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| INTRODUCTION: |
| Now what self-respecting modern day Mad Scientist would be without his very own homemade robot? I mean, Come on people!! The truth is that I've always been fascinated with robots ever since I was a little kid. I remember, as a kid, stacking various objects and toys on top of each other and pretending it was my robot. (I think watching too much "Lost In Space" had a lot to do with this strange behavior.) But, now the time has come to "Get Real"! Last year I built my first Animatronic creation "Grimmy" and I had a Blast making him! He came out great and now I am hooked! In the process of finding the controller for him, I discovered that there are Tons of cool gadgets out there that can be hacked together to make a real working robot. So, now I begin my first robot... |
| SKELETRON |
| STAGE 1: |
| SkeleTron will be a humanoid robot. In stage 1, I'll be making his head, torso, and arms. I've already started working on his right arm and his head, both are coming along nicely . I've also designed and built the frame for his torso. (see pictures). When stage 1 is complete, SkeleTron will only be an animatronic. He will have full head and arm movements and be able to talk. He will run from a preprogrammed script with no interaction to the outside world DETAILS: All of Skeletrons movements will be powered by hobby servos, like the kind you find in R/C cars, boats and planes. Some of his movements will require larger 1/4 scale servos because of the needed torque. I'll try to avoid these larger servos because of the price. Using springs as counterbalances will help in some cases but, not all. The Mini SSC2 servo controller will serve as the interface between the robot and the computer. Click here for more info on the Mini SSC2. |
| The software I plan on using on stage 1 will be VSA Servo saftware. Check it out here! VSA link |
| I call this robot "SkeleTron" because he has a plastic skull for his head. I painted his head chrome and he will look something like the "Terminator" but, not completely. I've just started in the field of robotics. But, I am first and foremost an artist. I've looked at tons of robot web sites and I always see the same thing. This project will focus on the artistic side as much as the mechanical side. I have BIG plans for the look of the thing! I'm not making some silly little thing that runs around and knows how to avoid hitting a wall! SkeleTron will be much more. (See Trash Can Robot for one of those.) |
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