Project Logs

Collapse

• idk...

  Saul • 2 days ago • 0 comments

• not a bot.

  Saul • 05/14/2023 at 21:13 • 0 comments

  • V2 - Micro I did test and got it moving with the microRF.
    •  but these tiny linear servos are not as reliable and cost 10x more
    • its a cool demo but going to cut it off at prototype
    • Similarly i'll resist trying to upsize the walker anymore.
      • mostly likely need to go back to shorter legs on the wide frame to help reduce flipping
  •  stick to low cost 9g servos. and 360 9g servo "motors".

  I decided that the car is not robot enough to fit into the project.

  1. Uses wheels/tires/shell that add to cost
  2. Used different size screws, aside from the servo screws.
  3. not a robot.
  4. this new version is more fun. 

  Bringing back my roller Droid with updates to stay in the rules.

  • The rz7 used tiny metal geared dc Motors. + L293d dual h bridge
  • This version uses 360 servos.
  • Keeping the regular servo for later..
  • First made some new wheels near the max of my current printer. 100mm
  • then widen, and rotate the frame to gains some space for battery/controllers

  I think I will add i2c ports to the 10x pico board for extra sensors and expansion, but the picoW will still have a enough unused pins to add other bits for now.

  Even tho the challenge was Education based, I'd like to keep some experienced hackers' attention also.

  This isn't really a balancebot., its more of an unbalanced rotations that made the early version fun.

• PicoW x Bolt = 10X Servo board

  Saul • 05/13/2023 at 21:12 • 0 comments

  • it would be okay for college but soldering in schools seems risky
    • Try to make the electrics "plug and play"
  • 10 Channels is plenty to have a full motion Dog, or hexapod, plane maybe...
  • $11 electronics base.
    • 21.6 x 30.2 mm = 1 inch squared. $5.00/3 = 1.67
    • +picoW = $6
    • + maybe $3 for power input stuff...reg for 3-4x AA/C/D cells.
    • + printed Frames (need to estimate costs)
  • I think I have enough space to include a breakout for 2 analog lines for testing.
  • Power cap is wrong. and could use a switch or screw block.
  • maybe this will get a speed upgrade like my last order from oshpark.

  Existing Control options:

  1. 8-Channel PWM or Servo FeatherWing
  2. Adafruit 16-Channel 12-bit PWM/Servo Driver - I2C
  3. Pimoroni Servo 2040 - RP2040 18 Channel Servo Controller

  This should work as a Single Layer PCB!  we really only need 1 ground line to the pico...

• Procrastination Projects...

  Saul • 05/13/2023 at 16:44 • 0 comments

  When do we do our best work? When we were trying to work on something else...

  Needed to waste sometime until the round 1 finals were announced.

   Work-hack - Can not take code from another project, if you didn't already put the work in.

  
   censored-skateboard 

  This gave me a reason to work with an imu past the examples. and since a few Ultrasonic sensors were on my desk, they got added in.
  

  Scorpion

  This project is almost popular enough to continue on its own, for now its a back burner/bubble bolt parts bin.

  Hackaday Prize 2023 Round 1 Finalists  I found out on youtube!

  thats about 2k more views than I remember, did I get featured? 

  Made the Cover Pic! Checking out the other finalists to figure out what/why made it.

  1. Concept > Cost - Reducing cost is something on the timeline but first you need to create Value.
  2. Purpose > Popularity - with the goal in mind, We need some popularity in the end to consider the project successful, But whats the point it didn't Really teach anything?
  3. Round 1 Advantage. Now I have a huge time advantage over later round entries. but they get to learn from the previous round entries...

  Bolt update: Taking the udp/android-arduino code from Censored to reduce the Electronics cost.

  1. Pico /Pico W base control have a few benefits over the microRF.
  2. Down side is the added requirement of an Android device.
  3. Upside - Less cost, more servo Channels, more program memory. Python Support + Android Development
  4. Bubble Bolt coming soon.

• Can you guess the next bolt?

  Saul • 05/12/2023 at 06:03 • 0 comments

  Converted the drawbot to a picoW controller but still seeing some servo problems...

  Taking a ducted motor from another project and one 360 servo. 

  • The wands could be printed but they are so very slow, and probably won't work as well as the injection molded version.
  • Almost no logic needed, maybe add a rotating base and "sonar" ...

• hardware mode

  Saul • 04/25/2023 at 15:19 • 0 comments

  Got stuck on a dumb error for a while then found some weird interference problem....

  • 32 slots -> flipping 64 times a rotation. Maybe I should go down to 16/32 for now.
  • but If my quick math is right each notch = pi mm travel. 
  • if it works it would make the repeatability near a stepper motor.

  
  

• Drawbot and Car

  Saul • 04/21/2023 at 07:58 • 0 comments

  • The drawbot arm turned out nice and almost perfectly placed considering it was the last thing I designed.
  • Will probably switch 2/4 idler pulleys to loops to help keep the strings in place better.
  • Needs a part to slide against the board while the pencil is up.
  • I have not tested precision yet. drawing is based on the servos rotating predictably enough.
  • to add precision I was thinking a few magnets on the main pulleys and a hall sensor.
  • Or using a couple of ir - end stop switches and a Tone Wheel should give better resolution with less weight than magnets.
  • needs testing but should be a decent option and only need 1 pin per axis.
  • Ran out of torque on 4V lipo. swtiched rx to 5V input.
  • Drawbot weight is about 75g + 20g rx/wiring... about 100g pull from 9g 360 servos.
  • main wheel is ~100mm C = 31.8 mm Dia.

  If you flip the drawbot a Scara style arm is another design option I probably won't work on yet...

  The steering arm blocked the front body mount, which was the reason for making the front width more to clear the body..

  • without the body it will drive upside down.
  • full suspension version is probably possible
  • had to upgrade the center frame to using all 6 mounting holes.
  • easy 1 part frame on a Standard size printer.

• Just an Idea...

  Saul • 04/18/2023 at 23:00 • 0 comments

  Probably will not happen. for sure not the right scale.

  • But a couple brushless scorpions might have enough Payload to carry Walking Landing gear!
  • I guess a regular quad/tri drone would work also. but 4 pivoting props would be interesting.
  • *brushless versions of the scorpion will run on the same bolt bots controller. 
  • There are some small brushed escs that would work also...

• V 4-6 RC Rock Crawler

  Saul • 04/17/2023 at 12:41 • 0 comments

  A frame for a basic rc car/truck rock crawler turned into a drawbot.

  • 2 9g continuous rotation servos as main drive.
  • Pivot arms need some work. dual idler pulleys for alignment.
  • speed is pretty good.
  • moving down/ horizontal is a bit difficult.

• working prototype.

  Saul • 04/16/2023 at 13:51 • 0 comments

View all 16 project logs