Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #10821
To: beam@sgiblab.sgi.com
From: CIRCITZ@aol.com
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2000 19:36:54 EST
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Aquabot Propulsion
I got a pretty small (.5" X .5" X 2") solenoid from a small printer, I
believe that it was from a label maker of the late 80's or early 90's. Its a
pull type solenoid that has excellent pulling pressure at voltages as low as
4.5V (642ma current consumption), although I'm sure something like the
aquabot idea would require lots of pulling force, and I believe that I'd
probably use it at 6V(960ma current consumption).(anybody know how to measure
it's ability to pull something??) But again, that's a lot of current to use.
So if you got a chance to scavenge from label makers you can get good
stepper motors and solenoids too.
Dan
if ya use a solenoid, make sure that you use something other than the
standard 1381 solar engine. solenoids take up a lot more current than one
might be led to believe, in some cases a few amps! that does sound really
cool though! if you can find a descent solenoid that is low on the amperage,
let me know, i'm still tinkering with the solenoid photopopper. GoodLuck!
-Spencer
10822 Thu, 24 Feb 2000 16:59:42 -0800 [alt-beam] Re: BEAMLAND and Solarbotics bring you 'Bot of the Week'... beam@sgiblab.sgi.com Bruce Robinson "Feser, Jason" wrote:
>
> Anyone else think that a weekly feature and a monthly winner is
> too often?
From the viewer's perspective, the weekly/monthly feature is OK, as long
as activity is sufficiently high.
What about from the site manager's perspective. Are you going to be as
enthused about this after doing 52 interviews in a year? In the long
run, it won't be much fun for the viewers if you burn out trying to
manage all this.
More to the point, will the BEAM community be able to sustain this level
of activity? Sure, lots of people have many 'bots they could enter, but
after you've interviewed someone for the Nth time, it'll probably start
to get a little stale.
Perhaps a slightly different format ... interview every month, with a
weekly heated e-mail debate between the contestents about the merits of
their designs :) Just throwing out ideas.
Regards,
Bruce
10823 Thu, 24 Feb 2000 19:59:03 -0500 [alt-beam] Re: Seals on motors for aquabots alt-beam@egroups.com, "beam@sgiblab.sgi.com" David Simmons Also try small Dia. Silicone tube, cut with a very sharp xacto knife and coated
in o-ring lube, the silicone is "good" in water, not too much swell. If you can't
find tube small enough cord is normally available at most Seal houses just
drill it at very high speed one size smaller than the shaft. EPDM is better in
water, and in UV, but is very abrasive and can generate more friction.
Timothy Flytch wrote:
> On boats they use a "stuffing box"... Basically it is just a tube about 1
> 1/2 the shaft diameter with seals at each end that the shaft passes
> through... then it is stuffed with packing grease... I have used them both
> on full size and models...
> For beam I think a small length of drinking straw and some teflon washers or
> O rings with vasiline(petroleum jelly) should work... only question is
> drag???
> Timothy...
10824 Thu, 24 Feb 2000 17:12:21 -0800 Bot of the Week Contest jfeser@eahq-exchange.ea.com FCO Enr. [mailto:fco@total.net]
greetings Jason,
I think it's a great idea, I would be interested in sending
in my bot (give me 1 month to fine tune and upgrade it :)
Where would we have to send the bots? Are you in the US
or in Canada? (big difference shipping wise).
Andy
fco@total.net
hrdware's digital sanctuary - mindless oddities
http://www.angelfire.com/pq/hrdware
The Factory - TF Map Making Tutorial
http://www.planetfortress.com/factory
10825 Thu, 24 Feb 2000 19:15:44 -0500 BEAMLAND and Solarbotics bring you 'Bot of the Week'... Feser, Jason
> Greetings List
>
> Dave Hrynkiw and I have teamed up to create a new ongoing BEAM contest
of
> sorts. As suggested on the list, I'll be hosting a 'Bot of the Week'
> contest on BEAMLAND. Everyone is invited to send in their bots which will
> be placed in the BEAMLAND Webcam RJP to do battle with other contenders.
At
> the end of every week (Sunday) a winner will be decided by peer voting
> (thats you guys) by way of a quick survey, and the winning bot will be
> featured on the BEAMLAND Bot of the Week page along with an interview of
the
> winning designer and specs about the bot. The winning bot will keep
> returning to the weekly contest until it either wins three weeks in a row
> (an instant win), or we have four winners running around. At this point
we
> will have a vote for Bot of the Month, and a prize will be awarded.
Prizes
> will include goodies from Solarbotics including but not limited to
Solarcell
> assortment packs, 1381 packs and various types of motors. I'll also be
> lining up some goodness in the form of Electronic Arts games and swag like
> NHL2000, Ultima Acension, FinalFantasy 8, shirts, hats etc...
>
> The success of this contest depends on your willingness to send in your
> bots (which will be returned to the designer after it's stint in the ring)
> and your willingness to get involved with the judging (voting) of the
weekly
> and monthly contests. It's still in the early stages and probably won't
be
> ready to go for at least a month or so, but I'd like to have some feedback
> on how many of you would be interested in entering your bots in this kind
of
> contest...
>
> Please reply privatly to me ASAP if you think its a good idea, or even
> email me with any thoughts you might have so we can get this thing
started.
> Remember - if you don't send your bots, I'll win all the great prizes ;)
>
>
>
> Jason Feser
> BEAMLAND Robotics Division
> http://members.xoom.com/jfeser
<http://members.xoom.com/jfeser>
>
> P.S. As some of you noticed, the webcam is currently down due to an
> unscheduled interruption of my cable. It will be back up on friday
> evening...
>
>
>
>
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