First Real Look At My Ez-b Controlled Full Size Lis B9 Robot

Dave Schulpius

USA
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Hi all,

I'd like to share a video I just took of my full size Lost in Space B9 robot that's controlled by two EZ-B controller boards. Right now they are controlling limited movement and voice response of a few motors, lights and sound files played from a Sparkfun MP3 Trigger board. Although I'm just starting with the animation and have more building on the actual robot the result (mostly thanks to the EZ Robot controller board) is shocking. Please have a look at this (4 minute) You Tube vid and enjoy.

Please excuse some Technical camera lighting and sound issues. This is the first time I'd made and posted a vid online.

EDIT 8/2/13: Just realized I have no good pictures of how my B9 will look when complete. Here's one of the actual TV robots from the 60's TZ show Lost in Space and one recent shot of where I'm at with my build over 1 1/2 year after I started. Enjoy:

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Thanks, Dave Schulpius

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#1  

He is awesome! And the EZ-Bs seem to work very well. I can't wait to see more progress!

#2  

Thanks Bret. Yes, the two EZ-B's are working great! DJ has made a few upgrades in the past few months that removed most to the little problems I was having. I'm sure after I fine tune everything I'll have it working close to perfect. One little annoyance you can see in the vid is he misinterprets common talk as commands sometimes. You saw him bend over on his own without me asking him to. I'm sure he heard something that sounded like me asking him to do it.

PRO
Synthiam
#3  

Loving it dave! This robot blows my mind. I'm so impressed with the work you put into it. I hope you get a lot of attention from this:)

#4  

Dave excellent job! I know he is not where you want him to be yet but looking from here you have done more than most ever will on a b9 project. I also like that he is scaled down a bit so he can move around the house without making a new doorway. Will he be semi autonomous? Just to let you know we love to see pics and videos of progress. Again great job! - Josh s

#5  

Thanks everybody. I've really enjoyed his project. A lot of the stuff I've never done before. When I first started I had no idea how I would control him or make him act real. Thanks to the EZ-B Board He is looking and actoing like the real TV robot more and more everyday. To answer Josh's is question; No he will not be Mobile. No real room in my home for all that. I don't want him scampering around the house. I can always add that later if I want. Right now I want to just complete him so he can stand there and look really cool. Also he is built to exact scale of the original TV robot. The mold that the fiberglass torso was poured into and the rubber arms and legs were pulled from the original TV robot. very, very cool stuff. all other measurements including his height were taken right from the original also. I'm shooting for as close to exact as possible. He is very much man size as the original robot was just a costume with a person inside of it. Again thanks for the comments that all the help, Dave Schulpius

Canada
#6  

Looks awesome Dave.

Just curious why (2) EZ-B boards?

Did you use up all the ports?

Or is it the upper/lower thing?

#7  

Thanks Lumpy! Yes, your right. It's a upper and lower thing. I just didn't want to run cables 3 to 4 feet from the top through the rotating and bending hips. The only cable I'll have running through there is a flexible extension 16 gauge power cord.

Thanks again, Davis Schulpius

#8  

That is coming out awesome Dave. I look forward to seeing more progress. Hopefully mine will be at that point eventually. You are motivating me to get some more work done on it.

I have a suggestion to eliminate him getting confused by overhearing talk not intended for him. I have been looking at Bluetooth headsets made for CB radios. They have a "push to talk" button. I will probably go that route with mine.

Keep up the good work. Maybe some day we can both bring our B9s to a convention. We can start an EZ-B division of the B9 Club.

#9  

Dave,

That is a Fine job on my Favorite robot in the world!

good work!

:D

#10  

WOW! Came to mind immediately. Excellent craftsmanship. Nice work!

#11  

Thanks again for all this kudos everyone.

Danger, I understand and thank you for the suggestion. It seems like a solution I may end up going with. However I wanted to keep him "stand alone". Meaning that anyone in the room could "chat" with him, including myself, by just speaking to him normally.

Again, thanks for the interest, Dave Schulpius

#12  

Looks like a very good project. Should take to a show,a guy from this forum THOMAS my friend has a life size robot just like yours and has a photo of it and with him and real creator of it BOB may and he goes to the show alot,i forgot the name of the show,but its where all life size robots show what they can do. i got that same joke about the robot i guess you got it off the robot movie with robin willams playing in it my long term project is JOHHNY FIVE from short circuit. the site that is working on the plans is input-inc.com this is THOMAS SITE http://www.robots-and-androids.com/

#13  

The next few vids I've already shown off here in other threads. However I thought I'd consolidate them here in my project thread. I hope to be more active in posting here in the weeks to come. We'll see if I have the time.

Anyway,,,

I was showing off for a few friends over the holidays. Here's B9 telling us who he is and the laws he lives under. Right now he's working off the main EZ-B in the torso. You can see the lower EZ-B pulsing in his lower section. It's not active for this vid. Enjoy:

#14  

Here's a video of the lower section's waist rotation and a couple other things working from lower and second of two EZ-B's. I finally learned how to hold a camera! Enjoy:

#16  

Here's a vid of EZ-B controlling the waist rotation motor through EZ-Script in ARC. I Never thought I'd be able to pull this off but it works great! Enjoy:

Now I'm working on the radar and then up into the bubble where a 3rd EZ-B will control everything up there. One thing I'm hoping to pull off is a tracking camera up there that will tell ARC someone is walking past and his body and radar unit will turn along with that person. Now that will be spooky.

Thanks, Dave Schulpius

#17  

Impressive Build DAVE! very neat and professional as well. Voice commands of course are ulitimate but have you thought of a remote as backup for the routines/tests? I will def be doing that for FRED. Very cool vid of "under the hood" btw! and your comment about "aging eyes" made me snicker as I think I am the president of the "aging eyes" club round here!(forum) :) The talking B9 is sooo retro I luv it! I chuckled when I heard B9-D (dave) speak the second law where "a robot must obey orders given to it by a human being.....etc" ....unless its HARD of hearing as in "robot take a bow":) Thanks for sharing! I hope to do the same when my project gets going as well! |(steampunk head/torso)FRED...how THAT for retro!....Wild wild West...the original BTW..I am sure you watched that one!:)

#18  

I so love this project! You are really doing an incredible job.

#19  

I second that Brett! Iam presuming that you to are a B9 fan...based on your avatar?

#20  

Doing such a real good job DAVE ,looks about as complex as my johnny five both lynxmotion and full size johnny 5

#21  

Thanks guys. Like I said before, it's a labor of love. Actually, I do plan to incorporate RC into him in time. I figure that will be one of the last things I'll be doing. Right now I'm installing all the basic programming. Later I'll be tieing it all together in various ways.

Hey, that steampunk thing sounds fantastic. WWWwas a cool show, both the original series and the movie.

#22  

" A labor of love" I can identify with...seen, one crazy looking man scouring junkyards like Wall-E singling out cool stuff :) ......imagine a head built of copper and brass and wood, glass eyeballs with a stained glass heart beating with a glowing light inside...Dang its hard to keep a secret around here......I dont know how DJ does it with his "revolution"

Spain
#24  

I'm really impressed, amazing quality construction, I really like, congratulations.:)

#25  

Exactly R2D2! I am wondering if Dave is a retired Space engineer!:)

#26  

Ha, ha! I wish! Neither retired, space engineer or even an engineer. I'm just a High Voltage Distribution Power Linemen for a US Midwest electric company. I've been setting poles and building power lines all my life. I did however want to be an astronaut when I was a kid but didn't have the smarts to mussels. I didn't miss a space launch by NASA or a episode of LIS or Star Trek either.

#27  

How interesting Dave, My father was a High voltage lineman who worked distribution and constructed high tower lines specializing in "stringing" using helicopters over the very mountainous terrain here in British Columbia. He has passed away 3 years ago now. He taught me how to climb poles which I then went on to be employed by the phone company working a mainframe for half my career and then "climbing poles". I highly respected him. So yes I can identify with your job ......and......your astronaut desire and Nasa launchs,Star Trek etc!...kindered spirits for sure!

#28  

I work for a company thats makes equipment to company like yours ,high voltage sticks. I design and made high voltage testers,safety is my biggest item,each item has to be fully tested before it leaves the plant. Also very high current testers up 1000 amps i design and made

#29  

Very cool robotmaker, your skills are really amazing. Yes I do remember my father using "hot sticks" on many jobs. When the power goes out we all rely on hydro lineman to restore it,often under adverse conditions! When I was working for the local phone company, testing for foreign voltages was important and we all carried yellow voltage testors that would turn red or green depending on the tested item. I do forget the company that made them:(

#30  

we made all types buried line testers, and almost every type of electronic testers and i had to make pcb testers,final testers and qc testers for all of them and all have to very high precision

Back to DAVE'S project cant wait to see it finished is very cool,i lke B9 and R2-D2 but JOHHNY FIVE is my favorate DAVE to need when its done to place in a show or if another lost in space movie comming out like i hope to do with mine,but so many projects to build dont then i will start on him.

BUT good news after my last trip for work ,going to retire very early to work on robots full time.

#31  

Congrats robotmaker about your early retirement..I had to wait for 36 working years! As far a what is my favorite robot, I think R2D2, Johhny 5 B9 Wall-E in that order but really only separated by .00001 :) We should bug Josh to make an oppinion poll on this forum to post various things...what do you two think?

#32  

Yes, testers are very important in my line of work. Gotta know the powers off before you can take off the rubber gloves. On the higher voltages I've used "Hot Sticks" very often. It's a real art to be able to insert a bolt onto a little hole and then ratchet it down or tie a cable in with another wire at the end of a 10 foot fiberglass rod. Sorry to hear about your Fathers passing. I know he must have been a special kind of man. I've just passed 30 years climbing poles and probably have another 10 ahead of me. Just last night I was called out in a wind storm with the temp around 13 degrees Fahrenheit not including the wind chill. Brutal but kinda fun in a sick sort of way. eek

#34  

@Dave....I understand the weather hardships completly! Its usually the legs or knees that finally give out ..or an outrigger on a boom truck sliding into a ditch with the occupents inside the bucket, like what happened to my dad in Washington state. The other lineman died , my dad survived..ya just never know! I have never worked with "hot sticks" before and I can well imagine the difficulty! My challenge was working with 26 gauge "colored" tel wires in the near darkness and freezing wind conditions with bare hands......BUT when its sunny and warm it was the greatest!

@robotmaker...so glad to hear your dad is doing well! Spend as much quality time as you can and record his life experiances for future family! :)

#35  

Yep, at 55 yrs old my knees are feeling the misuse. Thankfully I've gotten enough time in that I'm a crew leader and most of the climbing and hands on work is done by the younger stallions. I wish I had some of the tools and safety equipment when I was in my prime that are available now.

Years ago the mortality rate among linemen was 50%. That's not to mention the damage done to the linemen's body from the stress of the job from climbing, pushing and pulling in odd angels, lifting and squeezing. These damages don't really show up for a while though. I've had a number of co-workers die on the line and a few others hurt to the point they are really messes up. That's hard to take and can cause nightmares. Thankfully though we haven't seen a serious injury in many years. I admire you and your dad for your service on the line. Thank God your dad didn't die in that accident. I think I actually heard about that incident up in Canada in one of our safety meetings.

Anyway, enough of that! This is a Robot forum. With all the technology and robots coming soon maybe there will be a Robot Lineman that will keep people away from the dangers of line work. I hope not because it's a cool job that gives a lot of satisfaction. At the very least I thought that someday the lineman would have insolated robotic arms that could be worked from a floating or isolated attached platform. Somewhat like we do now with Hot Sticks. However, I truly think that as advanced as robots will get someday you cant replace the dexterity and ability to touch and feel with your own hand. I only use Hot Sticks in certain situations. Working with my own hands and the proper safety procedures is the best way. As cool as robots are I hope they stay out of certain areas of our life.

Robotmaker, Glad your dad is still around. I hope your spending as much time with him as you can and showing and telling him you love him. I wish mine were still around.

#36  

Dave, amazing stories of courage and hardships. But YES this is a robot forum!.....On my thread of Dinomight you mentioned room for a miniEZ-B and how your waiting for DJ to release it. You thought you might want to put one in the dome of your LIS B9 because there is so little room in it. From the YT vids it seems theres a lot of room even for a lunchbox! You must have it jammed with other components. Also why would you want a EZ B in the dome when you could have it in the torso and run wires to whatever it is you have, I would presume sensors and lights?( maybe a boombox:) ..)

#37  

Thanks for bringing this back to topic. It was getting kinda dark there. Sorry. blush

Anyway, The area I need to hide the boards in up in the bubble is kinda limited. This area is called the Brain and is a tangle shape and mounted inside the clear bubble. The bubble will be moving up and down by about 4" and back and forth by 90 degrees each way. The less wires running through the support pipe the better. All I really want to run up there are two wires supplying 12v DC.

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Inside the triangle brain I'll need to pack in the EZ-B, a light controller board, a LED light board, a relay, a home made transistor switch hoard, wiring and hopefully a camera. Here's a pic with just a couple of the items:

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It's going to be tight and I don't want anything sticking up too high.

#38  

Thanks So much Dave! I totally see what you mean by space is at a premium..a picture is worth a thousand words! The "bubble" with the lights is Soooo freaking cool!:)

#39  

Dave! you got to see this YT vid of the Jupiter 2 at the Sci-Fi Airshow....How cool would it be to have that as a "visitor cabin" controled by an EZ-B of course. There are a couple of quick shots of a B-9 runnning about.......Enjoy!

#40  

Thanks but I saw it a few months ago and was amazed. I was ready to buy tickets to wherever it was showing. I even sent a email asking for their show schedule. Then I realized that's is all special effects and no such show exists. I felt a little silly but then just smiled at myself and enjoyed the web site.

I love all the other fantasy ships like the Flying Sub from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea!

You didnt add the link so here it is:

Click To Watch Video

Here's the whole site. Enjoy!:

www.scifiairshow.com/index.html

#41  

arrrgh! tired well maybe one day there will such a Scifi airshow con but I thought the B-9 zipping about was very cool. Too anxious to post for you, and forgetting the link which I often do eyeroll

#43  

i read the military made the aircraft from avatar movie ,so wont be to long to see the jupiter spacecraft,the plane does a vertical takeoff

#45  

this is full size design of the one in avatar ,with the same weapons.heard also they are tying it with regular planes too ,thinkinmg pretty soon no more using a runway when taking a airplane trip

#46  

i think it part of that design,but like a helicopter but with 2 or more jet engines for lift and thrust and to hold more then 2 people that the harrier jump jet does

#47  

I just finished one the most challenging, frustrating and most rewarding parts of my B9 Robot build; The Collar/Radar, Bubble Lifter sections.

The main challenge was to build this so everything can be taken apart easily, fit properly together to let the Radar swing back and forth on a Lazy Susan and let the Bubble Lifter post both slid up and down freely and swing back and forth with the horizontally fixed Radar. The Bubble Lifter is lifted from below with a HD Servo. The servo is attached to a a special Wishbone style bracket and a type of thrust bushing wrapped around the post I built. This allows the post to be lifted and also to spin. The main trick was to get everything lined up to slid and spin freely and not bind up. Again, the most difficult part was getting everything to fit in the area I had and get it all lined up. I also wanted badly to have limit switches on each side of the Radar swing just in case of an out of control spin. eek

Then the next thing to do was to get it all working with EZ-B and write EZ Scripts so the radar will move at different speeds and stop at any point on a 90 degree swing and then return to center. I've already done this with my waist motors so it wasn't to bad. Also I needed to have the script move the Bubble Lifter as the Radar swings. In the end it all worked great and looks very cool.

I've got it all taken apart now and am in the process of painting the Radar section. I'll post a video of all the action when painting is complete and it's reassembled. In the mean time please see the pics below if interested.

What is not in the pictures yet are the Sonar Dishes that will be sticking out of the ear posts on the sides of the radar. They will be powered with Micro DC motors that will also be turned on and off by EZ-B and animation scripts!

Enjoy!:

Here's the kit I bought that will soon be the Radar Section

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Here's the Radar kit all glued together, Very nice

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Here's the finished kit sitting on top of the Collar and ready to start mounting and wiring

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A test fit of everything in it's soon to be final resting place

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He looks like a sad puppy with his ears dropping

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The Collar section interior wiring showing one limit switch laying flat by the motor and the other mounted with the leaver sticking into the radar section above. No room for all the gears pipes, motors to lay both flat!

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Here's a pic of the bubble Lifter servo with the Wishbone and sliding collar brackets I built using a band saw, Drill Press and a file. I do not have the rings attached to the lifting post yet that the sliding collar pushes on to lift the post

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A side shot of the Radar Section with the vertically mounted limit switch and how it works. This method also works as a Stop Block to keep the radar from spinning if all else fails. There is also a stop block on the Horizontally mounted Limit Switch down below in the Collar

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Here's a pic of the motor and feedback pot mounted. The Pot will tell EZ-B where the Radar is so I can have custom movement and stop points for rotation anamation

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The underside of the finished Radar Section with the rotation gear and 9" Lazy Susan attached

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Thanks for looking! Dave Schulpius

#48  

DAVE so far your project looks good,i do see it one very heavy robot

I see in photos you got a burns multiturn pot,

I use to have so many many of them,but i been selling on ebay and they went very fast,only keep a few for my self

#49  

Painting the Radar has started and it's a slow go. Prep work is vital for a nice finished product. Lots of sanding in all nooks and crannies. And there lots of nook and more crannies on this section. I need to sand to get the Plastic Adhesion Primer and paint to stick to the acrylic properly I needed to take the shine off the clear acrylic. The final product will be a two tone color. Deep Gray on the lower band and upper columns (fins) and Slate Gray on the layered disks and top. Looking good so far:

Sealing up the working parts to keep out the paint and dust

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Taped up and ready for the sand paper

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All sanded and ready for paint. The ears are also getting a coat of Dark Gray after I have applied a Self Etching Primer

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First coat of Dark Gray. Looks good but I'll need to sand a little and repaint the radar. Like a dumb A** I stuck my finger on it when it was wet. tired

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More to come. Thanks for lookin!

#50  

Thanks Robotmaker. Yes, B9 is very heavy. He'll be between 350 & 400 lbs when complete.

I like these pots. They are multi turn and only cost a few $ at the RobotShop. I think I only paid about $7 USD. I haven't compared but I think they may work just as well as the ones that cost about $40 USD.

#51  

i think i sold over 50 at $3.00 each,looks like it so heavy will need a super big battery or short run time multitun are high precision but not continuous operation ,witch meens it has a stop

But for head rotate and servo feedback they are perfect

#52  

I'll not be using batteries to power this guy. I have four 120vac to 12vdc and one 120vac to 24vdc power converters supplying plug in power. I also have several home made DC converters stepping this down to either 5vdc and 3.5vdc. Along with the 5vdc the three EZ-B's I have installed can provide this will do me just fine.

B9 will not be scampering around the house or yard so he can stand by a wall and get his power from there. If I ever want to I can convert him over to car batteries and make him mobile with wheelchair motors. That's a project for another year or then next owner when I pass on to the big robot building shop in the sky.

#53  

oh ok,i seen full size B9 robotss ,YOU SHOULD SEE THOMASFROMLA B9 robot it full size,it has everything on it and uses batteries and moves around,there is a photo of B9 ,HIM and the creator of lost in space BILL MAY ,he died awhile back R.I.P BILL

#56  

i heard he is adding EZB to it,i know he been to many shows with it are you taking your to a show too,or just home use

#57  

I've already been asked to show him at a Milwaukee Admirals hockey game in the Bradley Center when I finish him. However I haven't yet decided if I want to lug him around. Also there are copyright questions that may prohibit such a showing.

#58  

i forgot the big show he goes alot too,mostly has full size B9 ,R2-D2 and many other robots full size and not,i think its in calif,but i think the show is everywhere , I am looking sometinme soon to take my johnny five full size there,it will have everything like the movie

SO FAR I BOUGHT MANY PARTS ,TRACKS WAS A BIG COST $500 EACH,just waiting on the plans to be done

#59  

Well, last week I got the Radar Section all painted. I think It turned out real nice. I opted for the 3rd (and final) TV season paint job. This is where the radar sported a new look of dark gray around the lower band and the upper columns. It really adds to the look and is real retro. It was a real pain to prep and paint but totally worth the effort. It had to be done in three stages and took over 5 hours to tape up to get just the right look. Here's a few pics. Enjoy and thanks for looking:

Sanded and ready to put the 1st layer on

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1st layer complete

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Second layer ready to paint

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1st and 2nd layer complete and ready for taping of 3rd layer

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Tapping the disks around the disks and columns to get the dark gray to lay nicely into the groves like I want. I thought this was going to be a real pain and have dreaded this for months. However it really wasn't too bad. I just took my time and worked myself around the disks.

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After 4 hours of tapping!

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The last layer and step in the painting process. I'm holding my breath for the next 1/2 hour till the paint sets a little before I remove the tape. Then I'll see how the paint laid into the groves. I'm also afraid the paint will tare or pull as I remove the tape.

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Well, all my fears were for not. It really turned out nicely and just as I wanted it to. You can see the dark gray laying deep into the groves and giving a sense of separation and depth. I only had one place where the paint started to tare as I removed the tape. I was excited and going too fast. I just slowed down a little and the rest came off just fine. I'll be able to fix that easily enough.

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Nice Lines if I do say do myself!

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Since I've take these pics I've gotten everything mounted on the robot and working. I have the Radar swinging back and forth and the Bubble Lifter moving up and down through it. After writing a few basic EZ scripts in ARC they look real good working together. I'll take a vid and post it soon. But first I want to get the ear sensor dishes installed on top of the ears and working.

Thanks for looking! Dave Schulpius

#61  

Thanks Bret. Cant wait to show you the video of everything moving under the control of EZ-B. Hopefully I'll have on taken in a few days. I want to get the sensor motors spinning first,

#62  

DAVE i see you really made some great changes,hope to see the video soon. Keep up the good work on it.

Spain
#64  

Very nice paint job! not whether it is worth carrying that big robot free for everyone to enjoy, and potholes can damage the rigid parts, I would be very jealous in my house.

#65  

Dave that is is looking great. How many EZ-b's are you using to control him?

#66  

Thanks again! I'm very proud of the paint job and finish. I live in fear that I'm going to drag a screwdriver over it while I'm working on him. eek

When finished I'll have 3 ez-b's. One the leg section, One in the torso and one up in the bubble. I could get away barely with one but the way he turns, leans and bobs on three levels I thought it would be less wires using three.

I'm having some problems right now with the large Bubble Lifter Servo. I'm getting a nasty jump and it locks on for a few seconds when I power it up. It has a different 12vdc power supply along with the 5v and signal from EZ-B's Digital port. When I apply main 12v power to it at robot power up or when a script starts the servo will jump almost all the way to the end of it's rotation very quickly and lock on for a few seconds. The only way I've been able to quiet it down was to run the main 12vdc power through a transistor switch circuit and have EZ-B turn it on AFTER I send an enable signal in a script. I also have to send servo Release and sleep Commands. Even after all this I still get a quick little bump. I guess I can live with that but I'd like to find a way to get rid if it completely.

Anyone have any ideas? Here is a sample script that I wrote that takes away most of the jump and lock up:

Edit : Please see the next couple posts for the solution and new script that seems to fix this problem.

#67  

OK, I've done a lot of thinking and searching the WWW. I found a lot of info on the RC fly boys forums. I think my problem is that I didn't find the center position of the servo before I installed the horn where I wanted it. Here's one post I found:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Take the screws out of the servo arms, power up the system, pop off the servo arms and put them on again as close to center as possible, put the screws back in again.

The servos will always correct themselves to what they consider their default position. No matter how much you move them when there is no battery in. unfortunately the only way to fix this is to (while the batery is plugged in) unscrew the screw and take of the servo horn and install it to correct trim. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Makes sense and sounds like good advice. I'll give it a try tomorrow if I have time.

#68  

It's been a busy week with snow removal, family issues and daytime job bleeding into the evening (overtime). Too bad real life gets in the way of personal fun. However I guess it's important to have all that other stuff so I can have a balanced life and money for the fun.

Anyway, I was able to get my servo jumping problem worked out. What worked best was a combination of the points I mentioned in the above posts:

First : making sure the servo was centered (poison 50) when it was at rest and attaching the horn so it was also positioned at rest. Second : making sure I powered up the servo after the signal was sent for servo speed and position from EZ-B. I found it was very important to have the script "Sleep()" at least one second after I send the servo speed and position and before I sent the power up command that closed the transistor to let the 12vdc power flow to the servo.

Here's the script I wrote that I found works best to move the servo smoothly up and then back down:


ServoSpeed(D1,1)
Servo(D1, 33)
Sleep(1000)
# D10 is the digital port I have the Transistor switch circut attached to that turns on main 12vdc power
Set(D10,on)

Sleep(2000)

ServoSpeed(D1,2)
Servo(D1, 49)
Sleep(1000)
#D10, servo power needs to be turned off before servo is released or servo could jump
Set(D10,off)
Sleep(100)
Release(D1)

Now I need to make a video of everything working to post and show off!

#69  

SNOW that must be fun,i love the swiss alps,when i was there skiing and having fun in the snow,

DAVE cant wait to see your video,your design is really great,hope soon to start on my B9 robot,but so many other projects first,but i am getting there,i be glad in about a month,more time then i ever will need to work on robots full time

The script looks good will have to try your idea on my designs ,thanks

#70  

That's excellent information Dave. Thanks for troubleshooting for the rest of us haha. Can't wait to see some video. hint hint;)

#71  

Thanks for the nice words Bret & Robotmaker. I'll get some video up soon.

Actually snow truly sucks. I've lived in it most of my life. It's cold, wet and I have no time to shovel it and keep the sidewalks clear of ice. In fact my mother-in-law just slipped on it last week and broke her hip.

Mentioning time, if you plan to do a full sized B9 you had better put aside about 1 -2 years of your life with no other robot projects. Also as others have said; a B9 robot project is never really done.

#72  

YES i can see its big big project,but i have more then 20 years or more to work on robots since no more work.

And i love my job free travel and work on designs all day,but i need to retire early and still have more money i need at the same time,i keep me from building robots a major passion for me.

I can see snow is not fun when you leave there day after day,mm idea maybe a have a robot do the snow plowing

SORRY to hear about your mother in-law hope she does better,i know how it feels if happen to me while back

#73  

After ironing out a few more wrinkles I was able to find time to take a Video of the Radar and Bubble Lifter working with the help of EZ-B and a few scripts I wrote. Please excuse the ruff movie making skills and it's length. It's almost 9 minutes of YouTube bandwidth in HD but captures most of what I've been able to do thanks to DJ, EZ Robot and the B9 Builders Club. If you have about 10 minutes please take a look and let me know what you think:

Thanks for looking, Dave Schulpius

#74  

After I thought I had everything worked out so my Bubble Lifter servo didn't jump and larch at power up it started doing it again. tired Thankfully I found the cause right away. I just had to try to remember what changes I made that may cause it to start up again. Turns out It was in the servo Control Panel I have installed. I had the Min/Max position set to 1 on the Min and 100 on the Max. When ARC started up the default start position goes to 1 in the little window. This caused the servo to jump to the 1 position just before it receives the first position command when the script starts. For example:

I have my servo and horn centered to position 50 in ARC ARC starts and the servo Panel defaults to 1 when I have the Min/Max set to 1 and 100. I send my first command for the servo to move to position 40 The servo will try to move to position 1 and then move to position 40.

The real life result is that the servo will slam to the top of it's rotation (position 1), hold for a second and then move down to position 40. Not good.

Here's my work around. I set the Min in the servo Control panel to 50. That's my center and resting position of my servo and horn. This sets the starting default position to 50 in the window of the servo Control Panel at ARC's startup. This takes away any larch or jump when the servo tries to slam up to the 1 position. In short, the min position needs to be set to my center resting position of my servo.

I don't know if I'm missing something here with this servo control. Any words of wisdom from anyone?confused I don't know why it should default to position 1 at start up. I would think it would go to center. In my case that would be 50 if min/max was set to 1 and 100. I don't really use it anyway other then to see on screen the position the servo is in. My servo is always controlled by scripts. All seems well now so I'm happy. :)

PRO
Synthiam
#75  

This project makes me giddy! I hope to someday see this in real life:)

To understand your servo situation... Is this what happens?

Action

  1. Connect to EZ-B

  2. EZ-Script command Servo(d0, 50)

Result

  • Servo moves to position 1, then position 50
New Zealand
#76  

Absolutely awesome Dave.... I followed every minute of your latest video with intrigue. Your build looks and sounds authentic and that I am sure is high praise from what I can see of the attention to detail!

This is probably old news to you but I have managed to get recognition errors down to a minimum by deliberately scripted by project with limited choices when it comes to voice commands while at the same time opening up a whole lot more....let me explain.

The new voice command display in a recent update gave me the idea of using a menu system like our local Telco voice answering phone menu ...

I have the absolute minimum of entries in the speech recognition panel and instead use the WaitforSpeech command. This lets me listens for specific responses and navigate through a series of menus responses rather than all responses I used to have in the speech recognition panel. This has been greatly improving accuracy. Here's an adaption of one of DJSures examples...

Saywait("System Configuration" ) ControlCommand("Speech Recognition", PhrasesHide) :Response_Menu

Do this loop three times

$Name_Response_Loops=$Name_Response_Loops+1 $Response = WaitForSpeech(10, "Update Location", "Power down", "System standby", "Main Menu" ) IF ($Response = "timeout" ) $Response="nothing" ENDIF IF ($Name_Response_Loops=3) goto (No_Response) ENDIF

Take necessary action according to response

IF ($Response = "Update Location" ) goto(Option 1) ELSEIF ($Response = "Power down" ) goto(Option 2) ELSEIF ($Response = "System standby" ) goto(Option 3) ELSEIF ($Response = "Main Menu" ) goto(Main Menu) ELSEIF ($Response = "timeout" or $Response = "nothing" ) goto (Response_Menu) ElseIF ($Response = "cancelled" ) goto(Cancelled) ENDIF Halt() :Cancelled saywait("Aborting request" ) Halt() :No_Response saywait("I didn't hear you say anything" ) Halt() :Option 1 Say ("Up-date Location command sequence" ) ControlCommand( "Script Manager", ScriptStart, "Menu - Update" ) halt() :Option 2 Say ("Starting Power down sequence" ) ControlCommand( "Script Manager", ScriptStart, "Menu - Powerdown" ) halt() :Option 3 Say ("Entering System stand-by" ) ControlCommand( "Script Manager", ScriptStart, "Menu - Standby" ) goto (Response_Menu) halt() :Main Menu ControlCommand( "Script Manager", ScriptStart, "Menu - Main" ) halt()

To avoid false recognition on key commands I also have a similar script that listens for a confirmation.

$Response = WaitForSpeech(10, "Yes", "No", "Affirmative", "Negative" ) IF ($Response = "timeout" ) $Response="nothing" ENDIF IF ($Name_Response_Loops=3) goto (No_Response) ENDIF

Take necessary action according to response

IF ($Response = "Yes" or $Response="Affirmative" ) goto(Positive) ELSEIF ($Response = "No" or $Response = "Negative" ) goto(Negative) ELSEIF ($Response = "timeout" or $Response = "nothing" ) goto (Response_Menu) ElseIF ($Response = "cancelled" ) goto(Abort) ENDIF Halt()

Hope this helps....

Canada
#77  

I can't let you do that Dave...

New Zealand
#78  

Again absolutely awesome... and the care and attention you have given the build is a great example!

#79  

DJ, I would be honored to have you see me B9 in real life someday. Your like the Canadian Wizard OF Oz that has given my Tin Man a heart ( and a brain). You are correct about the servo movement. If I have the min max movement set to 1 and 100 the servo control window will show 1 at ARC startup. If I have a command to move that servo to, let's say 40, it will jump to 1 first then move to 40. I have to set the min to where my servo is centered and at rest. In my case 50. This way when ARC starts I see the 50 position in the servo control window and it will not jump.

Tameion, thanks for the suggestion. I need to study and think your script over. I'm still a little slow on script writing. It sounds like a great to solution. When I'm done I plan on having 100's of phrases. Do you think your script is practical for that many files on the MP3 trigger? Thanks for all the kind words!

Erreul, ;)

My next step is to start building the bubble and brain. This is going to be where I have the third EZB sitting and the tracking camera. Hope I can find the room and make it look good at the same time.

#80  

BTW, do you see the rubber boot on top of the radar section? Our very own fxrtst manufactured that. It's part of a set including two arms and legs. You can see the arms in a video I posted earlier in this thread. Amazing quality and workmanship.

Will, if you're reading this, thanks for making my big guy more realistic!

#81  

Hey Dave! Thanks for the video...its Freaking awesome! It Must be great to see things coming together. The voice recognition issues are always challenging but your efforts have been amazing. I thank Tameion's VR script and will definately try them on FRED....the pursuit of excellence continues:)

#82  

HEY irobot where did my name FRED came into it lol

#83  

Friendly Robotic Entertainment Droid!

#84  

so i am DROID .LOL I know i am ROBOHOLIC

#85  

This build is amazing. You are giving life to one of the best robots to ever be on television or in a movie. I have a 2 ft tall B-9 that will be getting his own EZ-B when I get time to work on him. I have a few other robots ahead of him right now. They both have an EZ-B in them as well. My android may end up with many EZ-Bs as she will have amazing movement in her face, arms and hands. Hopefully even walk someday if I can afford the servos she will need. I love the way you are using the robots voice. I need to get MP3s to play on command for mine.

New Zealand
#86  

The VR script I posted only displays four voice commands at a time.... I have asked @DJ Sures if he can expand it to around ten.... this would be a great help IMHO.

Keep up the good work team!

#87  

Absolutely amazing work man! Really.

If you ever decide to teach a class, sign me up!:)

#88  

Thanks for the kind words. However, I'm still learning and by no means know enough to teach a class. I do however know a few tricks and am willing to pass them along to anyone in need.

#89  

Hi all,

I'm close to finishing the upper part of my B9. I'm close enough to the end to share a video tour through my brain, err, B9's brain and how EZB controls it before I screw it shut. Here are a couple vids:

The grand tour. Thankfully for everyone I ran out of battery power before I was through. It's 13 minutes. Grab your pop corn :

Here's a video of a camera view from inside the bubble. I was working out some motion issues I was having with the camera seeing reflections on the surface inside the bubble. Kinda cool. I was told it looks like an old "B" horror movie with the monster walking up on the mad scientist with his back turned:

Enjoy! Dave Schulpius

#90  

This is my first from inside the bubble view ever! You are building such an amazing B9. When I was a kid I was collecting everything I could find to build my own B9. I had part of the inside of a washing machine for the upper body and vent hose for the arms, but I had nowhere to put such a large robot or anything to use for a bubble head. I did make working claws. Someday I need to take on this project. He can stand next to my full size R2D2.

PRO
United Kingdom
#91  

Thats a great robot you have made there!

#92  

DAVE a few ideas,on changing the TIP120 to mosfets if you go to my tutorial it uses very tiny mosfets i just got mine in,they handle up to 4 amps each and less then half the size of TIP12O

ON the scratches on acrylic i bought a 4 part kit that removes scratches very well,light,med are very big scratches,plus 4000 grit sandpaper.

THE B9 looks great

United Kingdom
#93  

You can buff out scratches with 400 grit wet & dry sand paper, 1500 grit and 2000 grit and polish. A lot of good examples and tutorials can be found on motorcycle forums. No need for a kit. Tutorial

Light scratches often come out by just buffing with toothpaste (of all things, but gives a minty smell to it)

#94  

THE kit is 3 bottle of polish very low cost and last for many projects. I used it for a very badly scratch dome and i first used wet dry 400 and then 2000 wet dry grit sandpaper and the polish and it looks brand new

As soon i get a chance i wanted to make a very good tutorial on plastics how to them and polish,since at work thats we we do a lot for out plastic housing for handhelp test equipment we make and sell.

#95  

Also depending how big your scratches are you may only need light or med or hard scratch polish no sandpaper,mostly you use sandpaper is the scrathes are very deep.

scratch remove kit

The company i worked for got info on this from a company who makes plastics and said it was one the best. and the bottles can be used for many many projects.

WE tried toothpaste kinda works ok,but does do a great job as product made for plastics,its one of my favorate tools for robot making ,since toys always get scratched ALOT

#96  

WOW Congrats Dave ! Your video was well done and very inspiring. Thank you for the closeups as well:) I do hope you will have B9 in your living room or kitchen , controlling lights etc and just to hang out! From here on its pure fun creating more personalities and maybe more analyzers! Very very cool!

#97  

YEA looks like a very good build and design.keep making it better my friend

#98  

Dave, You have truly built an amazing robot. Your professional touch to every detail is awesome. I love looking @ your videos on how each level operates. There are so many great robot builders using EZB that are encouraging to me. Thanks Steve S.

#99  

Thanks again everybody! Im having a blast!

I've been using Novis 1,2 & 3 on pinball play fields for years. Works great on diamond plate and automotive clearcoat. I like to use a random orbital car buffer starting with a mix of 2 & 3. Then move down to 2 then 1. The playfields look like glass afterwards and the balls fly!

I have not had as good of luck on clear acrylic. I always seem to have a haze left over. I am afraid to try this on my bubble and leave it looking foggy. It would be like looking through dirty sun glasses.

#100  

You are living my dream. Keep up the good work Dave!

#101  

Thats wierd DAVE it works great ,no haze on my omnibot clear acrylic dome after i use the polish last.and we use it all the time at work for other plastics mostly lexan and pexiglass,dont get too much acrylic used at work too brittle.

I would i know toothpaste does leave a residue on some plastics why we dont use it anymore,but great news they gave a lot out at work when we stop using it.

#102  

Here is idea do a test patch on area you cant see,or take a piece of scrap acrylic and scratch it and test .

WE at work test the products always on scrap plastics first using different ideas to find the best one,main reason it goes to customers so it has to be 100% perfect,or they wont buy any more of our products we sell.

#103  

DAVE, you have achieved my lifelong goal. But, I had several chances and blew it.

