Skip to main content

Robot Inspiration Series #3: Self-Balancing Wheeled Robots - Part 2

By
Kirk Backstrom did an excellent post on Saturday about self balancing robots.

One of Kirk's points was that there are a lot of types of robots that can be made with this technology that hasn't been done yet with the NXT - so most people design robots that only balance or move (front / back and turn).

But for me personally, after spending days working on my self balancing bike for the new Idea book, spending a whole weekend tuning the control system of a self-balancing robot is not my idea of fun:

There are many ways you can achieve a self balancing robots even if you dont want to get your hands dirty with low level language programming and heavy control engineering theory. Here are some suggestions on how to achieve a self balancing robots without the complexity of having to implement a balancing algorithm in NXT:

(1) For Segway type vehciles, Make the diameter of the wheel so big that it behaves more like the Hailfire Droid tank wheel. The secret here is to lower the centre of the gravity of what is in between the large wheels - so all the weight is below the wheel axle. Check out my NXT Hailfire post last month

(2) For bike type vehicles, Make the wheels really thick. The secret here is to make the contact surface wider so it no longer behaves like a bike - but more like the Bat pod from the new Batman movie.

LinearActuator has created a pretty good NXT version of the Bat pod. So I got him to do a Guest post about his creation:


NXT BatPod: Guest Blog from LinearActuator










To celebrate the release of Batman’s latest film, “The Dark Knight”, the NXT BatCycle was created! Armed and dangerous, the BatCycle can handle any opponents it may encounter with its’ hidden rocket launcher that expands from the body of the bike. With its’ large wheel area, the NXT BatCycle can also stand and move unaided!




The BatCycle (BatPod) has been designed in terms of style to be as similar to Batman’s other vehicles (Batmobile, Batwing, Batboat, etc) as possible (Black TECHNIC panels)


For more information on the NXT BatCycle, please check out its' NXTLog page here


The BatCycle’s documentation has been split up into four main modules, as well as a small section on the NXT BatCycle’s weapon, and how to construct the black TECHNIC panels from the TECHNIC Tow Truck (Set No. 8285). An .LXF file of the basic construction of the BatCycle as well as a basic program, have also been provided on the NXTLog page for this model.

Edit: Video as requested:

NXT BatPod:


The real BatPod from the new Batman movie, Black Knight:
Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

ROBOTMAK3RS Review: LEGO River Steamboat

By Asha Seshan - ROBOTMAK3R
I thought the LEGO River Steamboat would be an interesting set for a ROBOTMAK3R review for a few reasons. First, the LEGO designer of the model is Marina Stampoli, a long-time collaborator of the late ROBOTMAK3R Vassilis Chryssanthakopoulo s. From earlier collaborations with Vassilis, I  knew Marina was incredibly talented, with an eye for aesthetics and functionality. Her background in architecture is particularly useful for her relatively new position at LEGO. Her other sets include the Magic of Disney (21352), Message Board (41839), and Red London Telephone Box (21347). Second, watching Marina's reveal video  and reading her designer interview made this set even more tempting to build. The gearing mechanisms running through the model gave way to many opportunities for automation using LEGO robotics elements. Since ROBOTMAK3RS is all about adding interactivity and automation to LEGO brick, I thought it would be fun to see where and how LEGO robotics could be added to this s...
Read more

Celebrating 25 Years of MINDSTORMS

By Asha Seshan - ROBOTMAK3R
In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS, we take a trip through history. Please also visit ROBOTMAK3RS Community every week as we highlight different projects all through 2023 in celebration of the anniversary. Some of the early history is based on the content shared by  Coder Shah  in our  MINDSTORMS EV3 Community Group . Some of the text and links may have been edited from his original posts for consistency and clarity.  1984 - Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen watched a TV program called "Talking Turtle," where MIT professor Seymour Papert demonstrated how children could control robot "turtles" using LOGO, a programming language he developed. 1988 - The collaboration between MIT and LEGO resulted in LEGO TC Logo in 1988, which allowed students to control LEGO models using computer commands. The video shows Papert demonstrating TC Logo. 1990 - LEGO TC Logo was hampered since the robots you built had to be tethered to a personal computer. LEGO and MIT...
Read more

Ghostbusters R.T.V Remix

By Asha Seshan - ROBOTMAK3R
Nino Guba is from Torrance, California, USA. He played with LEGO as a kid, but growing up in the Philippines, it wasn’t something he had easy access to. He only got reintroduced to LEGO when he moved to the US and had kids of his own. When his sons were younger, they received LEGO sets as gifts, but as they grew older, the sets got put into storage as their interest faded. Fast forward a few years, he started coming up with his own product ideas and thought about how he could quickly prototype them. That’s when he discovered LEGO MINDSTORMS—and was hooked! He raided his kids’ old collection, got everything organized, and now he's designing and building his own creations, blending his coding skills with LEGO robotics to bring ideas to life. Tell us about your Ghostbusters Remote Trap Vehicle (R.T.V) project. This project is a LEGO Technic adaptation of the Ghostbusters R.T.V.—a ghost trap converted into a remote-controlled vehicle. Its companion build is a prop replica of the Futaba...
Read more