Humanoid Toddler Robot
Humanoid Toddler Robot
by Humanoido
Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:38 pm
I'd like to show my latest creation - a humanoid Toddler. This is a modified version of the original Toddler Robot from a Parallax kit of parts. For more information, there's a tech group for toddler type walking robots at the link below.
Humanoid Toddler started out as just a pair of legs - a biped walking robot. It's one of the most simple walking mechanisms with only 2 servos. This version is powered by batteries placed in the legs and a Parallax servo controller. Other versions use various incarnations of the Basic Stamp microcontroller and software code written in PBASIC.
Also added to the humanoid conversion: extra servos, torso, head and arms. A Ping))) ultrasonic vision sensor was added on the head and is controlled with a BS2 microcontroller.
The newest and latest walking robot from Parallax is the Penguin Robot, which uses the same walking design. There's an entire family of toddle type robots. If you don't believe me, just ask Ken Gracey or David Buckley. They've spent years, even decades inventing and developing robots of this design.
Seen here in front of Humanoid Toddler Robot, a very tiny Penguin bot sports a compass, two IR eyes, two photodetectors to sense light levels, expansion slot, an IR transmitter, a blue segment display, and one of the most powerful Basic Stamp MCUs in the series, the BS2px.
I have also written and posted 281 software programs for the Penguin Robot, free for anyone to use.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/toddler_robot/
humanoido
Humanoid Toddler started out as just a pair of legs - a biped walking robot. It's one of the most simple walking mechanisms with only 2 servos. This version is powered by batteries placed in the legs and a Parallax servo controller. Other versions use various incarnations of the Basic Stamp microcontroller and software code written in PBASIC.
Also added to the humanoid conversion: extra servos, torso, head and arms. A Ping))) ultrasonic vision sensor was added on the head and is controlled with a BS2 microcontroller.
The newest and latest walking robot from Parallax is the Penguin Robot, which uses the same walking design. There's an entire family of toddle type robots. If you don't believe me, just ask Ken Gracey or David Buckley. They've spent years, even decades inventing and developing robots of this design.
Seen here in front of Humanoid Toddler Robot, a very tiny Penguin bot sports a compass, two IR eyes, two photodetectors to sense light levels, expansion slot, an IR transmitter, a blue segment display, and one of the most powerful Basic Stamp MCUs in the series, the BS2px.
I have also written and posted 281 software programs for the Penguin Robot, free for anyone to use.
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/toddler_robot/
humanoido
. are these custom metal parts ? any videos ?
by Humanoido
Thu Apr 10, 2008 5:57 am
It stands taller than a Robonova so it has a good size. No vids yet but it's a good idea and now on the to-do list. The stock parts which comprise the biped section of the humanoid are precision-manufactured metal parts. The parts which comprise the humanoid section are scrounged materials from various local sources.
The bearings for the quad-servo-core (QSC) are cut from acrylic and Pexiglas. The mounts, bolts, nuts are all light weight nylon and the head and arms are molded and cut from a polypropylene material. Washers are phenolic. The humanoid section had to be the lightest possible weight due to the additional weight added by four more servos. The humanoid has a total of six servos. The light weight makes it possible to use common low cost standard Futaba servos that have model airplane ratings.
Another nice feature about Humanoid Toddler is that programming the motions is very easy and can happen in real time graphics over the USB cable and a portable computer. You just move a slider one direction or another for each of the 8 motors and set the position. This can be controlled in one of two ways - either with the servo controller in animatronic mode or the servo controller under control of the Basic Stamp 2 microcontroller.
The BS2 MCU can also handle the Ultrasonic vision sensor, infrared transmitter and receivers, photodectectors, and other sensors, as a result of the servo controllers serial interface taking up only one port. In the prototype BS2 MCU version, there's a 2-line serial display, tiny keyboard, memory expansion card, decoder, reset, and additional sensors.
humanoido
The bearings for the quad-servo-core (QSC) are cut from acrylic and Pexiglas. The mounts, bolts, nuts are all light weight nylon and the head and arms are molded and cut from a polypropylene material. Washers are phenolic. The humanoid section had to be the lightest possible weight due to the additional weight added by four more servos. The humanoid has a total of six servos. The light weight makes it possible to use common low cost standard Futaba servos that have model airplane ratings.
Another nice feature about Humanoid Toddler is that programming the motions is very easy and can happen in real time graphics over the USB cable and a portable computer. You just move a slider one direction or another for each of the 8 motors and set the position. This can be controlled in one of two ways - either with the servo controller in animatronic mode or the servo controller under control of the Basic Stamp 2 microcontroller.
The BS2 MCU can also handle the Ultrasonic vision sensor, infrared transmitter and receivers, photodectectors, and other sensors, as a result of the servo controllers serial interface taking up only one port. In the prototype BS2 MCU version, there's a 2-line serial display, tiny keyboard, memory expansion card, decoder, reset, and additional sensors.
humanoido