I am happy for you. Someone had to make this beautiful creature.

Kudos!

;)

#104  

I bet the company you work for DAVE USES our test equipment from buried wire finders to hot sticks to tic-tracers to super high current probes or 2000 amps,and almost every in-house testers design by me,pcb,qc ,final and in-qc.

Also one tester i design and made is so strong it would pull you in to the machine Just think it 10000 amps (yes amps) at AC pure sinewave would do.

#105  

This robot is amazing. Is it scratch built?

Den

Belgium
#108  

Absolutely amazing ! Nice piece of high tech ! Congratulations, we're all very proud of you and your work (at least I am and I do think everybody else too).

#109  

Thanks for all the kind words! blush Could not have made it this far without the help of members of this and other forums. EZ Robot is so user friendly that it has been a true joy to learn how to use it and make it the heart and brain of my B9. :P

I've got his bubble in place now. At least till I decide to take it all apart and do some mods I've thought of. I'm just now finishing up his radar ears. Yahh! No more blue tape to watch go round and round. Had an epic fail with the yellow paint on one of the ears. Had to wipe it off and start over or I'd have them mounted tonight. tired Well, tomorrow is another day. Here is the final coat (I hope) before they get glued to the base and clear coated. Then mounted onto the radar. After that I'll do another video for our enjoyment:

User-inserted image

#110  

Wow! I love this build! What are your plans for him when he's complete? Any opportunities to earn a little money back? I'm sure the total cost was pretty expensive. Other than that, you should show him to school age kids. It would surely inspire them.

#112  

Thanks Troy, I'm not building for the money. Only fulfilling a childhood dream. Anyway, there are a ton of copyrights owned by several companies and people that cover this robot. Even his voice and words are copyrighted. They are very jealous over people making money off from their image and sounds. However they are very open to people making him and appearances where no money is earned like schools and conventions. So, he'll probably stand in my living room or game room for my enjoyment. I'm making him so I can take him apart in several parts but even so all parts are very heavy. It's a process. He wont be mobile (for now) so I wont have to worry about him running off to gain fame and fortune. :P

#113  

MY childhood dream is full size ,full detail johnny five robot i am working on,looking to show it off at the next short circuit movie comming out soon

#115  

It still would still be great if he could show up at a high school science fair or other venue. I bet a few would be inspired to learn electronics once you show them the EZ-B in action. Heck, some might want to get a part-time job with the goal of having robotics as a hobby.:D

#116  

Who knows, Could happen if I get the urge to enlighten the little ones. ;)

#117  

We are ALL looking forward to your next video Dave! Did you say "I'm making him so I can take him apart in several parts but even so all parts are very heavy" Wouldnt a moving dolly be easier to get B9 into the living room?:) ...or is B9's rotund diameter to large to fit thru the doorway?:)....Enquiring minds! Also are you looking forward to a next robot project or developing more B9 personality?

#119  

I had to take a few days off robot building because of the stomach flu. I'm feeling better so tonight I should be able to pick up a wrench. With any luck I'll have his ears on the radar tonight.

Irobot58, I don't have any plans for another robot after I finish this one. I will probably work on developing his personality and starting a few projects around the house and in my other hobbies that I have been putting off. With that said the next time I do a robot it will probably be either A full-size Robbie the robot or r2 d2.

Herr Ball, I have that set of CD's from the magnetic lock. They are well done in high quality. Hundreds and hundreds of sound clips are included. I had a problem though getting them to ship it to me after I paid for it. I had to file a Pay Pal disputes to get them to notice that I had sent the money. Others have had this problem also. So if anybody wants to buy this set be prepared for a long wait before you get in a little bit of a fight.

#120  

I'm glad that you are feeling better Dave. I hope that you make a full recovery soon. Just as an FYI, I bought that same set of discs. I had no problem getting them. Maybe he got his act together a little after you had to deal with him.

I wanted to chime in with my plans if I ever get my robot completed; some food for though, I guess. I have been collecting stuff for several years. I will have a lot of spare parts left over. I am thinking of making a female version of the B9. Maybe I'll call it the G9 9 (as in "Boy9" and "Girl9").

It will be a similar design but smaller. The torso will be more shapely, somewhat buxom, and taper in at the waist. The neon will be shaped more like a "V" neckline. Instead of the pants separating into two legs, it will be more like a dress. The arms and claws will be more dainty. Of course, the colors will pinks and pastels.

Who knows? By then, EZ-B might be so advanced that the two of them might actually fall in love.

#122  

Well, there's a start. I have seen this picture before, and can't help but wonder, When they loaded up the "Jupitor 2" to head for Alpha Centuri, who had the inclination to pack a Shirley Temple wig that would fit the robot.

But I digress.

#124  

Dude you rock, I have been designing a 5 foot opensource walking robot just for EZ-B. When I'm done it should be 3D printable. My goal is not to use any arduinos if I don't have to. I want nothing but EZ-B so I teach my daughter how to operate it. I'm like 85% done with the 3D CAD Drawings. You have truly inspired me to keep going. Thanks;)

#125  

Cross dressing B9! lol A G9 sounds cool.

#126  

Dave, (or any one else that has a B9 Robot) I have a .wav file that says "Incoming Email Transmission" using the B9 Robot's voice. Do you have this already? If not, Email me and I will send it to you.

rex(dot)gordon61(at)gmail(dot)com

#127  

That's awesome! Thanks, I will send an email right away. I wish I could find one with him seen my first name.

#128  

@Dave It would be cool if someone made a B9 voice synth. Then you could just type what you wanted and he could say it.

@Rashad Sounds like an amazing project. Is your walker going to be humanoid? I will be printing parts for my humanoid robot. He is under 3 ft tall. I am building a full scale android, but only internal parts will be 3d printed. I hope to give her latex skin.

#129  

Rex, I think that I will take you up on that offer as well. I'll email you too. If there are any files that you need in return, just ask.

Dave, you said that you have the "Robot Ramblings" CD. Have you thought of editing sounds off of that, with Windows sound recorder? You can copy and past parts of sounds together. If you can find the word "day" and splice it in with the end of the word "save" or even "give" or "have" and you'll have your name. It would be fussy work, and you'd have to find clips of similar quality, but I am sure that you could put together an authentic rendition of your name.

#130  

Mcsdaver, I have been working with voice changing software to try to get one of my computer's voices to sound like the original robot, with only modest success. There was talk of trying to use recordings of his voice to make a custom voice for text to speech, but there are issues of copyright. It's a shame, because I know that many people would pay a reasonable price for that iconic voice.

#131  

He would not be the same robot without his voice. My name being David, I may have a harder time editing his voice to say my name. I need to get the CD first. I may watch a few episodes and see how well I can do the robot's voice, then use some software to make it even better. Not that I am the best at doing voices, but it wont hurt to try.

#132  

I just made a clip of "Dave." I emailed it to you Dave S. I'll work on "David."

#133  

This is what the forum community is all about! Helpful people.:D

#134  

I sent out the emails. Hope you guys like it.

#135  

@Danger! Any chance of uploading a mp3 of "Dave"? We all would love to hear it!:) ..I am sure a sound clip would be a first for this Forum! pics and vids are common but a cool "imrobotation"(impersonation) of B9 would be amazing :)

#136  

Unfortuately, you cannot upload wav files, or MP3s directly here. You need to link to somewhere on the web. Maybe I can put it on You Tube, or something.
Dave, does a lot of videos. Maybe he will incorporate it into one of his future ones.

#137  

Danger & Rex I got the files. They sounds really close to the real thing. I can't wait to get it into the robot to see how it sounds through the speakers in next to the actual voice. Thank you for your hard work on this. Its guys like you that make this hobby so much fun and enjoyable. Once I get its in the robots I'll try to make a video of what is sounds like. I haven't had a lot of spare time lately but I really want to get video posted of what I have accomplished so far. I've got his radar and bubble section working great, spinning, bobbing up and down. Hopefully I can have it recorded and posted this weekend.

Thanks again everybody, Dave

#138  

Hi All,

I was able to find some time this afternoon to take a video of my completed bubble and brain section. Also was able to show a good example of my B9's basic movement and animation abilities with the three EZB boards working togather. Sadly I was not able yet to load the sound files sent to me by Danger & Rex. Later. Cant wait.

He's really looking like the real thing now that his head is in place! I also completed the radar ears and Power Pack. These finishing touches really add to final look. Now I need to get his pants on and start working on his arms. Once all the building is complete I will work on more advanced animation routines and development of a better personality within ARC. What Fun!

Enjoy:

#139  

I really enjoyed watching the video of your progress. Thank you for sharing it.

#140  

Awesome Dave! I too enjoyed your video. Sounds like your VR is working very well..at least 90 persent of the time...its the " operators" voice which needs a lttle more training!:):)...I could well imagine after 2 Jack Daniels poor B9 might get a little more frustrated trying to "interpret your voice":) ..I understand entirely about trying to remember the correct syntax/commands, I too have like 30 plus voice responses/commands for my chatsteambot. With out a "cheat sheet" its can be frustrating trying to remember all the syntaxs let alone after a glass of wine!....which brings me to my point/suggestion, I am thinking of incorporating a 16by2 led display hidden descretly to act as a "teleprompter"...it could "suggest" commands or thread continuation replys. For your B9 you would have lots of room for a compartment and door to house a led display......OR if you didnt want to reveal a led display that every one could see, I am thinking of a "projector" beam pointed at the ceiling where YOU might glance up (looking for heavenly guidence:) ) and be able to read what the suggested reply/command might be!....just a thought!........................ALso as DJ 's new bot factory is gearing up they will need a receptionist to handle visitors, earlier on his thread I had suggested a C3PO...but NOW your B9 would be perfect!:) Thanks for your vids and updates..keepem coming as they DO inspire the Forum people to keep on EZboting myself especially!

New Zealand
#141  

Hey Dave....

Yes I struggle with remembering all the commands as well...

Some of the ways I have tried to counter this have been:

  1. Command "What can I say?" speaks the growing list of the main verbal commands
  2. Command "Visual Commands" toggles a command to display a webpage of the command I have using the script command EXEC to open a Chrome webpage stored in Evernote. I use a dos kill command to terminate the browser.
  3. Command "Audible Menus" does the same as the above but speaks out the specific command before waiting for a response.

Very roughly...

if ($verbal_menus="On") exec .... jump to web browser commands... Elseif ($audible_menus="On") Saywait ($Command_Phrase) Endif

Continue with script....

I do the same with toggling sound effects as well...

  • Wayne
#142  

3 grrreat suggestions tameion! OR something like this ...there must be an IC that does this...

Weird cant seem to make a YT link work? anyways....its just a IPOD holographic projector

#143  

Thanks for the suggestions guys. It's always amazes me how generous, creative and ingenious people can be. I'll see how these suggestions can work into my build. I hope to have over 400 sound files triggered by VR so I'll nee all the help I can get.

irobot58, I hadn't had any Jack yet when I filmed this vid. Maybe that was the problem. :D I really like the projection idea and tameion pop up bbrowser also sounds cool. Maybe a little of both?

Irobot58, your link isn't working.

#144  

He is amazing! Thanks for the cool video! Robots tend to not hear everything we say. Kids are the same way. lol

#145  

Thanks again all for the kind words. Haven't had much time in the past few weeks to work on B9. Been away on vacation but I'm home now and looking forward to getting back at him.

On vacation I did take my laptop along and I had some time away from the beach and was able to do a little cleaning up to my project in ARC. Mainly got Script Manager set up and transfused my scripts to it. Looks like it will be a nice addition to clean up the look of the desktop and make it easier to find the script I need. I'll try it all out before I delete all the old copied ones from the desktop.

I made a post in another thread where a fellow builder made a comment about limit switches on DC motors & H-Bridges being a good idea. I replayed and thought that reply would be a good addition to this thread. I may have said this before in this thread but it couldn't hurt to repeat it. So here it is. Enjoy: >>>>>>>>>>>>>> I'm a big fan of limit switches. They have saved my butt more then once. As you know it's very easy to send your motor speeding away towards disaster or your fingers while your setting things up. Limit switches to cut power on each side of the radius and keep the tears away from your eyes. By adding a simple blocking diode on each switch you can easily revise direction. Without the diodes installed there is no way to back off the rotation because there is no power flowing. Blocking diodes allow power to flow one way but not the other so with them installed in the proper direction you can simply reverse your h-bridge when your rotation hits the switch and run it the other way. Here's one of my setups. You can see the switches to either side of the blue pot I use for location feedback:

User-inserted image

User-inserted image

#146  

Awesome Dave you must have read my mind cause I was just about to post a question on servo limit switches particularly for modified servos...thanks for answering my question!

#147  

Glad I could help. Nothing like a safety switch to keep things safe. ;)

#148  

Dave

I looked through your post but was unable to find how you worked your lights with the voice. I have read several ways but (being the noob I am) can't seem to get any to work ...lol. Mind when you have time to explain?

Herr

#149  

Hi Herr,

The light on the neck of my B9 is neon. It's triggered with a Tech22 Neon power supply transformer and controller. Here is a link to them:

Tech22

I have the whole thing attached to one channel of my CF3 Sound System that all my sound runs through last. When it senses sound from this channel it will blink the neon according on how I have it adjusted.

Sorry, this wont work with LEDs or regular bulbs. Only with neon. :(

Good luck, Dave Schulpius

#150  

It's been a long time sense I've been able to post progress. Summer has taken most of my time with home upkeep and family. However I've been able to get into the shop from time to time and was able to complete my (non working) Torso Microphone.

It's just for looks and a fun but I wanted to make it look and feel like the real thing. On the TV show it was never removed or used in any of the episodes so no one really knows what the handle and cord looked like so I was able to use some artistic leeway. All that was really seen was the head sticking out. The mic head I ended up making isn't exactly the same as the original but it's close enough for me.

As for building the mic I got the body of it from a fellow B9 builder that had a few of these turned at a shop for him. I was lucky enough to buy one of them. I had to manufacture the screened tip and figure out how to get a coed attached. Please take a look at the following video and pictures for how I built it and how it turned out. Thanks and have fun!

Here's the blank mic body I bought from a fellow B9 builder. He had several made and I was luck enough to be able to buy one of them:

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Painted and ready to start making it look like the real thing:

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Here's the screen head after applying a layer of foam and weaved screen form a simple kitchen strainer. I placed a Brad Nail in the center to help it look more like the original mic from the TV B9:

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All assembled and ready to attach the coard (from a real Radio Shack Mic I canalized):

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Finished! :

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Inserted in the proper place in the Torso:

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For comparison here's a shot of the original Mic from the 1st season:

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The man behind the curtain:

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How it works:

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Here's the engine. It's a Key Retractor I got off Amazon that hangs on your belt and holds your keys!:

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Installed and working:

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Here's a vid of the whole thing installed and working:

#151  

You're are a master builder. Thank you for sharing your progress!

#152  

Awesome Dave! Perfect authenticity and a wonderful "how I did it " vid:) Your key return system is very cool and I am sure will give other members good application ideas. It s got me thinking of applications as well. I was thinking , what if the mic was really used as a "mic for a remote speaker" to another part of the house, or as a karaoke mic....ahhh maybe not:)...................great job!

#153  

Thanks guys. I had played with the idea of making it a real and working microphone but in the end I didn't think it would get any use. I couldn't justify putting the extra work. Anyway, I couldn't really come up with a way to make it work and keep it looking like the original without a lot of extra tooling.

Within a few days I'll have a switch wired in so when I pull the mic out of the torso he'll say something. I have a few sound files where he mentions the mic.

#154  

"I'll have a switch wired in so when I pull the mic out of the torso he'll say something. I have a few sound files where he mentions the mic." ......like stop pulling my leg......or Are you calling 222-PIZA? :) I am sure it'll have references to Lost in Space! How fun is that!

#156  

Thanks again!

I have a few sound files of the original voice actor, Dick Tufeld, saying things like "You may examine my microphone" and "That microphone is only to be used to contact the Robinson's on the Jupiter 2". They should sound real cool when someone tries to pull out the mic. :P

#157  

This is AWESOME Dave! This is the Robot that Every man would like to have. How much did it cost total and how much does it weigh?

:D

#158  

Dave, That was an ingenious idea for the microphone retracting. All of your work has been very professional. Steve S

#159  

WOW! Thanks for sharing your progress with us Dave. You are an awesome builder. Congrats on a job well done.

#160  

Thanks for the Kudos!

@MovieMaker, Those are two questions I don't really have an answer for.

I stopped counting money spent a long time ago. So far I've probably spent over 8K or more. I have most everything bought for the main part of the robot. However I still have to make the inside mechs of the arms. I don't really know yet what I'll need or spend to buy the things I'll need to get them to move in and out.

As far as weight, he's very heavy. I would estimate around 350 - 400 lbs. I don't plan to have him rolling around the house or yard and am not using batteries so I didn't try to keep him light. I used aluminum as much as possible but still he's very heavy.

I've built him in several easy to take apart pieces and easy to connect Molex connectors. When I do want to move him it will be easy to dissemble him and move him one peace at a time then reassemble him. Shouldn't take more then a couple hours and two people.

#161  

DAVE i hope you got my apology before the thread was removed on the tutorial problem.

You know you are my friend and have very good wisdom and would not say anything bad about you. only i just put 2 and 2 together and thought you was talking about me like others where doing

#164  

I've been working on a way to keep a servo holding a load for a long while. What I want to do is have my bubble lifter hold the bubble/brain up about 1 inch while B9 is active. Total travel distance from fully down to fully up is about 3.5 inches. Doesn't seem like much but the effect is just right compared to the TV robot. So simply put; I want to have 1" down to show anger, sad and other negative emotions along and 2.5" up to show interest, excitement and positive emotions.

I understand this action of holding a load will eventually wear out or burn up a servo no matter how heavy duty it is. After all, my bubble section weighs over 15 lbs and the HD servo I bought cost about $250 USD. I don't want to burn this sucker out or strip it's gears. After weeks of brain storming and several different "mind designs" I decided on using supports under each side of the lifting fork to support the load. Then I'll have smaller servos controlled by ARC pull the supports out. This will allow the HD lifting servo to let the load "drop" the 1 inch I need to show the negative emotions.

I wanted to accomplish a number of things in this design. First was to keep things simple and the other was keep all the stress off all the servos and the mini drawer slide I'm using as a track to move the blocks back and forth and keep them in line. Also as in the rest of my build, I want this to last forever.

I've got it half built (one side of the lifting fork supports) and it seems to work great. Here are a few pics of my progress so far. I'll make a video of ARC controlling it after I get it all built.

Here's a test fit of the supports I built out of Acetal. A very strong, slippery and workable plastic. It should last and not wear out.

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Here are a couple pics of one side of the support completed. I'm just using a standard (EZ Robots kit) servo with standard servo linkage to pull the blocks out from under the lifting fork. The block is cut so it straddles a mini drawer slide (used in doll houses) so it puts no stress or weight on the slide. A simple EZ Script lifts the main lifting servo a fraction and then pulls the blocks out. Then the main lifting servo can lower the load. The silver cover over the standard servo is Dynamat for sound proofing. It does quiet the servo down enough to keep the whine from sounding like my ex-wife but it still can be heard. It's livable now.

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#165  

Quality work Dave! Thank you for posting your photos. LMAO on Ex-wife reference.:D

#166  

Thanks Troy. It a good thing I didn't know about Dynamat when I was married to them (yes, 4 times tired)

#167  

Super job there Dave. Top quality construction as usual. Wish I had your talent.

#168  

This is a really neat idea Dave, a simple solution for a problem many of us have. I only wish I had your manufacturing skills. So Professional.

#169  

Thanks for the compliments guys. Skills were taught to me and practiced over the past 40+ years and if there is any talent it was given to me by the grace of a higher power (whom ever that may be to you). Most of this manufactur is makeshift and done with little more then a ruler, cheap band saw, drill press, a file and sandpaper. What really makes it come together are the examples of others and the guidance and advice of people like you all.

Thank you!

#170  

I've completed installing and scripting the Bubble Lifter Support Blocks. They turned out quite well and work great. I'm real happy with them. As mentioned above the support blocks will automatically be pulled out of the way by servos when I want the bubble to drop down from it's regular active neutral position. This will keep the main lifting servo from working to keep the load in the neutral position and let the robot show more emotions. The Bubble going all the way down will show negative emotions like sadness, anger and shame. The bubble all the way up will show positive emotions like happiness, attention, curiosity. This setup is nicely controlled by the EZB board and the scripting was super easy. The hardest part was getting the timing correct with all the Sleep Commands in the proper places and in the right durations. I still have a little fine turning to do though.

Here is a picture of the final result and a video after that of the setup working:

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Thanks for looking and enjoy! Dave Schulpius

#171  

Right on Dave! most excellent...and very nicely constructed and explained. In my project I wanted a "servo saver" as you called it and came up with an idea of a ratchet and pawl activated by a servo for both my robot arms. That way, the arm can be held way up or any other desired position....just waiting for the servos. What holds the bubble in the highest postion? I am trying to think of a way to add another "hold" position. This is the reason I love robotics, because of the merging of scripting/EZ programming and mechanics! Best regards, Glen

#172  

Because you use his voice and animate him so well he is turning out to be much more fun than I thought possible. B9 has always been one of my favorite robots of all time. I need to build one once I get moved and have some room.

#173  

Thanks Glen,

That ratchet idea sounds interesting. How do you let the load off? I would image you need to pull the pawl back with the servo. When the arm goes up do you hear the click, click, click? With your Steampunk thyme I bet that would fit in.

As far as holding the servo totally "highest point"; I don't see this as a problem. The bubble wont be up there for any length of time and it should be Heavy Duty enough to keep it up there for a few minuets or less and last. I just don't want it to hold for perhaps hours or longer.

#174  

Yup you got the right answer! It all sounds good on paper/my mind , we'll see what happens in the real world:) Sounds like you have the vertical bubble movement figured out nice and easy!:)

#175  

Just realized I have no good pictures of how my B9 will look when complete. Here's one of the actual TV robots from the 60's TZ show Lost in Space and one recent shot of where I'm at with my build over 1 1/2 year after I started. The screen shot from the 60's is not real clear but what do you expect from the old standard TV feeds. I had a hard time finding a good shot from back then to show.

Enjoy:

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Thanks, Dave Schulpius

#177  

That is coming out incredible Dave. Most of the club robots are dead ringers for the original, but what you are doing with the EZ-B, takes it to a whole new level.

Here is another picture of the original robot costume. It is in black and white, but it shows the details well.

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#178  

Dave, a True work of Art if I ever saw one!;)

#179  

Thanks for all the nice comments guys and the better picture. ;)

Something I found out early was that the B9 robot evolved in his "look" as the three seasons of the show progressed. The first season was in black & white so color was not so important in that year. The pic you posted Danger was from then (of course you knew that ;) ). Back then if the set designers wanted to show contrast in colors they would make those things darker and deeper colors like black or gray or red. The next two seasons were in "Living Color"! The set designers did some nice color upgrades to the costumes, set and the robot. I had to choose what version (or season) of the robot I wanted to recreate. I chose to copy mostly season three because I thought that look the coolest. A few of the biggest changes were the quality of the rubber legs and arms, the colored sensor ears and the added gray details to the radar and updated colored chest buttons.

I had a good feeling when I started this build that I could get him to look reasonably close to the original. I had decided early on that some of the major parts that made up the "look" of B9 were past my skills to recreate with any accuracy. These being the bubble, torso, rubber arms. It was real important to me to get him to look original. I had planned to build the tread section and leg supports out of wood and the leg section could have been constructed using black pipe insulation to recreate the rubber ribbed look. Then I found the B9 Builders Club with many of the founding members were offering many of these parts. I was overjoyed to find out the measurements and molds were pulled from the original TV robot and were of very high quality! They were offered unfinished, raw and unassembled but that was just fine with me. I have skills in that area and now I was confident I could recreate a B9 exactly like the one I remembered from the show. I saved up money, worked overtime and sold stuff I had outgrown and soon I was buying these expensive but worthwhile parts. Now for giving him a personality and movement; I was going to just have him be a "puppet" or static model like you see in museums or even painfully learn programming or the Arduino platform. Then I found EZ Robots and I had a way to easily bring him to life. The perfect storm! Most of the rest of the build is mine or methods I copied from other B9 builders. I know I've overbuilt in places and made it more complex then needed but it's been an evolving event with no clear way to put this guy together and get him to work like I want. Also I was having a blast creating this and have no problem with overbuilding if done in a quality and useful fashion. I don't have to worry about weight because he is not mobile and does not use batteries. He'll just stand there looking real cool and plugged into the wall. I have no wood in this robot. Wood warps, cracks, decays and moves. He's all fiberglass, acetal plastic, polycarbonate plastic, steel and a lot of aluminum.

One thing I'm excited about is the ten chest buttons. I have a few buttons attached to things like activating the soil sampler in his tread section, activating a separate Bluetooth receiver that will catch transmissions from a program on my laptop called I-B9 that I can control different phrases and words he says (great when in a convention, party or show setting and want to really interact with the crowd like a puppet) and a couple buttons going to the CF3 sound system to trigger random voice files when I don't want the EZB active and using the MP3 Trigger. I can turn off the main EZB with a flip of a switch in the programming bay near his waist if needed. I also have about 5 other chest buttons attached to ADC ports of one of the three EZB's. This way I can run scripts right from the front of the robot by pushing one of the buttons assigned to them!

Sorry for the long rambling, I get excited sometimes and cant stop myself! blush

Thanks for everything, Dave Schulpius

#180  

I don't say this to quibble, Dave, but look again at the picture. Although it is black and white, I don't think that it came from Season One. He has the updated. better looking pants. Also, look at Will Robinson. He looked much younger in the first season.

Again, I am not trying to be nitpicky, just pointing that out.

I agree with you the third season is probably the best one to copy. Sadly by then the crown and radar no longer turned. He had been banged up, repaired, and repainted many times. But, as kids watching the show, we were pretty forgiving. He was the hero and companion that every kid wanted. You're very close to having that dream come true.

I am going to try to get mine as close as I can, but I don't have the time or resources to make it exact. If I focus on every little detail, I'll never finish it. It will be close enough for the average person not to notice.

Keep up the good work on yours. I think that most of us would agree that it is one of the most impressive projects being undertaken here.

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#181  

Ya know Danger, after I posted the last time I took a closer look at your 1st pic and had that same thought. You may be right! Your first pic may be from a later shot. At the very latest, not far into the second season maybe. Good eye. Back then things were mixed up between Black & White photography and filming and color. Lots of people didn't want to see color take over and liked the B&W look for what ever reason. May be they were trying to capture the serious look and feel of the 1st season. There was some ill will among fans about the show taking on a comic tone as I recall. Same for when the "Talkies" started being made. However my memories don't go back that far!:P

Thanks for keeping me honest. Keep the fact checks coming!

Dave Schulpius

Brazil
#182  

Dave.. you are a Genius man! uau.. what a piece of art! have you ever think about host a workshop on building, or something. So many people around the world could learn so much from you! best regards from Brazil. Tevans.

#183  

wow Tevens, thanks. However those are some big shoes you have me filling. There are lots of other members of this forum that deserve that honor more than me. This is the first robot I've ever built and knew nothing of robotics before I started less than two years ago. What I've done here is testament to EZ Robot, The B9 Builders Club and the internet community.

#184  

@Danger For some silly reason this question about what season robot the pictures we were discussing has been bugging me. You'd think I'd have better things to think about. ;)

Anyway, The picture you first posted is from the last season 3. Will's custom and the upgrades to the robot show that (like you said :) )

Just to prove here are a couple pics from each season. Notice the neck line of Will's shirt and compare it to your picture. The first one below is from the 2nd season. You'll see the second picture below from the 3rd season matches your picture.

Season 2:

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Season 3:

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Sorry if this is boring to some but I have a blast with things like this. It does help to keep history correct. ;)

#185  

Dave, I had never noticed that the costumes had changed between Season 2 and Season 3. Looking at Billy Mumy, I was sure that it was not early in the show. He was only eleven when the show began. His appearance and Angela Cartwright's changed dramatically over the three years of the filming. I guess that at that age, it should be expected. That is why I posted the second, early, picture of Will and the robot together, for comparison. I always liked that picture anyway. It shows the human element of the robot; Bob May, the man inside of the costume. He had a very close relationship with the actors. Even though the robot was supposed to be a machine, his acting, and the chemistry between all of them really brought that character to life. Otherwise, I do not think that he would have become icon that he still is today after all of these years.

#186  

Dave I would definitely take classes if you were giving them. Your work is superb. Do you keep a build journal? Or some type of notebook with all your drawings and schematics? I do for Questor. The notebook is now 4 in thick! And it looks like I will need to start another one:)

#187  

@Danger , I agree, the kids did change a lot over those years and I liked the way the writers matured their parts also. Sadly the writing was poor and repetitive towards the end and down right childish and silly at times. However there were some episodes that were very well done. I guess that's what happens when there is only one or two writers doing the scripts over the years. I also wish they had developed the other actors parts more. Seems like most episodes centered around Will and Dr. Smith along with the Robot. Mom, Dad, Don and the girls were mostly ignored. Dad and Don were always fixing something or rushing around with guns and Mom and the girls were usually cooking and cleaning or working in the garden. And they always wore the same customs within the season! Season 3 they went all Pastel and Velour. They must have been hot as hell under the set lighting. I'm also glad they let the robot develop his personality. Again they went too far at times (in my opinion) but if they hadn't let him grow in his part I'm afraid he would have been unplugged and shoved in a closet of the Jupiter 2 after Dr. Smith had programmed him to destroy everything and kill everyone a few times.

I love the human look of B9's arms when Bob May moved them around. I hope to capture at least some of that look when I figure out how to build my B9's arms. I'm still trying to figure out how to build them and what structure and motors or servos to use. I'm toying on building them on some kind of pivot point so they can go up and down along with in and out. I wish I could come up with a way to have them also bend at the elbow without spending thousands of dollars on motors and joints. They will be very heavy when I get his claws, wrists and rubber arms assembled. Not to mention the supporting structure and motors or servos.

@rgordon , I have kept a journal of sorts. Sadly it's not very complete. Mostly hand drawings and schematics of most of the wiring of power, fuseing, switches and logic. I have miles of wire, tons of boards and control units like EZB and CF3. I do plan on sitting down after the build and cleaning up the drawings and put together an "Owners Manual" showing operation methods, parts and board and wiring schematics. He's very complex (probably more then needed) inside but very easy to operate from the outside once someone knows what to do or push or what voice command to give. So a manual is a must.

#188  

I am just lost for words... Great job, the never ending b9. Thanks for sharing everything.;):):):) j

PRO
United Kingdom
#189  

Dave, here is a sketch of the arm extender mechanism I was talking about with some Meccano part numbers

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The fixed frame is inside the B9 and the moving frame extends outside the robot under the arm tubing. The elbow servo could be mounted at the end of the moving frame. The magnet fixed to the moving coupling flags (to the controller) when the moving frame is fully extended or retracted.

Yes, its ok to contact me on the email address given in the other thread.

Tony

#190  

Holy cow Tony! Thanks for taking the time to sktech this out and post it. I know you've put some thought into it and also added part numbers but you make it look so easy. Actually now that you've done the heavy mind work for me it sould be pertty simple to fleash this out. I'll keep you posted through this thread on my progress. Things are moving slowly now because of summer's family and home demands so I wont actully start on the arms for a few months yet.

Also I'm at the end of doing a few needed upgrades to B9 before I put him back togather in his final resting place out of the shop. When that happens I'll only have the arms to work on and do a little retro fitting after I buy a few of the new mini EZB's.

Thanks again. It's good to have a plan! I'll contact you through that email soon.

Dave Schulpius

#191  

Hello dschulpius, because you are taking your time building your robot I suggest you take a look at these: http://www.firgelliauto.com/product_info.php?cPath=81&products_id=353

We use some for a job at my place, it's a little slow but not so much. It can take very little space in the arm of your robot and permit 12'' extension.

You impress me a lot and I look forward to the completion of your robot.

#192  

Hi Andre99,

Thanks for the link! I took a look and they have many different types and lengths of linear actuators. They even have high speed actuators that can travel up to 9" per second. I had first wanted to use linear actuators but thought them too slow for my taste. However 9" per second is about what I'm looking for. They even offer them with sliding brackets but the fastest they offer is 2" per second. Sadly that's to slow.

I'm really getting some good options here and will probably take a little from each to make this work.

Thanks again everyone!

#193  

Well today was the day! I finally got to the point in my build that I got to start installing the very cool rubber legs I bought from Will Huff onto my leg support section. Everything went well and after I completed the install I stepped back for a look to admire the sharp new fashion look of my B9. He looked pretty good except the 3 bellows above the knee plate on each leg. They were collapsed inward and ruining the look. I know what I need to do; cut some support rings out of acrylic and place them in each bellows to hold the form. Oh well, I didn't really want to finish too quick.

Here's a few pics of the process:

I'll have to remove the leg support section above the knee plate to do this. I've built this so I can easily do this.

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I've removed the leg support section. Here is where then legs will tuck down into. Once I've cut out the dividing rubber where the leg section is glued to the knee section I can tuck the rubber legs down in place. As you can see there is not much room between the feet pipes and the surrounding knee plates. I'll have to trim the glued section out very close to the edge of the leg bellows.

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I've made a support that will allow me to have the legs supported so I can trim safely and also have a cutting surface.

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Getting ready to do the trimming. I have the support/cutting board inserted inside here.

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I've marked the edge with a paint pen so I can get close without cutting through (Hopefully).

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Coming along nicely a little at a time. Chunk by chunk.

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DAMM! Got a little too close. Now I need to make a repair. Shouldn't be a big problem. A little silicone glue and a rubber path and it will be good as new. Just like a bike tire.

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Starting the fit

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All installed and ready for the leg support section to be fit in. You can see how close the feet are to the outside edge. It's going to be a tight fit.

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The leg support is in place. Looks OK but I don't like the way the side of the legs squash in above the knee plates. I'll have to cut support rings out of acrylic to fit inside the leg bellows. That will keep them formed properly.

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PRO
USA
#194  

David check the email I sent to yahoo group. Some info for you there on your problem.

Will

#195  

Thanks Will for taking time out of your busy day to answer. I got your e-mail. Thanks also for the info and background.

I agree that I built the leg support unit a little too short. That's easily fixed by adding spacers.

Also great ideas about installing support rods to keep the shape and form but I like the one about filling the legs with soft foam. I'm not sure what I'll end up doing right now. I did already raise up the leg support unit 2" and the bellows straightened out. I may just keep it that way but I do like the look of the Hero Robot's squished look. However after lifting the unit 2", there is still a slight collapse of the vertical wall. Perhaps a couple interior rings will clean it up.

Thanks again, Dave

#196  

Here's a picture of the original B9's leg section. This is the look I'm going for. By lifting the leg support unit 2" I've lost this look. You can see how squished the bellows look on the TV robot.

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I'm going to try to make a few retainer rings to help with the inner support of the rubber bellows and lower the unit back down.

PRO
United Kingdom
#197  

Dave, I have been thinking about your B9 build. I have read that once its finished it will be a fixed prop and not move around, so how about it having a simple automatic mode that works in parallel with the EZ-B controllers? With such a system you could have B9 doing simple actions and sounds without having to have the PC (or laptop) connected. Let me explain how this may work. I have to date licensed 57 toy, game and gift products World-wide some selling in multi millions, but years ago when I started out to become a professional inventor, I had to get through the first few lean years when no money was coming in. It can take up to 2 years to start getting royalties from concept/inventions that I license and in the early years there were no royalties to keep me going. As I was inventing product primarily for the toy industry, I had noticed that there was only a handful of companies in Europe that could develop soundcontrollers for toys, and they charged the major toy Companies huge amounts of money. If you have a talking toy, game or gift then its almost certainly incorporates a soundcontroller! One of the biggest suppliers of soundcontrollers is Winbond in Taiwan, and I manged to go to Taiwan and get training on all their soundcontroller chips and came back to the UK with development systems so I could produce soundcontrollers for other Companies. This was great for me and got me through the lean years until the money came in from my later multiple licenses.

My favorite soundcontroller is the Winbond W523Sxx this small chip can have up to 60 seconds of quality speech/sound effects, it has 4 trigger (input) lines and 5 output lines (for motors, LEDs , relays etc), so the little chip can do quite a bit of stuff. The dev board for the W523 which is very small looks like this

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So my thoughts are a W523 stand alone board connected into some of you existing B9 circuits could do some neat effects say if triggered by a nearby human (via a PIR sensor connected to one of the W523 trigger lines). I use these PIR modules on all my robots and have loads here in stock so I can send you over a few.

uk.farnell.com/panasonic-ew/amn11112/sensor-pir-compact-std-5m-white/dp/4160265

The W523 could probably have at least 20 B9 speech phrases or sound effects that could be outputted randomly of via sensor detection. Lastly the 5 outputs of the W523 would need to be parallel wired in to your BP effects units, so that the soundcontroller can at least control 5 things (lights/motors etc) on your robot.

Over the years I have developed and code released hundreds of W533xxx chips for hundreds of products, which probably equates to millions of end products sold with a soundcontroller that I developed, but I no longer need to do code releases and this has been the case for some years now.

Dave I would be prepared to do a custom soundcontroller board as seen in the jpeg above (code and add custom phrases/sound effects) for you (FOC) that could sense humans then output various B9 phrases (of your choice, all I need is the wave files), and it could also control some of your lights and movement, this would all be without the need for a computer/laptop connection. With my current workload, you would have to wait a month or so, but I would be happy to write the code and make up a board, let me know if this is of interest?

Tony

#198  

Hey Tony Those chips sound like a great idea. How much would you charge if I sent you 20 phrases from my humanoid robot to put on the chip? I am making a few robots so I will need more later also. I am upgrading a 24" B9 toy also, but I think I haft to buy the sounds first to add to him. mcsdaver@yahoo.com

@Dave The hero look may look different when the man is in the robot. I could be wrong, as I haven't even started building a full scale B9 yet. Mine will have wheelchair motor drive just to make him a little more real. Although he may weigh enough without the added drive motors. I know getting him from place to place will be a lot of work. My full scale R2D2 is very heavy and not even finished yet. He might need an EZ-B. Hmmmmmmmmmm. Your B9 is looking more hero B9 all the time. He will seem so alive to everyone, they will think a man is in there. lol Great work!

