Sometimes hackers and makers hack and make stuff just because they can. Why spend hours in a CAD program designing a gazillion gears, brackets and struts? Why cut them all out on a homemade CNC? Why use a PIC and perf board to control everything? Because we can. Well, because [Est] can, rather. He put together this RC controlled beast of a toy with multiple legs and crushing claws.
It’s made out of 6 mm acrylic and threaded rod. The legs are controlled by two DC motors, while the mouth uses two geared steppers. The beast talks to the controller via a pair of 433 MHz transceivers using a protocol similar to how an IR remote talks to a television. A handful of LEDs lights up the clear acrylic, making it look extra scary.
This design is, of course, based on the Strandbeest concept from [Theo Jansen]. It’s a great robotics project because your project doesn’t suffer under its own weight. It’s more like a tracked machine. In fact, we saw a huge rideable version made of metal at BAMF this year. That’s one you just can’t miss!
Aargh. Vertical videos!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt9zSfinwFA
too vertical, too noisy
Lovely, with bonus points for the star wars joke.
Beautiful execution – best since the University of Louisiana’s “Cajun Crawler”
https://youtu.be/JCPlczI3k-c
thats so good love it
Agreed, thats a pretty sweet strandbeest
Oh my gosh I love this so hard
Agreed! That was awesome- I must have one BIGGER. Ala something like from Wild Wild West.
I lost it laughing when “ridin dirty” came on.
Crossing over onto a previous posting – I wonder if this technique would make a good base for an robot mower without having to resort to tank-treads? (given the aim is to cut the grass rather than flatten it)
Sure if movement speed is irrelevant.
Well it certainly doesn’t need to win any races seeing as self-propelled mowers only go at walking speed (~3mph)
Yes, mechanized legs with spinning blades.
What could possibly go wrong?
Bonus points if you add a decapitated cupie doll head on top of it,
most freightening lawn mower design ever concieved.
Other than being able to grind ones skull into the ground (terminator style) with its foot, I’m thinking a normal mower-like cowl over the blade so no worse than a mower with wheels (just replace the wheels with legs).
Hmm, how about a mower with a hexabot frame on the outside to properly walk around?
(even with a guard over the blade, cupie doll head or not, that idea sounds quite frightening)
Awesome Design/Build