Stairs are one of the most commonly faced mobility challenges for a robot. This robot’s design eliminates the need for a complex drive train or computer, and instead uses a clever mechanical design to climb stairs. Version three of the robot uses five servos modified for continuous rotation, a Picaxe28, sharp IR sensors, and bump sensors.
[via BotJunkie]
Why are any sensors needed? All that is needed is adequate traction on both ends.
Posted at 11:58 am on Jul 2nd, 2009 by Alan
Looks like someone has been playing that flash game where you put down bits of wood and attach moving wheels :D
Posted at 12:03 pm on Jul 2nd, 2009 by James
@james
Fantastic contraption?
Posted at 12:33 pm on Jul 2nd, 2009 by JackTheVendicator
This is really cool. I’d love to see a bot like this with some kind of center articulation so it could accommodate different stair widths.
Posted at 12:35 pm on Jul 2nd, 2009 by brian
And what about going down again? :p
Posted at 12:46 pm on Jul 2nd, 2009 by loatroll
Now all you need to do is articulate the center of the bridge between the front and rear wheels so that you can adjust the distance between the wheels. Once you’ve done that, you will be able to use this on different riser/tread ratios.
I worked with a piano delivery guy some 35 or 40 years ago. He had invented and patented a dolly that had adjustable wheels. With the dolly you could adjust the wheels and then strap on a piano and walk it right up or down the stairs. And yes, I’ve got some piano stories but not for here.
Posted at 1:45 pm on Jul 2nd, 2009 by davez
It won’t scale. Add even a bit more weight and it won’t have the power/traction to push the front part up the stair. Then if you add enough power and traction to overcome that problem you’ll tear up whatever you’re trying to climb. Pushing stuff up the stairs is not a “climbing” robot.
that is a DAMN clever design.
Posted at 3:26 pm on Jul 2nd, 2009 by trialex
Also it doesn’t seem like it would be able to carry much up the stairs with it. Would be great for a medium sized scout, but it doesn’t seem like it would work, to say carry a human in a motrized chair up the steps. That or some other payload up stairs (easy to build, and easier for most humans than a ramp) like the panio example, i’m betting there is a market for something that could move your $30000 china that is packed away in a box up the stairs for you with out damaging it. extra points for the following; make sharp turns(180 degree in place), works by using a gental “push” on the payload, and can travel about 3mph or greater and up stairs at walking speed (say 1′ verticly per 2 seconds). The payload should be at least 300lbs. I wonder if I can control something like that with an ardunio. sry this is why sleep depervations is bad for me, it leads to more sleep depervation. Ohh and in order support large payloads, 2 or more (several dozen?) should be able to mesh and act as one large one.
Posted at 5:23 pm on Jul 2nd, 2009 by Cynyr
You all should see the stair climbers in Japan. You see them a lot around the train-stations.
They are electrically assisted ‘dolleys’ for package delivery guys. They run around on 4 wheels normally, but when they hit stairs (up or down is fine) the front wheels flip up, grab onto the top of the first step, pull the load up, and then a track with inverted V teeth takes over. They’ll never slip since the track is keyed over the stair edge. Can handle any rise/run.. even super steep ones. Ohh yeah, forgot to mention, they change the angle of the load too so that isnt tilted.. there are various models. Each works slighly different, but based on the same ideas:
http://route246.sotobori.com/?p=448
Posted at 5:11 am on Jul 3rd, 2009 by MRE
ohh. and no offense, but the ‘robot’ shown isn’t all that cleaver in my opinion. Its a high centered vehicle with front driven rollers. It depends a lot on traction. Imagine wet stairs. No go. Its also pretty narrow.
But I mean this not so cleaver because it is exactly what jeep enthusiests have been doing for years. Jack it up high enough to not get high centered on a large boulder, and put lots of horsepower behind large tires with a lot of grip.
Sorry. Its a fun contraption, but not a new solution in the least.
Posted at 5:15 am on Jul 3rd, 2009 by MRE
Every tinkerer has thought of this and figgered out it woun’t work without haveing to build one.
Posted at 8:33 am on Jul 3rd, 2009 by chris
I want an army of stair climbing coat hangers!
Posted at 2:40 pm on Jul 3rd, 2009 by svalebror
Aren’t most stairs a standard size?
Posted at 8:58 pm on Jul 3rd, 2009 by skinner
@JackTheVendicator- thats the one! Searched for ages trying to find the name!
@skinner – no, similar but not standard.
Doesnt appear to be a robot to me.
Posted at 3:05 am on Jul 4th, 2009 by James
@mre – My (three story/no elevator) school bought a similar looking device to accomodate a wheelchair-bound student back in 1990 or so. Pretty heavy and slow, but it took her up the concrete stairs very reliably.
Posted at 8:35 am on Jul 6th, 2009 by ridefst
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but what if the stairs are wider/smaller/steeper?
Posted at 11:39 am on Jul 2nd, 2009 by googfan