#199  

@mcsdaver , your right. The Hero robot was shorter then the stunt robot. Here's a quote from Will who made these legs; "I can recall is a conversation (with Mike Joyce, the owner of B9 Creations) we had about getting closer to the stunt robot height as opposed to the height with the actor inside the hero suit. It was very short like 13 inches and gave the squished look in the tv series. We wanted him to stand tall."

Will's mold measures 19" so there is a big difference. When I'm done I think mine will be about 16 1/2".

I've been working all evening on the support filler to keep the bellows from caving in along the bottom. It's very low teck. Like Will suggested I got some soft Styrofoam from the local art and hobby store. All I could find were sheets that were 1/2 - 3" thick so I bought a few of each. After some fitting and cutting I ended up using mostly the 1" thick sheets and stacked a few on top of each other in the center of the bottom of a leg. I then sandwiched them between two other sheets turned up on end. This put strain outwards to the sides of the lower legs and keeps the bellows from caving in. I then took them out and glued them all together with 5 minuet epoxy. Any other glue I tried to use just melted the Styrofoam. Tomorrow I'll install these low tech wonders and take a few pics of the end product. I've got a urge to glue some aluminum angle on each just to make it look more manly. cool

@Tony , I'm honored your thinking of my build and trying to come up with ways to make it better. Thanks, I'm always welcoming this type of help. Lord knows I can use all the help I can get. Your suggestion sounds like a great addition. I wish I had come across it 2 years ago. I've already spent a lot of cash and got a secondary system installed to operate independent of the EZB. I have a CF3 Sound System with a Contact IO 8 module installed. along with the 2 already onboard relays this adds eight additional switch/motion sensor inputs, and eight additional relay outputs to the CFSound III. So I can have a whole slew of sound files and motors triggered without the EZB being on. It's not cheap but it works very well. Here's a link to this product.

www.cfsound.com/index_CFSound.asp

Here it is mounted above my little amp:

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And here it is looking at it from the underside when I've got the CSS opened up. It's the big green thing in the center:

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Again, thanks for thinking of me. I wish I would had this offer when I started my build as the CF3 was the first thing I bought. It was how I was going to animate B9 before I found EZB. I had spent all that cash on it so I used it anyway as a secondary platform.

Dave

PRO
United Kingdom
#200  

Dave, are you using sensors (like PIR) in your B9 stand alone mode, does it detect people etc and respond? If not those PIR sensors that I listed work really well and are small. On my robots, I use one on the left side and one on the right side and one in the center, this way body heat movement on the left, right or front areas allows directional responses from the robot. If someone approaches from the right (or left) the the robot can turn to face them and react etc. If you need these PIR's then I can put three in you package before I seal it up for delivery. Did you get the dimensions, weight details ok? the package is ready to ship.

@mcsdaver I would be happy to do you a custom souncontroller, and I would not want any money for it, just cover the postal charges. I cannot supply too many soundcontroller dev boards as they are not available to the general public and only issued to Winbond code developers and they ration them to us.

I need to know what you want the soundcontroller to do? If its just a simple one phrase after the other (sequential) every time a trigger line is clocked then its just a couple of hours work, this includes processing your wave files so they are compatible with the soundcontroller. If you want the EZ-B to be able to select any phrase then its a bit more complicated, the W523 does have a mode (called cpu mode) where it can become a slave device to an external microcontroller, but it uses an unusual "bit-bang" serial routine and may be difficult to script in ARC, I usually do the W523 comms in assembler for my applications. Let me know more about your requirements? We could start another thread on this, so we do not hijack this one.

Tony

#201  

Tony, Sorry in the delay getting back to you on this. Things have been very busy in my life. I hate it when life gets in the way of the fun things I want to do like building things and learking on this forum.

How can I refuse such a grand offer! I have to accept and work it into my B9 somehow. Thanks! I'll follow up with private email and find out the details of what you'll need from me. I am in no hurry as I have lots of other things to keep me busy. You may as well hang onto my package of motors and send everything at one time.

As far as your email with shipping details; No I didnt see it. I'll check my pile of email and my spam folder. Sometimes things I want to see end up in there or I just plan miss it. I'll let you know.

Thanks again, Dave

#202  

OK, I've got the filler completed and installed. Following the suggestion of Will Huff (the maker of these silicone rubber legs) I'm using a low tech solution, stryofome. I just glued different thicknesses together to get the proper height and width to fill the lower part of the leg. Here's a few pics of the process and finished product. Turned out great and I kinda kept some of the squished look. I ended up with 16" between Knee and sup waist plate. I think it turned out pretty good.

Before the filler:

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After the filler

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Here's the TV Robot's leg section I want to imatate:

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Here's how I did it:

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Before reassembling the leg section I had to raise the support unit. I simply cut 4, 1" spacers out of the same size tubing and slipped them over the round tubing, re-drilled and bolted them down.

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OK, starting the final stack up!:

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#203  

S&M Robot

Sorry guys, I couldn't help myself. I was assembling my leg section with the aid of rope blocks and clamps and I had this visual image. Thought I'd have a little nurd fun on a Saturday night. Here's a pic I snapped:

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#204  

just keep us up to date on what you are doing. we all learn stuff from it. Again thanks for sharing.

:):):):) j

#205  

Too funny Dave ! ..I was thinking suspenders! Totally in agreement with jdbay:) I think you had been thinking about keeping B9 "stationary" but it would be very cool to have it go back and forth a few inches to give it more cool behaviour....but I understand the prospect of a several hundred pound robot "on the loose". Though a tethered kill switch might be implemented......

#206  

It looks good, Dave. At first it reminded me of Jabba the Hut. Then, my X-wife. Now it looks perfect!

:D

#207  

Thanks for the comments guys. @irobot58, I really don't think I'll be mobilizing him any time soon. I agree it would be cool but I have a fear of him taking a nose dive and ending up face down. Anyway, there's no room for wheel chair motors in the tread section now that I've got a soil sampler unit installed down there. Here's a picture of the unit from when I was setting it up. After installed if fills most of one side of a tread. Good idea anyway!

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I've now got the first complete stack up done. I call it "PHASE 1". He looks real good with his new pants on. After I raised his leg supports 1 inch he stands 6'6" at rest and 6'8" with the bubble fully up. Here's the final look:

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In the next few days I'm going to install the camera and try to get the tracking working again. Last time I had it mounted inside the bubble had got to many reflections form lights. I kept getting false images and couldn't get the tracking to work properly as the camera was moving with the swing of the radar. I wanted to get my radar section to follow people as they move past. This time I'm going to mount it on the tread section and it will stay stationary. I'll try Relative tracking this time.

After I attempt that and either succeed or fail I'll be moving him out of the workshop and into his final living space (yet to be decided upon). Kinda like being born!

The next steps will be designing and building the arms and developing his personality and animation routines.

Thanks for all the help everyone has given so far!

Dave Schulpius

#208  

Well, It's been 3 months and all I've really done is move B9 Robot into the game room as his temp home. He's just standing there among my pinball collection and looking really cool. I took a little rest away from robot building to recharge my own batteries and work on other projects of interest like pinball restoration, my family and home.

Looking into the new year I plan to finish up a pinball machine deep cleaning and mini restoration I involved in now (of a Lost In Space pinball game of all things) and get then get back to work on the robot. I plan to get restarted on the robot in just a few weeks. The biggest task is going to be designing and building the arms. This will be a challenge as I've said many times before that I know little about robotics. This will be a challenged because I'll need to figure out the best way to get his arms to move in and out and also bend up and down at an elbow location. I'd also really like his shoulders to move up and down. I also will want the claws to open and close. This last task should be the easiest part. I've had lots of ideas and help from people and read tons of ways other people have done this. The hard part is I've not seen anybody do this all at once. I think the trick will be finding the proper motors, liner slides and positioning feedback sensors.

I'm really looking forward to working on this and seeing what the end result will be. As always I'm open to any ideas as I move foward.

Thanks to all who have helped and inspired me over the past two years of this life changing and fulfilling project!

Dave Schulpius

#209  

Dave I am so impressed with your work. It is truly amazing what you have accomplished. I for one can't wait to see how the arms get built. The arms will be the most challenging part of all I believe. I have not worked on my robot Magnus for quite some time now. I bit off more than I could chew. So I put him on hold till later and have been working on smaller bots.

I would definitely like to help you with this phase of the build because it will ultimately help me with the arms on Magnus later. So I will be glad to help you research the design and help brainstorm. I am sure others will pitch in. This is the best forum ever! There is so much talent here.

#210  

Dave I'm sure you have seen this but, here is a link to Bob Greiner's B9 build. He had experimented with a couple of designs. Not quite as much functionality as you need though.

Also Jerry Chevalier's build has a neat way of moving the arm up and down.

@Danger! I think, had an arm design he was working on for his B9. Maybe he can help out.

#211  

When I get home this weekend, I'll try to post a picture of what I have so far. It is still in the prototype stage, but you may get some ideas.

#212  

@rgordon, thanks for the offer and kind words. I'm always open to advice, ideas and critical criticism. Any help at all is welcome. I have visited Jerry's and Bob's site often and have gotten advice directly for each several times. Much of my build is based on what these guys (and others) have done before me. I'm not sure but from what I've heard him say I think Jerry seems dissatisfied with the method he shows in that vid. By watching it I can see there may be too much pressure and weight on the one rotating pivot point he's showing. Only way I'd be happy with that method is to install some type of ball bearing unit on the motor shaft the slot could roll over and of course it would have to be machined.

@Danger, Cant wait to see your pics and what your coming up with. I've been looking at many designs on robot arms that have been designed already for both the B9 and other robots. B9 is unique in that it need so slide in and out, bend at the solder and elbow and have the claws open and close (and maybe even spin). Along with all that it is very heavy and it needs to be built to support load and have motors capable to lift it. I'm estimating 10lbs each if using good strong but light weight materials like aluminum or some type of plastic.

#213  

@Dave what are the dimensional specs and info for your B9 arms? -Inside diameter of rubber arm -Length when fully retracted -Length when fully extended -Distance from torso arm opening to the elbow bending point -Distance from elbow to the wrist joint -Mounting method to robot torso -How much room is there inside the torso for mounting shoulder motor -Any other info that may be helpful in determining various arm designs -Do you have dimensional drawings of the arm opening? -Does elbow need to bend 90 degrees? -Does shoulder need to rotate more than 90 degrees?

With this info I may be able to build a full size model out of wood to functionally test out ideas. I have some small linear actuators (50 lb pushing force) that may be able to move the elbow but I am not sure how fast you want it to move. These are strong but not really fast. For the elbow I am thinking something like a Backhoe arm....

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I have some rubber arms that I had ordered for Magnus to help with the simulation but, I don't know if it is the same as yours until you get me the dimensions.

#214  

Hey rgordon,

Let me get these specs together and get back to you. I've been wanting to gather this info anyway so thanks for the push. I like the backhoe idea. I operate one every so often at work so I'm understanding where your going with this.

Thanks for the interest. Dave

#215  

Please feel free to call me by my first name... Rex... if ya want. I would be honored.

Here are some more questions and items to ponder:

-Will the arms be used just for animation or will they be required to lift more than their own weight? -How fast do they need to move? -These arms will be heavy even if we use aluminum, PVC, wood or combination of these materials. Will need to have strong structural support at the shoulder joints. -Is there enough room inside the torso for wheelchair motors? Gonna need a lot of torque for the shoulder joints. -Need to think about how to get the wires through the shoulder joint area to the other motors and servos inside the rest of the arm. ServoCity has some great bearing, hollow tubing, and gearbox arrangements to consider. They have a lot of application photos of their products that would be good for you to look at to get ideas.

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-How will you remove the torso for working on the central support structure with the arms in place? I had the arms on Magnus so that I could open a small hatch, pull one pin, disconnect a multi-pin connector and the arm would slide right out. However, I don't think you have that much room inside the torso. I will find the the pictures of the arms I had started on just to show you what I mean. I was using some 400in/lb torque motors, chain, sprockets, and pillow block bearings.

-Will all this extra weight be a problem for your torso rotation motor, lazy susan and limit switch setup? -Worst part is realizing that this is gonna cost quite a chunk-a-change eek But I think if we do get it to work well, then, it will be a revelation for all B9 Robot builders everywhere 'cause I have never seen a completely functional B9 arm in all my travels on the web. Most only extend and retract. Some only move up and down. I have not yet seen one with 5 DOF. (Shoulder, extend/retract, elbow, wrist and claw.)

#216  

Rex,

I'll be getting all the info and some pics today or tomorrow and post here. I have a couple new puppies in the house to keep under control and that keeps me jumping. eek Also have to take the mother-in-law out for her birthday dinner tonight. tired

In the mean time; I only need them to support their own weight but I'm sure someone down the road will try to hang something on the claws or have him hold something.

I would like to see the speed fast enough to simulate natural relaxed human speed but not frantic.

I should have enough room in the torso to hold wheelchair motors and was looking at the ones Tony is using on his Lexi build. However the elbow motors may not need to be that big. Toymaker sent me a few nice worm gear motors that may work there. What ever the size the whole rear end of the assembly will have to pass out through the 5" (approx size) arm hole when I disassemble. I'm looking forward to seeing your pics.

My plan is to mount these arms is much like yours. I need to remove them by reaching in from the outside and unscrew them before I unassailable the rest of the robot. My rubber arms have a nice flange at the end holding them in place and I just pull them out of the opening to remove and reach in. I have a central support system that is free from the main torso. I plan to attache there. That will keep the weight off the torso and transfer it down through the skeleton. I'm sure my heavy duty lazy Susan and motors will accept the extra load. Routing the wiring shouldn't be a big problem.

Money? Well, I work a lot of overtime at work and this has helped a lot with funding this build. I don't see that changing. I'm in this far and committed to go the distance to realize my childhood dream.

Thanks for the interest and help Rex!

#217  

I have some pictures of my prototype for the arms. It is still in a very rough stage, but you may be able to get some ideas from it.

Let me first start by explaining this. My brother and I are working on this together. He currently is a trash collector. I drive for a company that hauls hazardous waste. Until recently, when work was scarce we would often haul tractor trailer loads of demolition from transfer stations to the landfill. We both keep our eyes open for anything that can be salvaged for the robot. My cellar if full of auto parts, small appliances, discarded street signs, sheet metal, too many cordless drills to count, etc.

I say this because my design is partly based on using parts that I have on hand. I kind of look through the piles of junk and figure out how to incorporate them together into something that might work.

The arm will consist of a "shoulder plate" that will be on a sliding mechanism in the torso to slide back and forth. Currently it is made of MDF. I will replace it with ¼" aluminum when I get the bugs worked out. When it is all the way forward it will be flat against the back of the arm socket. The motors to move the elbow joint are mounted on this plate. They kind of fit around the arm sockets inside of the torso. The scribbled sharpie lines that you see on the front are where I traced around the inside of the arm socket. The elbow joint is just far enough out to clear the socket.

The idea is to keep the weight of the motors inside the robot. I am not sure if this will work for you Dave. You already have a lot of space taken up inside your torso. I am going to get the arms in first, and then work everything around them. You may be able to make it streamline enough to fit.

To move the plate, I have a pair of automotive electric window tracks. I will mount them with the motors low and in the back of the torso to offset the weight of the arms. I am not sure if I will use drawer slides, or just put holes on the plate and have it slide on rods of some sort.

The elbow is a universal joint from a steering column. I am using them because I have a matched pair of them. This could actually be replaced by a short, stiff, spring if one wanted to go that route. The cables are thicker than they should be, and they are attached to makeshift spools in a haphazard fashion right now, but it works pretty well. Like I said, it is kind of a proof of concept right now. The windshield wiper motors seem to move it at about the right speed and torque.

The arm itself, as you can see is a collection of PVC parts. It is lightweight but strong enough for what it will be doing. If anyone is interested in the details I can explain what parts I used and how they fit together.

I do plan on putting a wrist joint out on the end of it. It will only pivot up and down. To move them I have push/pull cables that will be powered by motors and levers inside the body, again to keep the weight off of the arms. To open and close the claws, I could also use small cables, but actuators to do that would be fairly light. I haven't decided whether or not they will be in the arms, or in the torso.

Finally, to rotate the claws, I will need small motors in the claw mechanism. I do not see how to avoid that.

It is still a work in progress, but I know that you are trying to get ideas for your arms. Perhaps this will help.

(I am also including an early concept cg diagram that I made before I started).

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#218  

@ Danger! Brilliant engineering and use of what you have there to use! I love the idea of a universal joint for the elbow and PVC as a support system. The Round material will allow movement without snagging on the bellows of the arm. Looking at screen shots of where the elbow actually flexes on the robot it's not really too far out. I'd guess about 5" past the opening. Take a look:

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I also like the cabling. That should help the arms to move an any direction. I had been thinking of this myself but worry about snagging on the inside of the rubber arm and nor having room. Perhaps I can stream line but I'll still to figure how to remove the whole thing through the arm hole. When I lift the torso off over the central support system it just passes by each shelf. I should have plenty of room in side the torso though of I can remove the unit through the 5 3/4" arm hole.

@Rex, Here are the measurements and some more pics of tolerances of what I have to work with:

-Inside diameter of rubber arm: 5" -Length when fully retracted - 8" -Length when fully extended - 18" -Distance from torso arm opening to the elbow bending point - I'm guessing about 5" -Distance from elbow to the wrist joint - About 13" -Mounting method to robot torso - Will mount directly to a shelf of the CSS or it's threaded rods. -How much room is there inside the torso for mounting shoulder motor: Depth of torso - 11" to 17" depending on where I measure from arm hole to rear radius of torso wall Width of opening between CSS & Torso wall - 7" at widest point Depth from bottom of arm hope to bottom of torso - 9" but most of this is unusable. -Arm opening - Perfect 5 3/4 round hole. -Does elbow need to bend 90 degrees? - Yes or as close to as possible. -Does shoulder need to rotate more than 90 degrees? - No, Just up and down about 30 degrees or so.

Inside diameter of rubber arm: 5"

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Rubber arm is held on by it's own flange

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Arm fully extended at about 18"

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A view of the area where the arm will attach

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I want to attach the arm unit to the either a shelf or threaded rods of the CSS

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Hope this is all clear. It's great getting help from you guys. Three heads are a lot better then my one feeble mind. :D

Thanks again!

#219  

Thank you for the compliments Dave. I think that my measurements for where the elbow and wrist are, will be about right. I do not know how tall Bob May was, but I am 5' 6". When I stand in front of my robot my eyes about line up with the collar, and my arms with the armholes. I suspect that he was about my height. I got inside my torso and stuck my arms out of the holes and got the measurements for what I have so far.

Incidentally, I did some experimenting with the arm as it is now. It does not move as fast as a human arm does, but at about the speed one would expect from a robot (perhaps two seconds for a full swing from top to bottom). It can lift a five pound weight at the end of the existing arm without difficulty. That was running off of a small battery charger. He may do better with a real battery. He won't be shoveling snow, or moving furniture, but he will be able to shake hands or pass out beer at a cookout.

#220  

Hopefully you'll invite me to one of those cookouts. I'd love to get served a cold one by your B9.

BTW, what's your measurement from the torso arm hole to the elbow?

#221  

A few months ago I moved B9 from the shop in his temp home in my game room while he awaits his arms. Looks like he kinda like it standing among the other classic items:

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#222  

Those heads are kinda creepy!

#223  

Dave I am still looking for the pictures of the shoulder joint for Magnus. Until then I will post a crude Microsoft Word drawing of it. I hope it is clear enough to follow. I think we have a different idea of shoulder joint movement. The one I have for Magnus travels in an arc. I think by your statement earlier you are wanting an up and down type movement of about 30 degrees? Even though this may not work for your robot it may serve to give you some ideas. I am in process of trying to come up with some new extend and elbow methods.

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#224  

Thanks for the drawing Rex. I see where your going with this. You show your arms moving back and forth like they are waving to someone. I was talking about up and down movement but perhaps your idea and design could be incorporated also. Your drawing is very clear and helpful.

I was pouring over pictures on the B9 Builders Yahoo site and found a recent addition of an arm build that may be just what I'm looking for. It looks like it moves in all the needed directions except up and down but that my be easily added. The best part is it looks like the builder is close to my location so I may be able to meet with him. Here's a picture:

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Here's another version by the same builder. Not sure if it's 1st or 2nd gen:

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Seems most of the in and out action is handled by Linear Actuators.

PRO
Canada
#225  

Sorry to interrupt the thread but just wanted to say that I am very jealous of your game room @dschulpius:)

Oh and I do love the B9 robot you built, it's a nice addition to the room:D

#226  

@skater_j10, Personally I don't mind the off topic comment. I actually posted as sort of a mixed topic anyway. Thanks for noticing my collection. Restoring, repairing and collecting them is my other passion. ;)

@Troy, I agree the heads are creepy. I have some stands being made for the larger ones so they wont look so disembodied. They will actually have negatives of a sort. But that's okay, because i love butterflies and rainbows.

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#227  

Cool....and his name is gordon....what are the odds? ;)

#228  

@Dave, First, and most importantly, you are certainly welcome to attend any one of my cookouts. If you are in the Boston area any weekend in the summer, stop in. The cold beer I can promise you; as to whether or not the B9 will be serving it, that will depend on my robot building skills. If I can just keep him from leaving the Tiki Bar and rolling straight into the pool, I will consider myself lucky.

As to your question about the measurements. the axis of the elbow is 6" from the shoulder plate which will be right against the inside of the arm socket. The end of the forearm that I have so far is 16" beyond that. This corresponds with my bicep about halfway out of the arm hole, as I would think Bob May's would have been. The pivot for the wrist (an inch or so in from the end of the forearm) will be about the middle of my fingers. I would guess that was where Bob would have gripped the claws.

A couple of other things I wanted to mention. If you decide to go with a universal joint and cable system similar to mine, it is important that the cables attach to the arms directly in line with the X and Y axis of the universal joint. Otherwise when it moves in one direction, the distance for the other two cables changes either making them slack, or binding them up. The other thing was this. Even though the arm will be relatively smooth and round on the outside, I am thinking about wrapping felt around them to protect the outer arm material.

I am not sure how much of my design you can use. The way that I have the motors on the inside, I do not see how you could easily pull the arms out through the front. The design with the actuators looked pretty good. It does look like it has the potential to snag the rubber arms though.

Lastly, I too want to compliment you on your game room. I am sure a lot of effort has gone into it, but it looks incredible.

PS In message #227 did you mean to say they would have "shirts?" Dr. Smith could be a $---, but. Oh never mind.

#230  

LOL! :D Ya, I meant shirts. We're going to have a great time at your cookout!

#231  

Hi Dave. I forgot I had posted pictures of the Magnus shoulder joint here on post #87. Even though you wont use it I thought you might like to see it.

#232  

Holy cow Rex, those look like they could move a house. Very impressive. I remember looking at this last year and thinking I could use some type of variation of the shoulder design. Your use of the basic style of B9 caught my eye and I became very interested in your progress. I was a little sad when you decided to set Magnus temporally aside.

#233  

Those shoulders wont fail! Looks like they will last a long time.

#234  

I have always thought B9 was (and still is) the coolest robot ever dreamed up. I have always wanted to own one but, the cost is just to high for a ready made version. So I set out thinking I could build one by ordering parts from the B9 Builders Club....but, once again the cost of parts was just to astronomical. So I thought I would build as much from scratch as I could. Finally decided I would build a slightly different version of him based on stuff I had laying around. Well the clothes dryer drum turned out to be a very bad idea. Not only was it hard to modify, it was also heavy and blocks R/C signals :(

Watching your build really inspires me Dave. Your work is museum quality. Maybe one day I will resurrect Magnus but, for now I will stick to smaller bots. My problem is I over think everything and try to incorporate to much into my designs. Which means the build never gets to a point where the robot is finished enough to be useful. The only robot I ever got to a point where it was actually moving around and behaving like a real robot is Questor. I learned a lot from that build. Now I have plans for a new robot that will be a just a little bit larger. Only problem is I will need most all of Questor's parts to do it.

#235  

Dave I am still trying to come up with ideas for a working B9 arm. Sketching can only get me so far due to unknown scaling problems...so I am gathering parts together to start doing some test mockups. Hopefully I can come up with a useful idea or two. Biggest problem is there is no real way I can see that you would be able to remove the arms without being able to get to them from some other direction, other than the arm hole itself. From all the pictures of other arms I have been looking at, I don't understand how they can remove them and still be able to get the torso off. The real problem for me is; I don't have a real B9 torso to work with.:( I will do the best I can with what I have and all the measurements and recommendations you and others provide.

Happy New Year to you and your family good sir.

#236  

@mcsdaver thanks for your kind words....LOL they are kinda beefy aren't they :D The motors I found for $65 dollars at a surplus place. They have 400 in/lbs of torque. eek The motors were originally used to unwind and retract the awning covers on RV campers.

#237  

Dave check out this video. He is just using servos for claw and wrist and elbow. Are your B9 rubber arms as flexible as the one in the video? This moves nice and fast. Would not be very strong but the effect is nice.

#238  

@Rex, The arms in the vid are made by the same person that made my arms. The material is the same and they are just as supple and flexible. In fact the arm setup in the vid are made by a member of this forum and I thank you for reminding me about this. I have a tape of a B9 build off from a few years ago that this was filmed at. I think I'll contact Will and see if he can share any info about construction of this joint.

Don't put yourself through to much stress over this design. You've already helped more then you know. I think in the end what I cone up with will be a conglomerate of many designs. Isn't that the way things that are worth wile always end up in the end anyway?

Take care, thanks for all the ideas and have a great New Year!

Your friend, Dave Schulpius

#239  

@Dave Hope you are doing fine in the new year. How is the arm design coming along? I have not had time to get back to tinkering on it. To much going on with family matters. tired Have you heard anything from the gentlemen you were talking about that used the servo design? That looked really great.

Contact me via email when you get the chance: rex.gordon61@gmail.com

#240  

HI Rex,

I'll copy this to your email;

Thanks for checking in. I haven't had a lot of time either. Same as you; there has been lots going on on the home front. Trying to finish up some other non robot projects around here.

I did contact the guy with the design and he's more then willing to share what he has. However he's out of the country right now. When he gets back from China next week he's going to send me all his designs and animations. So things are looking up and I'll probably start gathering hardware soon. I'll keep you posted on how things are coming along when they start moving.

PRO
United Kingdom
#241  

Hi Dave, Rex

I think the motor drives that I sent you should make great arms for a B9 size robot if the motors can fit in the arms rubber boot material. You would need 2 coupled drive motor for the shoulder. These motor drive makes an amazing high torque, precision movement and very quiet arms, like you will see in the video below.

If the motors work out for your arm application, I could send you some more if you need them.

Tony

#242  

Hi Tony,

I do plan to try to use the motors you very kindly sent me. They seem like they are just what I need and watching your video I see they are close to the speed I would like to see. The best part is that it looks like they are strong and silent. They should also fit nicely into the arms I have.

I just don't have the time these past couple months to do much wrench turning on the robot. What time I have had I've been gathering info and trying to come up with the best way to put this all together. What I have decided is that I really don't need a shoulder motor. From watching the old TV show and looking at pictures, the actor in the robot costume (Bob May) hardly raised the arms at where the shoulder may be considered to be (which would actually be inside the torso). The arms slid straight out and then would bend them up and down and wave back and forth about 6" out from the torso. However he also did bend at the wrist which is about 4" below the claws. If I follow this example I would need the arm assembly to slide straight out on a Linear Slide. Then on the end of the Linear Slide I would have an 4 way elbow joint that would end up about 5" out on full extension then another 4 way wrist joint about another 15" or so out just below the claw. Of course at the end of all this in the claw assembly I would have a micro servo to open and close the claw (and maybe another one to spin it back and forth). The claw assembly should be the easy part. In the end it would look something like from the outside:

User-inserted image

Again as I stated before my only concern with the motors you sent is that they not be fast enough to satisfy my taste. Didn't you mention in the past a way you were able to get max speed out of these motors? The other thing is that ARC has support for relative servo positioning and servos seem like they would be easier to get natural arm movement with the 4 way joints. I like the silent strength of the motors you sent but my concern it I may not be able to get the natural movement using only the motors built in pots and EZB's ADC ports.

If you have any comments or ideas I'm all ears. ;)

Thanks again for all your help and the time you've spent with me on this matter, Dave

PRO
United Kingdom
#243  

Hi Dave

As you probably know I have produced the pre-production smart servo board for these motor drives.

User-inserted image

But it is only a test production run (of 20 boards) so I do not have any spare yet, later when the production boards are made I will send you some, but that will be some months away. I take the shoulder motors up to 18volts (via a buck convertor) and get very good speeds.

In the meantime Rex is going to use the kangaroo X2 board and this should work very well with these motor drives, these drive motors are quite amazing and only have peak currents of 500mA even at very high torque, so you will not need a high amperage motor controller (that the X2 plugs into), in fact because of the low current requirements of these motor drives a L298 H bridge happily powers them without the need of a heatsink as you can see on my controller board.

Both ways these motor drives will act as standard servos as far as the EZ-B is concerned, so it is exactly what you are looking for.

Tony

#244  

Oh ya, the kangaroo X2 board! With all that has been going around my home these past few months I had forgotten about that board. Thanks for reminding me. I will for sure use that with your motors.

Just to be clear, it looks like I'll need one Kangaroo x2 for each motor? Is this correct? EDIT: Da! X2 means it will control up to 2 motors. Looks like it mates up to h bridges that can control 2 motors.

Too bad your servo boards aren't ready yet. They seem to be the answer to all my needs. tired:(

I'll have to take you up on your offer of more motors. I'll need at least 4 for each arm and I only have 4 now. However let's wait a few weeks till I get my design firmed up. ;)

Thanks once more Tony! Dave

#245  

Awesome perseverance Dave! Its hard to beat a human actor inside a robot shell! That's Hollywood for ya:) I know the goal is to emulate as close as possible to the TV B-9 and you will be successful!:) imagine trying to create a robotic C3PO

#246  

Thanks irobot58! Your input means a lot. Imagine trying to create a robot C3PO would be something on the level of Disney would have to take on (or DJ). ;)

#247  

Your B9 will mimic the TV robot so well that people will think someone is in there. Who knows maybe some fans will want to use yours in some fan made movies. They will need someone who can play Dr. Smith well! I need to find time to work on my B9 (large RC toy B9) that I got from ebay. So much to do ! Funny irobot58 said something about C3PO, because I will be starting up my old C3PO project again soon. Now that my 3d printer is working well again I will make the needed STL files to print. My C3PO will be under 1/2 scale , but he will seem alive.

My Working C3PO Link

#248  

Thanks for the kind words mcsdaver. If at least he looks close to the TV robot I'll be happy.

Your link doesn't work. I'd love to see what your working on.

#249  

Thank Dave! and mcdaver I would love to see the YT vid....but the link only goes to YT home page and not your vid:(

PRO
United Kingdom
#250  

Dave, if the motor drives work out for you on the first arm then I can send another four over no problem.

What you may need to do is what I have done for the shoulder smart servos, by taking the motor voltage to 18volts I get 50% extra torque and a really nice speed. This is how the EZ:1 arm can easily pick up a full can of Coke with its end effector, what is amazing about this though is that lifting the Coke payload to the horizontal position the dual motors peak current (not start current) is less than 900mA! This is remarkable for an arm that is 600mm (2foot) long. Once in position there is no hold (motor) current as the motors are worm driven, only a few mA is required for the smart controller board and the Blue LED. The EZ:1 main battery is 12volt, but I get the 18V from a great little buck convertor that I got off ebay for about £10, it works really well.

Yes, one Kangaroo X2 would let you control 2 motor drives, so it should be quite cost effective.

Tony

#251  

Amazing stuff Tony. Your help and guidance is both welcomed and appreciated. I really need to get going on my robot again soon. I hope to have my other personal projects and the home life to a point where I can get re-started in a week or two. I first need to make a mock up of the arm to see if the parts I want to use will do what I expect.

I've ordered two Kangaroo X2 boards and hopefully they will be here when I'm ready to start. First thing I'll need to do is figure out how to use them and interface them into the EZB.

#252  

lovely project you have. just out of curiosity what you you using as power supply.

#253  

@PJ_Dtechy . I have him plugged right into the wall. I feed 120v AC to four 120 AC to 12v DC and one 120 AC to 24v DC converters located through out the robot. Plenty of power with no worries of running short of needed amps or brown outs. I don't plan on having him roam around the house so no need for batteries. If I ever want to convert to batteries that wouldn't be much of a deal. Plenty of room in the leg section for some type of power plant. :)

#255  

I wanna know how to build the arms PLEASE HELP ! confused

#256  

Chris, I'm in early development and design stage right now. I think I have a good idea on how to do this but I need to do a few tests on the motors I have. If They are fast enough and I can come up with proper brackets I think I can have a 2 joint arm (elbow & wrist) that moves at least 100 degrees in all directions and also be able to move in and out of the torso. Stay tuned and I'll keep this thread updated as I make progress.

I'm just starting on motor control, speed and strength now.

#257  

Hi all, Thanks to Tony (Toymaker) I have a starting place for my arm design; Motors. If you read back in this thread you'll read where Tony (Toymaker) had very kindly sent me some Bosch VMC Actuator Motors. These are very strong and quite little worm driven DC motors with built in pots for position feedback. These seem to be a little hard to find here in the USA but Rex (rgordon) seems to have found them. More later on this. You can read about them here:

www.ipar.nl/assets/files/Leveranciersinformatie/1540_Kat_EM_en_LoRes%20elektromotoren.pdf

Today I did a few tests to see if they will work like I want. I was very happy with the results. I really think these will work nicely. Now that I feel that they will work for me I need to start learning how to control them with EZB. I plan to also use a Kangaroo X2 board to turn these from DC motors to servos that ARC can control and make the arms hopefully look like the real thing.

Here's a vid I took of my testing:

#259  

Great update and showing what you are doing.

:):):):) J

PRO
United Kingdom
#261  

Hi Dave

With my double motor shoulder, both motors are controlled from one smart servo board (with only one feedback pot used) and it works great. The motors are so precision that they just mechanically sync even thought they are 2 different worm drives. I am sure this will be the same with your Kangaroo x2 setup, just wire the two motors in parallel and wire one feedback pot to only one channel of the dual motor controller, leaving you with a free motor controller for another Bosch motor servo further along in the arm (probably where you dont need so much torque).

My robot shoulders are running happily at 18V with no problems, remember that these drives are unique in that the motors are only drawing current when attaining their new position, once at the target position (unlike regular servos) these motors draw no current at all! Another amazing thing if you put an ammeter in circuit while you are trying to stop the shaft moving (like you did in the video) then I bet the current drawn would probably be less than 300mA, these are brilliant motor drives!

Here are some more detailed views of how I assembled the double motor drive servo, hope this helps.

This is a front view

User-inserted image

This is the rear view

User-inserted image

Tony

#262  

Awesome servos Tony! Everything is there, torque , control and low current. The only question now is will it fit into the designed space....

#263  

Dave, Thanks for sharing information on your build using the Bosch motors. I will be following your progress using the Kangaroo x2 setup, because I am using the Bosch motors in my next larger build. It appears they might work fine for your application. Do I understand you right, that you will use a motor driver and the Kangaroo x2 setup? Did you mention before, that you are already using a pot on another part of your robot being controlled by EZB? Tony has been helpful with his use and experience of the motors. EZ Robot community is great. Thanks, Steve S

#264  

@ Tony, Again as I've said many times, thank you! These motors seem like they are an answer to many problems. I really hope the end result will be what I'm looking for. There are so many positives in these motors; almost silent, strong, the built in pot and they are very small. The only negatives I can find at this time is they are just a touch slow for my taste even at 18v. I'm not a big fan of over volting DC motors past their rating but it's not like they're going to be used constantly. The only other thing I really don't like is the plastic gears. True, the worm gear is metal but all else is plastic. Again, this may not be a problem because plastic resins are very strong these days.

@Steve, I haven't yet started working with the Kangaroo, hopefully today. From what I've read it needs to work with an H-Bridge or Motor Driver of some kind. It's designed to work with a SaberTooth but I think any motor driver rated for the needed load and voltage will work. Also if you want position control you need a pot. It also has inputs for limit switches and will find them automatically when trained. If you have no limit switches you can also train it where your end of range of motion is and it will remember and not go past that point! This would be a great feature for robot arms or other parts where there is no room for limit switches. I could have used this up in my Radar section. I has a devil of a time fitting limit switches up there. Here's a link to a PDF on the Kangaroo: Kangaroo 2X

Also Steve, I am using several feedback pots throughout my B9 for positioning; Radar, Waist and Hip bend. In the scripts I have to use math to find the positions. They aren't too hard to to write once I found the proper equation. I only have to have it stated in one script and use other scripts to call it with the variable value stated where I need that script to stop rotation at. However if the Kangaroo X2 works like I hope, I can do away with that bulky script system and use ARC's native servo controls like the relative and multiple servos.

#265  

Dave, have you you thought about using something like this for feedback? I am thinking of puttng four into each elbow. Two might work, one for up and down - one for side to side, but they say that they do not work well bending backwards.

flex sensor

#266  

@Danger, I've never seen these flex sensors. They look very useful. With one on each axis (two per joint) a person could use a regular geared fast DC motor along with an H-bridge and Kangaroo X2 board and turn it into a servo. That would give us the best of both worlds! If Tony's motors don't work for me I need to look into these sensors. Thanks!

PRO
United Kingdom
#267  

Dave You could try to run the motors at 24V that should give another good increase in speed. Its not like normal servos, that if they are given over-voltage its usually the electronics that burns out and not the motor, what we have here is just the DC motor being given over-voltage which is the armature windings (the motors electromagnets). These motor drives are for the automotive industry and are high specification so the winding may well run at 24V with no problems. You could just try to run one (at 24V) for a time period (loading it if possible) to confirm it will be ok. If this does burn the motor out, I will send you a replacement. As I mentioned before because of the worm drive in these motors the windings will only be drawing current when they are moving to the next position so most of the time they will be in zero current draw.

