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Front angled view
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Wiring and connections
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The Team: (Michael Heppner, Jacob Lowe, Mohammed Rasheed)
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Hackathon Event
Inspiration
As mechanical engineers we wanted to construct a mechanical systems. We decided to do some sort of remote controlled device which turned into a four legged robot. Inspired by other spider-like robots, we designed a walker based off a turtle.
What it does
The walker moves either autonomously or through manual control. It is controlled via radio waves through a simple transmitter and receiver. Commands are sent from a gui on a laptop and the robot then acts according to the given command. The robot can operate on its own through a simple autopilot system, which can be switched off and turned manual. The autopilot system prevents the device from running into walls and other objects it may encounter.
How we built it
We built and designed the walker from scratch. The walker features an Arduino Mega, 8 micro servos, and an ultra sonic range sensor. We built the prototype from a Pizza Box and later upgraded the legs to CAD modeled design printed in PETG. We powered the Arduino through an ESC and LiPo battery.
Challenges we ran into
We first had issues getting our transmitters and receivers to work. Eventually we achieved communication between the computer and the robot, however the circuit began to smoke. A short circuit was discovered in a servo motor that caused to much current to be drawn from the battery. The structural stability of the walker's legs was then an issue because they were applying to much torque to the motors. We then shorted then legs to reduce the forces acting on the motor to help minimize motor burnout. We lastly had issues with serial communication between our computer and the arduino transmitting commands to our robot. All these issues were resolved throughout the duration of the event.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We made a functioning robot in less than 24 hours! We also nailed the tolerances on our printed parts, found a way to remotely power the Arduino and all of the servos, and gave the robot the ability to operate autonomously. Considering the amount of issues we encountered in the design and building process and that we overcame them was something we we’re all proud of.
What we learned
We learned how to diagnose issues and figure out what the root of the problem encountered is. This happened a lot especially when we had a servo shorting and especially during our serial communication issues. We learned different ways in which to power our device and developed a somewhat effective powering system.
What's next for Autonomous Quadruped Walker
We considered adding some sort of distance tracker to map out the walkers path in real time and plot it on a graph. Due to time constraints we scrapped the idea. Another thing considered was a housing unit to protect all the wiring from getting loose or caught. Shortening the base plate of the walker to help reduce weight as well as stress on the motors and making better legs with some form of grip.
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