Schlagwort: Strandbeest

  • Concept Bytes’ coffee table tracks people and walks itself across a room when called

    Concept Bytes’ coffee table tracks people and walks itself across a room when called

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    The term “mmWave” refers to radio waves with wavelengths on the millimeter scale. When it comes to wireless communications technology, like 5G, mmWave allows for very fast data transfer — though that comes at the expense of range. But mmWave technology also has some very useful sensing and scanning applications, which you may have experienced for yourself while going through airport security. The fellas at Concept Bytes employed mmWave sensing to make their coffee table track people.

    Eight months ago, Concept Bytes posted a video showcasing their walking coffee table. It could move around on strandbeest-inspired legs, which looks pretty amazing. They redesigned that coffee table in their most recent video and made it a lot more sophisticated. Part of that sophistication is the ability to locate people in the room and walk to them when called.

    At first glance, the new table looks similar to the original. But it was engineered to be easier to build using 3D-printed parts, to contain hidden coolers, to operate by remote control, and to come when called.

    The leg mechanisms are based on Giliam de Carpentier’s Carpentopod geometry, which resembles the work of Theo Jansen. But that mechanism was algorithmically optimized for very smooth motion with input from electric motors. 

    The coffee table has two sets of those legs to enable tank-style steering. An Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect board controls their motors through H-bridge drives. Another Nano RP2040 Connect housed in the remote allows for control via Wi-Fi. The coffee table’s Arduino is able to detect the sound of clapping hands through its onboard microphone. That is a command to come to the clapper.

    It finds the clapper using an AI-Thinker RD-03D mmWave sensor that works a bit like radar, but at relatively short distances (0.5 to 8 meters) and with very good precision. It is so precise that, upon hearing a clap, the table will walk directly to the clapper and stop immediately in front of them.

    The post Concept Bytes’ coffee table tracks people and walks itself across a room when called appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • This Strandbeest-style coffee table can deliver drinks

    This Strandbeest-style coffee table can deliver drinks

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    More than 30 years ago, Dutch artist Theo Jansen began astounding the world with his Strandbeesten walking sculptures. Even after decades, they have an almost mythical allure thanks to the incredibly fluid way in which they walk. They’re clearly constructs, but with gaits that are almost organic. Inspired by his fellow Dutchman, Giliam de Carpentier built a motorized Strandbeest-style coffee table capable of delivering drinks.

    This coffee table, dubbed “Carpentopod,” walks on six leg mechanisms that look and operate a lot like those of a Strandbeest. They convert rotary motion into complex foot movement through a series of rigid linkages.

    de Carpentier was able to develop the legs’ gait and physical geometry using software he first created way back in 2008. It automatically optimizes the design through a process very similar to natural selection, with the most successful descendants going on to reproduce and ultimately yield very effective geometry for the giving constraints. de Carpentier’s software was efficient enough to evolve dozens of generations every single second, so it produced an optimized leg design in short order.

    In this case, “optimal” mostly means “smooth.” When walking, it almost looks as stable as if it were rolling on wheels. It is, therefore, perfectly capable of carrying drinks without spilling them.

    In contrast to the classic Strandbeesten, de Carpentier wanted this coffee table to be controllable. So, it has a pair of geared brushless DC motors to drive the legs. Like a tank, it steers by turning one side’s motor faster than another. An Arduino Nano board controls those motors, which have Hall effect encoders for closed-loop feedback, according to input that it receives from a Nintendo Wii Nunchuk via a Bluetooth module. With power from a large hobby LiPo battery back, it can roam around de Carpentier’s living room at his command. 

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKDY4yWxfJM?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    The post This Strandbeest-style coffee table can deliver drinks appeared first on Arduino Blog.

    Website: LINK

  • ClearCrawler Strandbeeest walks under Arduino control

    ClearCrawler Strandbeeest walks under Arduino control

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    ClearCrawler Strandbeeest walks under Arduino control

    Arduino Team — December 3rd, 2019

    Maker Jeremy S. Cook has been building Theo Jansen-style walkers for literally years, and after several iterations has come up with what he calls the “ClearCrawler.” 

    This little guy stands at just over 15 inches tall — including its comparatively large clear cylindrical head — and travels around via a pair of motors that move four legs on either side like tank treads.

    For control, Cook is using an Arduino Nano onboard, along with a motor driver, plus an Uno and joystick shield as the remote unit. Communication between the two is accomplished by a pair of nRF24L01+ radio modules. 

    Code for the project is available on GitHub, and the build is split up into an electronics and mechanical section in the videos below.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRGWC96ruIg?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsOsLDXF5io?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

    Website: LINK

  • Standbeest-inspired ClearCrawler robot clomps around on 8 legs

    Standbeest-inspired ClearCrawler robot clomps around on 8 legs

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Standbeest-inspired ClearCrawler robot clomps around on 8 legs

    Arduino Team — July 23rd, 2019

    When you want to build a walking robot, the normal route is to individually control each leg with a number of servos or other actuators. Maker Jeremy S. Cook, however, took a different approach with his ‘ClearCrawler,’ using only a pair of motors to power eight legs. These legs are divided up into sets of four on either side of the bot, allowing for differential control similar to a tank.

    The leg linkage design is based on Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest mechanism, and a clear head is also implemented with a pair of 8×8 MAX7219 LED matrix eyes. Onboard control is handled by an Arduino Nano and an L298N driver board, while an Uno with a joystick shield serves as the user interface. Radio transmission is via two nRF24L01 modules.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI5D6-sAzOo?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Code for both the transmitter and receiver can be found on GitHub.

    You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

    Website: LINK

  • Standbeest-inspired ClearCrawler robot clomps around on 8 legs

    Standbeest-inspired ClearCrawler robot clomps around on 8 legs

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Standbeest-inspired ClearCrawler robot clomps around on 8 legs

    Arduino Team — July 23rd, 2019

    When you want to build a walking robot, the normal route is to individually control each leg with a number of servos or other actuators. Maker Jeremy S. Cook, however, took a different approach with his ‘ClearCrawler,’ using only a pair of motors to power eight legs. These legs are divided up into sets of four on either side of the bot, allowing for differential control similar to a tank.

    The leg linkage design is based on Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest mechanism, and a clear head is also implemented with a pair of 8×8 MAX7219 LED matrix eyes. Onboard control is handled by an Arduino Nano and an L298N driver board, while an Uno with a joystick shield serves as the user interface. Radio transmission is via two nRF24L01 modules.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI5D6-sAzOo?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]

    Code for both the transmitter and receiver can be found on GitHub.

    You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

    Website: LINK

  • Mini Strandbeest goes electric with Arduino

    Mini Strandbeest goes electric with Arduino

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    Mini Strandbeest goes electric with Arduino

    Arduino Team — November 9th, 2017

    Strandbeests, as originally conceived, are gigantic PVC creatures that walk across the sand under wind power. While building one is certainly an enormous undertaking, smaller models are available that let you experience this strange kinetic motion in a more approachable size. These are also normally propelled by moving air, but maker “ArduinoDeXXX” decided to take things further with a pair of DC motors and an Arduino Nano.

    The project came together over five distinct iterations, starting off with the normal wind-driven version, then adding uncontrolled motors. After that, the Arduino was included for automation, and this was upgraded with an IR remote. Finally, ArduinoDeXXX integrated simple gesture sensing using an array of IR LEDs.

    You can see the mini Strandbeest in action below, along with a few “bonus” improvements at the end.



    This entry was posted by Arduino Team on Thursday, November 9th, 2017 and is filed under Arduino, Featured, Nano. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

    Website: LINK