I have been reading a lot of these articles over a period of time while trying to develop a good understanding of robotics before I begin making them. (It's always a good idea to test the water before jumping into a lake, right?)
I eventually hope to make a small robot and add onto the body as I go along. (Just let it evolve, ya know?) However, in it's final stage, I hope for it to be able to convert from a wheeled form (a faster, more compact and portable wheeled version consisting of the biped's body and head) To a biped form where the limbs have a sort of extending telescope quality to them, and extend to make a robot that can pick up objects.
I'd like to know if anyone had any pointers.
I know it sounds sort of unrealistic, I know. BUT! Isn't doing stuff like this the point of this site?
You think in the right lines, but this will take time.
To make working legs that can keep their own balance takes a lot of work. But if you manage to make it, there is nothing to stop you from attaching a body with arms and sensors on top. I don’t think it will be so much converting from wheels to legs, but more building a walking bot and reusing the top half of your old wheeled robot. Programming biped motion is completely different from getting some wheels to turn. After all you are trying to emulate the motion of human legs that uses over 40 muscles each
When we walk, our legs, as a whole, use a rotating motion, like when we cycle. Maybe you can simply attach legs to the wheels, and rotate the wheels to make the legs mimic the motion of walking. I’m sorry if I can’t explain it any better, though.
Hrm. It appears you have a point Maneuver. What if I created the bot with a rollerskating motion instead?
As for balance, I had this notion in my head that perhaps I could create some “hips” (Which is basically a horizontal bar with some alternating weights) Along with some baloons filled with…beads and stuff…added to the legs.
@ERYFKRAD: I like that wheel suggestion. I’ll see if I can use it somehow.
Sorry, I don’t follow. The Sorry, I don’t follow. The moving hips part is not unheard of, but what are the balloons on the legs for? If you need extra weight I’d suggest you try placing you motors and batteries to get the balancing properties you need instead of adding dead weight…
Ok, so I have been learning some basic electronics. (Ohms law, circuts, functions of resistors, and the like) I can now say I’m not a COMPLETE newbie.
@Maneuver: Better idea. It was a dead weight thing. I figure if something is heavier at the bottom, it tends to stay up more easily.
And, I plan on rotoscoping a walking cycle as a reference for a biped walk cycle. (As there are LOADS of subtle movements the people use to keep balance while walking.)
The way people balance is, I The way people balance is, I think, by simply placing all the weight on the foot on the ground. So, your dead weight might have to shift from one foot to the other.
