Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #00861
To: Evaristo Westplate evaristo@qctechnology.nl, beam@corp.sgi.com
From: dennison dennlill@buffnet.net
Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 15:11:32 -0500
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Turning a 2 motor walker - brainstorm mail
I disagree, sure a two motor walker won't be pulling any 180's any time
soon, but I can get my walker to turn enough so that it could be phototropic
or turn away from obstacle that brush it's side. It's all in the gate and
timeing for the legs. It can be done.
Dennison
>Hi,
>
>The last few days I have been thinking about how to make a two motor walker
>turn. Analyzing the walker, it seems impossible to make it turn left or
>right. Different gaits won't work (as far as I can see) and only effects
>speed and direction (forward/backwards). Turning the legs more CW (Clock
>Wise) then CCW (Counter CW) result in flipping the walker on its side. My
>conclusion is that it can't be done with two motors. Ofcourse you could
>spin one of the motors which will drag the walker in a circle (this was
>meantioned a while back on the list) but it will result quickly in a
>flipped walker (timberrrrrrrr).
>
>How to make the walker turn. One motor is used for lift so it can't be used
>to turn it ( I have the walker configuration of Chiu-Yuan Fang in mind).
>The other motor provides the push. Now if the legs could push more in one
>direction then an other direction, the walker would turn as it moves. Hmmm
>
>OK so lets look at three motors. Push, lift and turn. The third motor could
>be mounted in the waist and rotate the front left or right. The walker will
>probaly become a bit unstable will turning due to the shifted point of
>gravity. Are there people have have made these types of walkers? If so, how
>did it perform? Now if the legs could push more in one direction then an
>other direction. What if the push is done using two motors? One motor for
>the left side, the other for the right side. It could push more in one
>direction then the other direction. Did somebody try this?
>
>Would like to hear your thoughts and ideas about it.
>
>See'ya
>
>
>Evaristo
>
>Gizmo homepage: http://www.crosswinds.net/amsterdam/~evaristo
>
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