Issy

Thought I would post about my latest robot: Issy (short for IssyDunnYet). I started actually making this robot run around about 3 weeks ago, and amazingly, it's ready to go in time for MechWars next weekend at Robogames in San Fransisco.

Issy is built out of 13 AX-12 servos using the bioloid frame kit, lynxmotion SES brackets for legs, and a custom AVR-based controller with an XBEE wireless link back to my PC. For competing in MechWars he is carrying a Wifi camera (through which I watch and drive), and an airsoft gun, as well as the required scoring system. 

UPDATE 11-25-09

Whoops, forgot to update stuff here after robogames. After quite a bit of work onsite, Issy won the Gold medal. Since I wasn't entirely familiar with the Bioloid servos at the time, I made a number of mistakes in how I was using them (and so they were severely underpowered). I ended up removing Issy's 3rd DOF in each leg to lighten him up and reduce the load on his leg servos. I also had to slow him down to avoid the scoring system detecting his rough walk as a hit. He's since been rebuilt as a slightly smaller fire fighting robot. A video summarizing Mech Warfare year 1, and showing lots of Issy, can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ_bAsbZLt4 

For anyone wanting more technical details, I've posted a tutorial on building Issy. His source code has also been open sourced and is included as an example in the ArbotiX release.