Another idea is to have a simple 2 voltage switch where you connect your main 24V for higher speed operation then switch in the 18V or lower (via a buck converter) by a relay to get the slower operation. The relay could be energised by another port line on the EZ-B, this way its only 24V when you want faster arm actions like "warning Will Robinson" and then back to 18V for general arm movements that are more calmer/fluid, this would be much simpler to do this than trying to introduce PWM into the Kangaroo x2 (in servo mode) setup.

The plastic gears are high impact and incredibly strong, I do not think you will see any problems here.

Tony

#268  

@Tony, this all makes sense. I love to push the boundaries and see how close to the edge I can get. "No guts, no glory" I always say. However I'd hate to put 6 months of work into a design only to have motors burn up or not perform like I'd want. I'll load up one of these motors and run it at 24v for at least 24 hrs to see how it holds up. I'll call it "the burn in period". :) Maybe if I can pump the voltage to 24v I'll be happy with the speed.

I've found that trying to mate the Kangaroo to a regular h-bridge or motor controller is just to complicated for what I want to do here. Thanks to Tony (again) there seems to be a way to do it, although it's untested. He stated in a personal e-mail this morning:

I have been taking a quick look and I would have thought they should work together?  Pins S1 and S2 it looks should connect to EN1 and EN2 and if you are not using PWM (for speed control) then the PWM pin should probably be taken high (+5V). The enable lines ENA and ENB look to have internal pull-ups so to disable the half bridges these lines would be taken low.

The Kangaroo x2 is designed by the same company that makes the Sabertooth. It's used as a daughter board to add functionality and more ease of use to the Sabertooth. I could try to hack it to work with the pololu VNH5019 Motor Drivers I've been using but honestly I just don't want to go down that road. I have no wish to make this more complicated then needed. So I'm going to buy a few of the much less expensive Sabertooth 2x5 motor controllers so I can natively mate the Kangaroo to get my fluid servo type movements from these DC motors. The 2x5 Sabertooth can handle current up to 5 amps and there is no way these motors will ever pull that much. Also I really want to use the servo controls in ARC. I feel I'll get a lot better and smoother movements using them and be able to create more complicated animated movement routines.

#269  

@Toymaker very good suggestions! and @Dave we all hope your research is fruitful !:) I can hardly wait for those B9 arms to start "waving" to everyone and exclaiming " danger, danger EZ-B Forum people, your not spending enough time playing with robots!" :)

#270  

You're a scream irobot58! :P

I spent hours this afternoon ordering parts like brackets, hubs and Sabertooth boards for my arm build. It feels good to have a plan and somewhat of a design now. A lot of this will be building and adjusting on the fly.

Sabertooth has boards starting at 2x5, 2x12 and up. The Kangaroo X2 board says it works with 2x12 on up but says nothing about the 2x5. The board I want to use is the 2x5 so fearing that the Kangaroo wont work with the 2x5 I also ordered a couple 2x12's (just in case).

Now I wait on deliveries. No worries, lot of other things to do in the mean time. Fun times indeed!

#271  

@Dave, there are a few options on flex sensors on sparkfun.com website if you need another size.

#272  

Thanks Troy . I'll have a look. These Flex sensors are interesting. I wonder how acetate and consistent they are.

#273  

@dave. I wish I could give a definate answer. My guess is that it depends on the application. I believe that the resistance changes as a total across the entire strip. It can't decern an angle of the bend. Imagine a single bend verses a double bend in a long strip. I would buy one and see if it works for you. I did the "buy and test" method with EL lights. I bought wire, tape and panel and found that wire wouldnt work well for me on making straight lines. The light really accentuates any little kink in it. I've found that tape looks so much better. On the flip side of course, wire is better for curvy lines. I look forward to seeing how the flex sensors work for you. I've never seen it in action.

#274  

Just to add to the flex sensor discussion, I have not tried them yet but I read some reviews. A few people stressed that you need to support the ends, especially the end with the wires, from flexing or they will break. They also suggested two per axis. They are designed to go in one direction. They will bend backwards without damage but are not as accurate in that direction. By having them in pairs facing each other you can read the one that is going the proper way. I am a little ways away from trying them but I would be curious to see if anyone here has any success with them.

#275  

Well, I've had a setback. The motor that I had wanted to use in my arms don't appear to be strong enough to lift the load I need them to lift. I mounted one and loaded it with only about 1/3rd of the weight I will want it to lift and it's a no go.

I guess I need to search more for a motor strong enough and small enough to do what I want.

I'm a little discouraged. I had hoped these little guys would do the job. Here's a vid of what it looks like. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.

#276  

@Dave ...sorry to hear that!:( So now its time for dc motors with a shaft at both ends for position feedback and using another 2 ADC ports , with yet another H -bridge:( or try supporting the arm with a couple or three bungees doubled a couple of times for a small space to "assist" with the load......if your not getting that idea I could send a drawing (pics are worth a thousand words ) My robosapian project has such a mechanism using a spring to assist in lifting. I had it apart today in fact replacing about 30 wires that had insulation falling off! One of the forum members warned me of the common issue with the robo's...I really think it might wok for you even using the servo that you have! Glen

#277  

Thanks for the suggestion Glen. However I don't think I have the room inside the arm for a spring assist. Also the joints I have in mind are going to be a pan and tilt type. Not sure how a spring will work with that setup.

#278  

How many volts going to the motor? Can it lift it with power hooked straight to the motor?

#279  

@McDaver , in this vid I had 12vcd going to the motor but have had it running at a nice speed at 24vdc. I know it's hard to trace but I do have the motor running directly from the power supply.

#280  

Arrrgh! Dave, so there is no room on the inside of the torso directly opposite the arm? ...where a spring assist might go? I am guessing its tight with frames and electronics?! If that's the case you might have to redesign for only one motion, or move stuff around inside the torso to accommodate a spring assist..................arrrgh I feelin for ya:(

#281  

I can't see the vid from this computer but I thought I'd ask. Is there any place to reduce the weight and reduce the load?

#282  

No Troy, I don't even have the arm built yet. The vid just shows the motor mounted to a board with a light angle attached to a hub. Then off the end of the angle I have one of my B9 claws hanging. When complete the joint motor will have to left the arm "bone" another wrist "pan & tilt" wrist joint and the rubber outer skin of the arm. I would like to have two joints like this, an elbow and a wrist.

Glen, I'll have a closer look at any way I can add springs.

PRO
United Kingdom
#283  

Dave, without a doubt you are going to need 2 Bosch motors in parallel for this joint running at 18 to 24v, give this a try I think it will work.

My EZ:1 arm has 2 Bosch motors at the shoulder running at 18v and the 60cm (23 inches) long arm can happily lift a drinks can in its claw.

I originally had trouble with shoulder lifting torque at 12v and that is why I went up to 18v which then worked great for me.

User-inserted image

For quicker testing take the EZ-B out of the loop and just take the (parallel) motor wires straight to the 24v source, swapping polarity to change direction.

Hope this helps.

#284  

Hi Tony, yes it helps to know that you had some trouble also. I'm planning to double up these motors today to test their limits. I figure the shoulder joint will have to lift at least 5 lbs (about 2.2 kilograms) or more and 3/4th that of that weight at the wrist.

I had this setup attached to EZB because if it had been able to lift the load I would have ran another endurance test. I wanted ARC to continually lift and lower the load for several hours it see if the motor would take the abuse. Didn't get past the first lift. tired

I'm almost ready to just use the same servo I'm using for my bubble lifter. It's a Seiko PS-050 and a very quick and strong monster servo. I think it would snap your finger without a problem.

Seiko PS-050

However they're very pricey. They cost about 250.00 USD each. I'm having sticker shock over this one because after doing the math it's about 1000 USD's per arm just for the servos! Maybe a trade off would be to use these servo's at the first shoulder joint and something less expensive at the wrist (like your motors you sent me doubled up if they pass today's test).

I'm still looking throughout the internet looking for a small, strong and quick DC motor or servo that would handle this weight. I'm willing to double them up to give me enough power if I have the room. I need to keep the foot print of the assembled joints about 4" (101.6 mm) round. The motor setup you (Tony) sent me would have been 3.5" (88.9 mm) doubled up.

PRO
United Kingdom
#285  

Dave, you will have to feed the Bosh motors higher than 12v for your tests, good luck hope it works out!

Tony

#286  

#For Dave:) . Its amazing what man will do to hoist a full can of Moosehead( Canadian beer eh ):):)

$perseverance = infinite $focus = moreinfinite $frustration = (infinite - 1)

If ($perseverance + $focus > $frustration) sit back and enjoy your favorite drink sleep(10 hours) Else ( Chop knotted fir stumps) sleep(no sleep) Endif

#287  

Tony, I'll bump it up to 24v and see what happens. 12v isn't doing it as you can see in the vid where I've added a second motor.

Edit: I just noticed in my vid that I only have the PWM set to 55% witch means I'm only getting about 6v to the motors. I'll see what 24v gets me.

Glen, Love your coding!

#288  

Wha Hooo! Success! I bumped the voltage up to 24vdc and the arm just flew up. Wow, it really surprised me it moved so fast. It was such an unreal and inhuman speed that I had to move the PWM down to 50% to bring it to a more natural speed. The motors didn't even seem to strain.

Granted I'm only lifting 1.5 lbs here and I think I'll be lifting as much as 8 lbs when all is finished. Tomorrow I'll add more weight to see how it handles that. Then I'll remove the second motor to see how it handles that.

I'll take vids and post.

Thanks Tony for pointing this out!

#289  

That's great news! How is the noise at 24vdc? I know you must be excited to finally get going on the arms. Would you recommend those motors on an 0mni2000?

#290  

Troy, There is no noise to mention. Only time I noticed any noise is when I dropped the PWM down to about 30% and lower then I could hear the "pulse" as it turned on and off. However it wasn't really that loud. Not even close to what a servo sounds like.

I cant really make a recommendation as I haven't really put them to any use yet. I've only lifted 1.5 lbs a few times. I'll know more over the next few days as I run them through my performance and endurance tests. Stay tuned. Same time, same channel ;)

#292  

I may want a couple of those motors too. I'd just need to figure on how to mount it.

#293  

*** Awesome Dave*** Looks like you will be doing the part of the previous script "If ($perseverance + $focus > $frustration) sit back and enjoy your favorite drink sleep(10 hours)":) Looks like more voltage was the key! 8 pounds ! that sounds like, more then a six pack! Looking forward to your next video! Who knows , maybe one servo will be enough which will help out with the budget ...which means more um imbibing/celebrating:) @Troy indeed ! with a successful servo test they will sell more for sure!

PRO
United Kingdom
#294  

Dave, an 8 lbs payload may be too much even for these amazing motors, I guess you will just have to try and see if they work. Alternatively, you may need to use the expensive $250 servo at the shoulder joint and then use the Bosch servos down stream on the arm where less torque is required (because of leverage) this could possibly save you $750 per arm.

Tony

#295  

Tony, please email me on these servos, troyok at live.com

#296  

@Troy, Rex found that we can get these here in the USA. In fact he has a couple being shipped now. Later this evening I'll post some links if I can get out of work early enough.

@Tony, I'll see how far I can push these as soon as I have a little time.

#297  

Great news dave!

#298  

Well, mixed results and a near disaster. You'll see the "Blooper" at the end if the first vid.

Tony, Your right. After extending my leaver to 21 inches (53.34 Centimeters), about the same length that my final arm will be, I weighted it with 3 lbs (1.36078 kilograms). I found that the paired up motors running at 24vdc wont pick up the load. It hoisted it nicely at half the length though. So looks like I need to use larger motors at least at the first joint.

Here's a couple vids of the testing:

Here's the follow-up after the blooper:

I guess the next step will be deciding on the new motors.

#299  

Whew! blush Thanks for the update vid! Glad everything survived....Leverage can be your friend or not your friend....motor shopping now with sufficient torque:)

#302  

Dave, I don't know if you could fit wiper motors inside the arm, but tbey might go. (They are pictured in my post on pg 22 of this thread). They are pretty strong, and they are only $20.00 a piece. Mine are not direct drive. The cables and pullys increase the torque some, but you may be able to recreate that in a straight line inside the arm. I have a picture in my head but I am at work right now. If you'd like, I can make a sketch for you this evening.

#303  

Dave, these are the motors I use for Questors drive wheels. They are rated at 212 in/lbs of torque but they are kinda heavy.

motors

#304  

To assist with @Danger's idea
Wiper motor .....and an excerpt..... " This type of motor is called a"gearhead" or "gear motor" and has the advantage of having lots of torque. My unscientific test (using one wiper motor and a torque wrench) found that at 12 volts, on high speed, the motor has 13.5 pound-feet and on low speed, has 17.5 pound-feet of torque. ":)

#305  

Thanks for all the motor ideas everyone. I really like the idea of a linear actuator however the one listed here moves really slow. It looks like it has the right length but it will take almost a half of a minutes to move all the way out. If I go this route I need to find one that is faster. Also I could only use it at the first joint to lift my arms. I want them to also wave back and forth and have another joint farther up were the wrist would be. I have also considered a pulley system but I can't figure out the way to flex the joints inside of the rubber arm. If they were moving in and out only that would be fine but I don't want the robot standing there like Frankenstein. I'm probably going to use some kind of gear motor that the first joint to lift the load then maybe use Super servos above that.

Again, thanks for all the ideas. Please keep them coming. :-)

#306  

On second thought maybe linear actuators at each joint would be a workable idea. I could use smaller faster actuators for each direction.Hummmmmmmm........ Kinda like C3PO. cool

#307  

Could work. Keep an eye on the rate of extension. It can be slow but if you have the attachment point on the elbow close to the pivot point then the rate of bend is faster. However try to calculate a workable load because the closer you get to the pivot point the more load there is on the motor due to mechanical disadvantage.

#309  

Thanks again for the tips. Rex, I'll surly use this calculator.

Troy here's the links I promised: Here is a link to a Google search with many results: tiny.cc/8peuax

If you want to do a Google of your own, search useing this info: Heater A/C Air Flap Control Motor - 4B1 820 511 K 98-05 Audi A6 S6 RS6 Allroad

Cheers!

#310  

Thanks Dave for showing Troy where to search. Sorry Troy. I totally missed that you asked for this info. My bad.

#311  

Thanks Dave and no worries Rex!

#312  

I hope you can use these motors. Although I cant use them to lift my heavy 8 pound B9 arms I still think they are good little motors. I think they can be used in a lot of tight places to move loads up to what I show below. Also I think they would be great in lighter robot arms in smaller robots. Smaller then my full sized B9 anyway.

Here's what I've found in testing them:

The pot inside only reads for 100 degrees of the rotation. Attach an ADC port's signal pin from EZB to the center pin of the lower set of three pins on the motor and 5v & GR pins to the two outside pins. Install a ADC control in EZ Builber and assign it the the ACD port you have the motor's pot attached to. When the motor rotates, the ADC control in ARC will move from Zero to 5v as the motor rotates within that 100 degree ark. When the motor passes outside of that zone the ADC Control will fall to Zero till the shaft come back around to the start of where the pot starts to read the 100 degree ark again. If you remove the actuaitor arm from the shaft by carfully cutting it free with a Drummel or hacksaw the shaft will continully rotate.

The motor runs fine on 24vdc although it's only rated up to 12vdc. The two pins side by side on top of the three used for the pot are the power pins. I ran it for 6 hours with no load at this voltage. I never ran it for any leangth of time under load at this voltage. The higher the voltage is the stronger and faster it will run. With the motors doubled up I was able to lift a 3lb load 12" out from the shaft at 24vdc. I could lift nothing at 12vdc. I did not test lifting with only one motor but I'd guess the proformance is cut in half. It will hold a load without creaping down when power is cut.

The motor runs almost silent but does vibrate and hum a little when it moves under load. The noise is louder if you have it attached directly to a surface without useing it's attachment holes. These attachment holes have rubber inserts and if used with #8 machine screws absord moat all noise and vibration.

There is no noticable play in the shaft with the orginal arm attached. When I removed that arm I did notice a little play. This was really noticable when I added a hub and 21" bar to it so I could make my extended load tests. What was just a fraction of movement at the shaft was at least 1/8" or more of play at the end of the 21" extention bar.

The shaft will accept a 6mm hub. I like the clamping hubs found at servo City but a set screw hub will work also. If you use a clamping hub I dont think you will ever have to worry about it coming apart.

Although I havent yet tested this I feel these motors would be great used with the Sabortooth 2x12 and the Kangaroo X2 boards. This combo would turn them into servos and ARC would have easy native control through all the differnt servo controls and commands to build complex and smooth anamations.

Hope this review halps.

#313  

Thanks Dave! Reviews like this really help our community here. It is a bummer that these did not work out for your project.

Can you privide a link to the specific clamping hub you used? Thanks.

#314  

Thanks Dave for posting your experience with the Bosch servos, especially the pinouts and pot control with ADC. I plan to use them on my next build. Hope you find hardware for your beautiful B9 robot. I also appreciate your "blooper" video and give you credit for posting it. Maybe we should start a "Blooper" thread post? My robot threw one of her foam arms during a demo at the campground, and recently one of her new aluminum arms (hanging by servo wires) that I did not have fully secured, but no video for either time. They would have been priceless! Steve S

#315  

@Steve I really like your "Blooper" idea :) With yours and Dave's that makes 2!

#316  

Thanks Dave for the info. I found a couple of them for cheap. I will keep them around in case I find a use for them. A good selling point is that they are quiet!

#317  

No problem guys. I bet we can find lots of uses for these motors.

I just got my two Sabertooth 2x12 in the mail today from The Robot Shop today. Cant wait to find a little time this weekend to mate one to a Kangaroo X2 board and see what EZB can do with it. If they perform the way I hope I'll use this combo on all my DC motors on B9 and turn them all into Servos. :)

As far as the "accident" blooper; my first thought was to reshoot the demo. Then I thought, "why not just be real"? Maybe someone will keep from hurting themselves by seeing what a dope I can be and what happens when I try to rush.

#319  

Thank you Dave. You're helpful as always.:)

#320  

Glad to help. BTW, If you use the large 6MM Set Screw Hub you will need to cut about 1/2" off the bottom with a hacksaw. This is so the set screw will tighten against the shaft. This wider hub is good for better servo support on the "pan" part of the Pan and Tilt joint.

#322  

I'm learning to use 123D Circuits at: 123d.circuits.io

It's really pretty simple once I spent a little time playing with it. I was able to build a simple circuit of one of the homemade boards I built. I still have to learn more but have the basics down. I'm not sure yet on how to share the circuit I built directly from that site but I used the Snipping Tool built into Windows to save it to my computer and then upload it here. Once I figure it all out I'll be able to actually design a board just by dragging around parts I dropped onto the screen. The software checks the design and then I can order the board to be built. They even will check the design manually before they build it. Seems pretty cost effective also because they offered to build 3 of these boards for about 10 USD each. I think I'll do this some day soon and replace all the homemade boards I've built and scattered around my B9. It will give me a better end result and probably more reliable. It will look better also.

The below circuit uses a digital signal and ground pin from EZB to switch a small npn transistor to ground. This then uses the third leg of that transistor to draw down a pin on a different light control board I have controlling lights in the brain and belly of my B9. This is a feature built into that board that will change a light pattern when a certain pin is grounded. If interested here's a link to that board He has a few vids of how it looks when working. It's a nice board but a little big for small robots:

Wizzes Workshop

I have a friend in the B9 Builders club that asked me to send him a copy if the circuit so he could build one for his B9. Here's what I put together at 123D Circuits:

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#323  

Looking good Dave!

#324  

Hey Dave, do you have a wiring diagram for your torso rotation motor and limit switches? Also, What is that you are using for a potentiometer and how is that hooked up? I am building a large robot and am planning on using 24V pittman motors for side to side and up and down rotation. Your system is fantastic and I would like to copy it. Thanks, Bret

PRO
USA
#325  

Dave,

Love to get in on any boards you would have manufactured, at any time in the future. As soon as I launch the Kickstarter, going to work on finishing the B9 build and ARMS! Trying to snag a larger 24 by 24 x 24 inch FDM 3d printer. Then I can offer an animatronic arm kit to the club with printed parts. Also trying to come up with special molds (rotating open molds) to produce thin lighter weight silicone arms for those wanting to animate. I think my current arms are about 3 pounds each.

#327  

@fxrtst, Good news. I'd love to see what you come up with.

PRO
USA
#328  

I got somthing rolling around up here in my head!;)

#329  

@fxrtst, I remember. Wasn't it last year you hatched the idea. You said you needed to revise your business plan upon the ez-robot revolution announcement. It stuck with me because of your backround and it caught my interest.

PRO
USA
#330  

Actually the b9 arms is a different animal. I have something I've been developing in the computer for about a year. But day work just got in the way. I've taken a lot of time off to get this done for Kickstarter. The V4 board is the last part I've been waiting on. I've been designing for probably 500 to 600 hours, so hopefully it will pay off. I have a new laser 3 d printer arriving in 2 weeks. This thing will be able to print the detail I need all the way down to 25 micron layers. That equals very high resolution detail in the final product. All the parts will be made right here in Los Angeles. Obviously I will announce here when the campaign starts.

#331  

Hi Guys, Thanks for bumping my project page. It's always an honor when I see it near the top of the feed again. The past few months have been a mix if failures, frustrations, overcoming learning curves, learning new things and taking care of home and hearth. However more of that latter in this post. First,

@Bret, Glad to hear your building a bot again. I'll gladly share any info I have with you. I'm flattered you think my design would work for you. I'm very happy with my first design (the one you are asking to copy). It was very smooth and precise. Part of the frustration I mentioned was that I rewired everything in my leg section to run off a Sabertooth 2x12 and Kangaroo X2. I've decided to rip all that out and go back to my first system of a simple Pololu H-Bridge and a ADC port on the EZB. Anyway, please give me a week to get the drawings converted into a legible schematic for you. Like I said Hearth and Home are eating up most of my time right now. My waist movement system is also a 24v so it should work well for you. To start with the pot is a 10K multiturn pot that I have attached directly to an ADC port of EZB. Simply wired like this:

EZB ADC 5vdc pin to either outside lug of the pot EZB ADC Ground pin to the other outside lug of the pot EZB ADC Signal pin to the center lug of the pot.

Here's a couple links to pots that will work:

expensive pot

less expensive pot (the one I used)

Here are a couple pics of the waist motor and pot mounted in line:

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Here's a couple pics of the limit switches mounted. They are wired normally closed and in circuit so when triggered the power to the motors will cut off. A simple diode on the micro switch will allow the DC power to reverse and back the motor off the switch.

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Hope this helps for now. I'll get the drawing to you as soon as I have a little time.

@Will, I eventually plan to get my boards manufactured. However that may be a long tome from now. That's very low on my priority list. I kinda get a rush out of having my homemade boards mounted in B9 and working so well. There's ugly but sound. When I get to that point I'll gladly include you. It's great news that your planning to design and make a lighter version of your amazing B9 arms. Also the thought of you making available a animated B9 arm structure is mind blowing. I've seen your video of what you can do with the B9 arm and simple servos and want mine to respond just like that. I'd mortgage the farm to buy one of your kits.

Well, back to what's been going on; I'll try to make this short. The Sabertooth 2x12 and Kangaroo X2 combo turned out to be a exercise in futility. I really needed a good speed ramp up and down with variable speed and position control. As much as I tried I couldn't get a smooth movement or a good ramp. As far as I can tell there the Kangaroo has no native ramping in position mode. I had to write a script to pulse a increasing speed command over the serial connection to get ramping. Maybe that's why I cant smooth movement. Anyway, after reading the packet serial command manual there may be a way but I'm getting nothing but static from Dimension Engineering's support to help me confirm or help with a example code. Their manuals are written higher level experience users. It all adds up to scrapping the Sabertooth 2x12 and Kangaroo X2 combo and going back to the simpler, smoother and better responding EZB / Pololu H-Bridge combo. I plan to take a vid of how unacceptable the Sabertooth 2x12 and Kangaroo X2 is before I rip it out. I guess if I was a rocket scientist and knew C++ like the back of my hand I could get a nice ramp and smooth rotation but I don't want to spend over a year learning how to do all this. EZB will let me do it in a weekend.

If interested here are the threads where I worked through a few of the issues I had getting the Sabertooth 2x12 and Kangaroo X2 working:

synthiam.com/Community/Questions/5374

synthiam.com/Community/Questions/5304

synthiam.com/Community/Questions/5510

More to follow..............

PRO
USA
#332  

Simply amazing job Dave. It can be frustrating at times. But building it over weeks months and years allows you to evaluate and rebuild certain parts until it works as you would like. Keep going. As for my kits and arms, you'll be first on my list to get a peak!

#333  

Thanks for the words of encouragement Will. They mean a lot. As always I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with for the arm kit. I'm now torn on weather I should wait to see what you emerge with or press on and start building a set of my own. I know I'll want to scrap my plan when I see your creation. :)

PRO
USA
#334  

My hands are full with the other project. Going to be awhile before I get to the arms for sure. And I have to get a large format printer as well. Keep moving forward on your arms you making good progress!

PRO
United Kingdom
#335  

Dave, can I suggest you hold off scrapping the Kangaroo X2 for the moment as I have just bought a couple and to try them out I have programmed a PIC microcontroller with the algorithm that we were discussing earlier and the motors ramp up and down very smoothly as I think you require. I am using the Get Pos function to make this work and you will be able to use Get Pos when the V4 comes out as you will have bi-directional comms. I will try to get a video up of my test rig in the next couple of days to show you how it all works.

The Kangaroo and Sabertooth combo is very nice, I am very impressed how well it works.

#336  

Thanks Dave! This is awesome! BTW where did you get the sprockets and outer rings?

#337  

@Tony, Your like a knight in shining armor charging in to save the day. I was ready to go home tonight and start ripping out the wireing. I'll take your advice and wait till I get the V4. It sounds like you've got the ramping issue figured out. I guess it took a more skilled mind them mine to overcome this. God know I was getting no help from DE. Thanks so much for being willing to share and help.

I was able to get close to having it work but was still having clunkly results. I tried to write a code with the suggestions you made useing a precentage to start ramping up and down. It worked but just couldnt refine it to act like I wanted to see. Maybe I was useing the wrong values to figure the precentage to get the ramping right. I was mostly relaying on feedback from the pot attached to EZB's ADC to tell an EZ script when to sent the ramp down EZ script serial command. It wasnt pretty and didnt act it.

You say you've got a script written into a PIC. Is it something EZB can transmit over serial to the Kangaroo?

@Bret, The gear set was bought from a vendor off the B9 Builders Club site. His name is Andy and he also supplies these for the R2D2 builders. I'll get the link for you later today when I get home.

#340  

@Bret, I almost have that motor circuit schematic done. I'll try to post it tonight. cool

PRO
United Kingdom
#341  

Dave, my trials with the Kangaroo is with a stand alone PIC microcontroller as I needed to have bi-directional comms so I can read the "get position" data, here is the rig.

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I am using encoders for feedback, some people on this forum think that encoders are not very accurate, this is not always the case. Here the encoder give 64000 clicks per revolution, with the setup you see here after leaving it running for over an hour the drive wheels were still perfectly aligned the accuracy is unbelievable. With this type of system and anti-slip wheels a robot can move very accurately and map rooms etc.

I will get a video up of the Kangaroo rig working when I get some spare time.

Tony

#342  

As always, awesome job Tony.... One day (if I keep mine) I would like to get my kangaroo figured out so I can use it....

Cheers Richard

#343  

@Toymaker Thank you, a picture is worth a thousand words! Would you think that a Hall effect device would allow a smaller "footprint" for smaller bots?
@Richard .....you must be on a graveyard shift, posting at 4:07 am!:)

PRO
United Kingdom
#344  

@Richard, dont give up on the Kangaroo, its a fantastic bit of kit! and can probably do everything you want. I have it ramping up and ramping down very smoothly as Dave is looking for and controlling motors with extremely high accuracy movements. I not sure when I will get a V4 (DJ said that I was going to be sent one, but I have no idea where I would be in the queue?) when I do get a V4, I will write the scripts for controlling the Kangaroo (with bi-directional comms) and post them on the forum.

@irobot58, the hall effect devices are usually low resolution, so probably will not work so well, you really need high resolution 2 channel quadrature optical encoders, I use these.

uk.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Avago-Technologies/HEDS-5500A06/?qs=RuhU64sK2%252bvR8YZlqGE72A==

#345  

@Tony, your offer to help with the Kangaroo ramping script for the EZ Script is comforting. It's good to know we have a pro like you willing to help us on this. :) I hope you get your V4 soon. I'm really interested (and a little anxious) to see how this script will look.

I've been bugging DE about this issue and finally got back a reply. I was asking if there is any way to get ramping to work in Position Mode and a clue on how to do it. They said no, but.........

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> We do not have a combined position velocity and speed command. However there are ways you can achieve this.

You can send a combined accelerated velocity command until you get up to speed. When you are up to speed you can send a combined position velocity command and it will keep tracking at that velocity.

You could also write a loop to slow down. It would manually step the speed down as you get closer based upon position.

Also you could go into the control tab in the DEScribe software and reduce the system gains so it doesn't accelerate and decelerate. This would be in Control/advanced. Have the position gain double the position reset time and that will make it respond more gently.

We do have plans for these in the next firmware revision but that won't be out until summer/fall. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<,

So there ya have it. Looks like the fix for native speed ramping will come directly from DE by the end of the year. In the mean time Tony, the script your offering will be truly needed and welcomed.

@Bret, Here's the schematic you were asking for. This will allow you to use the EZB V3 (or V4) and if you have a problem and end up with a run away or overshoot the limit switches will cut power when triggered. The diodes installed will allow you to back the motor off the limit switch even though the power is switched off. Ya gotta love DC voltage! :) When buying the parts make sure you get components rated for the amps and voltage your pulling. If you need help locating parts of anything else I can assist with please ask and I'll give a hand. Hope this helps:

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EDIT, Added 5+vdc between EZB & H-Bridge,

#346  

@Tony.... I would appreciate the script too... thanks @Glen... I am just a really early riser...:)

#348  

No problem Bret, Let me know if I can help any more.

#349  

Love your B-9, he looks fantastic! You have put a lot of work into him. What's this R2 thing he has?:) he he he :) Just had to put that in. :)

#350  

I'm not sure what is with that. He just keeps saying, "R2D2, what a hack!". I think he's just jealous

Canada
#352  

This is so cool! He has a great sense of humour:)

#353  

It's been a long time sense I've done an update on my build. I've been busy refitting B9 with many upgrades. I've received 3 new V4 EZB's about a month or more ago and I was off to work replacing my V3's.

I also took this opportunity to do a few other upgrades. Biggest of these are replacing the L298n motor controllers that moved my radar and waist sections with my Sabertooth 2x12 motor controllers and a daughter board made by the same company (Dimension Engineering) called a Kangaroo X2. The Kangaroo X2 is able to give the Sabertooth both position and speed control turning my DC motor into a giant servo. I had a lot of challenges learning how to set this all up but in the end it's really pretty easy and it was only my own ignorance that made it hard. Here are a couple links to other threads showing how I over come my problems to make this work:

Turning Off A Sabertooth

Notes On Kangaroo X2

I still have a few tweaks to do on how they operate but for now they're working well. Later, with scripting help from a more knowledgeable member I'll BA able to add position feedback from the Kangaroo to the V4 EZB through the UART port of the V4 EZB.

I also had a few challenges in installing the V4 EZB's. Most notable was I had to get a new router because my older one would loose my EZB's IP addresses when powered down overnight. Here are a few links to other threads where I worked through these issues with the forum members and EZ Robot's support team:

Peaking Under The Hood Of My V4 Ezb

V4 Two Way Serial Communication - Where Do I Connect To Read?

V4 - "my Batteries Are Low, My Batteries Are Low"

V4 - Chimes, Voices And Sounds

Connecting To Two V4 Ezb's

Power In - Power Out On The V4 Ezb

Breaking Out The Sound From The V4 Ezb

Here's a vid I made from the above link "Breaking out the sound:

OK, Here's a few pics of the refit in the neck part of B9 (Lower pics to follow later):

"Before" picture of the old L298n motor controller in B9's neck before the Sabertooth install. I already have the new V4 EZB installed. You can see the buck voltage regulator that adjusts the main robot power down from 12vdc to 6.9vdc that supplies power to the EZB v4. This means that the output voltage of the Digital I/O pins will be the same voltage. After doing some figuring I concluded that the equipment powered directly through EZB will tolerate this voltage.

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Here are the upgrade pictures:

Here you can see the Sabertooth with the little Kangaroo X2 sticking out of the right side. I love this little daughter board. It's simple to uses and set up and very powerful, smooth and precise. It actually adjusts the power feed to give a boost or buck when it "feels" a change in resistance!, The little brown homemade board sitting in front is a high side switch that lets EZB turn on and off the Sabertooth when B9 is powered down. See the link above "Turning off a Sabertooth" that explains this. Without it the dump battery keeps the Sabertooth powered up after I turn off the robot.

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The little homemade board in front is a TIP120 switch that lets EZB turn on and off the ear sensors powered through a external 12vdc power source. The one in the rear controls the different light and speed patterns for his chest lights.

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Here's the v4 EZB. That little brown board on the side is how I'm breaking out the sound into my main Sound system amp and speaker. See the link above on how I did this.

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Tricking out the Bot

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Enjoy! Thanks for looking! More to follow. Dave

#354  

Quite a thorough post you did there. Well done! It's been a pleasure seeing your B9 progress. Again, well done and thanks for sharing it.

#355  

Thanks @Troy. Just trying to bring most everything important on my build into one place. My posts about progress and issue solving on this build have gotten a little scattered in other threads.

I really am glad I've switched over to the Sabertooth 2x12 / Kangaroo x2 combo boards. They are so smooth and strong and add a level of control I really like. With the Kangaroo attached it also adds a fail-safe feature that if it senses a runaway, stall or other voltage problem it tries real hard to shut down. It's actually happened a couple times for me already and may have saved my butt. :)

#356  

I should have bought that Sabertooth 5 amp RC version. Its the same price as the 2.5 amp pololu one I bought a while back and gives me room to upgrade in the future.

#358  

Looks like your V4 is working out very well. B9 deserves the very best!

#359  

Thanks guys! Your right, he does deserve the best!

Well, I've been working at it for hours and there's no way I can fit the V4 into B9's brain. It's just too high. Uncased, sitting naked and with servo cables plugged in, it's a whole 3/8th"higher than the V3. This might as well be a mile as now the lid of the brain sits almost 1/2" above the ledge Now I'm going to have to run about 5 feet of servo cable through a bobing and rotating section to get to the nearest ezb. Good thing I only need to run 3 cables. I'm considering fitting one of my old V3 ezb's with WiFi because I know that will fit.:(

#361  

Thanks DJ for thinking of me when you found this. I haven't seen it yet, Thanks! This looks so cool.

#362  

Thanks for the link DJ. Very cool, I wish they had let this guy finish this. They should pay him to do one episode to see if fans love it. I think it looks great.

#363  

Hi Dave; Very cool looking B9 ! Mine is a never ending work in progress. I have made everything from scratch, drives my wife nuts with the amount of time I spend in the basement.

I ordered the Moebius model today. I alternate between the B9 and the R2 Droid as far as working on them.

With the B9 being so large, I'm planning on running him on a remote with very little logic on board. Using the EZB for the R2.

Regards,

Don

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#364  

Cool start on your R2. Are you a member or the R2Builders club? Our club makes great droids!

#365  

Wow, scratch build... Very impressive! They both look great. If I live long enough I hope to build an R2. However I really want to build a full size Robby the robot from Forbidden Planet next. Like you say, these big guys take an unbelievable amount of time to complete (if ever). I'll be moving into year 3 in November and I'm been working on B9 almost every day in one form or another.

Good luck on animating R2. There are a few members here that have built both a mini and full size version. You'll get lots of help if needed. Like I said in your other post; download robot and control examples into ARC and see how things work.

Have fun!

#366  

@dlanod375 - you should check out the B9 Builders Club as well.

@Dave Schulpius - did you ever get those arms working? Also: you may want to call that Robert robot "Nigel" or somesuch. The owner of the "Name that Cannot be Mentioned" is very possessive. That said, that robot would be amazing controlled by EZ-B! I can envision you programming him to mix you a cool drink and bring it to you on the patio - while B9 fans you with a palm leaf...:D

#367  

Hey all;

Dave - WarPig is right. The owner of the rights to the "ball upon ball stacked vertically robot" is very protective.

Yes I'm a member of the B9 Club. Learning the EZ-Robot software, along with C for the arduino to drive the more routine operations in the R2 dome, light and panel doors. I'll have the EZB trigger the other processor, saving the ports on the EZB for more important motor and servo controls.

Also a member is the Astromech Club. This work thing is getting in th way of my hobby.

D ;)

#368  

@Guys, I'm not too worried about what I call a robot I don't even own or may not ever build. If I do I'll keep this in mind. In the mean time I see no issue typing the name "Robby".

As far as arms; I'm still in the R&D phase. I've made a few attempts but the motors or servos I've tried haven't been able to handle the load. I am expecting a delivery tomorrow from servo City and The Robot Marketplace with more parts. I hopefully now have a design that will work this time. I'll be using a high power windshield washer motor for the main elbow that lifts most the weight and doubling up servos mounted in gearboxes for the wrists. It will all be connected with aluminum channel and angle plates. It's a slow and expensive process. Keep your fingers crossed.

#369  

Hi Dave;

I find that American Science and Surplus has a nice collection of unusual motors and etc. I have 2 of these motors. Their DC, but, being worm gear design, when power is off they hold their position.

http://www.sciplus.com/p/CAR-SEAT-312VDC-GEAR-MOTOR_49248

Just offering as a possibility, if you haven't lookd at this style.

