest and greatest models of The Biped v5.1. Since I have made some minor design changes in some of the modules and the way they attach. I have separate modules for the body (Bipod and Mega Scout type bodies), left and right upper legs, left and right lower legs (for Mega Scout), and feet (3 different types).
These 3D PDF files are created with Alibre Design v9.2, which was just released. These PDFs are under 1 Meg in size - less than 1/4 the size of the 3D PDFs created by v9.1.
I created a seven page 3D PDF of The BiPod today. It has seven different views and is a little under 4.5 Meg in size (about the same size as a single page 3D PDF used to be).
The BiPod v5.1 - There are even a couple views showing how the BiPod might take a step in each mode of walking (MultiPod mode and Biped mode).
It was zoomcat who caused me to redesign the feet to be larger, since The BiPod is quite a bit wider than most bipeds you would see. It looks very strange too, which suits it for being so different.
There are many places to put various sensors on The BiPod, including two places on each foot and more than one place on the leg, plus there is the nifty sensor turret where some interesting things will find a home.
Accelerometers and Gyros are on my list, as is a Compass, Thermal Sensor (TPA01), a camera, and the usual selection of IR and Ultrasonic sensors. One of my goals for The BiPod is to have a very sensor friendly robot with many places for sensors.
I have ordered the final batch of brackets to complete the first phase of the build for The BiPod. Then I just have to get the servos to populate those brackets, batteries, and a battery charger for the 6V battery packs. I already have the ABB, SCC-32, Atom PRO, and electronics carrier for the backpack, but I may replace the ABB and Atom PRO with an ooPIC-R (which has the same form factor as the ABB).
My goal for next month is to get at least two HS-645MG servos, test them, and then send them off to be converted into Open Servos. With the Open Servos, the robot will be able to tell if it is up against something, has got its feet on the ground, has taken hold of something, etc. I also need two HS-475MG servos for the pan/tilt sensor turret.
As of this moment, I have all the brackets assembled except for needing one more pair of ASB-06B (“L” Brackets) to complete assembly of the right foot. I somehow ended up with one pair of ARF-02B (in the design) and one pair of ARF-01B feet (not in the design), but I will go ahead and use the ARF-01B feet anyway - it will just make The BiPod look a bit stranger than it already is, and a bit more unique.
As soon as I get two HS-475HB servos, I can finish assembling the pan/tilt turret “head” of The BiPod. I have all the brackets now and have assembled what I can without the servos.
The BiPod is actually becoming more real to me since I have been able to attach the feet, with the exception of one ASB-06B in the right foot. The BiPod is one very strange looking biped, and its sideways walk will be even stranger.
wow! I didn’t know PDFs can do 3D images like that. How does it know what to show when you rotate it? Thats amazing!
I still need to get the brackets for the feet and another pair of L brackets to handle a design change I had to make on the fly to handle the ankle rotation and attachment of a second 3" U channel at the back of the body for a battery holder and electronics attachment.
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