🚀 go-pugleaf

bushbo@hiramb.bitnet (Brian 0. Bush)  writes:

>hello!
>  i am currently in the design stage of a hexapod(six-legged) robot.
>the robot will be completely based on hydraulics(sp?) and there will be
>numerous computers controlling it(i.e. one per leg; different behaviors)
>almost like a subsumption based architecture. i am still trying to get the
>big picture of the project...but i have some places i do not know what to do.
>like, how am i going to get feedback from the legs (i.e. how far they moved)
>in a wheel based robot this is no problem, just use an encoder shaft, but with
>legs i do see an easy solution? i will more or likely be using miniboards,
>since they are so small and i will need a lot of microcontrollers on the 
>robot...(i got my boards oct. 2 yeah!) :) i would also like to know if there
>is somehow i may be able to get papers on robotic control systems and/or
>legged robot and their design? would anyone be interested in a periodic posting
>to this group on our progress? any help would be appreciated...thanks in 
>advance..

There was a student at the University of Illinois @Champaign-Urbana who
made a hexapod and got it walking a few years back.  He's still here,
but I have been unable to get in touch with him as of yet.  I am tenatively
doing my Master's Thesis on the creation of an expandable "nerve system"
of 68HC11EVBU boards networked together.  I have done very little so far.

If I can get in touch with the hexapod guy, then I might try my "nerves"
out on his oversized roach!  I'd be interested in hearing about your 
progress.

As for the sensors... his critter had no sensors and used compressed air
for movement (and some cylinders/pistons).  Sensors would be nice, but
I don't have any brilliant ideas for you at the moment!  Maybe something
like a pressure sensor mounted to a much smaller cylinder such that the 
pressure in the cylinder is a function of the position??

Ron Garnett, Grad student at large (and getting larger)!