D

#370  

Thanks for the tip D. I love American SS and have been there many times! I've actually had the motors you point to in my hands and ready to buy. However the thick long shaft changed my mind. I felt it would be a pain to find or make an adapter but otherwise they would have been a solid choice. I think they were originally for power car sets.

UPS just delivered the motor I do hope to use for the arm elbow. I'm excited give it the lift test. It seems very heavy duty and small enough for my needs.

AME 218-series 12V 212 in-lb RH gearmotor - stubby shaft

Nominal Voltage::12vdc RPMs: 116 rpm (no load) Amps at No load: 1.4 Amps at Stall: 21.3 Torque Nominal: 98.235 in-lbs or 11.1 Nm (yep, that's in-lbs not in-oz!) Shaft: 10mm dia x 22mm long with flat (Servo City sells 10mm clamping and set screw hubs!) Weight: 2.55lbs

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I just need to decide on the best way how to control it now. I'm leaning towards a Sabertooth with a Kangaroo X2 daughter board. However a Sabertooth/Roo combo takes serial commands and I'm not sure how the scripting would work out when combined with the servos I want to use in the wrist and claws. I was hoping to use ARC's Auto Position control but serial commands may make that impossible. I've never played with the Auto Position control yet so I'm not sure how serial commands would mix with that setup. Well, half the fun is giving it a go and finding out. ;)

#371  

Those look like the old Dewarts. Wish they were the price of the old Dewarts!:)

The specs on those are impressive!

#372  

@Dave Schulpius They are a little pricey for what they do, and I don't know anyone who has actually used one with an EZ-B yet, but you might want to check out the Parallax HB-25 controller. It "should" look just like a servo to ARC, so you would be able to use auto-position. (of course, the Sabertooth in R/C mode is "supposed" to look like a servo too, and I don't think anyone has had success with that and EZ-B).

HB-25

(note: I have seen them cheaper than direct from Parallax, as low as $25 each, making them competitive to a Sabertooth, but figured I would link direct to the source for the best information and let you find the best price if it meets your need).

Alan

#373  

This looks great. Does it require feedback from pot or encoder? If not, I wonder how it knows position.

#374  

Quote:

This looks great. Does it require feedback from pot or encoder? If not, I wonder how it knows position.

From the documentation it doesn't look like it has input for encoder or a pot. I think it is more trial and error on the bench. You figure out your servo "numbers" for the position to move the motor to, then treat it like a servo not a motor. So not as sophisticated as a Kangeroo or Roboclaw, but may be serviceable for your needs.

I hate to have you spend $ on it based on my recommendation when I haven't used one yet though. Maybe someone on the B9 builders group or another robot forum has some experience if no one chimes in here.

Alan

#375  

Hmm looking again, it actually makes it act as a continuous rotation servo, so you will want some kind of emergency cut off so it doesn't spin your arm off if the timing is off in the start and stop pulses.

Alan

#376  

@Alan, I have to agree. After reading through the docs it looks like the only thing it controls is speed in on direction. Too bad, it looked so nice. I'll keep looking but it looks like I may have to see if I cant the Kangaroo to work with EZB in RC mode. Thanks for the help.

#377  

I've been working a lot on my arm design. There has been a lot of false starts and redesigns. I think I finally have a working design that will fit into my 5.5" arm hole and have enough strignth and dexterity to make me happy.

I'm going to have to use the DC windshield wiper motor for the elbow motor because I cant get my servo gearboxes to run in tandem at the same speed. I tried everything but no go. I'll use these gearbox servos for the lifting joint of the wrist. Since it will be closer to the end of the extended arm my test show it will have no problem lifting the needed load at a good speed. I've made a real cool motor mount that fits great. See pics below.

For speed and position feedback on the DC elbow motor I'll try using a Softpot Rotary Potentiometer. These are very thin variable potentiometers. By pressing down on various parts of the rotary dial, the resistance linearly changes from 100Ohms to 10,000Ohms.

SoftPot

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I'll be using Actobotics parts from ServoCity to connect everything and for the arm structure.

Arm guts

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Here's a few pics of what I have so far:

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Here's a few pics of the motor mount I built to hold the DC elbow motor:

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And here's the SoftPot:

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#378  

Dave, that looks like way more fun than the erector set 600 piece kit.

#379  

Dave, those are the exact same motors I used on Questor's drive train. They are really strong. I also had tried these for the elbow joint on my large robot Magnus. However, the weight of the forearm was too heavy and when I powered the motor down the arm would droop down due to the weight. But now that you have experience with the Kangaroo and Sabertooth combo maybe you can get it to hold position. Just hope it does not draw too much current while maintaining position.

I am very interested in your progress with this.

#380  

@Doc, Erector sets were never this expensive or this much fun! :P

@Rex, Glad you're so interested. Thanks. I also noticed that this motor won't hold it's position when powered down even though it's a worm gear motor. With the Kangaroo x2 / SaberTooth 2x12 that shouldn't be much of an issue. The Roo makes the DC motor hold like a servo till it gets a Release or Power Down command. As far as current; Im sure I'll be able to beef up any part of my power grid if needed.

#381  

Any updates on your B9 arms?

I built a working robot using an Erector set and some electric motors hooked to relays and photo resisters. The robot searched for light and then followed the light. This was before people had micro computers to use in robots.

#382  

Hi McSdaver, Thanks for the interest. Sorry it took so long to answer. Busy, busy, busy. :P

Yes, actually I've been steady working on the arms when I find some extra time here and there.

I do have a design that I have high hopes for that I actually haven't gotten to "work" the way I want just yet. I've been building prototype designs and finding what works and what doesn't. This has been a painfully slow and somewhat expensive process.

I finally had success with what I thought was my final design as I had my shoulder DC motor working nicely. I want it to lift up to seven pounds at a length at about 2 feet. My setup included a 12 vdc AME wormgear motor powered with a 12v/12 amp power supply controlled through a 2x12 Sabertooth and Kangaroo x2, using a flat SoftPot for feedback and being controlled with EZB V4 through the Uart port.

I was able to get a successful autotune with the Kangaroo/Sabertooth motor driver and was able to lift about 80% of my wanted weight. Then when I added the final rubber outer skin of the arm and a little ballast weight for overhead wiggle room but my sabertooth/Roo started to have power brownouts. Damm!

I reweighed everything and plugged this and my measurements into a neat little Robot Arm Calculator I found on the Society Of Robots web site. I found I was over the torque my 12 amp setup would be able to handle. In fact the motor I wanted to use stalls at 93 Lbs per inch and will pull 30 amps when this happens. The calculator says I need a motor capable of lifting 118 lbs per inch. Damm! Back to the drawing board. I needed to find a motor capable of lifting more than 118 lbs per inch, more power and another motor controller capable of handling all this.

What I came up with is an AME-226-series 12V Utility Gearhead Motor at The Robot Marketplace. It will handle my load and to lift my max overhead wright of 118 lbs per inch. When doing this it will be pulling about 30 amps. In theory to get this to play nice together I also had to get a 12vdc-30 amp power supply and a Sabertooth 2x32 to handle this little monster. The only thing is that this new motor is a little bigger than my old motor so I just now started making a new motor mount for it.

Here's the stuff:

AME-226 Motor

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SoftPot

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Sabertooth 2x32

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That's where I am now. I can't test run this new setup till I get everything rebuilt and mounted. Sadly I don't see that happening for at least two more weeks considering my "real life" commitments. tired

One great thing about this upgrade; The Sabertooth 2x32 has an extra set of power and control ports. I can use a power resistor across the power feed and the extra power output ports on each channel as a voltage clamp and I don't need a battery and the extra circuitry to dump the regen power because I'm using a power supply instead of a battery. This is great as I'll be able to simplify my whole setup! Here's how it looks:

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#383  

I wonder if you had room to add a threaded rod to the end of the motor shaft with a nut on the shaft to used to increase torque. Grease the rod and connect the load to the nut. This would gear down the motor even more. This way the motor could handle the weight of the arm and then some.

#384  

Hi Dave; Amazing how much time is gobbled up with trial and error. Glad to hear its moving forward. I'm using a compound drawer slide, pulley system and cable to extend the arm and retract it. Finally proved a working prototype, now just have to finalize it and build it times 2. Rough part is coming home, it's already dark out, and feels like midnight. Not easy to go down to the workshop.

Regards, Don

#385  

@McsDaver, That's an interesting concept. Thanks for the input and suggestion. I'm going to have to think it through but I don't think I can adapt it to my current motor and the joint I'm trying to flex. If I'm following you I think this method calls for an all "inline" drivetrain? Also I'd have to come up with a method to pull and push the arm joint up and down with about 90 degree freedom of movement. I guess this could be accomplished with setting the motor back away from the joint with the threaded rod extending to the joint. Then the nut could attach to a 90 angle iron attached to a hinge at the joint. This would allow the motor to pull and push the angle iron on the hinge and flex the joint up and down. Could work but my preferred method would be to have the motor at the joint.

@Don, I haven't gotten to designing how to extend and retract the arm in and out of the torso yet. However I have given it a lot of thought though because it's part of the overall design for how large the mounts and motors can be and where to position them. As I'm sure you know there is very little room to work with here. I'm planning on having two joints in my arm; an "Elbow" and a Wrist". I guess the Elbow joint could also be considered a shoulder joint on a regular robot. Very rough measurements that I'm pulling out of my head right now are:

Distance inside of torso (Front to back) for length of motor and linear movement: 15" Distance from arm hole to where the arm's elbow will be a full extension: 9" Distance from arm hole to rear edge of claw wrist ring at full extension: 21" Distance from elbow to rear edge of claw's wrist ring: 11" Distance from rear edge of claws wrist ring to wrist joint: 5" Distance from side to side inside rubber arm to fit all this into and pass in and out through: 5"

As you can see it's all very tight but doable if everything is sized just right. As far s the mechanism to move the arm in and out I had considered a pulley system but am leaning to a Gear Rack of some type:

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Then for the slides to save room I'm considdering consealed undermount deawer slides. They would allow me to remove the arm like a kitchen drawer and are rated at 75 lbs: Concealed Drawer Slides

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Do yo have any pictures or video of what you've built yet? I'd love to hear and see more! What are you using for motors and feedback?

Here's my 1st attempt at a elbow joint that failed. As I said in an earlier post the motor, controller and power supply are to weak. I'm upgrading now and am very hopeful:

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#386  

It's been many months sense I've up dated my project here on the forum However I haven't been sitting around doing nothing. The past 6 or 7 months have been spent in designing and building prototypes for my B9's arm. I've actually spent a year researching the best way to move this massive 7 lb arm around and make it look like it moved in the 60's TV series by the actor inside.

I had to build three different prototypes with three different motor types before I settled on a final design. If you page back you can see the first two. Neither were strong or stable enough.

In a few days I'll post a list of the DC motor, feedback, motor controllers and servos I finally ended up using. However until then I will say I used a different, stronger version of the AME 226 motor shown above, with the Softpot also shown for feedback for the elbow joint. The Softpot is feeding info to a Kangaroo X2/ Sabertooth 32X2 motor controller. Two mini servos for the claw and wrist release. One standard servo for the wrist horizontal and a servo in a servo City 7:1 ratio gearbox moving the wrist up and down joint. I'll do another video in a few days with the skin off showing in more detail everything that powers and moves this 7 pound monster. Until then here's a peek at this EZB controlled B9 arm. Enjoy..............

PRO
USA
#387  

Fantastic Dave! Well done! Very exciting.

#388  

Thanks Will! Your silicon rubber skin looks fantastic moving around like this. No way I could have made it look this nice with your talents. :)

PRO
USA
#389  

They sure do! Are you planning a extension/retraction for them?

#390  

Ah ha! That's the big question. Yes, that's my next feat of magic. I need to find a way to move them in and out of the torso. They fit nicely fully retracted with a few inches in the rear to spare and when in the full extension position the elbow motor will be almost fully out of the body. I need some sort of low profile rail and platform it can roll out on. Your suggestion of a pivot arm to push it in and out is a real option to power it right now. However I'm looking at all options and acts of God or the devil at this time. I'm completely open to suggestions. ;)

PRO
USA
#391  

I'm still sold on linear rail. It's extremely smooth on it's movement and low resistance will help with moving that all around. What's the weight of all motors, arms , servos?

#392  

Dave that is a beautiful piece of work. You are sparking a new hope of me proceeding with Magnus! However, right now I am focusing on Questor 2.0.

I had used two of the 212 in/lb torque motors from RobotMarketPlace for the previous Questor's drive train and they are definitely powerful.

I was talking to someone the other day about extending and retracting the B9 arms and he said something about trying power seat mechanisms used on car seats. New ideas to ponder I guess.

As usual Dave I follow your progress with great interest. Keep up the good work!

#393  

Rex, thanks for the kind words and tip. I'd love to see your big robot completed someday. A screw drive train like a power seat setup is certainly a possibility. I'm really tight on space and that's been a huge issue throughout this entire process. Heck, I spent three whole days rebuilding parts of this arm to just shave off two inches. That will put the tail of the elbow motor closer then 2 inches to the rear wall of the torso when retracted. This arm hasn't been inexpensive to build. I perhaps tripled the actual cost buying different motors, structural parts and controllers while I was designing it. The biggest expense was the cost of getting my prototype elbow motor mount turned into a work of art by having one machined by a professional. That was the key to this motor being able to smoothly lift the needed weight out in front of the motor and also return accurate feedback information from the pot to the Kangaroo. My hand built versions caused too much binding at the pivot points.

Will, yes the linear rail is currently at the top of my list right now. Just need to find a strong and low profile one that will work. For a rail system to work however I think the rails will have to run from the rear of the torso and extend out of the arm holes almost 7 inches or more. The sliding platform would have to attach to the bottom of the elbow motor mount so the fourarm and claw would extend forward over the edge. Here's the aprox weights and mesurments : Elbow motor and mount: 4 lbs Fourarm and wrist servos: 1 lb Wrist donut and claw section: 2 lbs Rubber skin: 1 lb. Overall length: 21" from tail of motor to front of wrist donut. (elbow motor mount is 7" long x 3" wide x 4" tall). That only gives me about an inch below the motor mount for a rail and platform and still fit into the rubber arm and torso arm hole.

Like I said above, tight tolerances everywhere . eyeroll

#394  

I love that vid of the arm range of motion. People might think there is someone inside of it.

Australia
#395  

Hi Dave,

May I say again, Absolutely Amazing work!

I had a thought about retracting and extending your arms, I recently ordered a high speed 4-in-stroke high speed linear actuator from the Robot Shop for my Bubble lifter mechanism, I don't have it yet though. They are available in from 4" to 18" strokes and three different speeds and lifting forces. I don't know if the actuator will fit within the limited space you have. I was thinking to mount the arm mechanisms on high quality draw slides and slide everything with the actuator. They have built in limit switches but no feed back for position which means they will be either fully retracted or fully extended, but this may be OK for the extension of the arms. With my bubble lifter 4" actuator I plan to mount external limit switches and a 4" linear slide potentiometer to the side of the actuator so I can control it with a Sabertooth and Kangaroo.

Here is the link to the actuators

http://www.robotshop.com/en/catalogsearch/result/?q=high+speed+Tubular+Actuators&order=stats_sales_order_count&dir=desc

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There is also another company making high speed actuators called Progressive Automations and here is a link to a YouTube clip showing one in action

Any how, just food for thought.

Again, Simply Amazing job on your B9 arms, a work of Genius

Steve Neal

#397  

Thanks for the ideas guys! The high speed actuators from Progressive Automations may be the bets bet for a motor. My big challenge is the rail system that it will have to slide on and how to mount it t the CSS. ;)

#398  

Dave- the movements in this arm are unreal! I can't wait to see the video where you show us the inside. Well done sir!

#399  

Thanks Aislinn. There's no way in h e double hockey sticks that I could have been able to do this without EZ Robot. These are just crudescribed and simple scripts I'm running. I can't wait till I can write better ones and maybe use the Auto Position control.

#401  

Thanks for the tip WarPig. Actually I've already bought a pair of a similar type of rails thinking this was the answer. After they arrived I found these were way too high profile and too heavy. I only have about 1 inch clearance under the motor mount to play with.

However I do think I've found the answer. Igus Plastics makes low profile and very strong linear slides and guides in their Drylin line. I'm actually using one of their plastic bearings in the rear pivot joint of my elbow motor mount. It's rated to handle the weight and stress of my elbow and run consistently for over 5400 hours before it wares out. That's like the elbow mount going up and down constantly for over 3/4 of a year. It makes the pivot point of the motor mount glide like ice on ice.

igus® linear guides

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I have high hopes for this product! I'll be looking into finding the proper size to support my load to see if it will actually work.:D

#402  

Sorry guys. I know a few of you were waiting on my second video showing what's under the skin of the arm as it moves. It's going to be a few more days until I can get that done. I was doing some final adjustments and tweek and stupidity ran a servo past it's stopping point. Woops.

After the new servo gets here this weekend (hopefully) I'll install it and shoot the video.

Thanks, Dave Schulpius

PRO
USA
#403  

Oh my! Nice find Dave. Let me know how they work out!

#404  

Ya Will, I'm real hopeful that these will work. The specs on the one that will fit nicely under the elbow motro say it will hold up to about 1800 lbs static load. Not sure yet on a asymmetrical like mine but the sales men seems to think with the proper one this will work out great.

#405  

Hi all,

I finally got a chance to make another video of my Arm with the skin off. Now you can see just what make this monster move.

I'm afraid I kinda over did it and and took many minuets of content. In fact I ran out of memory in the camera and had to cut the session up in two parts. While the second part is uploading I'll post the first part.

Enjoy:

#406  

Hi all, here's part 2. Sorry it's so long. Enjoy!

PRO
USA
#407  

Information can never be too long Dave. Great video and lots of information! Very nice job!

#408  

Dave - that is AWESOME!

Question: are you using resin claws and wrist cuffs, or Craig's fiberglass wrist cuffs?

Man, I'd hate to get hit by one of those suckers if he starts flailing! :P

United Kingdom
#409  

@Dave.

I've been following your B 9's build for a while now, and realised I haven't posted a comment yet.

I have to say everything that you have done so far is truly outstanding. Your attention to detail, design and materials used with what you have built already really is amazing. And thanks for sharing your work so far via the videos you have posted. You really get to see the amount of work that has gone in to this. I gave yourself and your B 9 a little mention in a video poem I posted. Don't know if you have seen it yet.

By the way, long videos showing content like this is really not a bad thing. Watching your latest arm videos has given me a couple of ideas for my next build, so thanks for that. So keep up the great, and inspirational work, and I tip my hat to you sir. Wonderful stuff.:D

Steve G. :)

#410  

Dave that arm is the best I have seen so far. You are setting the course for all future B9 builders. Outstanding work! Can't wait to see the extend retract in action.

Australia
#411  

Dave,

I think my wife WAS impressed this time with the skin off. She said "He must be an engineer or something". Also, this time she wasn't asleep when I showed her;) As for my opinion, what a beautiful piece of engineering! You have done an incredible job designing and building this beautifully elegant and fluid arm. Its a masterpiece. I have been following your B9 progress for a couple of years now and you never fail to impress and inspire me and this time is no exception. The whole project is a work of art, your attention to detail and build quality is mind blowing. you must be very proud of him.

Steve Neal

#412  

Hey guys, thanks for the kudos. It means a lot to hear you all have enjoyed my work. I am very proud of how he's turning out. It's been a ton of work but a labor of love. There's lots more work to go. After I do some scripting to smooth out the arm DC motor by doing a few mods on Rich's ramping script.

@Warpig, The wrists are Craig's light weight set he just started selling a few months ago. The claws and centers are taken from a set of Bill K's claws and wrists. By substituting Craig's wrists for Bill's I saved a full pound.

@Steve, I just watched your poem. What fun! Thanks for the mention and the entertainment. I loved it. That had to take a lot of work and talent. :D

#413  

Hi Dave;

Outstanding mech. Great video's thanks for sharing. I just finished the assembly ans calibration of my Printbot 3D printer. It's up and running and alot of fun, just amazing to watch. Next up - Green Bay vs SeaHawks - Go Pack!

Don

#414  

WOW! That is an unbelievable piece of engineering !

#415  

thanks again guys. My next part of Project is getting this arm to move smoother. I'll be working on learning and trying out different scripts to see what I will be meeting to do that.

#416  

Here's an update on my B9 Robot's arm build.

The whine that the HS-7950TH digital servo was making while holding a load was driving me nuts. Then a mishap happened. I got the servo hung up on something while trying to adjust it and didn't know till it was too late. The result was that it's circuit board burnt up. $150 of magic smoke. Luckily I had been trying to get up the courage to pull out the control board and replace it with a Pololu jrk 12v12 motor controller and this gave me the excuse to do it. The Pololu jrk 12v12 motor controller has ultrasonic switching and the result is a very quiet digital servo with no whine. It worked great and is now very quiet.

It's very easy to do: Remove the old circuit board from the servo and cut the control/power cable and the wires going to the potentiometer off it. Extend the wires from the potentiometer and solder new wires to the motor and connect them in the proper places to the Pololu jrk 12v12 motor controller per the instructions. Set up the Pololu motor controller through a USB connection to your computer with the provided software. You'll want to place the controller in Hobby radio control (RC) pulse width mode to use it with servo controls in ARC.

It's all really quite easy to hookup and setup the motor controller and easy step with the step by step instructions.

Here's a link to the servo:

hs-7950th

Here's a link to the Pololu jrk 12v12 motor controller:

Pololu jrk 12v12 motor controller

Here's a video and some pictures of the process:

EDIT: in this video I say that the servo gets hot and should not be run continuously. Turns out that when I burnt out my servo circuit board I also damaged the motor in it. It way pulling 3 times the amps or more when it moved and causing tons of heat. After placing a new servo in the gearbox and replacing the circuit board with the Pololu jrk 12v12 motor controller there's hardly any heat buildup when run for extended times or if holding load. When the servo is moving at its top speed and lifting this 3 lb load it's max amp draw is 1.7 amps and when holding this load it's a steady .3 amps!

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Australia
#417  

Hi Dave,

Sometime things happen for a reason (the magic smoke) That's much better with the ultrasonic motor controller, no whining at all:) The constant noise would drive me nuts too. An essential modification if you ask me.

Any eureka moments lately with regards to the extension and retraction of the arms?

Keep up the great work

Steve

#418  

Going to have to check out that POLOLU JRK. Silence is golden.;) Great work as usual! That arm is just the coolest thing I have seen in quite some time. You are blazing the B9 trail....

#419  

Thanks guys. I love quite also. Can't handle the high pitched whine of a digital servo. This seems to be the answer. We'll see if it holds up under the burn in test i like to run. I give it every thing it will take till something breaks or burns up. eek

Yes, I have made big steps with the retraction device. I've settled on a rail and carriage system made by Igus. I have high hopes that it will be just what I need. It's ordered and should be here in a week. Page back a few posts in this thread and you'll see a picture of it. Now I need to figure out how to mount it to the CSS and move it in and out. :)

#420  

I just want to give credit where credit is due.

I another thread I was asking about what I could do to get rid of the whining noise of a Digital Servo. Josh Starnes advised finding an ultrasonic servo controller to solve this annoying problem. Thanks Josh!

#421  

You're a stand up guy Dave.

Australia
#422  

Hi Dave,

Quick question... what do you use to play the background mechanical sounds? Does it simply start up when the amp is turned on and run on a loop or does it require a trigger from the EZB?

Thanks Dave

Steve

#423  

@Steve, I have a completely separate sound system for the background mechanical sounds. It consists of a small MP3 board that stores this sound file and loops it, a separate amp and a speaker. This way I can adjust this background clickety-clack noise to whatever volume level I want or even turn it off if it gets on my nerves. electronics123.com sells the board for about $15 usd here:

www.electronics123.com - 300 sec MP3 player

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I just cut off the small speaker and the battery pack. I then wired 5vdc to it and plugged a 3.5 mm jack into the rear and ran that to the line in of the amp.

Australia
#424  

Thanks Dave,

You're a wealth of information , as always :) does the player simply start up when energised or does it need to be triggered somehow?

Steve

#425  

@Steve, It starts when power is applied. I can't remember at this time if that's a feature that needs to be set up or if it just happens. I I remember, I think that is set with one of the push buttons that hang off the unit. Once it's set it follows the setting each time power is applied. There is free software available from the company that lets you change things and install the sound files.

Australia
#426  

Thanks Dave

You're a gentleman and a scholar

Steve

#427  

Hi all,

I've been wiring up my B9 arm today and took a few pics to share. While I was cobbling and wiring I started feeling like a orthopedic surgeon. I thought I'd share the pictures with you guys. Please see the attached pictures. Enjoy:

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Almost done! Peek A Boo! Daddy, What you building there?

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PRO
USA
#429  

Hehe love the last shot with your dog , head cocked sideways like what is that high pitched sound?!?

Everything is looking amazing !

#430  

Just how did you get that puppy to hold that pose ?

The arm looks like a prop out of a Robo cop movie, great engineering.

#431  

Thanks guys!

@Robot-Doc, I didn't know the dog was there when I took the pic. I just got lucky with the shot I guess. I know what you mean about the look of the skeleton of the arm. It's almost a shame to cover it up with Will Hoff's (fxrtst) silicone skin. However it's a work of art in it's self and I'm proud and fortunate to have his B9 skin. It makes the robot look like the real deal. ;)

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PRO
United Kingdom
#432  

Really nice work Dave!

I am going to make a guess, is that Belle in the neat picture? or is it Skye!

Tony

#433  

Thanks Tony. That means a lot coming from the "Master builder and inventor".

Actually that's Skye peeking through the claw. She seems to have been the one of the two sisters that has attached herself to me. She's always hanging around me and watching what I'm up to. Funny how dogs will do that. They seem to choose you and not the other way around. :)

#434  

Here's an update. I've been working on finding a stronger servo for the wrist back and forth swing. The HS-645MG just didnt seem to be quite strong enough when the arm was raised in the up position and it needed to lift all the weight of the claw section. I've ended up using the Power HD 1501MG instead.

Here's a post I made on another thread that tells about the process I had to go through:

I ended up buying two more of these Power HD 1501MG and I'm glad I did. The first one I posted about here did have a bad pot. After replacement of the pot the servo didn't have the shutter anymore but the pot I used couldn't be re-installed into the servo where I needed it. Relocating it on the joint is not an option. So I decided to get two more of these because I really liked the torque they put out, they fit where I need them and they are smooth.

The position hold feature when the servo is released may or may not be a good thing for me. I haven't worked that through yet but it doesn't seem to heat up when sitting and released. I also haven't placed an amp meter on it to see what the draw is when as it sits idle. The spec sheet says it draws 5ma when stopped and idle. Another worry I have with this feature is longevity. Will the servo sitting and released but holding position shorten it's life span? I wont know this till time wears on.

My last concern with the 1501MG is quality. As I said above I bought two more of these. The cost was $16 USD on Amazon or $20 from Pololu. I ought from Amazon. Not a lot for such a strong and smooth servo. However the first one had the bad pot (Reviews have stated that others have had this same problem). Then the second 1501MG I installed froze up after just a few swings back and forth with hardly any load on it. When I took it apart I got the motor to work again but only in one direction. Then the board flamed out after a few seconds of running. However, now I have the third 1501MG installed and it seems to be holding up with no problems. Not sure why I had to go through two servos before I found a good one. I did buy from Amazon and suspect they were returns that were reshipped to me. This has happened to me several times when buying from amazon. Perhaps if I buy directly from Pololu I would get newer and vetted Power HD 1501's with no problems.

Anyway, I'm going to stick with this servo for the time being as it does exactly what I want. At 6 V: 0.14 sec/60°, 240 oz-in (17 kg-cm), 60 g it's a monster.

@Mcsdaver, The spec sheet says it is only rated to to 6 vdc. I guess you could run it at 7.4 v but given my concerns of quality I'd be afraid to push it up to that voltage. The extra voltage may not hurt it but the extra torque may put too much stress on the circuit board. However you never know till you try and go too far. ;) Here's a link to this spec sheet:

Power HD HD-1501MG Datasheet

If your looking for a way to to drop the voltage from 7.4 down to 6 or lower I found a great little Bec 10A 6S Switching Regulator by Castle Creations. It's super small (only about 1 inch x 1/2 inch), programmable output voltage (With an extra unit you have to buy), runs cool and will handle up to 10 amps draw. Here's the specs:


*1.2&quot; (30mm) x .6&quot; (15mm) x .4&quot; (10mm) , Weight: .4oz (11g)
*Input voltage: 5V to 25.2V (2S to 6S LiPo)
*Current output: 12 volts input = 7 amps continuous, 10 amp peak
*Current output: 24 volts input = 5 amps* continuous, 7 amp peak
*Selectable Output: 4.8 - 9.0V via the Castle Link (sold separately), Default voltage is 5.1V

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MXAR12/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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#437  

Oh I want that arm for my B9 PLEASE help I can pay you LOL Let me know

#438  

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the interest and wanting my design on your B9. I have had many, many B9 builders say they want me to start offering these arms as a vendor for the B9 Builders Club. I gotta say that I'm not real thrilled doing that. I'm surely going to at least offer the design and material list to people wanting to try to reproduce this arm. I may also at some point offer to do a run on the machined DC motor mount with the elbow joint. That's the one thing that really makes this design work and be able to lift this very heavy arm.

There is a lot of custom work needed to be done to stock parts and tweaking to programs running the two motor controllers. After a year of prototyping and 4 months of work adjusting the final arm I think I'm finally to the point of installing it on the robot.

All that and I still need to invent a way to get my liner slides to move this system in and out of the torso. I really don't want to sell or suggest to anyone an unproven product. Last thing I need is to have people spent a thousand USD or more on something that does not work. Also, this design my not be for every B9. With the arms extended and waving around your point of gravity will be way forward and you risk the danger of him tipping over or even breaking off at the waist. eek. These arms MUST be attached to a central skeleton that will support the weight and and distribute the load and stress throughout the support structure. Your structure needs to look something like this and be connected from top to bottom with a heavy and low point of gravity:

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Good luck, have fun and stay tuned. :)

#439  

Your B9 is amazing and I hope his arms do everything you want them to do. Your B9 is a real robot and I look forward to videos showing him off. If only I had the time, money and a place to build one, I could have a B9. All I have is a 2 ft tall B9 that I will get running around someday.

#440  

Thanks my friend! That means a lot.

The little robots are a lot of work and just as impressive. I'd like to do one some day.

Australia
#441  

That arm is a very impressive piece of engineering, Dave! I can't imagine how many hours of thought and work have gone into making it. You really are dedicated to this project! Just as impressive is your neat & tidy workship, especially the labelled drawer storage system! I notice we have a few things in common - the jeweller's screwdriver, the half brick door holder and (what I am sure is) the mighty Dell 9300 - my favourite, most reliable 10yo laptop with the best 17" HD screen, running happily on Win7. It's amazing what you see in the background of pictures!

#442  

LOL Tony . You should see the shop on an average day. I usually either clean it at the end of a project or when it gets to the point of not being able to find a tool I just set down. :P

I am pleased that we share some a few treats like the the half brick holding open the door and looking at other's shop in the background. It's always a pleasure seeing how other craftsmen keep their work stations. I'm glad I'm not the only one.;)

As far as being dedicated to my project, yes, your truly correct. I'm fulfilling a childhood dream. I remember watching Lost In Space back in the mid '60's and deeply wishing I had a robot like that B9 to follow me and kick the butts of the bullies that were tormenting me. This version wont be kicking any butt but will be just as cool as the original. cool

#443  

YEs Dave my structure of my robot is like that I just need a good arm design or something to point me in the right direction so ANY help you can give would greatly be appreciated also if you need help let me know what I can do . I used wheel chair motors in the base of my robot so his feet are HEAVY!LOL

#444  

@Dave... Your B9 would most certainly kick butt if it fell on the guy...:D

#445  

@Richard, LOL, where was he back in grade school? tired

@Chris, Stay tuned. I'll be posting parts lists and designs when it's fully working and tested.

#446  

@Dave Cool I need this part to complete him FINALLY! LOL

#447  

Here's a quick update video of my B9 robot arm after updating a few servos and power converters and cleaning up the wiring. I also did a lot of work on the program running the Kangaroo and I've got the Sabertooth running real smooth now with an appearance of speed ramping.

I'm real happy with this version and think this my arm is close to complete. I'm sure I'll still have a few adjustments to do but it's time to move on to figuring out how to mount this contraption on the robot.

#448  

Great work Dave. As always your builds are clean and professional looking. I've noticed that you've inspired other B9 builders to use this design.:)

#449  

@Dave... You put a lot of work into that arm.... It shows. It is solid and moves beautifully.... now all you have to do is make another one...:) Oh, and don't forget the electricity (Van de Graaff generator) that B9 can generate between his claws... You know, for those bullies...:D

#450  

Thanks again guys! Your kind words help me keep going.

@Richard, LOL, I know a few guys that actually did this! 16,000 volts and a ton of current will give you a sweet arc. Check this out! eek :

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#451  

Awesome... The big guy can tase people who get out of line at your parties...:D

#452  

Thumbs up I think you got it right cant wait to see how you get the arm to retract

#453  

Thanks all. Your encouragement help keep me going.

For the people asking for directions on how to build this; I'll get a list together along with the codes I worked on. There are two programs (not including the EZ Robot scripts), one for the Kangaroo X2 and the other for the ultrasonic switching Jrk 12v12 motor controller I bought from Pololu. This may take a little time as I'm actively building and and living life and you know how that sucks up our extra time.

Another thing about this arm build is the bracket that holds the DC Elbow motor needs to be machined. The tolerances are crazy close to get the motor to lift this heavy load out front of it's self and not bind as it swings the weight. As you know this means expensive. At some point I hope to offer a run of these mounts to builders wanting to try this. I don't have a price yet but i'm sure it will be well over $500 for a set.

As long as we'er talking expense; the other high price tag parts are the Light Weight wrists, Claws and the Wrist Lifting servo with it's ultrasonic switching controller: **I had to buy from the B9 Builders Club vendor Bill Kendzierski whole set of Claws and Wrists and also Vendor Craig Reinbrecht light weight Wrists. I set aside Bill's Wrists and used his claws with Craig's wrists. This shed an entire pound off the end of the lift. In the robot arm would this is huge. However having to buy the two sets is very pricey. This approach cost me about $800 but is for both arms. Bill has said he is working on a set of light weight claws to complement Craig's light weight wrists. However like me, his time is limited because of real life commitments. **The wrist lifting servo with it's ultrasonic switching controller is another high price point. The RobotZone SPG7950A-CM-360 channel mount servo Power Gearbox with the Hitec HS-7950TH servo installed runs about $220 at ServoCity. Then I had to screw up some courage and I gutted it by removing it's control board and wired in the ultrasonic switching jrk 12v12 motor controller that runs $100 at Pololu. You need to double this because you have two arms. **The Sabertooth 2x32 with a Kangaroo X2 will run about $150. Also double this because you have two arms. **The remaining parts and servos are small potatoes compared to the above items. Also remember that I haven't successfully mounted this arm on the robot and figured out how to move it in and out of the torso. I'm sure I can do this but I'm not 100% sure how the asymmetrical load will effect the balance of the robot. These arms weighs over 10 lbs each.:)

PRO
United Kingdom
#454  

Amazing work Dave, the operation is so smooth! I wonder if a motorised threaded rod could push/pull the arm section in and out.

Tony

#455  

Hi Tony and thanks for the suggestion. I have been considering the screw option but I don't think this will work for me. I have no extra room either fore or aft of the rail system for the needed end caps and motor. I think I'll end up using either a cable with a winch or a type of timing belt. This way I can install small rollers at each end. Then I can attach a belt or cable to the carriage and pass it over the rollers and down under the rail system to where the motor will sit. I have lots of room under where the arm support platform will live.

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#456  

This project is an interesting lesson in just how hard it can be to do something that looks simple. Watching Lost in Space as a kid, I thought the robot was cool, but also thought that we would have much more advanced robots by the time I was 50. Little did I know it looked so simple because there was a person squeezed into the robot body making it do those movements and actually having a machine recreate the moves ia a major engineering challenge.

Thanks Dave for sharing your successes as well as the challenges along the way. We are all learning from your efforts.

Alan

#457  

It's been a while since my last post to this thread. Life is busy and I've also been designing this mounting and delivery system for the arms. I did't want to post anything till I had something worth looking at. I still have a lot of work ahead of me and still have parts to add to the "shelf". I need to add more supports on the outer edge but here's a peek at where I'm at as of last night with mounting my B9 arms onto my CSS . Cant wait to get it all hooked up to the Sabertooth/Roo/EZB and see this bad boy suck in and out and wiggle around like a Night Crawler on a hot summer night after a heavy rain. :P

Final Mounting position. However it will need to be "fine tuned" to move in and out of the arm hole and rubber skin.

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Shelf mounted on the CSS. Rails and motor on it's mount are just set on shelf for now to see how it will fit

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This pic was taken before I mounted the shelf on the CSS. I was test fitting for size and position

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The next two pics are another test fit of the motor and rail system. It's a tight fit but will just make it through. It's even going to fit with Will Hoff's fabulous rubber skin in place. The rail still needs to be cut back to proper length. When cut back it's still going to stick out of the hole by about 9". The motor will need to move completely out of the torso so the elbow can have proper range of movement.

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PRO
USA
#458  

Awesome Dave, looking forward to that moving!

Australia
#459  

Incredible work Dave :) Looks like a tight fit through the arm hole. Beautifully done

#460  

Thanks gentlemen. It's coming along slowly but surly. I have more hardware arriving from McMaster Carr tomorrow and should be able to get the supports for the outer edge of the shelf installed. This should complete the shelf part of the build unless I get a wild hair and do a redesign.

