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I’m not going to finish the Mana Cat. I rather build something else.
It was interesting to test out the leg configuration with the Mana.
They actually work really well.
The gearing works well and is strong.
The controlability is tricky and is not really precise.
Also due to the orientation of each Mana, the leg button control is different.
Making it confusing to control because of the 16 different ways the four legs
move.
I needed to create the basic body design to test the application.
I learned a couple of things when I tested and built the body.
Like the spine idea. It works great! Bends fwd/rev.
I developed the ankles to “return” to a level position, thus the spine idea was
born. I didn’t want to create any additional control surfaces, I wanted the Mana
remote to be the only control. So no adjustability in the ankles or elsewhere on
the robot. Just the Mana driving the legs in an effort to “shimmy” or walk.
Really my dismay with this project started with the feet. They do the job, but
are not pretty and they look clunky. Plus the rear feet looked just like the
front ones. Yuck.
Plus, the neck area created issues and I had difficulty making the kind of
components I wanted. They would have required additional motors and sensors.
Items I did not want to add. Plus the whole base of the neck was making it
difficult to build.
I took a break, and then another and another. Got Builders-Block, then began the
head. The head was soooooo cool, I decided it belonged to another Mecha.
I created the face of a new robot, added a pilot, installed nifty new trans 2x2
LED bricks from HiTechnic (eyes), added the motors and gearing for the head
up/down tilt, added the motors and gearing for the left/right pan over the
course of this past week.
Last night I completed the main shoulder actuation for the upper most fwd/rev
joint. I will go to the studio tonight and work on the shoulder splay.
All black technic and plates, heavy gearing, z8 to z40, dual high rpm motors,
z24 worm driven.
So the robot that will come about from this project is a more like a promise I
kept to myself; complete the
Super Mech Bot. The new
robot will look like what was originally intended; an elongated hexapod - like
the RG Mech.
I now need two more Mana Units. Anyone? Each leg will have a Mana so the legs
can do neat things, while sporting a fully motorized armature on top.
My camera charger is messed up, so until I take pictures, so long Mana Cat.
The kitty that almost never was.
Thoughts? or more dead air, share your ideas, contribute.
e
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Message has 5 Replies:
 | | Re: Mana Cat
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| That's too bad E. I know how it is though. Many of projects sit on my bench, and I wonder if I'll ever work on them again. Usually they are dissassembled. I'll light a candle for Mana Cat. Mecha can be hard that way. WE get so far and then the (...) (19 years ago, 6-Sep-05, to lugnet.technic, lugnet.robotics, lugnet.build.mecha, FTX)
| | | Re: Mana Cat
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| (...) Sorry to hear it. It's always a little annoying when a creation doesn't work out. One thing you might want to look at for the next time is the proper anatomy of a cat, especially in the feet - your skeleton is missing a joint on each leg, and (...) (19 years ago, 7-Sep-05, to lugnet.technic, lugnet.robotics, lugnet.build.mecha, FTX)
| | | Re: Mana Cat
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| (...) I didn't think you could come into such problems while building. With your skills I thought every building related problem could be solved. Seems with the skills even the problems grow... What I saw up to now was nice to look at. It made me (...) (19 years ago, 8-Sep-05, to lugnet.technic, lugnet.robotics, lugnet.build.mecha)
| | | Re: Mana Cat
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| (...) I have to say, I'm fairly well baffled by what you were up to here, but it sure looked cool. Having been to Brickfest now, I have an appreciation for the importance of seeing MOCs in person, particularly mechs. Did you know the cockpit on (...) (19 years ago, 11-Sep-05, to lugnet.technic, lugnet.robotics, lugnet.build.mecha, FTX)
| | | Re: Mana Cat
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| Thanks guys, I wanted to say, I have been avoiding LUGNET, but I'm glad I came here to read these two nice replies. There are others who only come out when there is something nasty to say. I also wanted to mention that I have been certified as an (...) (19 years ago, 11-Sep-05, to lugnet.technic, lugnet.robotics, lugnet.build.mecha)
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