CURRENT ISSUE
Contests
Feature Article
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Issue #200 March 2007
Inertial Rolling Robot
by Jeff Bingham & Lee Magnusson
Jeff and Lee’s H8/3664-based rolling robot is capable of inertial movement. A DC electric motor is attached to a pendulum and suspended inside an inflated ball, which provides the driving force.
Start | Electronics | Drive Motor | Servo Motor | Pressure Sensor | Software | DC Drive Motor Control | Servo Motor Control | Mechanical Components | Manufacturing | Assembly | Findings | Sources & PDF
We live in miraculous times. In today’s world, it is now possible for you to design and build devices that even 20 years ago would have bordered on science fiction. Wheeled robots are now relatively common, and for the individual looking for novel projects, new types of motion are often sought.
In this article, we’ll outline a mobile robot design that
adds a twist to simple rolling (see Photo 1). We’ll also discuss the electronics,
software, and mechanical issues that we encountered. We hope that you
enjoy this robot as much as we have!
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| Photo 1a—The robot’s inner core consists of an electronics assembly and a mechanical drive assembly. b—The robot’s spherical shell is an inflatable playground ball. The inner core is suspended via a drive axle from the two plastic caps. |
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