The outer edge supports are going to be installed on an angle and using a "hing" joint and turnbuckle center design to allow adjustments and aliments. However I've been toying with a different design. I'm afraid the hinged joint will allow too much flexing when the motor and arm is extended. All the weight of the arm unit mounted on the rail will be outside the robot at this point. The far end of the rail attached to the shelf will have a lot of upward force due to the weight on the other end (gravity sucks) and want to deflect and bend the rear of the shelf up. A hing may allow that to happen. Perhaps a stiff arm support that is static would be a better choice. The problem is I have little room for a design like that because of the curved part of the lower torso. The angled design fits better but will allow movement (this is both good and bad as I described above). We'll see how it all works out. ;)

Yes, I'm amazed at how close the tolerances are and still let the motor through the arm hole. I just got lucky on this one. ;) It would be nice to have another 1/2" headroom between the motor mount and Will's rubber arm skin but I'll take close enough anytime. Maybe I can convince the maker of the arm skin to enlarge the attachment end of the arm just a little on future runs to allow for this (wink, wink......Will?;) )

#461  

Sigh......... One of the truths I've learned about building custom robots is custom brackets. Everything needs to be mounted somehow and usually off the shelf mounts and brackets don't work. I think I've spent about 80% of my robot building time designing and making custom brackets.

Thanks for listening. Just blowing off steam.;)

#462  

Hang in there, Dave! In all my years of building robots, I have learned a thousand ways NOT to do it.

One of the reasons I have almost gotten out of this field is in the past I have built machines that work the first time I turn them on. But, the last four machines I built worked for a little while and then burned up. I finally found the culprit. It was a power plug that I wired the standard way (Red=positive) (Black= minus). Inside the plug, the wires were reversed!

Now I have gotten rid of most of my stuff. I plan to have another sale and get rid of the rest of it. But, I am keeping my last build Sally. I may also keep the EZB 4 just to play with.

I am also looking to buy the robot PEPPER. It is already assembled, so no problems with my arthritis or sight building it.

Take care and don't give up.

Mel

United Kingdom
#463  

@Dave.

I've been away from the forum for a lil while, and I was really pleased to see your thread update of the progress you have made so far. I really like the look of the arm mechanism. It shows that you have put a lot of work in to it. Don't worry about the "steam blowing". I'm sure most, if not all of us have been their at some point designing or building something that has those pesky little jobs that ain't that fun to do, but needs doing. It will be well worth it in the long run.

Hang on in here buddy. What you have done so far is truly stella work.:)

#464  

Thanks for the encouragement guys. No worries, I'm nowhere near giving up and was not really off balance. However when I started this build three years ago and with doing pretty much constant work and research on it I never thought I would have to build so many dam brackets. My motto is (one of them anyway); ya gota have a good foundation. Brackets and bases are part of what that's all about. It's kinda funny really and I'm getting pretty good at it. I've learned to have on hand plenty different sizes of angle, square, flat aluminum stock and lots of different nuts and bolts. Oh ya, I cant forget to mention the daily trips to various hardware stores and McMaster Carr orders.

@Moviemaker, Glad your still hanging around this forum and interested in this cool hobby. Your an inspiration to me. I'm really not to far behind you in age (very late fifties) and it's good to know the passion never goes away. Our eye's and hands may turn against us but you thought me that the heart never fails. Please stay in touch.

@Steve, Your reminder of "the little things we hate to do but have too" really strikes home. There have been things I really don't like to do in the building process. At times I actually to have push myself to get to work on one of these "don't want to do" things so I can get past it and get the build moving again. The feeling of accomplishment after successfully finishing a step like that to my satisfaction is huge! cool It helps to keep an eye on my goal and to see how far this robot has come so far. ;)

#465  

Last month I got my shelf mounted on the CSS for the arm delivery rail system that will move my B9 arm in and out of the torso. I've made slow progress and have now have got the rail system properly mounted and tuned to allow smooth operation and proper clearance through the arm hole and rubber arm skin.

A couple things I had to do was make an adjustable support system under the shelf and rework some possible structural problems with my robot frame. The added stress from the weight and movement of the new arms had me worried about his waist being too weak and adding too much stress in the wrong places.

For the adjustable supports I simply got some right hand and left hand 3/8th threaded rod, left and right hand threaded couplings & nuts and a cool little peace of hardware called a sleeve nut. A Sleeve nut has right and left hand threads on each side and can fasten parts with right-hand threads to parts with left-hand threads. Man, that's a lot of right and left threads. :P Anyway, when placed together properly they make a cool little turnbuckle. I fastened this below the rail shelf and using the sleeve nut I can adjust the height of the outer edge of the shelf and fine tune it's position and tension. My original intention was to keep as much stress off the fiberglass B9 torso as possible and place the stress on the CSS (central Support and storage System). So I angled the turnbuckle supports into the base of the CSS.

Having to mount the base of the supports to the base of the CSS caused me to have to move around a lot of electronic and sound components around that I had already thought mounted and complete. Actually it's a good thing because I was able to clean up some messy wiring and bad device placements. After building and adding things for three years now I'd started to just stick things and add wires where there was room and not where they "should go". Anyway, it gave me a good excuse to redo some of that mess.

The other thing I needed to to was add some more attachment bolts to the Lazy Susan that the CSS and Torso attaches to. If you can follow my rambling: With the addition of over 25lbs of arms that will stick out in front of the robot when extended I needed to make sure that stress was flowing down through the CSS, through the Lazy Susan and down into the leg support system. Before my modification the nuts that held down my torso and CSS were on the same bolt. I didn't like the fiberglass base if the torso being sandwiched between that stress. I added 4 more bolts to the Lazy Susan and cut holes larger then the nuts in the bottom of the torso where these were located. This way I can lock down the CSS to the Lazy Susan with it's own set of nuts. The torso base will slip down over those bolts and nuts and the original bolts & nuts will hold that down. Now the stress will go through the new CSS lock down nuts and bolts and not the torso lock down nuts & bolts. Hows that for confusing? confused Sorry. On my next video I make I'll try to show this.

So before I took it all apart again for my next step of adding the drive train and motor to move the arm in and out of the torso I made a video of my progress so far. Hopefully you'll enjoy this and it will explain some of what I was mumbling about above:

United Kingdom
#466  

Nice update Dave, and I'm glad your making progress. It sounds like you have things sorted with the additional weight now and the only way is forwards now. Wow, 3 years, the B9 project surely is a labour of love and the work you are putting in to this shows that.

Keep it up my friend, and look forward to your progress.:)

Steve.

EDIT:

Great video as well. Thanks for taking the time to shoot it.

#467  

Thanks Steve for the kind words. Yep, it's been a long road and sometimes it's hard to keep going. Even more so now that it's a nice hot summer and lots of other fun stuff to do. However, your right, it's a labor of love and I'm slowly fulfilling a childhood dream.

Thanks for mentioning the Vid wasn't working. I had forgot to hit the Publish button. It should work now.

#468  

Dave, that is the most beautifully designed arm I have ever seen! Almost a shame to cover it with the rubber skin....:D Just goes to show what blood, sweat, t(g)ears and determination can do. I truly admire your work and skills. This is true robot building at its maximum potential!

I have some questions and requests for ya:

How are you going to be able to remove the torso once the arm is attached? I have never seen how the torso goes together or comes apart. In other words how in the world do you get in there to do any work inside? Can you provide some video of this when you get the chance?

Also, can you provide the websites and part numbers for the following: -The power window motors you showed in the video -The rail slides you mentioned for extending the arms -Your source for the Molex connectors, pins and pin crimper that you use.

Thanks in advance! But, hey, seriously, I don't want to interfere with your work, so no pressure my friend.

Rex

PRO
United Kingdom
#470  

Dave, amazing work as always! Can I ask how did you get the custom phrases that absolutely sound like Dick Tufeld the B9 original voice?

Tony

#471  

Thanks for all the encouraging praise. It's good to get some feedback. I'm always open to ideas and suggestions. Please don't hesitate to offer feedback (even if it's critical). I'm a true believer in listening to others input to make things better.

@Tony, LOL, the reason the sound clips sound like Dick Tufeld is because it's him. :) For years before he died the B9 Builders club had a close relationship with him. The enlisted his talent to do hundreds of voice clips for the club and it's members. There is even CD software called I-B9 that has an interface to play hundreds of included mastered custom recorded voice clips from your laptop. Here's the link if anyone is interested in getting one. Scroll down the parts page and you'll find it : Craig Reinbrecht's I-B9 CD There is also another CD out there called Robot Ramblings with hundreds more remastered cuts from the TV show but it's getting hard to get. It has the background sounds and music cut out of each phrase and sounds real good. I dont know if this CD is still available but here's a link to the web page selling it: Dan Monroe's Robot Ramblings

@Rex, Your too kind. Thanks for your complements. I'll be happy to give you all that info. "How do I take the torso off with that arm in place?" - Now that was the million dollar question and one that I struggled with for over a year. I needed to be able to install a functioning arm, attach it to the CSS and be able to remove it while working from outside the torso with it in place. All this while working through a 7" arm hole and the side and rear lower vents. There is no way to remove the torso while the arm is mounted on the robot and it's mounted to the CSS like I am doing. Then one day I saw a "Ship In a Bottle" and wondered how the hell they got that big thing in there through that little hole. This was exactly what I had to do to mount my B9 arms (however I do have the added advantage of the lower vents for access). I learned that the bottle ship builders put as much together outside the bottle that will fit through the hole and start building in a modular fashion from rear to front using tools that fit and reach. I knew I had to do the same thing to get my arm mounted and still be able to remove the torso. I built each part no bigger then the size of the arm or vent holes. Each section (like the shelf for example) is built to fit through the holes, mount or unbolt easily by reaching through the holes and by using just a couple simple box wrenches. The turnbuckle supports I custom built are held in place with pins and cotter pins. All I need to do to install or detach them from the shelf and CSS base is to simply unscrew the tension, unpin them and pull them out or out of the lower vents. What about the arm it's self? Once the power and control wiring is unplugged It simply slides straight out and off the front of the rails. Hope this is clear. You'll be able to see this all better in my next video where I'll have the torso off.

Here's the websites and part numbers for the following you asked for:

The Right and Left hand power window motors (I haven't tested these yet to see if they are strong enough but they should be): AME 210-series 12V 88in-lb Right-Hand gearmotor-shaft AME 210-series 12V 88in-lb Left-Hand gearmotor-shaft

The rail slides for extending the arms (You need to size these to your application. They come in different sizes). DryLin® W Mono-Slide System Here's what I ordered: SQUARE DOUBLE Rail: WSQ-10-40 MONO CARRIAGE: WWC-10-40-15

Source for the Molex connectors, pins and pin crimper - You can get these many places like Mouser, Digi Key but I like ordering from a friend of mine who runs a small electronic online store that serves the pinball hobby community. Ed at Great Plains Electronic is the best and very accessible if you have questions. I like to use either 0.062 or 0.093 depending on the application. 0.062 0.093 You'll need a good cripmer for a good connection. They can really cost a lot or a little. You get what you pay for. Here's one that should work OK and not break the bank: Crimper

If you want to learn how to make a good Molex crimp read this section of a web page. It's very well written (actually the whole page is a good read): How to Perform a Good Connector Crimp

Good luck and have fun! Dave;)

#472  

OK, here's part 2 of the last video. This one shows the rail and mounting system with the torso off. I explain how to dissemble the unit through the 7" arm hole and from the torso vents below as I explained in my last post. I also show the electric car window motor I'm going to use to move the arm in and out of the torso. I hook it up to a 12v source and try to stall it while taking amp readings. Spoiler Alert: I cant do it and the amps go from a no load reading of 2.5 amps to a full load amp reading of about 11 amps or so. Enjoy:

#473  

Thanks Dave for the detailed reply and video. That helps a lot! I am very interested in the power window motor. What size hub are you using for them? I assume they are from RobotMarketPlace.com as well?

United Kingdom
#474  

@Dave

Great Video's, your B9 robot looks very neat!

Chris.

#475  

[b]Dave[b/], your B9 is stunning and demonstrates the utmost in engineering success and unusual solutions with professional designs.

#476  

Your project is very inspiring! Thanks for posting.

#477  

Dave, Your robot shows so much determination for quality, and displays your hard work. Awesome work down to the details! Thanks for the updates. Steve S

#478  

Hi Dave, This is a thing of absolute functional beauty. When I first explored this platform a few weeks ago I found your post and spent a couple of hours watching videos on your youtube channel. Mesmerized, watching that amazing arm move around so smoothly, etc. I'm 51 and loved this robot as a kid. While I don't have your level of mechanical brilliance, you are an awesome inspiration in terms of the world of possibilities with the EZB at the core. I'll have to dig around to find your video/info on the power subsystem. It looks like you have AC supplies in various places. I'm wondering if your B9 will have a lithium (or other) battery system. Anyway, I love all of the attention to detail. And I have to say, I LOVE the incandescent lights on that front panel. There's nothing like that inherent ramp up/down, non-pwm incandescent glow. Thank you for sharing your experience and passion. Say hello to Elvira for me :). Cheers! Mike

#479  

Again, Thanks all for the words of encouragement. I'm glad your enjoying my progress.

@Rex, Lets talk hubs. I'll share with you what I've learned. ;) Hubs have been one of the biggest problems I've had to overcome when building a robot.

  • D style motor shafts and hubs with set screws suck. They are the least secure and stable connection between the motor and your load available. If you have a heavy or asymmetrical load that will be jerking around a lot like an arm then this is not the way to go. I was using aluminum set screw hubs on my elbow motor that lifts the full load of my arm (attached to a windshield wiper motor D shaft) and I couldn't keep them tight. The bores opened up, the setscrews stripped and the motor shaft was destroyed.
    *Keyed hubs and shafts are great and will stand up to any type of load if the key and hub is made of strong material and is tightly fit. If you don't have a keyed motor shaft this type is not a possibility unless you can have a machinist cut a key way for you.
  • Clamping hubs are great and will not slip if tightened properly. If sized properly and of the proper material they will last and hold forever. In my opinion this is the best choice. However If not sized properly hub will destroy it's self.

With that all said. In this setup I am trying to use a set screw hub with this car window motor. However it's not the usual aluminum hub you'll find on the online supply stores. It''s a stainless steel hub with a stainless setscrew. I hope it will hold tight if I get it properly tightened with Locktight to the steel shaft of the motor. I think the relatively slow speed and low drag of the rail system wont overload this hub. If I do have problems this hub also has a key way so I may be able to get my machinist to cut on into the motor shaft.

To quote Indiana Jones; "I don't know! I making this up as I go!" :P

Anyway, if your going to get these car electric window motors I listed above, the motor shaft is 10mm. The RobotShop has the Stainless Hubs I'm using in stock now. Their hard to get if they run out. I had to wait a few months to have them made when I ordered them. The product code is: 4x RB-Nex-99. Here's the link:

Stainless Steel 10mm Set Screw Key Hub

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If you want to give a clamping hub a try then ServoCity has a small hub that will fit this motor shaft. Depending on your application this may or may not work:

Aluminum clamping hub

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Good luck and have fun. Dave;)

#480  

Hey @walunit. Glad your enjoying the videos. I wish I was a better movie maker but I do the best I can. Trying to explain all that stuff on the fly without a script is a little overwhelming at times. LOL blush

Ya, LIS was cutting edge back then. We had no idea if people could even get into outer space yet alone travel to another planet. Heck, we didn't even have microwaves, home computers or the internet yet. Seeing that big bubble headed computer called a "Robot" that could walk around and talk with light blinking all over was amazing back then. What dreams of little boys used to be made of.

No, I'm not using any batteries in this robot. All plug in the wall AC to DC power converters.

Thanks for the kind thoughts and words. Stay tuned. ;)

#481  

OK, I'm scrapping the ABS plastic weed wacker double pulley idea. I was able to attach it to a hub by sandwiching it between the Stainless Steel hub and a peace of aluminum plate with some #8 x 2" machine bolts. However I'm really not happy with it. When I tighten everything down I get some deformation of the ABS and it wont turn level. I'm afraid over time the ABS will weaken and give way under the load of the weight of the arm being pulled back and forth. I need to use metal to stand up to the pressure.

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So, I've decided to use Die Cast Zinc pulleys. I need it to be a double pulley so I've gotten two 3 1/2" single A section pulleys and I'll bolt them back to back and attach them to the 10mm hub so I can attach them to my motor. Should work like a charm.

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#482  

Thanks Dave for the information. You are extremely helpful as always good sir. I am currently looking at these power window motors for use as shoulder and elbow motors on Questor 2.0. These may be easier to use than the Bosh motors.

Keep those videos coming of my favorite robot B9! You are setting the standard!

BTW...I agree with your choice of the metal pulley idea. It is a much better choice and should provide more stability.

Rex

#483  

@Rex, I haven't battle tested these power window motors yet but I'm sure they will do the job I want them to. If it helps they are rated at 88 lbs per inch. That's pretty strong. I was able to stall one yesterday after I got the metal hub and double pulley mounted. It took a good grip on the outside of the 3 1/2" pulleys to do it though. Compare that to the windshield wiper motors I'm using (AME-226-series 12V Utility Gearhead Motor) for my arm elbow motor. That one is rated at 230 Lbs per inch and lifts my 2' long 7 lb arm without breaking a sweat.

The drawback with using these motors over the Bosh Motor is there is no internal pot for feedback. However I've figured out tonight how to mount a encoder on the double pulley assembly. The trick was getting it to turn as level as possible so the encoder will read properly.

I'll do another quick video in a few days showing this setup and the prototype I made trying to figure this all out. ;)

#484  

Here's a shout update on my Lost In Space B9 arm rail system. This rail system hopefully be pulling the heavy arm I designed in and out of the B9 torso. This update is all about the twin pulleys I built that will mount on the motor to winch the synthetic cable back and forth. Enjoy!

#485  

Great video Dave. Looking forward to seeing this in action. Two things that give me the most headache when building things from scratch are getting things centered properly and designing things so that they can be disassembled to be worked on easily. Many times I have come up with great ideas only for it to dawn on me later that hey....I've got to be able to take this thing apart to be able to work on it at some point. Unfortunately (sigh....), I usually way over complicate my designs. Spending (wasting) many hours re-doing things that I should have left to common sense. Worrying about....what will others think when they see what I have come up with.

I want you to know that I enjoy watching your videos and they are teaching me good things. Your B9 is awesome! Keep them coming... :D

#486  

Thanks Rex. Wow, we must be twins. I do these same things. I always over build and complete. Maybe after I get this contraption working someone will suggest a much simpler method. "Why didn't you. .........." . All I'll be able to do is slap my forehead and walk away with my head hanging low. However, you gotta love watching complicated stuff work. All thouse moving shiny parts.

#488  

I'm very excited. Good things are happening in my robot shop. I'm just a few connections away from having a fully functioning B9 arm, mounted on the central support system that moves in and out of the torso smoothly and articulates with 4 other joints.

The B9 builders here should know what I'm talking about and why I'm so excited about this.

It's Alive! After months of R&D, testing, building and a lot of dreaming my B9 Arm Rail System is working. Until i actually saw it moving I had doubts it would actually work. Not only did it move but it slides back and forth on the DryLin W Mono-Slide guide rail system by Igus like it's a cat on ice! This rail system will deliver my B9 arm (I also designed and built) in and out of the torso of my full scale B9 robot from the 60's TV show Lost in Space. I still have to wire in the motor control system that will consist of (hopefully) a Sabertooth 2x32 motor controller with a Kangaroo X2 attached for speed and position control. I'm no movie star in this one but please have a watch and enjoy.

PRO
USA
#489  

Looking like you are painfully close! Exciting!

#490  

True awesomeness..... Incredible engineering my friend. I am wondering....are you making CAD drawings of all your custom parts? Great video.....why not get you a tripod to hold your camera to make video making easier? Just a thought.:)

PRO
United Kingdom
#491  

Dave, as always a brilliant job! - your engineering skills are amazing.

The mechanisms you have got working here are really hard to do, yet you have somehow managed to do it well done!

Tony

#492  

Dave, great job!

Are you able to slide the arm on the rail with no power to the motor? If so, the auto training on the kangaroo will work great for you. If not, DE has some software for you to use to setup the kangaroo.

I am very impressed. Almost there!

#493  

Dave,

Brilliant work and beautifully executed! Inspiration! (he says with his hot glue gun and plumbers tape)

Best, Mike

#494  

Thanks for all the nice comments everyone. They mean a lot to me and help keep me motivated.

@Will, you're so right. It's sometimes painful at points like this. I'm so close but it takes a long time to complete stages. Seems like I work for hours thinking I'm almost there but then I realize there is so much more to do. However, it's the journey, and not the end of the road that really counts and where the fun is.

@Rex, Thanks for the suggestion. I do have a tripod and may use it next time. However, it's hard to get 360 coverage with a tripod attached.

@David, I can't move the motor without power so I cant teach the Kangaroo like that. I have been using the Roo in a few other places in this build and found the Auto Tune to be challenging in odd applications like this. I do have a few tricks up my sleeve and I'm hopeful it will work for me.

My next step will be to get the cable management system in place and then to wire in the encoder and motor controllers. I have off work the next week so maybe I'll have controlled movement by next weekend. However It's probably going to take twice as long to do as I figure like everything else has. LOL.

Thanks again everyone, Dave Schulpius

#495  

Woops, missed answering a few comments;

@Rex, No, I have no CAD drawings. I don't have a program and have no idea how to use CAD. I would really like to get a good CAD program and learn how to use it. It probably would have helped me out a lot and made the design process much easier. As it is everything was designed, measured, built and tested in my head before I actually started making anything. Very tiring and at times overwhelming. Then when I finally started laying out, cutting, drilling, filing and assembling, I always ended up redoing the peace somehow. When I build the other arm I was planning on just copying the parts from the first to make a clone of sorts. Maybe I should invest in a CAD program and learn it first. That way I could make CAD drawings as I go. confused My problem is I have trouble stopping to do something like that. When I'm not engaged in something else, I constantly design and build in my head. Then I seem driven to build and get something tangible to work with and look at. That's probably not a good thing and one of my shortcomings. However I like to call it craftsmanship. ;)

@walunit, What are you talking about? Hot Glue Guns rule!:) I have many sticks of industrial strength Hot Glue melted into the deep recesses of my B9 robot. This stuff is great for holding small parts in place where there is no other way to anchor them. I really like to hot glue the heads of bolts to surfaces. It's a perfect way to mount stuff that needs to use bolts to hold them down. Another good thing to use is Plumbers Epoxy. That stuff is as strong as steel and grabs on to anything that is slightly ruffed up. I mounted everything inside of my torso using these two methods. :D See some of it below. Long Live the Hot Glue Gun!:

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#496  

So the hot glue/plumbers epoxy thing holds small things in well huh? hadn't really thought about the glue-mounting flat head bolts thing, but what works, works. Must try that myself.

This thing is amazing. And I wouldn't worry about doing the autocad drawings. Yes, it can be helpful, but this is a one of a kind deal. It's not like it's going into production. Flying by the seat of your pants is an age old technique for this sort of thing. Also, it's not like you're on a deadline or have to answer to anyone (but yourself). Dwelling too much on working up good drawings and plans can make what should be fun turn to drudgery. As far as drawings are concerned, do sketches and revise as needed. Like the saying goes, just do it! Heck it got you this far after all.

#497  

@Dave,

I love it! And those are some of the cool panel sections of your B9. I love those incandescent lights and tactile switches. I like the idea of gluing bolt heads down like that and am surprised that it will hold well enough for that application.

Thanks you for the advice on plumbers epoxy.

Thank you for the ongoing inspiration and ideas.

~Mike

#498  

No problem @Walunit. I'm glad you find this robot so cool. I fell in love with him when I was a child back in the mid 60's when the show was in it's first run. I was about 8 years old. I even remember my Dad reading a review for Lost in Space to me out of the newspaper before the show aired saying it would be a light hearted comedy like family show. My Dad said this would be a great show for me to watch and something I would really like. I remember thinking after finally watching the show that it didn't seem like a funny show to my young self. I thought it was kinda scary. However that ominous robot going mad and trying to kill everyone while they were just standing there in those tubes in suspended animation was just so stunning I was hooked right there. Later in the season it lightened up quite a bit for us younger viewers. For the rest of my life till now I have always wanted this robot for my own.

As far as the lights and panels; this architecture is so classic with the lines, curves and edges. Straight from the era of the early 1900's through the 60's. Kinda Art deco'ish. Also there is nothing like incandescent white and colored lights and neon! You just don't see this style anymore now-a-days in the way we build things. Everything is flat, square or round and LED's.

Hey @WBS00001, Thanks for the insight. They are very wise words. I have been doing a lot of hand sketches. Mostly wiring schematics because without some type of map I'd be lost trying to find a problem. Maybe after the build I'll take some time to learn CAD and document this that way. There are lot's of people asking for drawings of this thing. :)

#499  

Dave, I also enjoy your attention to detail and very good explanation of your designs, issues you run into and solutions. Right now I'm also looking into the Plumbers Epoxy as something to add to my toolbox.

#500  

Wow, I'm glad you all find this little tip on epoxy putty and hot glue useful. I just added it to my post as an afterthought.

This method of attaching bolt head to flat surfaces has really helped me mount things in odd places where I couldn't drill mounting holes. I also was surprised how strong the bond of both the hot glue (Heavy Duty). and the Plumbers Epoxy Putty are. They wont hold up a car but I haven't had any of the bolts come loose that are holding in the brackets I made for the lights and other light duty equipment like I show above in my pictures.

There are other types of Epoxy Putty that will work. Devcon makes all sorts of epoxy putty that will work best in different applications like titanium, aluminum, stainless steel, plastic, bronze, ceramic reinforced epoxy puttys . You don't have to use the Plumbers type. Actually I think Devcon discontinued the name of Plumbers and rolled it into one of the others I mentioned. I've used several types I found at a local stores and they seem to all apply the same and hold great for my light applications. Most have Adhesive Tensile Shear of around 2,200 psi or more and bonds to a wide range of material like steel, iron, aluminum, ceramic, concrete, brass, and some plastics. I'd advice if you have a special application that you visit their web site, do a product search for Epoxy Putty and choose the best one for you. They have a spec sheet on each one: Devcon.com

Here are a few tips for attaching the flat head of a bolt to a serface:

*Ruff up the area with sand paper if possible and clean well with alcohol. Let the area dry a minuet or two.
*Apply a small dab of hot glue on the surface on the exact point where the bolt will be placed. *Quickly before the glue cools stick you bolt into it and make sure it's in the exact spot you want and is straight. Be quick, the glue will cool and go hard within seconds. *If your going to continue to use hot glue; full around the bolt head with more hot glue. Hold the bolt in place because the new hot glue will soften the already hardened glue you used to hold it in place and you'll loose your bolt position. Don't use to much and don't get any glue into the bolt threads. *While the glue is still soft take a washer and slide down over the bolt and lightly push it down into your glue mound and leave it there. This will give you a nice flat and hard surface to attach to. *If your going to use Epoxy Putty follow the same directions as above with a dab of hot glue to hold the bolt in place. *Epoxy Putty sticks to everything like crazy including your fingers and tools. Have a open bowl of alcohol ready to use on your fingers and tools to aid in working with this amazing material. Once placed you can wet your tools or fingers with the alcohol to help smooth and work the putty. You can even add alcohol to the putty and turn it into a kind of a slurry or mud to flatten it out if you wish. Once the alcohol evaporates in a few seconds or minutes your back to the putty state. *Be quick, most types of epoxy putty sets up and cant be worked anymore within 5 to 15 minutes. After a half hour to hour most types can be drilled, sanded, filed tapped or painted. Some types can even be machined (check the spec sheet of your chosen epoxy).
*Use the alcohol to clean your tools and hands then wash up with warm water and soap. *Have fun! :P

#501  

I have also had great success using hot glue and epoxy putty. It sure helps when you just can't get at something to drill or make a hole or especially when you don't want a bolt head or screw showing on the outside of something. A small dab of hot glue is also good for holding things temporarily when you need that extra hand to keep a part in a certain position long enough for you to mark or drill holes.

As for the CAD drawings....no pressure my friend. I also find it hard to take the time to document the things I make. I was just thinking about all those other B9'ers out there that will be drooling over these magnificent arm designs! You could make a small fortune just selling the "how to" plans I'd bet.

Waiting for that next cool "Dave video" good sir :D

#502  

@Rex, you're a true craftsmen! Using tools to help you use tools is a mark of a master artisan.

I made a huge step forward today in my Arm Delivery System. It may sound like a small thing but I figured out how to attach my synthetic cable to the carriage that slides on the rails that the arm is mounted to. Without this method I'd have a system designed to fail and in need of continued maintenance. In my last vid you can see this orange cable just tied to the elbow motor. My problem is that every method I tried I would end up with cable damage. The inner Vectran fiber was unaffected but the outside 3M Scotchlite orange sleeve would get snagged, squashed and cut. The threads of the bolt I am using to clamp the cable between two washers was destroying jacketing because of the stresses applied. After a week of trial and error and lots of deep thought I had an epiphany. I simply ran it past the washers and around a round post and back through the washers. I also exchanged the steel washers with ones that have rubber grommets attached. The cable simply gets squished between rubber rather then steel. I'll post another video in a week or so showing this and more after I get the motor controllers and the EZB wired in. :P

#503  

A cable sandwich.....cool!

United Kingdom
#504  

@Dave.

I wrote you a reply the other day but it's disappeared (I think the website went down at the time I posted it).

Anyway, what I said was... Great update and really enjoyed the video demo. I didn't realise you spent 2 years working on the arm. I really shows though as you demo showed, it works so smoothly. Your work and dedication really shows with what you have achieved. Another step BIG step closer to reaching the end goal. Great stuff, and keep up the great work.

Steve.

#505  

@Steve, Thanks for caring enough to repost your reply. Your comments mean a lot to me as do everyone's.

Ya, it's been about 2 years but about half of that was planning and research. No real wrench turning the first year as I was working on the rest of the robot. So lets just say 1 year of actual arm building to keep it simple.

I had another huge step forward today in the robot shop. I was able to get the Sabertooth/Kangaroo X2 motor control wired up. On the first try I got a successful autotune! It was nerve wracking watching the B9 arm mounted on the rail system rock back and forth for the minute it took to complete. I had no idea if the Roo would be able to figure out my custom system and get a good read on it. I had such a hard time getting the Roo to figure out my elbow motor setup. When it stopped working and gave me the success light I was over joyed! This was the last thing that could have kept my rail system from being completed as I envisioned and built it. If this didn't work I would have had to move to plan 2 by having to wire in limit switches and use a H-Bridge. Plan 2 would have worked but I really wanted to use the Sabertooth/Kangaroo control method. Now I know I can! The Sabertooth/Roo lets me have a lot better control of speed and ramping with less wiring. Yahoo!:P

Tomorrow I'll get some EZ Scripts written and get the EZB moving the arm back and forth with speed ramping along the rails. The only thing left after that is to find the way to permanently mount the motor controllers, new power supplies and the EZB on the robot's central support system and then run the wiring. :D

Oh ya, and build the second arm. eek

#506  

It's Alive! I now have the Sabertooth 32X2 with a Kangaroo X2 motor controller attached to my B9's Arm Rail System (ARS) for speed and position control. After writing a few simple scripts in ARC and attaching the Roo to EZB's Uart 1 port through D5 and D6 I now have controlled movement! This the first time I actually have control over my ARS. It's very exciting to watch all my work and planning come to life. Also this is the first time I actually tried using EZB's Uart 1 port through D5 and D6. I always knew a Uart would work through these Digital ports (heck, DJ said it would) but it's fun actually seeing it working.

I mentioned a couple issues I had in the video. Mainly a clunk and a squeak while the carriage moved along the rails. I've since taken apart the ARS and easily fixed these issues. Ended up just having to re-adjust a a could nuts and bolts and shorten up the cable and rewrap it evenly. You'll see what I mean if you watch the vid. It all runs smoothly ans quietly now.

Please watch and enjoy. Thanks!

Australia
#507  

Incredible work Dave, its a work of art! I love the cable management system. Now you gotta do it all again for the other arm, although the other one should be easier cos you now have a fully functional prototype ;)

Steve

#508  

Constantly blown away and amazed at your creative genius. Well done sir! This will go down in history as the the first real B9-fully functional robot arm. Over the years I have combed the internet looking for ideas and designs for arms like this and have never found anything as beautiful and articulate as this. When you search for robot arms all you typically see are little arms mounted on a small turntable platform that look as though a slight breeze could knock them over. Your B9 arm puts everything else to shame. You should get an award or something for this.

Awesomeness......:D

#509  

Thanks Rex & Steve. Way over the top. I love it. Don't stop. :)

PRO
USA
#510  

Super yay! Now get it all working together you have to be very close...can't wait to see with silicone on it.

#511  

OK Will, Now that's just kinda creepy. I heard about you Hollywood guys. :P

#512  

Well Dave, you know how much silicone there is in Hollywood... :P

#513  

Ya, I've loved the stuff ever since I found out girls weren't boys. ;)

#514  

Dave, The arm retraction system is sweet. Love that smooth movement. It's alive, indeed! Your attention to detail is incredible. I love the cable management mechanism. Thank you for sharing your work along this journey. ~Mike

#515  

Thanks Walunit. I'm really excited about how well it's turning out. I couldn't have gotten this far without help from my friends here on this forum and the B9 Builders Club.

With that said; The Cable Management System seems to be getting a lot of attention. It's unproven but I'm sure it's going to work like planned. I have to admit something. One night not too long ago I was trying to think of some way to keep the cables in place and safe while the carriage moves in and out along the rails. Then this design just kind of hit me in the face and I was real proud of myself. I thought I was pretty smart and got kinda smug about it. Then just last night figured out why this design came to me so easily.

Here' the story; I was chatting through Email with my friend (I hope he doesn't mind me calling him that) Will Huff about one and a half years ago. You all know him here as fxrtst. He suggested this design to me. Only his vision was to use it as a way to move the arm, not manage cables. He was even kind enough to mock up an animated MP4 of the design. It was wonderful but as much as I tried I couldn't wrap my mind around how to motorize it. I soon thought I had moved on and dismissed it. Well apparently not. I guess my subconscious pulled it out of the dusty corners of my memory and used it for the Cable Management design.

Sadly now that I have it built and can visually see it work I can see how I could by just adding one good motor, feedback and more sturdy struts I could have used Will's design as he meant me to use it.

@Will, I'm grateful you were kind enough to share this with me early last year. Thanks for the inspiration. :) Without your help I would not have had as nice of a design to manage my cables.

In fact I gotta also admit the basic design of my arm was inspired by a different Youtube video @Will made back in 2005 ( I think that's the year). I saw his work and said "That's how I want my arm to look and work!" Again, Thanks Will!

Here's the design Will shared with me that inspired my CMS. Hope this is OK to share Will. If not I'll take it down. Just say the word.

PRO
USA
#516  

@dave! Yes there is more silicone in Hollywood than you can shake a stick at, and not all just in Beverly Hills:)

I saw the cable system and had a great epiphany , in my design I had another idea about where the extension motor should go, but it was clear that the motor can be mounted on the CSS. Great to see it. Sparked all kinds of new ideas. I've starter a poor mans version of this that I'm going to try and offer to the club and you just took a lot of the problem solving out, so hats off.

Ps if you took the video down put it back up!

#517  

No, Your Vid is still up there in my last post. Thanks for the support.

Hopefully you will have success with your "poor man's" B9 arm design. An affordable B9 arm that looks like the real thing has been needed for a long time. Hopefully you can deliver and EZ Robot can be part of it. It's an honor being part of this process. I know my design is a very expensive solution and a lot of people don't have the disposable cash to replicate it. If I can be of any help in your process please let me know.

Viva la silicone! :D

Dave

PRO
USA
#518  

You've built a truely amazing and professional robot! I'm amazed at what you've built without a CNC machine. Proves that shopping around pays off! You have a job good sir if you leave the power company business!

My hands are full with ALAN but once an evening I'll build a part in the computer to be eventually printed. I keep simplifying it over and over. We will see what's left when the dust clears:)

#519  

Praise coming from someone I respect as much as you @Will means more to me then you know. Thanks once more for the kind words.

I'm not really sure what you mean by "shopping around". A lot of times meanings are lost in forum posts like this. However, .....

I was very lucky to be able to attain most of the major parts from quality B9 Club vendors I needed three years ago when I started building B9. These were the parts I had no idea of how to or have any way of making myself. They were parts that I thought needed to be replicated by "Masters of the Trade" that had access to the original robot or original plans. I figured these parts were the bubble, Torso, buttons and lights, Claws and Wrists, Brain parts and your fabulous silicone arms and legs. I wanted my B9 to be a close to the real robot as possible or at least look like it was.

At that time I just wanted a static "model" that would stand there, twist at the waist and randomly speak sound clips by itself. I have to admit that when I invested in your silicone arms and legs and saw the quality and how real they were going to make my B9 look, I decided right then that I needed to find a way for him act more real also. At first I was going to learn how to use and program Arduino but then EZ Robot popped up and I knew then I could have a "real" acting B9 that could respond to me, move and even look around like the original one.

After getting your arms & legs and the EZ Robot's EZB it was all or nothing for me. I had everything to make this dream of mine come true. Everything that is except a machine shop or the money to spend on one. So everything else inside the robot was built by me in my little basement shop. All the tools I use are a tape measure, square, hand tools, a small bandsaw, drill press and a bunch of sharp hand files and sandpaper. Thank God aluminum is such a soft, light but strong metal. I can easily get close to professional results by using woodworking skills and shop tools on it. Heck I can even cut aluminum plate and stock on my table saw with a carbide tipped blade. There have been a few things I've hired out to have made that were more then my skills could handle. The aluminum leg supports I had a welding shop cut and weld per Mike Joyce's Schematics with a few tweaks to fit my build, the arm elbow motor mounts were done in a machine shop and critical to have the B9 arm work per my design. In fact my machinist is the one who pointed me in the direction of the rail and carriage system I use on the Arm Rail System. Igus supplies this rail and carriage the arm slides in and out of the troso on. I can't forget good old McMaster Curr for all the odd nuts and bolts I need.

