Alt-BEAM Archive

Message #05799



To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: Don Papp donp@cronus.oanet.com
Date: Thu, 19 Aug 1999 17:22:59 -0600 (MDT)
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Overcoming obstacles - an idea


On Wed, 18 Aug 1999, Bob Shannon wrote:

> > My idea is to use two motors (one on each side) and spokes in place of
> > wheels. 4 wires/rods at 90 degrees each should do. Due to the torque
> > needed to move the spokes/legs, we will need geared motors. The
> > similarity to miniball comes from the way the motors/circuitry/power
> > source is suspended from the legs.
>
>
>
> Someone built 'Sissorbot' (I think) that is very much like this.
> Where's that genome tool to look this up and find the inventor??

Ah - Scissorbot is one of mine. You can see it at:

http://diehumans.anubis.ab.ca/img/scissorbot/


Scissorbot is a "tumbler", but not complex enough to be called a Turbot.
It has no sensors - which also means it isn't really a robot. It is built
out of a stripped down servo, and has four 'arms' attached to the servo
mechanism that turn and lever it around. It is slow, but has a very
impressive amount of raw power behind its motion. Scissorbot is the first
bot I made that could handle rough terrain.

Scissorbot usually climbs over my junk pile on my workbench as I am
working on something. It got its name due to the scissorlike action of its
arms with respect to its body. It gets into a lot of trouble, often
tangling itself into the many wires hanging off circuit boards on the junk
pile, or grinding away with a circuit board "scissored" between an arm/leg
and its body.

Since it is strong, by the time I notice its predicament the situation is
usually pretty hopeless and requires tools to free it.


| Donald Papp, T.T., MCP
| Internal Technical Manager
| OA Internet Inc.
| don@oa.net



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