Meccano Meccanoid Upgrades/Mods

Question

I need help to upgrade my Meccano Meccanoid Robot,  it is a robot kit,  and I've had the robot for a while. I want to upgrade the microphone,  maybe have a led sound activated mouth,  and maybe working hands with servos. Please help,  how can I maybe upgrade the internal microphone and maybe add hands?

Jedi Legend · Answer

I don't have specific 'related hardware',  so the hardware listed is not mine,  I just chose it to submit this request. I just need ideas or specific items I can buy to maybe upgrade my robot,  thanks.

Athena · Answer

Upgrading your Meccano Meccanoid robot can be a fun and rewarding project. Here are some ideas and components you might consider to enhance your robot: 1. Microphone Upgrade: - If you're looking to improve voice recognition or sound detection, consider using a high-quality external microphone. You can connect it to a microcontroller like an Arduino or Raspberry Pi that interfaces with the Meccanoid's control system. - For integration with Synthiam ARC, you could use the EZ-B v4/2 Wi-Fi Robot Controller, which has a built-in microphone and can be connected to your robot's existing system. 2. LED Sound-Activated Mouth: - To create a sound-activated LED mouth, you can use an audio sensor module that detects sound levels and triggers LED responses. Modules like the KY-038 Microphone Sound Sensor can be used for this purpose. - You can program the LEDs to light up in patterns or intensity based on the sound detected, simulating a mouth movement. This can be done using a microcontroller to control the LEDs. 3. Working Hands with Servos: - To add movement to the Meccanoid's hands, you can install servo motors in the arms. Micro servos like the SG90 are small and can be used for simple hand movements. - You'll need to design or modify the hands to accommodate the servos and any additional mechanics needed to achieve the desired movement. 4. Control System: - To control the new components, you might need a more capable microcontroller or a robot controller that can handle multiple inputs and outputs. The Synthiam EZ-B v4/2 Wi-Fi Robot Controller is a good option as it can be easily integrated with Synthiam ARC for programming and control. 5. Programming and Integration: - Once you have your hardware components, you'll need to program them to work together. Synthiam ARC is a powerful tool for creating custom behaviors and integrating various hardware components. - Use ARC's scripting capabilities to program the microphone input, LED mouth, and servo movements. You can create custom scripts or use existing skills within ARC to control your upgraded Meccanoid. 6. Additional Sensors: - Consider adding more sensors to your Meccanoid for enhanced interactivity. For example, touch sensors on the hands could allow the robot to respond to physical interactions. Remember that modifying your Meccanoid will require some electronics knowledge and possibly some mechanical modifications. Always ensure that the power requirements of your new components are compatible with your robot's power supply, and take care to safely integrate any new electronics. Before purchasing any components, plan out your upgrade, determine the compatibility with your existing robot, and ensure you have the necessary tools and skills to carry out the modifications. If you're new to electronics and robotics, you might want to seek help from online communities or local maker spaces.

Nomad 6R · Answer

hi commandbitzen witsh meccanoid do you have ? the big one or the short one . i prefer the short one . for the LED mout led its an easy way . use the signal port on a ezbv4 or iotiny and use pwm control , with a script . also do you have a printer? there are some parts , for a meccanoid to print like a mouth piece .

Jedi Legend · Answer

I have the big version,  the 2.0. And for the mouth,  I was just looking for maybe an led board I can buy, that had like that digital led screen look,  and reacts to the sound produced by the robot. It can be anything honestly,  but I was maybe thinking something like that,  a digital led board.  I do not have a printer,  but I could just mount the board another way.

Nomad 6R · Answer

hi jedi legend what are you using as servo ? and controller ?

Jedi Legend · Answer

Just the basic board and servos that come with the robot kit,  I haven't bought any newer servos

DJ Sures · Answer

I think most people who upgraded their Meccano robot changed the servos.  Only because the stock servos are quite weak. But to get started, I made a tutorial years ago on using the standard servos: synthiam.com/Community/Tutorials/Control-Meccano-Meccanoid-16220/1 also if you search for meccano on the main community page. There’s a few posts of robots that people made. You’ll find good details there too.

Nink · Answer

You can control the servos with an arduino but as DJ pointed out they are quite weak. If you replace the servos though don’t throw the old ones out as they monitor their position so they are quite useful if you are building something like a puppet controller for another device like a robot or robot arm.

Nomad 6R · Answer

hi dj /jedi legend for the big meccanoid best to use the HDD servo's . the big meccanoid has huge arms . you can give him a turning wrist . i wil post a video of mine meccanoid later .

Nomad 6R · Answer

hi jedi here's a short video about the little meccanoid . all servo"s are HDD . cause the arms are heavy . also use as mutsh spacers to make plastik strong . make slow motions . you can use the original horns from the meccanoid , just take a note these are spring loaded . the arms will nog go all the way up . the size of the HDD servo's and mecca servo's are desame . you also need a bigger battery . i stil have allot of spare parts and bolts , if you need some , let me know. the servo block is for using a turning wrist . i post the folder here . https://www.youtube.com/shorts/of7HTv5zYIM   SEND.zip

Jedi Legend · Answer

That's great! That would be nice if you do have some spare parts too.  Do you have any ideas for a mouth,  or like a led reactive display? I was trying to find one , but I could find any I can actually buy.  I did also fix the microphone so that's good now.

DJ Sures · Answer

What about an led display like this: www.ez-robot.com/store/p62/RGB-8x8-LED-Display-Addressable.html If you decide to go the ezrobot EZBv4 or iotiny route, that led display plugs directly in and doesn't require custom wiring.

Jedi Legend · Answer

That could possibly work,  not sure if it will be too big,  did you see any that are maybe smaller in width,  but longer in length?

WiinterU · Answer

I have a Meccano Meccanoid robot at home. I didn't upgrade it. I tried to. However, those screws hardened in over time. I've had it since 2015. It was so fun when it worked really well. I haven't touched it in years. When I ended up getting it, I noticed that it's servos were similar to those of my AdventureBot. I didn't have any other EZ- Robots at that point. I remember in my AdventureBot and Six Hexapod instruction manual, it says not to move the servos as it could damage what's inside of them. The fun part is that almost five years ago, there was a video on Synthiam YouTube channel where one JD is being used as a puppet to control another JD. Those were more updated servos that could handle it better.

WiinterU · Answer

@DJ Sures, I actually ordered a display like that last summer and it works amazingly well!

Nomad 6R · Answer

hi averyone this part is the mouth for the meccanoid . you could ad some LED more in it .

Jedi Legend · Answer

Something like this could work, I would just have to figure out how to make it either react to sound, and show maybe the waveform led cycle, but if I'll have any better led ideas let me know. Something in this size could work.

Nomad 6R · Answer

yep and use the picture part as bracket .

Jedi Legend · Answer

I found this board that could work great, I would just need to find a audribo board to have it react to sound,  and I don't know anything about programming for it.

Nomad 6R · Answer

jedi i'm a non programmer to . so i stick with the simpel ones . these things are cool but you have to know how to use it .

Jedi Legend

Upgrade to ARC Pro