Shopping? Yes, I guess I did a bunch of that. Besides buying through B9 club vendors there are places that had just what I needed like ServoCity, The Robot Shop, The Robot Marketplace and lots of miscellaneous parts through Amazon. I saved a ton of shipping charges through the free 2 day shipping feature on Amazon Prime!

I just realized I've been rambling way to long. Sorry for the length of this post. Cheers and have fun. Keep simplifying your designs Will. I think it's the secret to success and I cant seem to do it very easily. Everything I end up with seems to be a "Mechanical Nightmare" (as Dr Smith would call it). sick

PRO
USA
#520  

Haha, yes shopping referring to researching and researching and looking for the puzzle piece that fits! I like to look over the choices that you pick for off the shelf componients. And as you said your aluminum skills are top notch. I think you arms could nearly flip a car!

Anyways looking forward to the next update!

Ps I'll have to look into Amazon prime a bit more.. Free shipping sounds great!

#521  

I thought you all may enjoy watching a video I took of the AutoTune process of the Kangaroo X2 that is controlling the speed and position of my Arm Rail System motor.

PRO
USA
#522  

Very informative. I have to look deeper into these motor controllers, very very cool auto set up. Thanks for that!

United Kingdom
#523  

Great demonstration. It was nice to see the controllers setup in action, and you described how they work very well indeed. I may have to invest in these for a future project.

Thanks for doing the video.

#524  

As always, thanks for sharing.. One more arm to go, then another tune and soon he comes to life, with two arms !

Best regards,

Ron R

#525  

Thanks guys. Yes, it's fun to watch but a little stressful wondering if I'll get a successful autotune. If there's any issues with wiring, connections, feedback control or power supplied the tune will fail. That's a good thing but sometimes it's hard to figure out what the issue is. There are error codes that flash on the led but that's less than helpful at times. I make sure I have all wires properly sized for the load, connections tight and a power supply able to supply enough amps to the motor being tuned. I've had my best luck with high resolution encoders but a good pot works good too. Once you get past the easy learning curve and your system is set up properly the Sabertooth / Kangaroo is very solid and easy to use. Not only are the position and speed commands easy to send through the Uart ports but I can get feedback information from the Roo if needed. I talked DE support into sending me a Bata version of the kangaroo software that has ramping for postion control. Man, does that work great. Smooth starts and stops. In my case this completely elements any need for feedback from the Roo to manually code a ramping script. I find the right setting is about 3/4 of top motor speed in the acceleration box of the All Controls tab in the DEScribe software. This Bata version may be released by now, I don't know. Either way this is some really cool stuff. :)

#526  

Dave,

The Kangaroo looks like it has some hefty heat sinks on it. I was wondering: with all the stuff packed into B9, will you be adding some cooling fans, or do you think there's enough ventilation in the torso to keep things at an acceptable temperature?

Totally amazing as always! :D

#527  

When I saw the heatsinks I thought I was going to have heat problems. However I've cruelly tested the motors I'm instaling and have never felt much warmth being generated from the Sabertooth controllers. The heatsinks barely change temperature when the motors are moving.

The B9 already has good ventilation from the bottom torso vents and up through the neon opening. With no cooling fans and the robot running all functions I have installed so far I can't detect any heat buildup.

Now once I have the arms installed and running that may be different. I'm installing a Mean Well power supply dedicated just to power both arms. It's able to supply 83 amps and has a heat sink inside it that is 3" high and about 12" long. When both arms are constantly moving they will be topping out at about 60 amps total so the heat may start building. However the arms wont be moving around all the time. Only once in awhile and then really only to pose and move around a little and then retract. So I may still have no issues with heat.

#528  

I'm getting closer to the first full arm test while installed on the robot. I haven't got a video yet but here's a few pics of the cable management system that will guide all the wires in and out of the arm while still supplying control and power to the DC elbow motor and the arm servos:

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And here's a shot of the 83 mp power plant and twin Sabertooth/Kangaroo's that will be powering and controlling the arms.

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I'm getting very excited as I'm getting very close to full power up and movement of the B9 arm. Although I've had each part working and moving on it's own I've never had everything mounted together on the robot and working as one. It's also a little flustrating as it seems to be taking forever. There's only so many hours in a day. ;)

#529  

OK, the past month has been spent working through a few bugs, adjustments and recovery from stupid mistakes caused by being in a hurry. I've been away from coding and working in ARC for a while. In fact it was a whole year since I updated ARC and that caused a few problems.

Anyway, I've got my B9 Arm mounted on the robot now and it's working well. It still needs a few tweaks (of course) but I'm really happy with where I'm at with this now.

Here's my latest vid showing where I at now with this mechanical nightmare. LOL. Sorry for the poor auto focus and lighting issues. Enjoy!

PRO
Belgium
#530  

stunning B9 he's moves so quit.

Australia
#531  

TRULY AWESOME DAVE!

Its a work of art just fitting everything in, let alone getting it all to work together so beautifully. Cant wait to see it with the torso and the arm bellows on.

Mind officially blown..... yet again

Steve

PRO
USA
#532  

Fantastic! Awesome job!

United Kingdom
#533  

Always keeping good thoughts for you Dave. Absolutely great work so far. The arm really does have quite a lot of freedom of movement, more than what I was expecting and looks great moving around.

I have to say, it will almost be a shame to cover the arm and CCS up as the way you've put it together is neat, compact and really nicely put together. But then it wouldn't be much of a B9 build if it didn't actually look like his TV counterpart. Stunning work my friend and thank you for shooting/sharing the video.:D

Almost forgot, you may have mentioned this in a previous post or video but I wanted to ask, what are your plans for the other arm. Is it going to be a similar setup to the other one you've just built?

Brazil
#534  

Dave, you're no less than a genius! I'm having a figth with my sabertooth/kangaroo setup here.. But your skill inspires me!

#535  

Hi Dave, WOW it looks GREAT ! ! I look forward to the next video with all installed and the sleeve on.

A humble question to a great designer. Will you be adding home limit switches for final position before retract ? I just have fear that if the pot values varies at all it could be a problem. I agree the clearances are real close and you must be perfect for retraction of the arm. Just curious.

I look forward to the future videos and the completion of the second arm.

Thanks for sharing your progress, and know your detailed presentations are enjoyed.

Ron R

United Kingdom
#536  

Great video Dave, and so much detail.

Really stunning work and so neat, a true perfectionist.

Its a fantastic job.

Chris.

#537  

Awesome job Dave! The video is great but your B9 is amazing.

#538  

Thanks everyone for your kind words and interest. They keep me going. More so when something doesn't fit right, doesn't works like I expect or goes up in smoke as often happens. Lol!

@Steve, I know what you mean. I have mixed emotions about covering up the insides. The are so fun to watch and tinker with. However, without the torso he just wouldn't be my old friend. As far as the other arm; I guess I'm going to just copy as much as I can off the 1st are. However I'll know ahead of time what to avoid or improve. Maybe the second build I'll only have to redo things only three times. :P

@Andy Roid, I'm a true believer in limit switches but the Kangaroo that's attached to the Sabertooth I'm using for speed and position is so good at detecting where the endpoints are and stopping if it detects any runaway or blocked movement I decided to not use them on the retraction unit. The Roo can be used without limit switches but you have to "teach" it where the endpoints are. I do however have limit switches installed on the elbow motor just in case.

Thanks again! :)

PRO
United Kingdom
#539  

Dave, that is an amazing robot, truly a work of art!

Tony

#540  

Beautiful work, Dave! Amazing detail and integration. I love seeing this baby evolve!

~Mike

United Kingdom
#541  

Lol, 3 times. That would be an improvement on the, how many times did it take to get the first one the way you wanted it? I had visions that the second arm might not be so comlplex, but it's Dave Schulpius we're talking about here, so I really wouldn't expect anything less than another mechanical work of art.

As for the torso... maybe do a transparent one? On second thoughts, maybe not:P. Hey, you've got plenty of videos for everyone to watch to see all of the inner workings in action.

Keep up the great work. I enjoy looking at your updates and the way you tackle things. Very inspirational.

Steve n

#542  

You guys are great for supporting me with your comments and praise.

@Steve, you have me now thinking about mounting a couple cameras on servos inside the torso. This would allow me to look around to trouble shoot and check status. I could also project the images onto a monitor to show off. Thanks for the inspiration!

As a follow-up; I have the torso on the robot now with the arm fully mounted in place. When the unit is taken apart it fits though the lower access vents and the arm whole and I easily mounted it on the CSS. Everything fits like a glove! I have a few small adjustments and then I should be up and running. :D

#543  

Looking forward to the next video..

Ron R

#544  

Robot Gone Wild!

LOL. Here's my latest video I tried to take of my newly installed B9 arm I've designed. However while filming B9 took over the show and wouldn't let me properly show off his new appendage.

Bottom line is that the new arm pulls a lot of power and it's thrown off my ADC readings on the EZB. Scripts I've written to trigger movements and voice response get triggered randomly now. I'll have to find a way to smooth out my ADC ports and rewrite some scripts so this won't keep happening.

In the meantime enjoy the show and have a peel at the new arm installed on B9:

#545  

I really enjoyed the video. The arm, and claw look fantastic! runs real smooth.

I think fame is taking over, and he takes advantage of the chance to show off when he sees the video camera. I am sure you have Ai built in which you don't know about. I wouldn't be surprised once he gets two arms, you don't find him playing the pinball machines. (you know how retired movie and tv stars are...LOL)

Be Well and I look forward, as always, to the next video.

Ron R

United Kingdom
#546  

Lol, very entertaining. That whole video had me in stitches. Your B9 is definitely a show off.

The arm is looking and moving great, Dave. Real shame about the arm cover though. That had to hurt seeing that. But at least you know what the cause was so it won't happen again.

I'm not sure how you've got you commands/scripts set up in speech recognition, but it seems that B9 is hearing himself speak. If you haven't already, maybe an idea would be to add...

ControlCommand(&quot;Speech Recognition&quot;, PauseOn)[/code

commands in to the start of your speech recognition scripts when he talks. E4 did the same thing a couple of weeks ago. Funny thing, when I had the same project open on both the laptop and tablet, he would speak through one and hear himself on the other and start talking to himself. It was quite amusing. Anyway, it's just a Just a thought. 

Great video Dave. Thanks for making it.:)

P.S, I've got a script for you that you might find a use for to help &quot;neddy&quot; is it? to tell if it's afternoon or evening, so you can add the appropriate phrases where necessary.  I'll post it in a bit.
United Kingdom
#547  

Here you go Dave....

if ($hour&gt;-1 and $hour&lt;12 )
#Replace this message with a GOOD MORNING sound file phrase.

Elseif ($hour&gt;11 and $hour&lt;18 )
#Replace this message with a GOOD AFTERNOON sound file phrase.

Elseif ($hour &gt;17 )
#Replace this message with a GOOD EVENING sound file phrase.
endif

I use it in a connection init script so E4 says "Good morning" or whatever the time of day is when his EZ-B connects, but you could always use it in a speech recognition script if you wanted. It's just a bit of fun, and up to you if you want to use it yourself.:)

PRO
United Kingdom
#548  

Dave, what may help to smooth the ADC input is a capacitor (input to ground) you will need to experiment with the value as too big a cap will mess up the readings by "slugging" the voltage too much.

Another way is to add a median filter subroutine - take 5 readings and place them in an array in ascending order (bubble sort) then extract the middle sample (array[3] in this case) this should help eliminate spurious readings. It would be best to take more than 5 samples, but then there may be some latency problems with the v4.

A median filter is useful for any input signals that are prone to noise and greatly improve the Sharp IR ranger readings for example.

Hope this helps

Tony

#549  

i love this robot, its creative origanal and very spectacular. keep up the good work!:)

#550  

Dave! The Robot is looking amazing! However, he may be developing a mind of his own. Better hope he doesn't mistake you for Dr. Smith! I'd wait a while before enabling any weapon systems (offensive OR defensive):)! Love your work, sir. ~Mike

#551  

Thanks everyone. I'm glad you're enjoying my work. I truly appreciate your suggestions and help.

I've been working on the wavering ADC port problem today and have it fixed. I failed to mention that that these ports are connected to open switches. The idea is to have the always open momentary switches attached to the ADC ports and when closed the voltage difference will trigger scripts I have written. Turns out that the problem was that static was building up and causing the voltage to float around well above zero. It would get as high as 3 volts and trigger the scripts. To add insult, whenever an event would happen all the ports would flux and trigger other scripts. I added pull down resistors (10k ohm) between the signal wire and ground on each ADC port I'm using on the EZB and that did the trick. All ports are now holding at 0 volts till a switch is closed and then goes right to top voltage. Best part is when that port goes high the rest stay stable at 0 volts. :P

United Kingdom
#552  

Pretty simple fix to what sounded like a pain in the neck problem. Nice one Dave.

#553  

Steve! Thanks for the script you posted for me. I've been wanting something like that but haven't had the time to come up with anything. The perfect Xmas gift! It will go into my script menu.

I use the Pause SR command all the time. Actually I was the first to ask DJ to add that feature a few years ago. Works great. Thanks for the reminder.

#554  

You are so my hero on this I need your help on mine:D

#555  

Amazing detailed work.........best I have seen in a long long time. superb!

#556  

This video is of me showing(off, LOL) how the robot arm I've built for my B9 works and looks with the rubber covering skin applied. I don't have the supporting rings installed inside the rubber bellow that help hold the rubber arm in its round shape. The result is that the arm looks a little misshapen and not a rigid. However, you'll get the general idea how my arm with Will Huff's rubber skin looks to our old friend from the original TV Lost in Space 1960's TV show. I've also shown how a couple of rebuilds turned out my the wrist and claw servo mechanisms. Enjoy!

PRO
Canada
#557  

Looking great Dave! Thanks for sharing your experiences it truly is very educational and intriguing:)

Such smooth motions with your B9 arms!

#558  

This is so impressive! Things are really coming together well. You are light years ahead of any other arm build I have seen. Keep the videos coming!

#559  

Looking Great ! Runs real smooth, and is impressive with the skin on.

Thanks for the update

Ron R

United Kingdom
#560  

The arm skin demo was a nice watch. That's going to look the business when you get the replacement in place. It moves around beautifully.

#561  

Thanks again everyone. Your support really helps me to keep going and motivated.

When dreamed this thing up I had no idea it would look so real when it moved around. I think a large part of the realism is Will Huff's high quality arm skin and the ease of programing that EZ Robot offers. Without them this arm would be a "misguided mechanical misery" to borrow one of Dr Smith's names for our "old booby". :D

#562  

Hi gang,

I'm getting very close to finishing up my B9 Arm. Actually it's mostly done unless I come across a component needing a redesign. I'm in the coding and control phase right now.

I thought I'd share this video I took last night. It's actually meant to send to Demention Engineering (Kangaroo X2) and Sptra Symble (Softpot) for troubleshooting help. It's long at 1/2 hour and kinda technical but you may enjoy it. I'm having a small problem with my arm not stopping at the same point depending on what direction it's heading. I send the same stop point from each side and it reports back a different value and over shoots. Anyway, feel free to comment and have fun. Dave Schulpius :

#563  

Hey Dave,

What happens when you click the center script a second time after moving the arm up or down? It would be interesting to know if the arm moves up or down that little distance.

#564  

The reason that I am asking is that I have seen this with pots on Rafiki. The code on the arduino that I have moves the motor, then checks the pot, then moves the motor again to account for the variance. I do this because the arms pocket into the robot, so having an accurate position is important for me also. I actually do this 4 times, two times more quickly then two times really slowly to get the desired position. I would have thought that the kangaroo would handle this but it looks like its not slowing down soon enough to account for the final fine movements.

4 is probably overkill but I wanted to make sure it was at the correct position and I figured if I was going to write it to do this 2 times, 4 times had to be better, right?

#565  

An opto-switch is not an accurate device. It can't really be used for accurate positioning. The reason you can get different stopping points when going up and going down has to do with a particular opto-switch's characteristics. And that is going to vary from one unit to the next. They are really meant to be just on-off switches.

How it responds is governed by the specific characteristics of the led and photo-transistor used in the device you have. Those things can vary from unit to unit. Also there is the fact that the light pattern which comes from the led can vary. Some may have a nice uniform pattern of light falling on the photo-transistor while others can have a varying pattern depending on the point the light emitted is falling on the receiver. For instance, if the light falling on the top half of the photo-transistor is greater than on the bottom half, you will have to block more of the light going to the top half than the bottom half to get the same response. In your case this means the interrupter vane will have to travel farther in one direction than the other. The uneven reception characteristics of the photo-transistor is yet another factor. Again, it could be more sensitive on the top half than the bottom half resulting in the vane moving different distances to get the same response. ' How can you ameliorate these problems? One thing you can do is to make the hole on the both the photo-transistor and opto-switch sides smaller. This will reduce the variations mentioned above. Basically, the smaller the hole the more repeatably accurate it will be. Of course that also means less sensitivity overall. So it's a tradeoff. Another way would be to use a laser diode and photo-transistor. I'm not sure anyone makes one of those so you might have to roll your own. You would want a very narrow laser beam and that may require extra optics. Parts from an old cd player could work. But that's a long row to hoe to make it work.

Another method would be to calibrate the unit you have by creating a chart of position vs output. IOW, use something like a micrometer with a vane attached to the end and slowly move the vane into the opto-switch, measuring the voltage as you go. Move the vane in discreet steps of the same small amount each time. Then use these values to come up with correction factor algorithm in the software. How much you will move the vane each time will depend on the resolution you want the correction factor to have and the total distance it will have to travel to go from one end to the other. Unfortunately, if you ever change out the opto-switch, you will have to do that again for the new unit.

The best solution, however, is to use an optical chopper or an optical encoder. Either can give you repeatable accuracy in either direction. Of course either will be more difficult to install than the opto-coupler.

Nothing's ever easy is it?

EDIT One thing I forgot to mention would be to make the opto-switch adjustable in the vertical direction. By doing that you might be able to find a compromise position which will make the vane stop closer to the same point in both directions, even if not exact in either.

#566  

Thanks @WB for your always thoughtful and detailed information. Very useful and it helps a lot. I'll read through all this carefully and apply it to my build.

However it's not the opto switch I'm using for my main feedback device. I just installed the opto to help give me a second device to aid with centering. The opto wasn't even on when I was filming this. Sorry for any confusion. I didn't make that clear in the video. I'd prefer using an encoder but I have no room for anything thicker then a half inch if that. The main feedback device I'm using is a Spectra Symbol Rotary Softpot:

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@Dave C. I get no movement when I send a second command to center. I think what is happening here is that then I first move to center it's actually within the deadband set in the Kangaroo software. My position in there there is 15mv. When I want to re-position to center the second time I only want to move about 5 or 6 MV so it wont go anywhere because it considers it's self within zero position.

If I close up the deadband anymore the arm acts like a servo trying to find center. It rocks and jerks back and forth trying to center.

Thanks for the input guys. It helps to have support trying to work and think through this. I'm always open to suggestions and help. I've sent tech support to the two manufactures so I'll see what they have to say. :)

#567  

Oh, I think I see now. You were showing the position on the vane which interrupts the opto-switch as a visual reference to show how the arm is not returning to the same point every time. Not indicating that it was the source of positional data.

Well, now that the actual source of the of the millivolts readings you described is the rotary softpot is clear to me (that IS it, right? :D ) I can do a better analysis. At least a more accurate one. I'll have another look at the video with that in mind before I comment further on the issue.

#568  

Just a thought... The problem is the variance of position, to horizontal. The angles to 90 degrees (up and down) gives a shorter moment length at their extremes, less inertia, less weight on the system. At 90 degrees most weight and inertial load, so the PID loop can't react the same in both directions, causing overshoot, or shortage. Deceleration allowing the ramping to zero may help. I forget details of these things but, just an idea.

When I worked on automatic hoist, we had to use brakes, to be able to eliminate this type of thing. Problems with and without loads.

I still hope you can tune this out but a pot may not be able to do it. Flat encoder? More ramping to zero?

Ron R

#569  

Ron, I think your spot on in regards to inertia, weight and speed. This could be a big part of the problem. The autotune of the kangaroo should take account of all that. However it obviously does a poor job of tuning a setup like mine with such an acametrical load so far away from the motor. The tune it gave me was unruly and unacceptable. I had to change most of the settings through DEScribe to get the arm to move and stop smoothly. You mention ramping. Kangaroo should be able to provide that also but with the settings as they are the ramping effect is poor. While not a jerky start or stop, the motor comes into the endpoints to hot. May simply sending a few slower speeds commands before the arm reaches the center point would be enough to hit a true center stopping point easier.

Just a thought. Thanks for the input. ;)

#570  

Do you only get one "tune" available or can you call another? My thought is one feedback value (the 10k pot for rough) then a fine tune to go to home. Lots of programming though... and I really don't know how you could close the dead band other than using an encoder. That guy Newton is a pain in the Butt..

Maybe the factory can help?, though I doubt it. Keep at it. You are so close to perfection..

Ron R

#571  

I just had a thought based on WBS00001's statement. Could you add two limit switches, one for home up, one for home down? This would always define home. Not my favorite idea, but it could work.

Ron R

#572  

@Andy, No but it's a good idea. The tune is done once and fills in all the settings after it done. The "Tune" is done by a program stored on board the Kangaroo where is moves the motor through the range of speed, direction and load. This tune can be saved to your hard drive but it's just a file that can be manually reloaded if needed. You can have other tunes saved but when loaded the Roo needs to be rebooted for them to take effect.

The odd thing about the limit switch idea is that the voltage readings stay exact on the ends of the arch. Then when you reach the midpoint the values are different depending which way you approach it and where you start from.

I'm waiting on DE and Spectra Symbol to get back to me. We'll see what they have to say. :)

#573  

Sounds like the resolution in your dead band plus the pid is killing you. In one direction your driving, the other way in regeneration. Could you temporarily use a finer pot and limit the travel for a test? See if it mechanically repeats? Just stick it on the outside of the arm for a test?

Just a thought.

Ron R

#574  

@ Dave , I would try the 'Live Test' for that channel, in DeScribe. Then you can move the arm around different amounts and directions, it may reveal something that you dont see with the scripts.

#575  

Great idea Andy. Testing with a different pot would rule out a lot of things.

Purple, DEScribe is a great program. I know my vedio is very long but I show me useing it about 2/3rd way through. If you have time and interest have a look. You can clearly see all my settings on all the tabs and a good demo if how the motor is performing in a Live Test. Maybe you can see something I missed. :)

#576  

In re-reading the text, in thread #570 you say the motor "comes in hot". When you screwed with the PID loop did things get better or worst? Anticipation of the stop/ramping (pid) should have allowed the dead band to be smaller? (with no hunting). Am I helping or making you crazier... LOL...

Just thinking out loud, (my wife is wondering who I am talking to...)

Ron R

Insanity is a terrible thing to waste !

#577  

Hi Andy. It helped a little. However it mostly just slows down the entire length of travel.

#578  

Are there Any pictures of progress so far?

#579  

Hey Video567, Thanks for asking! Actually I've been so obsessed with getting this arm built I haven't really taken any recent pictures. This past year has been spent on building this one arm and figuring out how to get it attached and working with the robot. Actually the most recent images are the latest of about 30 youtube videos I've taken of this build. Here's my video page from Youtube if your interested:

My Youtube videos

I also have a Web site (Smugmug actually) that shows many, many pics of how I built this robot from the ground up:

My Smugmug pictures

Anyway, here's a couple of the latest picture I have of my B9 with everything done except the arms I'm currently working on:

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#581  

@Andy, your a scream. :P Thanks for asking.

Pinball is one of my other passions. I've been collecting and restoring pins from the 1980' & 90's eras for over a decade now. I "built" the collection you see in the pictures by finding cheap blown out games and restoring them electronically, manically, and artistically to better then new condition. I'd then sell some of them and start the process over again till I had the games I wanted to keep for myself. The profits also helped my to buy a few new in box games and a couple other nice ones from other collectors. It was (and still is) a long process and a lot of fun work. However In the end I've got a set of games I'm really proud of and love to play. I have about 15 set up and a few others in storage. :)

#582  

@Dave - to me it looks like the uneven load. Maybe you could lay it on its side for a test, without the influence of gravity.

#583  

I had a couple of old mechanical Baseball games I fixed up. I left the cabinets just the way they were, but the game fields were in great shape. The old mechanical sequencers were fun to work on. A can of contact spray and a contact file and a ton of time got and kept them running. A Home run made a soundboard of the crowd roar. It was fun and kept the kids busy. I had one "newer solid state game" but had board and firmware problems. It would run sometimes. I think my son still has it stored away somewhere. I don't even remember the name of it....LOL..

Let us know how you are making out with the arm. Did you hear back from the factory?

Ron R

By the way that was 20 years ago... In a Galaxy far far away....

#584  

Hey @Purple, when I take it off the robot next week I'll mount it sideways to see how it reacts. Nice troubleshooting tip. Thanks.

@Andy, Ya, for guys like us who like working with our hands and making things move and work like they should, old arcade games are great! When they are working again they are so much fun and a blast from the past. Be careful with the contact cleaner on the older EM games or any switch that produces a spark. That stuff is flammable and more then one old game has gone up in smoke. Make sure you use a cleaner with no flash point!

BTW, I have not heard back from either DE or the softpot people. Don't know if that's good or bad. Could be that they don't know and ignoring me or could be that they are working on it. I read in another thread on this forum where @Castle was getting immediate help from DE on his problem over several days. However he was calling them on the phone. Maybe that's what I need to do. confused

#585  

I had hair to worry about back in those days, so I was careful...LOL..

Are you going to jury rig another pot and see what happens? I still think the PID loop is part of the problem, which makes the dead band get to wide, which makes you loose the resolution you need, and make it hunt? If you slow way down, does it get better? Stop at closer/ the same number, from up or down? Repeatability, though the wrong value better?

I will shut up if you like..

Ron R

Insanity is to be shared

#586  

@Ron, PLEASE DON'T SHUT UP! Lol. No, I respect and want any and all feedback as long as it's constructive and your true view point.

Thanks for reminding me about the 2nd pot. It's a wonderful idea and tool to troubleshoot. If I can make it work I'll try it. One problem that may keep me from trying this is that each time I change anything on the system that the Kangaroo is controlling I need to re-tune. With my arm build that is a real pain in the butt and has always given me autotune settings that are unacceptable by making the motor jerky and hard to control. I have to say here that my arm build is the only type of rig that the roo hasn't been able to give a perfect tune to. All my other motors controlled and tuned by the roo operate great. When I finally get an autotune on my arm it takes me a full day of fiddling around with the settings to get the arm running smoothly again. tired

#587  

The green trace that shows the drive signal looks like you are in speed mode. It is switch 3 on the Kangaroo. In position mode your drive signal should look full on in either positive or negative or stopped. Or your gain is too low in you parameters.

#588  

@Purple, I have the dip switches set for Position mode. Interesting about the trace you mention. I'm not really picture what describing. I understand which trace your talking about but I don't understand the behavior. I have the Show "Command" box checked in the Live Test and not the "Speed" command box.

I did see better control when I increased the Position Gain. Maybe I need to fuddle around with that more and the other gains.

#589  

Hi Dave Last idea, for now, if you want to try it, based on Dave Cochran’s post.

What happens if you send a stop value 30 mv or so, outside the target value (and deadband), then drive home? It would mean two stops, one rough, one fine.

Like: If home is 2614 with a 15 deadband

Do something like goto 2644, stop , goto 2614 for forward or up from a low position goto 2584, stop , goto 2614 for reverse or down from a high position

( I might have the directions wrong but you get the idea )

This would kill some of the mass / inertia effect. What happens? Does it still over shoot? Repeats to a value? One way should be better than the other.

Ron R

#590  

@Ron, funny you should brainstorm this idea. I had a long 2 hour phone chat with a follow builder last night and he suggested something like this. I've actually had a couple people suggest to somehow slowdown the arm before it gets to canter. I seem to get better (but not exact) centering when it comes in slower. However I think instead of sending a stop command (or powerdown in Kangaroo's Simple Serial language), I may try asking for position feedback in a loop and when it gets to a point before I want it to stop send another position command with a slower speed command. I fear by sending a raw powerdown command and then resending a new position and speed command may give me a jerky stop and start condition. eek

My best case solution would be to get the Kangaroo's built in speed ramping working correctly. eyeroll

#591  

I think the position feedback, speed ramp is a good idea. I understand why you don't want to do a "powerdown" command", thinking how the "roo" works. I agree a position ramp should be better anyway.

If this doesn't work, I would think the factory should be able to help. They should be able to simulate what you have and tickle the settings to get you closer.

Let us know your test results.

Ron R

#592  

Brain is running again.... The lower speed should allow different PID and smaller deadband to equal more accurate stop?

#593  

It looks like when you move the setpoint slider the command signal doesn't start to change until a half second later for moving down. And about a quarter second lag in going up. I would think that it should respond right away. Just a thought.

#594  

@Purple, I've watched that same thing very closely many times. I think what we'er seeing is the motor not moving till the slider gets out of the 15mv deadband setting. If you watch the control numbers it's hard to see but the reading is just about that or a little less before it starts to move. I'm not sure what your seeing with the 1/4 second lag. There is a responce setting in the control section and I've got it set as low as I can before it gets jittery.

I've taken a little time away from working on this problem. I need to clear my mind a little on this one and regenerate some burnt out brain cells. ;) I'll sleep on this a few days and mull over all the great suggestions and support I've gotten on this. Hopefully Spectra Symbol or Demension Engineering well take a look at my support request soon and give me a hand.

In the mean time I'm working on a sound issue I'm having. The thread is here: Ez-b Soundboard

#595  

Just a short update (I hope). Edit: Nope, it a long one.

I have not heard back from Spectra Symbol about the Softpot or Dimension Engineering regarding the Kangaroo X2. It's been almost 2 weeks now. I did send a second request but nothing back. I'm very disappointed in them but not really surprised. DE puts out great products but myself and other people I personally know have found their customer support spotty and slim. Also, I do have a little history with Spectra Symbol's customer support. The one other time I asked for help from them I got a quick responce. Not this time. It would be nice if these companies don't know how to help to just send me a reply saying they don't know. This may not be the case but I'm left with the impression that they just ignored my request for assistance. mad tired

So, as usual I'm left with the feeling that I have to figure stuff like this out on my own. However, thank goodness I'm wrong about that! I've had many fellow builders jump in and lend a hand with support, ideas and advice. You guys are wonderful and have helped in more ways than you know. I really have to mention a certain builder by the name of Davis H. from Louisiana. He has spent hours personally studying this issue and more then two full hours on the phone with me going through the issue step by step. It doesn't seem enough to say "Thanks David"!

Anyway David H. has suggested many things that may be causing this issue of not being able to get the arm motor to stop at the same point depending on which side of the radius it's being approached from. I think that the total sum of this issue is a combination of a few of the problems David and others have identified. I've been working through most of these suggestions and have made some real progress and also eliminated a few things that were not the issue.

So far the things I've done that have really made a difference:

Reduce the speed of the arm over all and more so as it reached the set point. I found this to be the best way to reach a consistent set point.

Reduce all the deadband values as far as I could without getting a rocking action as it's trying to stay at the set point. Using the DeScribe software I found there are at least 3 deadband settings. Two for position and one for speed.

After I did some studying on PID adjustments and what they really are I tried to adjust the Coefficient values in the PID section. The Autotune filled these in for me but as I said before I had to redo them to get the motor to respond smoothly. With better understanding of each setting I was able to get better resolution of the set point (the point I'm trying to stop at). I was now able to stop with in a constant 2 or 3mv on each side of my set point. (I have to say here that the terms that DE uses for the different Gains are not the same as the rest of the world uses. They use terms like Fast and Slow Gain) This makes it even more difficult for the newbie to understand what needs to be set and changed). mad

Even though this resolution may have been enough to give me the tolerance I need on centering my arm my OCD kicked in. I thought I can do better then this. So I took another step David H. suggested and replaced the !0K resistors on the pos & neg pins between the Softpot and the Kangaroo X2. This would give me almost the full 5v (4.8 in think) that the Kangaroo is supplying the Softpot and expecting back to read (feedback) the variance as the arm moves. With the 10K resistors I was only getting 1.6 volts around the pot. Well, This change through off all my PID and limit settings in the Roo. None of my old setting would work and the arm was unusable.

I had to try to do a new autotune and I was not looking forward to it. In the past (only on this arm setup) I was never able to get a successful tune with the arm fully weighted down. After removing the arm from the robot and mounting it directly to my workbench I tried a few autotunes and failed. The software always reported back that it "couldn't move the system" even thought the thing was rocking up and down wildly. eek Obviously the Kangaroo is not able to auto tune such a heavy asymmetrical load as I have. So I took off the front claw section (about 4 pounds) and attempted another Autotune. This time I had a quick and successful tune. When I tested the tune I had nice smooth action with nice ramping effect. However when I reattached the 4 pound claw section the movement sucked.

At least now I had a good baseline tune to work with. These past two days I've spent about 10 hours resetting and testing the PID settings for the Roo with the DeScribe software. Late last night I've finally got the arm moving smoothly with nice ramping. I think I have the resolution very close to where I can get this thing stopped at within one MV of my set point. At least that's what I can see in the Live Test section of the DeScribe Software. Today I'll hook this monstrosity up the EZB and see if all this did any good.

Thanks again to all of yo that has lent a hand.:D Thank for nothing DE and SS! mad

#596  

Hi Dave,

Great to hear progress was made. I was really pleased to hear Dave H and you were able to home in on the main issues. It also sounded like the retune drove you crazy, but was fruitful. (PID loops can be a pain in the butt to set). Thanks for taking the time to post the steps and updates you did.

Ron R

PS I have a pocket full of Quarters.

#597  

Thanks Andy. No need for quarters. Everything is set to free play. :P

Yes the autotune was a failure because the Kangaroo can't figure out the 4 pound heavy load I have out on the end of the 2 foot arm. Once I removed the claw section it tuned just fine. However it was set up for the lighter load. I did give me a good base line to work with after I reattached the 4 pound claw. Man, setting up a properly tuned PID is a pain but I have it real close now. Maybe a little tweaking yet if I run out of things to do. :D

I attached the ezb last night and battle tested stopping at my set point from each direction. I'm going to call this issue RESOLVED! It's stopping either dead on or within 1mv of the set point. :P I couldn't be more happy, thankful and excited.

Here's a youtube video I took last night of the results. Enjoy :

#598  

NICE........ I like it.! Nice and smooth with good ramping, no oscillation or hunting. Repeats nice too.

Thanks for sharing..

Ron R

FREE PLAY ? MUST BE A PARTY NIGHT ! I'm playing Twilight Zone next..

Australia
#599  

Absolutely Incredible work Dave, you must be very proud. I imagine you go to bed at night mentally exhausted, so much hard work has gone into this arm, and the result, absolutely perfect.

Steve

#600  

Thanks Guys.

If any of you are ever in the Milwaukee, WI, USA area drop me a line and you can stop by to play some pinball and robots. :)

Steve, go to bed mentally exhausted? I found a couple shots of good Kentucky Whiskey about an hour before bedtime helps with that. ;)

#601  

Sounds like construction of the second arm is in sight. I get the feeling we will soon see your friend being able to pour you that Whiskey, and tuck you in...

Ron R

#602  

Hi all,

After almost a year and a half of design, building, rebuilding, refining, coading and testing I can finally say I have a working and robust arm for my B9 Lost in Space Robot! Please have a look at my short video showing off a few animations I've scripted for My B9's arm I've built. From here on, now that I've refined the scripting methoid It will only take a few minutes to code new animations for the arm using ARC with my own tweaks to make everything work together. Next I'll be working on building the other arm and getting both to work with each other. Thanks for looking!

#603  

Wow, just wow! I am speechless. I watched this video 6 times, wunderbar, fantastisch! What craftsmen ship, a long time build, again wonderful!

I also like the heads from the cast Will, and Dr. Smith beside your B9. I look forward to more of your videos. Thanks for sharing.

#604  

Wow! That's fantastic, Dave! Been following your work for over a year, and can't wait to see the finished B9.

#605  

Thanks guys. Getting close to complete. With any luck it may be done by the end of the year. ;)

#607  

Thanks David! Your advice when I needed it helped me get to this point. ;)

United Kingdom
#608  

@Dave

I've commented before what a fantastic job you have done here, your workmanship is really stunning, a true perfectionist.

A labour of love, I actually went through ALL the postings on this thread, 3 years worth, its really interesting!

Keep up the videos there GREAT!

PRO
United Kingdom
#609  

Absolutely fantastic work Dave, this reminds me why I like this robot so much, it has so much character, which your animations now beautifully shows!

Tony

#610  

I woke up this morning to this ! ! FANTASTIC JOB... It is such a smooth movement... I can't wait to see both arms working together. I will want to hear the familiar saying, " WARNING, WARNING ... Will Robinson" with the arm movements.

I was wondering how you were doing, because there were no posts. Now I see you were busy..

Will the second arm be an exact duplicate ? I would think the design you have is perfect, and the tune numbers should be real close for the left one. Any way have fun.

With two arms you will have to be sure to shut him down at night, or he will be playing pin ball all night !

Ron

Brazil
#611  

You're a master genius! That's all I can say! This is pure art! Keep inspiring us sir. Thank you.

#612  

Fabulous. Really incredible. I loved the line in the video about promising there was no one inside. It amazes me how much work we need to put into these TV and Movie robots to get them to move as well as the originals that just had a person inside.

Alan

#613  

Hi Dave, unbelievable job. A true marvel. Didn't know you were so close to me, I'm in Grafton. Been busy working on my R2, the B9 has been collecting dust. Looking forward to the next update. Don

#614  

@Dave - this is one thread I keep coming back to check in on, and every time I get a surprise with how well and how far you have come with your build. speechless!...amazed ! your attention to detail is second to non............. cant wait to see both arms waving !. man your the reason I love building robots!.......you show what can be done!

#615  

I just wanted to say thanks for all the kind comments and interest. It's good to know my work is being enjoyed.

I'm in the process of taking a parts inventory of what I put into this arm so I can order what I'm short on. Holy cow, I can't believe how many part it took to make this thing work! I think I have most parts already so my orders will be small.

