To LUGNET HomepageTo LUGNET News HomepageTo LUGNET Guide Homepage
 Help on Searching
 
Post new message to lugnet.technicOpen lugnet.technic in your NNTP NewsreaderTo LUGNET News Traffic PageSign In (Members)
 Technic / 14607
14606  |  14608
Subject: 
Re: Pneumatic "One Leg at a Time" Robot Circuit
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.technic
Date: 
Tue, 13 Sep 2005 21:23:09 GMT
Viewed: 
7626 times
  
In lugnet.technic, Kevin L. Clague wrote:
> In lugnet.technic, Mark Bellis wrote:
> > A while ago I saw an electric robot on TV that had 6 legs in 2 rows of 3 and
> > moved one leg at a time forwards (lift, forward, down), then all back together.
> > 
> > I thought this is an ideal application for Lego pneumatics.

(SNIP)
> > 
> > http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/mbellis/Technic/Pneumatics/Building-Blocks/pneumatic_one_leg_at_a_time_robot_circuit.jpg
> > 
> > There are 5n+3 steps in the cycle, where n is the number of legs.  The circuit
> > uses 3n+1 (or 4n+1) cylinders and 7n+2 valve switches.
> > 
> > Load bearing is accommodated by the fact that all the legs share the weight, so
> > if a small pressure drop occurs when a raised foot is lowered, all the other
> > feet would rise a bit rather than one leg rising all the way, and it would equal
> > out by the time the raised foot was fully lowered.
> > 
> > As well as walking robots, this circuit lends itself to any function that
> > requires several sub-systems to operate in sequence, with a global reset at the
> > end.
> > 
> > Mark
> 
> Hi Mark,
> 
>   Now I know what to build next..... a four legged walker that lifts one leg at
> a time.  On paper it looks like I can get one made for 1+2n pistons and 2+4n
> switches.  This assumes that legs mechanically lock when weight bearing. I don't
> use pneumatic differential pair logic when making walkers.  I stick with single
> switch AND gates that Mark Terrabain turned me on to.
> 
>   In general I don't think that differential pair logic is the most cost
> effective way to build sequencers because they are so much more expensive to
> implement.
> 
> Kev

This one has moved away from my usual differential logic.  Each leg module has a
flip-flop for the foot and hip, which does 3 out of 4 movements and waits for
the fourth to be done all legs together.

I see how single switch AND gates work for several legs in parallel, but this
robot is one leg at a time, which has a greater overhead of pneumatic parts.
Perhaps using 3 leg modules with a few single switch AND gates would make a
decent 6-legged 2 at a time robot.  It doesn't have the same steering capability
that you've added with reversers though, but it was directly modelled on the
robot I saw, rather than the ideal function.

I had a surprise the other day.  Looking on my old computer I discovered that
I'd drawn a 1+4 AND gate for myself long before I joined the online community!
I wouldn't quibble about credits, though it just shows how great minds think
alike!  The discovery was not a surprise in one sense, because I wondered how I
had developed my octopus arm without first making an AND gate.  The octopus arm
is an old design too, but it combines single and differential logic.  I think I
drew a first circuit sketch and then minimised it, probably removing a third of
the switches!

Mark



Message has 1 Reply:
  Re: Pneumatic "One Leg at a Time" Robot Circuit
 
(...) I understand that leg 0 is moved up forward then down, leg 1 is moved up/forward/down, leg2 is moved up/forward/down, leg 3 is moved up/forward/down, and finally leg 0, leg 1, leg 2 and leg3 are moved back. I don't quite understand why you (...) (21 years ago, 13-Sep-05, to lugnet.technic)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Pneumatic "One Leg at a Time" Robot Circuit
 
(...) Hi Mark, Now I know what to build next..... a four legged walker that lifts one leg at a time. On paper it looks like I can get one made for 1+2n pistons and 2+4n switches. This assumes that legs mechanically lock when weight bearing. I don't (...) (21 years ago, 13-Sep-05, to lugnet.technic)

16 Messages in This Thread:





Entire Thread on One Page:
Nested:  All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:  All | Brief | Compact

This Message and its Replies on One Page:
Nested:  All | Brief | Compact | Dots
Linear:  All | Brief | Compact
    

©2005 LUGNET. All rights reserved. - hosted by steinbruch.info GbR