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January 29/2000 - Build Update 2 I just finished watching the BattleBots Pay Per View. It made me wish I had made it there in November! It also inspired me to keep building, and I have been. I received a big shipment of parts on Friday, and I've gotten really busy this weekend. Unfortunately I hit a snag this evening that require a redesign of some key components. Oh well, so goes life. If all goes well, the robot should be ready to walk by the end of February. I am still at a point of decision about the drive motor at the moment, but that seems to be the final major mechanical component needed to get Pressure Drop 'a strolling. See you next time. - Derek. Suggested Listening During Late January Robot Building: Rancid - Life Won't Wait Danko Jones - Self Titled EP Sloan - Twice Removed |
| At my school we don't have mechanical engineering, so our machine shop is somewhat limited. Here's a pic of the bandsaw and one of the drill presses. Here are some more pictures: drill press #2, vertical mill, metal lathe. |
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The first machined part of Pressure Drop. This is the motor mount plate for my home made linear actuators. I will be re-using the drive motors (the 2 left) from Son of Smashy for these mechanisms. |
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The first assembly -- the motor on the plate attached to a frame rail. Things start to feel different the first time you get to bolt something together, the project had really begun at this point. |
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I went to COMDEX west. Not too interesting really. This booth would have been ok if you were allowed to use *anything* to try to crash the computer (think hammers and combat robots and such). |
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An ass-load (64) of oil impregnated bronze bushings. Why'd I get these? Well they satisfy my rigourus criteria: 1. They are cheap 2. The reduce friction pretty well 3. They are very cheap. So it's settled, bronze bushings for all. |
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...and here's where they go. This is a leg assembly. Each piviot point uses 4 of those thankfully cheap bushings. |
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Here's the nearly completed home built linear actuator assembly. That's 1/2-10 ACME threaded rod, and a shiney red anodized spur gear from WM Berg ($). |
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The leg, being test mounted with the linear actuator. After discovering some binding during transit of the linear actuator, the design is going through some improvements. You'll get to see them next time. |
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Another shot of the test assembly. |
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Official Energy Suspension robot feet! |
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Robot feet in test location. Attaching the feet to the legs is next on my to-do list. |
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