Like you guys, I'm excited to get the second arm complete and working. Then the fun really begins. I can start putting together some cool scripted arm movements. I'll be spending a lot of time watching the TV show and studying the Robot's arm movements. It's going to be a blast reproducing them.

PRO
USA
#616  

Dave, been very busy with the film (100+ hours) and have just got to see this completed. Really looks amazing! So excited to see both working soon. Keep up the extraordinary work!

#617  

Thanks Will, that means a lot coming from a master and pro like you.

I've taken a couple weeks away from building. After 5 years of almost daily work on this B9 Robot it felt good to a little break. I'm rested and ready to get back to work again. I've already got a good start on the 2nd arm. Without having to do any development or rebuilding this should go pretty quickly. Hopefully by the end of the summer I should be close to done. :)

Next up? Robbie maybe? ?

#618  

I feel like Dr. Frankenstein today. I got a part of my B9's second arm to move today. It's ALIVE! This stuff never gets old! Even though I'm just copying the first arm I designed, it was thrilling to see the servo spin up to life after heavy modification.

I did the ultra sonic modification to my up and down wrist servo where I gutted the control board out of a HS-7950TH servo (it's a $150 servo, Oh the pain!) and replaced the board with a Pololu Jrk 12v12 USB Motor Controller with Feedback. This completely eliminates the high pitched whine you get with digital servos when they stop and hold load. I covered this earlier in this project but here's a recap video from that post if your interested. I mention in this vid that the servo gets hot. I had a bad servo. When I got a new one and did this mod the servo never heats up. It runs very cool:

#619  

Hi Dave, It is great to hear the new arm is coming along well. It is very difficult to be patient.... LOL.... We are all watching so don't feel any pressure.. LOL ..

Looking forward to your next update,

Ron

#620  

Thanks Andy, LOL, No, no pressure. Thanks for the interest! However after 5 years of constant building I would like to complete the build process sooner then later. I'm looking forward to start some serious programming through ARC. So far I have the basic structure of scripts written for easily scripting animation routines. It's going to be fun making up animations with both arms moving with the waist, radar and bubble movements mixed in.

Down the road I'm hoping to add a camera for face and movement tracking. I think it would be cool to have the robot come alert and turn towards someone, speak and then follow them by turning at the waist or with the radar as they walk past. eek

#621  

Your going to have to do a full length movie for us. Maybe Wil will fly out and help you with the Hollywood stuff. LOL The future camera mod would be real nice. I think it would be the finishing touch to bring your friend to "life". As always, I find you dedication to this "Fine Friend" and your craftsman ship amazing. I look forward to the future magic.

Ron

#622  

You have done such a wonderful job with your B9 robot. Amazing work!

#624  

Dave,

I can't wait to see your B9 in full operation. I've shown it to the guys where I work, and they also think it's fantastic! Keep up the good work.

#625  

Thanks cparks328 for thinking my B9 is good enough to show off. That means so much to me.

I never thought I'd have a robot like this. Without ez robot he would be just a floor display or a puppet.

Australia
#626  

Hi Dave, went over your videos and loving it! I'm also building a full size B9. I've build quite a few full size daleks from Dr who but never a B9. I have a few parts already completed but still have a way to go.

Niko.

#627  

I love that EZ robot brings robots to life!

#628  

@Niko, I'm glad you enjoyed my videos. I wish I was better at making them but they were a hoot to do. Hope they helped you a little or at least got a good chuckle as you watched me fumble through them. I hope yo share your B9 build with us. I love watching robots being born;) I'm envious, a dalek is on top of my list of robots i want to make.

@mcsdaver, I agree. It's great when you see one of these little guys spring up an live. :)

#629  

Hi everyone,

It's been awhile since I posted anything on my progress. It's been a busy and fun summer at home and at the day job but I have managed to make some good progress. Anyone still following knows I have the main robot practically complete (minus some improvements and updates planned). I've been working these past few years (yes, I wrote years) on designing retractable and nicely articulated arms. I succeeded nicely I think with the first one and have been working on and off this summer copying it to build the second arm (mirror imaged).

The building process o the second arm has been a relatively easy but honestly it's been an annoying process. To necessarily make it exactly like the first arm, but mirrored, I've had to disassemble almost the whole upper part of the robot to get the the first arm. Then I had to take it apart to use as a jig and pattern. I hate taking apart precision things I've spent so must time building. Luckily I built it with maintenance and replacing parts in mind . It was still a pain in the butt and has some very tight tolerances. Also it needs to go back together exactly right or it won't work right. Needless to say I was a little nervous and it bothered me to see my arm sitting in a pile of parts in a tray. However it's turning out to be a good test on its durability and ease of maintenance. It went back together fairly easy without anything breaking and is just as strong as before I took it apart. Best part is that is still works like designed.

LIke I said building the second arm has been simple. I hit a delay when I started working on the control system. I'm using the second side of the Sabertooth 2X32 with a Kangaroo X2 daughterboard I'm controlling the first arm with to add position and speed control. My feedback device is a paper thin and pressure sensitive Softpot. I thought I could just copy over all the setting I had spent weeks to manually tune from the first arm to the second. No such luck. When I did the second arm is jerky with no ramping. The Kangaroo's auto tune feature is totally useless for my setup. The AT works great for loads in tight or next to the motor but for heavy forward acmetricial loads like my arm It fails every time. I need to shorten the arm by taking off the heavy wrist and claw section then I'll get a successful tune. However that tune is useless when I replace the forward load. It is good for a baseline tune I can work from so that's what I did. For the past 2 weeks I've been working a few hours a day adjusting the settings with the DE software in the Kangaroo. Mostly the PID Coefficient settings. It's not an easy task as one setting will through another out of whack. Added to the flustration is the Roo doesn't have three PID settings as you'd expect (P, I and D) it has six or 7. Each one has a gain and a reset coefficient to play with. Then other settings like deadband and exponential come into play. There are three different deadband setting including a position and a speed deadband! AHHHHH! LOL. Anyway the good news is just last night I made a breakthrough and have it moving relativity smooth. Hopefully I just need to balance a few setting to dial it in.

I thought I'd post a couple pics of my second B9 arm being tuned. No vid yet because like I said above, at this point I don't have it tuned properly. When operated it kinda looks like a drunk with the DT's. LOL.

Armed and Dangerous!

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#630  

Dave, Your robot already is a great achievement, but more than that, I admire your determination to build your dream robot to completion, and not quitting!

#631  

Thanks for the support Steve. Much appreciated and needed. I've been adjusting this thing for hours today and am making very s..l...o....w progress. This must be a lesion in patients some higher power is trying to teach me. LOL.

Actually I read an article that said PID settings for motors looks easy because it usually only has three settings. However when you go to an automated factory or other places that have motorized equipment you'll usually find many poorly tuned motors. Seems it's not as easy as it first appears and I'll attest to that.;)

PRO
United Kingdom
#632  

As always, great work Dave! Beautiful engineering on your robot.

PID is a nightmare even with just 3 values - we are working on a new algorithm that does away with the need for PID completely in the EZ:1 robots locomotion system this does needs a DSP PIC though!

Tony

#633  

Thanks Tony. That means alot coming from you.

Ya, fiddling with these settings are a real pain. I am close but I still have a little way to go. I thought I had it this afternoon but tests show I need to get better acceleration and I'm still overshooting the setpoint. Here's a vid I made thinking I had it whipped but ..... well, you'll see. This is kinda dull and technical. sleep

#634  

More tinkering today with the settings. This time I think I'm finally there. I'm thankful to a follow builder and friend that gave me a call this morning to brainstorm some ideas on this issue and give some moral support. Thanks David M! He came up with a great idea (which I haven't tried yet). My arm elbow motor draws so much current (up to 26 amps!) that suggested adding a large capacitor near the motor to give it a boost when lifting. In simple terms, the idea is to take some of the load off the power supply and smooth out the startup so it doesn't fly past the dead band. May just work! :)

#635  

Hi Dave, Great to see that you are still making good progress on B9. It is looking awesome! Was wondering if you could tell me what is the range value of the Softpot that you are using? Is there a minimum (range) value that the Kangaroo needs?

Rex

#636  

Hi Rex! Good to hear from you and glad you're lurking around here. LOL. Glad you like the way the B9 is turning out. As I've told you before; "He's a labor of love". I've been building on him for 5 years now pretty steady. Shortly after I started drilling and sanding in late 2011, I found EZ Robot in 2012 and realized that my dream of a fully animated Lost in Space robot could come true.

The Circular Soft Potentiometer made by Spectra Symbol is a really neat pressure sensitive membrane sensor. There is very little information from Spectra Symbol on how to use these because they are so simple to use. The best way I've found is to connect one side pin (pin 3) to ground via a 10K resistor in series, connect the other side pin (pin 1) to your Vcc power line (3V, 5V etc) via a different 10K resistor in series. Then read the analog voltage on the center pin (pin 2). It will range from 1/3 Vcc to 2/3 Vcc.

It's Dielectric Value is @ 500VAC for 1 minute so it will handle any voltage you would put through it from your robot. You're most likely going to feed either 3 or 5 vdc through it. You need the resistors in series on each of the outside legs to limit the voltage going through the pot itself. This is because if you put pressure across both rails on the tail It will burn a hole through it. The resistors limit the voltage to a point where this doesn't happen. This is very important and I've actually burnt up a couple of these running 5 vdc through them without resistors in series. I actually use 1k resistors and works well to limit the voltage.

I'll list the specs below but if you want to see the actual Data Sheet go here. Hoep this helps:

Softpot Data Sheet


Mechanical Specifications:
Life Cycle: &gt;1 million  (Ha! That's I Million wipes!) 
Height:	=0.51mm (0.020?)
Actuation Force (with a 10mm wide active cavity):	-40&#176;C 0.8 to 1.8 N
-25&#176;C 0.8 to 1.8 N
+23&#176;C 0.6 to 1.5 N
+50&#176;C 0.6 to 1.5 N

Electrical Specifications:
Resistance  Standard: 10k Ohms(lengths &gt;300mm = 20k Ohms)
Resistance  Custom:	1k to 100k Ohms
Resistance Tolerance:	&#177;20%
Effective Electrical Travel:	8 to 2000mm
Linearity (Independent): Linear &#177;1% &amp; 3% Rotary &#177;3% &amp; 5%
Repeatability:	No hysteresis, but with any wiper looseness some hysteresis will occur.
Power Rating (depending on size, varies with length and temperature):	1 Watt max. @ 25&#176;C, =0.5 Watt recommended.
Resolution:	Analog output theoretically infinite; affected by variation of contact wiper surface area.
Dielectric Value:	No affect @ 500VAC for 1 minute.

EDIT: The Kangaroo will supply 5vdc to your pot or encoder. It gets it from the Sabertooth's onboard voltage regulator. Just run wires from the proper header pins. As mentioned 5vdc will work well with the Softpot.

#637  

After two years + of design, building and rebuilding I've finally got a set of working and functional arms for my B9. Here's a YouTube link to a short vid showing a simple animation showing both arms moving in and out with only the claws working. The other three joints do move nicely but I got excited and took a short glamor video of what I have so far. This is only some simple scripting I wrote in a few minutes. Scripting for the rest of the arm and having both work in tandem will take more time then I have to spend this Sunday late afternoon. Enjoy this one and stay tuned for more. Thanks for watching! I've also attach a few pics for your viewing pleasure. LOL!

Dave Schulpius

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PRO
USA
#638  

Looks fantastic!

#640  

Wow, what a slick bunch of engineering!

#641  

Thanks guys!

Will, every time I watch my arm move around I think of your statement; "Dave's arm could flip a car". It always makes me smile.

Have you given any more thought to your version of the B9 "simplified" arm movement and retraction system? A guy with your talent and experience should be able to really streamline this system and make it more affordable to the average B9 Builder. I tried to sell only part of this system and because of it's complexity and price I only had one person interested.

#642  

Real Smooth ! Looking forward to the next videos.

Super job.

Ron

New Zealand
#643  

Absolutely insane attention to detail.... Awesome!

#644  

Been watching your videos since before I joined EZ-Robot, part of what got me started here. Can't wait to see the whole robot when you're finished!

#645  

Very impressive work. Quick question how much does the entire robot weigh (approximate) ?

#646  

Thanks again for the kudos. They are good to read. I'm really happy you all are enjoying this.

How much does the whole robot weigh? Not really sure. Doing some quick math shows it up towards 400 lbs but may be less. One day I intend to figure that out.

PRO
USA
#647  

@dave, I still believe it will flip a car:)

And yes I have the plans in the computer for the arms. Just finishing printing ALENA, ALANs female counter part and then I can focus my attention on it. Probably be next year, as I start the Avengers in January.

#648  

When you get ready to go public with the B9 arm just let me know and I'll get it on your B9 Robot Builders Club vendor page. Im sure the other builders will go nuts over it. :D

PRO
United Kingdom
#650  

Absolutely amazing engineering here Dave! What you have achieved is incredible - I cannot wait to see your robot fully assembled with both arms working.

Tony

#651  

Thanks Tony. That means a lot coming from a expert builder like you. I'm getting real excited also!:D

Australia
#652  

Dave, I don't know what I can say that hasn't already been said. Any words I can think of don't even come close to doing this masterpiece justice. I watch your videos with my mouth hanging open in total awe. Absolutely THE best B9 I have ever seen.

Steve

#653  

Thanks again Steve. I know that feeling. It's what happens to me when I see your B9 handy work. I'm very jealous of your clean and nicely wired system. How is your build coming along? I often wonder.

Australia
#654  

well, to the untrained eye, he looks finished, but the arms have only been temporarily fitted in the retracted position so he looks good for a Halloween party we are having this weekend. I recently finished the head section, its fully lit and animated and working well. I have installed the beautiful Fred B. bubble, man was that stressful! I agonized over it and put it off for for days. I was terrified I was going to break it when drilled and tapped it. The bubble lifter is a success, it lifts the fairly heavy head easily. But in saying that, It doesn't come down as well as it goes up. It has a shudder as it goes down. I think it may have something to do with the shaft of the linear actuator has a small amount side to side play in it when its extended and I think this fools the slide potentiometer mounted on the side. I think I will need to Hook it up to the DeScribe software and fiddle around with the settings as you did with your arms, hopefully I just need adjust the Deadband.

I still need to work out how I'm going to mount and articulate the arms. I looked into the IGUS rails and carriages you used to slide the arms in and out on but here in Aus they'll cost me over $500 tired

I also want to do allot more EZ Robot scripting as well but Progress on my B9 has been a little slow of late as we getting ready to knock down and rebuild our house in the new year and we are busy packing and looking for temporary accommodation

Steve

#655  

Steve, I'm glad you're making progress even though it's not as much as you would like. I know that feeling.

As far as the shudder while lowering the bubble; I've seen this with my radar swinging back and forth when I enable the ramping feature. I know I have nothing that would make it hang. By hand it moves smoothly. I am pretty sure the issue is the cheap multiple turn pot I'm using. I think it might have a lot of electronic noise as it moves and is screwing with the Kangaroo's commands as it tries to control the radar motor. This may be the same issue with your linear pot. My plan is to replace that cheap pot with a high resolution encoder and retune the Roo to use it. I've had great success useing encoders with the Kangaroo. This may seem like overkill but there's nothing better than to watch a smooth and well controlled radar rotate back and forth with a nice ramp effect.

Do you want me to see if I can buy the IGUS rail and carriage system for you here in the USA and then ship them to you any cheaper? I know I spent a lot of money on mine so they aren't cheap any way you go. However they are machined in Germany and are a super high quality. ;)

Good luck moving into the new crib and getting the old one out of your life.

Germany
#656  

@Dave Schulpius

I love your last Video! Really exiting Machine! only this part of robot looks like a deep sea robot haha:D You work so cleanly and properly! Perfect, man!

#657  

Thanks @Smarty. Now that you mention it, my CSS (Central Suppoet System) with the arms mounted to it really does look like a deep sea robot. I wonder if Jacques Cousteau would see it like that? LOL

Australia
#658  

Hi Dave,

When I first set up the bubble lifter and tuned it with the Sabertooth and Roo, I updated with the BETA version you sent me and tried running it with the ramping function on and it ran terribly, very jerky. I found it worked best with no ramping. The video I put on youtube of the bubble lifter shows it running beautifully, but it also had no weight on it. It would happily start and stop in any position at any speed I scripted. Once I added the head assembly to it, it developed the shudder but only on the down stroke. I tried slowing the motor speed down a bit but that didn't help. Interestingly though, I have the bubble lifter scripted to come down quite slowly when the Power Pack is pulled, to simulate gradual power loss, like the Tom Wizz lighting controller does, and it doesn't shudder then. With this in mind, I also wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that the neck shaft only relies on gravity to keep it in constant contact with the top of the linear actuator. I designed it this way to make the whole head section from the collar up able to be unplugged and simply lifted off the torso/CSS. This might explain why the up stroke is no problem, but going down maybe the neck shaft is being slightly left behind as the linear actuator drops quickly........I just had a "Light Bulb" moment..... While typing this I figured I can test this theory by temporarily fixing the neck shaft down to the actuator to see if it helps or fixes the problem.

Thank you so much for the kind offer to purchase the IGUS gear on my behalf. I may take you up on that. If you like, it may be better to email me privately to work out the cost plus shipping and exchange rate..... But I'm thinking It may end up costing the same as buying it here ;) I hope not, cos those rails are awesome and I'd really like to use them. So much better than draw slides which is the alternative tired

My email is steve.neal@stoweaustralia.com.au

Steve

#659  

Steve, I'll email you privately on the rails. We'll see what the shipping costs after you send me your shipping address.

One thing I just thought of on your bubble lifter; did you retune the Roo after you added the extra weight of the bubble? If not the added weight could be outside of the PID settings that were previously set up in the autotune without the extra weight. The fix could be as simple as running a new autotune.

Good luck! ;)

Australia
#660  

.........................I didn't think of that, I should probably give that a go. Thanks Dave, I guess that's why you're on the big bucks;)

Steve

#661  

Hi all, I was busy yesterday making small adjustments to my arms and fine tuning settings. When I was done I stood back and realized how cool everything was looking. I decided to share this moment and make a video of the CSS sitting on the leg section with both arms attached. I'm at the point where I need to remove the arms again from the CSS and slip on the torso from above. I've been asked to shoot a video of this process so while the torso is off and arms attached I thought it would be a perfect time to show the removal process. Of course I couldn't capture this work process with the torso on the robot because everything is inside so now is the best time. I'll probably never have the arms attached to the CSS again like this with the torso off the robot.

This a long 1/2 hour video so go get some popcorn, sit back and relax.

In the first half of this video I show both of the B9 Robot's arms attached to the CSS and mounted to the leg section and working. I just have a few animation EZ scripts written for the right arm and only have a centering and an adjustable position elbow script working for the left arm. Thouse scripts are the bases of finding the proper position of the elbow for and the left arm animation scripts. I show a lot of these scripts in EZ Robot's ARC that I use to control the entire B9.

In the second half of this video I give a tour of what it takes to remove the arms from the CSS so I can slip the torso on and off the robot. Then I go ahead and actually remove the arm for you. As always I welcome your comments and suggestions. Any constructive criticism is also welcomed. It's the only way to improve sometimes. Enjoy! ;)

#662  

Hi Dave, As always thanks for the update video, and Yes, I watched the whole thing.

I am always impressed with your designs and attention to details. Though you make it sound easy, I can see the re-assembly of the arms is a bit of a job. LOL, you did say you have had a bit of practice and have become quite the contortionist.

Looking forward to the completed install and initial testing.

Ron

#663  

I'm really getting excited. I've got the torso in place and I'm making final fine adjustments to the mounting position of the left arm. There's not much space between inner arm and the arm hole. Gotta have it set just right or bad things will happen when the arm moves in and out of the torso. Too bad I have to work a day job and live a regular life. If I could just close myself up down in the robot lab I'd be done by now. LOL. I've attached a couple pics of both arms getting the final fit.

Thanks, Dave Schulpius

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#664  

WOW, getting close...... Teaser photos are great.

#665  

Looking good, Dave, can't wait to see it up and running!

#666  

This is a long video. I'm almost to the finish line in the building process of my robot. I attached the final arm yesterday. I set up the camera and just let it roll. The attached YouTube vid is kinda long and mostly unedited. I've had requests from some builders wanting to see me attach my B9 arms with the torso on the robot. Well guys, this one is for you. I ran into a few troubles as I went along but I worked through them. I guess I still have a few bugs to work out.

I show attaching the same arm I detached in my last video. It's the first arm I built hand has been running flawlessly since earlier this year. Somehow while I was attaching it something broke. The carriage return (the mech that pulls the arm in and out of the torso) varies in speed in spots as it moves in one direction and the encoder loses count. I think I damaged the encoder on the motor chamber. You can see I'm having trouble with control towards the end of the video. I did find that the connector to the Kangaroo X2 (the position and speed controller) that is fed from this encoder was partially disconnected. When I reattached it was when things started to go wonky. I have three possibilities that are most likely the problem: Bad encoder, broken wire, bad kangaroo board. That partially disconnected connector really has me thinking I burnt out the encoder or Kangaroo.

Thanks for watching!

PRO
USA
#667  

I've been MIA working on reshoots for Guardians 2 in LA. Just getting caught up and must say things are looking fantastic! I'm really looking forward to seeing the next video of everything working! Great job! Oh and thanks for the shout out on the rubber parts!

#668  

Dave, it looks great! Can't wait to see it in action!

#669  

Glad you all are enjoying my progress. I know this last video was stupidly long but it is what it is. I just let the camera roll and I have no time I want to spend on editing.

Will, I can't in good conscious ever display my arm system without giving you credit. You were one of my first inspirations. Years ago I saw what you were trying to do with controlling the B9 arms using servos. When I saw that arm of yours snaking around with your rubber skin covering it I told myself that it could be done and I had to give it a try. Mostly though it's your Hollywood quality skilled work with the making of the rubber bellowed skin that brings it all to life. FYI; The second set of rubber arms I bought from you are thinner than the first set I had. I'm sure you remember I had an earth shattering event where I tore one arm while working on dialing in my system? Anyway these new ones seem to work much nicer for me. The lighter and thinner rubber accordions in and out much nicer. When the arm is retracted it looks perfect!:D

PRO
USA
#670  

Great to hear about the new arms! And keep the videos long without edit, its always good to see how things can go wrong and how to troubleshoot. Knowledge is power!

#671  

Man, if by me making mistakes is powerful then I must be the strongest guy in the world! :P

#672  

I'm having a control issue with my Right B9 Arm Retraction System (ARS). I think it's the encoder. I may have bumped and damaged it when I had the motor chamber out of the robot during the building process. Could be that, or wiring, connectors or even the Kangaroo X2. Yeh! More troubleshooting! Here's a video I took showing the issue.

#673  

Hello Dave, I again watched your videos and appreciate your attention to detail and patience. Thanks for sharing. I feel bad you are experiencing what looks to be an encoder issue. I hope it will not be a major issue to resolve the problem. About 6 months ago you had mentioned your desire to get a mini computer to run your B9. Have you considered anything? I continue to look at a Latte Panda with maybe the display and touch screen. Let me know what your thought have been so far.

Ron

#674  

Hi Ron, thanks for your interest.

I've nerrowed this latest issue issue down to the encoder. I've replaced the connection to the device and the problem remained. When I physically took my finger and applied upward pressure on the connection the issue dissappears. I'm not really sure what happened to the encoder but it skips counts every rotation. Either there is a crack in the circuit beyond the header pins or the opto circuit is miss counting the flash interrupt for some reason. In short I have a new encoder on the way. I'll replace it and see how things work.

As far as a mini computer, I still want to go that route. However I've been so possessed by getting these arms working and functional I have given it little thought. I actually see delaying this decision as a good thing. Everyone knows how fast computer technology advances. The longer I take to get to this point, the better mini computer I'll get.:D

Over the next few weeks I'll be upgrading all my EZB's in my B9 to the /2 and adding a LoTiny inside the brain. Stay tuned! !:)

#675  

Yeah, From what I saw it looked like the encoder is NG. It seemed to be at the direction change and at about the same location further out. I had similar issues when I worked on similar circuits. I hope it isn't a major change out, meaning you have to pull the arm all the way out again... to repair it.

Wishing you well, and hope you are feeling better,

Ron

#676  

Thanks again Ron. Actually it is a pain to get to. I've got the arm and rail system pulled and the old encoder already removed. Just need the new part and it's full speed ahead again. ;)

#677  

Just a short update. So the problem turned out to be a bad encoder. I received the new encoder from Mouser yesterday. I spent the evening installing it, doing a couple upgrades and fixing a couple problems I found while I was poking around inside the robot. When the work was done and I powered up I was so releaved to see a smooth and precise movement to verious command points. Hopefully a couple of the upgrades will keep any future problems from popping up. Full steam ahead now! !:D

#678  

YEAH..... Sound like Will Robinson will be having his friend around soon. The doctor will have to put up with the Mechanical Ninny!

Ron

#680  

Hi All, I'm having fun today making arm animations for my new B9 arms with ARC's Auto Positioner Control. He's looking spookily real. Have a look at a few of the pictures.

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#681  

Looks great, Dave. You gotta put it's head on for the videos.

#682  

Ya, I can't wait to get his collar and bubble in place and shoot the last few videos with everything working together. My big goal was to get the arms installed and working by the end of November. I over shot that target by a week because of my encoder failure but I'm happy I got this close. Today was all about building frames in the Auto Position control. The pictures I show only show two points of articulation and the claws. I didn't have the elbow involved in these frames because they are not set up like servos but DC motors with feedback. Their movements are controlled outside of the Auto Position control through scripting. Even so, It was thrilling watching both arms come to life and work together. I felt like a proud daddy in the delivery room at the hospital (or maybe Dr Frankenstein down in the lab). eek

I don't want to place the collar and bubble just yet until I upgrade the two EZB's sitting on the top shelf to the /2. I also need to install a LoTiny in the bubble to control lighting effects up there. I'll have to wait a couple weeks to do all that because I'm going out of country on vacation till mid December. So perhaps I'll have a final video to show with arms waving and bubble bobbing by Christmas. :D

PRO
USA
#683  

Looking great... a milestone for sure!

#684  

Hi Dave, .... Yay ! ! I am happy to see the encoder issue is "resolved " .... It is great to see the arms are moving, and yes, you must feel and should feel proud. It has been long in coming but they are finally done. The arms have been a challenge to the end. I also have to agree, the arm bellows look fantastic! They give a finishing touch.

It will be great to see him dressed and complete. I hope he gives you a big hug for Christmas.

I see only one problem... now you will have to move him away from the pinball machines, otherwise he will keep you up all night.

"Warning, Warning, Will Robinson.. I am out of Quarters"

Ron

#685  

I never thought of that Andy! That would be a problem. However he has no motors in his treadsection and can't move around the game room. Sadly for him he'll just have to stand his post and wish he could play a game or two. :P

#686  

Looking fantastic!

One idea for the Elbow movements. Define "Virtual" servos in the auto-position, and then use the position of the virtual servos to trigger the actions in your scripts.

Alan

#687  

Alen, This sounds like a fantastic idea and I trust you that it will work. However the Virtual servos are a mystery to me right now and I don't know how they would work into the mix. I'll have to study this and see if I can figure it out. I need to send serial commands with speed and position information from EZB's UART ports to a couple Kangaroo's. Do you think this will work? confused

#688  

I do. I am at work now, but if I get some time later, I'll throw together a little proof of concept autopostion and script example and post it.

Basically, the AutoPosition will move the virtual servo, and then the script will have a getservo() to determine the position you moved it to, and then the script will issue the commands to go there and the speed to do it.

More later (might be tomorrow, doing a performance test on an application this evening. Not sure when I will be done).

Alan

#689  

I do really appreciate this Allen. I'm looking forward to learning this. It's always been on my list to figure out. Now that my building days are coming to an end I'll be diving into all the cleaver ways RZ Robot can animate my big guy.

Please don't rush. I'm leaving for Jamaica in the morning and won't be back till the following week. I won't have an opportunity to try it out till then. However that won't stop me from looking over your scripting examples from the beach chair or the Tiki bar. :)

#690  

Quote:

However that won't stop me from looking over your scripting examples from the beach chair or the Tiki bar.

I am jealous... Have a GREAT trip.

Alan

PRO
USA
#693  

@alan,

I look forward to any info you have on the virtual servo set up. I'm working on a project where i have to use all DC motors like Dave has in the B9 elbows. I don't want to have to use serial because of long animations I have to create.

Did anyone ever have luck getting the Sabertooth/Kangaroo set up to work in R/C mode? If not, would it be possible to use a set up, where a SSC-32 controlled the Sabertooth and then use virtual servos in the controls, so you could use it in Auto Position, Camera Tracking etc?

#694  

Will, there was one fellow last year that got the Roo working in RC mode commanded by servo controls in ARC. I'm not able to search for the thread but it was well documented here. I want to try to get this to work also some day. I'm not sure but you may lose the ramping effects if you go RC servo. Hope I'm wrong. Maybe it can be set up in the Sabertooth instead of the Roo.

#695  

@fxrtst, @Dave

I played with this a little last night, but even though I am using virtual servos, I couldn't test without being connected to an EZ-B, and I didn't have a whole lot of time to spend on it.

The basic concept though is that you use virtual servos in the auto-position frames, then in a script loop you set variables based on

getservo() and getservospeed() using the virtual servo id to read what the auto-position frame did, and then have your script execute the appropriate motor actions based on the variables to match the intended frame in your action.

If you are only going to execute a movement of the motor (s) once during the action, you can use the AutoPosition script which executes at the beginning of the action to start the "listening" script so it doesn't need to be running all the time, just when the action is in process (instead of looping for instance, you could have a waitforservomove() statement with the virtual servo port, then when it moves, read the variables, take the action, and then the script stops listening until the action is run again).

I'll do a little sample project when I have a little time this weekend.

Alan

#697  

Thanks Alan. I really appreciate this. Sounds like this will work.

#698  

I want to set up Virtual servos. Where do I start looking for them. Unless I totally missed it, I don't see a control. I think I remember seeing them inside another control somewherever. Looked all over and can't seem to find or figure out how to get started. Thanks! ;)

#699  

They are in each control that uses servos. Start with a "V" instead of a "D" for the port number.

Similarly, in scripts, just reference them as Vx. i.e. Virtual port 12 would be V12.

Alan

#700  

Outstanding! Thanks Alan. I knew it was something EZ like that.

#701  

I'm sitting on the jet heading home from vacation so I don't have ARC to work with. However I've been trying to wrap my mind around the multiple script suggestion. I use this a lot in my project. One script waiting on another to send a veritable. However I'm having trouble understanding why I would need to keep track of servo position. Couldn't I just send the Kangaroo position from the AP script? If you're still willing a sample project would be very appreciated when you have time. :)

#702  

I'll definitely put together an example. Didn't get to it this weekend, but maybe in the next couple of days.

The idea is that you can use the auto-position control to move motors instead of servos.

You could do the same thing having a script for every possibe set of movements, but auto-position is just so easy to use for building complex animations, that being able to add non-servo motors that react to the position of virtual servos opens up a lot of capabilities.

Alan

#703  

Actually I've been using separate scripts to build animations that use both motors and AP frames. It is tedious. I'm looking forward to exploring this over the next week.

#704  

OK. Attached is a sample project, based on my modified ROLI. However, I learned 2 things making this.

One, the speed setting in AutoPosition doesn't set the servo speed, it controls the speed between AutoPosition steps within a frame, so you you can't read a variable in order to set the motor speed (or at least not using GetServoSpeed() on the virtual port).

Two, I didn't realize that you can assign a script to every frame in an autoposition, so this may be redundant. You can just attach a movement script or multiple movement scripts to each frame to drive the motors. I think you still need at least one servo or virtual servo in each frame in order to use AutoPosition at all, but it might make this example redundant.

That being said, the steps and speed function built into the AutoPosition frames may be useful for managing the position and speed of a motor being used like a servo easier than scripting all of hte steps, so this example may have some utility, so:

Open the project. Connect to an EZ-B (to start with, I would do it with one without any servos or other devices connected since the auto-position is trying to drive a number of real servos as well as the virtual one, and you don't want it to actually send your servos commands).

Start the Elbow Position script.

Execute the various actions in the AutoPosition object. The Elbow Position script will display the position of the virtual servo. In a real project, you would instead have commands that set your motor to the equivalent position.

Note: I have a sleep step to slow down the operation a bit, but it makes the position changes larger. You may need to tweak it, and depending on how quickly your motor can respond to commands, you could remove it.

Alan VirtualServoDemo.EZB

#705  

Thank you Alan for spending your valuable time helping me with this. Your great!. I'll look over this and give it a try. I'll let you know what happens.

#706  

I just made a video of the final result of my B9 Robot's brain upgrade. I've installed a new EZ Robot's IoTiny. It's small but powerful and does most of what the full sized EZB does. Placing the IoTiny in the B9 brain pan lets me remove all the control wiring between the torso and the bubble except for two power wires. I can control the needed brain lighting effects and crown motor through WiFi just like everything in the torso and leg sections that are using the full sized EZB's.

PRO
United Kingdom
#707  

Brilliant Dave! I always really enjoy your videos - this again shows the great detail that goes into your robot.

Tony

#708  

Thanks for an inside look. The IoTiny looks like it was meant to be there. A neat functioning assembly.

Looking forward to seeing him all together and running.

Ron

#709  

Thanks guys. I made this one in a hurry and mis spoke about a few of the features of the IoTiny. I just went back and added a few captions to the vid to fix that.

I've been wanting to get this through this step for a long time now. When EZ Robot upgraded their EZB from version 3 to Version 4, I had to remove the EZB from the brain and run wiring all the way from the bubble down into the torso. The V4 is just too tall to fit into the brain. That really bummed me out at the time. It was really nice and kinda neat to have the brain self contained. Just like having another little robot sitting inside the bubble. Then EZ Robot announced the IoTiny and I knew I had to rebuild again to give my bubble back it's thinking power. However now with super powers! Then understandably like all new electronic devices it took forever, almost a year, to get to market. I was ready for this and totally understood having gone through the EZB ver3 to ver4 (Revolution) upgrade. I was one of the lucky ones that got in on the first run and they sold out almost overnight. Good thing I was able to grab a couple because they now they won't be available for a few months again. :D It's been a long time coming but happened at a perfect time in my build. It's cool to have the bubble self contained again and to be able to eliminate wiring and connection clutter. My B9 is now made up of four different and separate robots all working together; the Bubble, The Torso, the Arms and the Leg Section. Kinda like the Borg! EZ Robot will assimilate! We all should concede that Resistance Is Futile! LOL. :P

Did anyone notice the modification I did to the IoTiny? I desoldered the power input and soldered wire pigtails directly onto the board. I had no extra room for the big honking input and plug. I do not recomend doing this unless you have good desoldering skills. eek I also installed shrink tube to the unused IO ports. I don't want any shorts or sparks inside my very tight brain area!

#710  

Quote:

I also installed shrink tube to the unused IO ports.

That is a really good idea. One of my EZ-B's has a blown digital port because I shorted it out with a screwdriver. Adding some protection when the build is done is a great idea.

Alan

#711  

I'm glad you agree. I've had more then my share of blows and have (hopefully) learned my lesson. If you look at the small homemade two transistor board mounted on the upper left corner of the lid you'll see a blackened and scorched mark. That's from a prior learning opportunity. eek

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#712  

I have had more than a few visits from the magic blue smoke. Usually from working too late at night or when distracted, but occasionally just from silly mistakes, and a few that I still don't know the cause.

Luckily working with low voltage, so except for the risk of LiPo's blowing up if mis-treated, most of the mistakes were expensive but harmless. I do keep a fire extinguisher nearby when working though. I had mis-wired a 5v regulator, and it got hot enough to burn skin before I realized the mistake.

Alan

#713  

Here's the second animation I've created for my B9 Robot from Lost in space now that I've got both his arms mounted and working pretty good. This one is more involved and takes advantage of most of his moving parts excluding his hips. I'm really putting ARC through a workout here. There's a couple bugs to work out yet but I think things are looking pretty good. Enjoy.

#714  

Cool work! Love the life you are putting into your B9 robot.

#715  

-Thanks SOOO Much ! At last I got to see what I have waited for. A great job....

Looking forward to more videos.

Have fun and thanks for sharing the construction journey, and now the bring of life to B9.

Ron

#716  

That's great, Dave! Can't wait to see what you have next.

#717  

Cut from my YouTube post. Even though It's directed at my friends over on the B9 Robot Builders club forum I thought it would be of interest here also :

We were having a few discussions on the B9 Robot Builders forum about reducing motor noise and also adjusting the brightness of LEDs. Afterwards a couple very smart and qualified members (Davis M. & Robert R.) contacted me privately to discuss their thoughts. They both suggested that the best way to accomplish both was to adjust the PWM (pulse width modulation) being sent to the motor or LED. This method still offers full voltage to the LED or motor but sends measured "bursts" of the full voltage. I gave it a try and filmed the process using EZ Robot' ARC platform to assist in adjusting my PWM to noisy motors. This method didn't silence my motors but after finding the "Sweet Spot" I found that I was able to reduce almost 3/4th of my motor noise. Thanks Dave & Robert for getting me to think this one through!

#718  

Interesting. I use PWM for controlling apparent LED brightness (comment below). Never thought about it for non servo motors.

(comment: the reason I say apparent brightness, is if you video the LED while it's brightness is reduced via pwm, you can see it is actually full brightness but flashing. Due to persistence of vision, you see it as dimmer. This is important if driving a laser rather than an LED and think that reducing the brightness via pwm makes it safe to look at. It doesn't)

Alan

#719  

Hi guys,

Please forgive any sadness attached to this post. I don't mean this as anything else but a joyful dedication to a friend I lost yesterday. It has always amazed me how many ordinary, regular people really love Lost in Space and robots. Almost to a one when the subject is brought up they first mention the robot and his Danger, Danger, Will Robinson with arms waving routine. Rita was one of these and she was so excited when she found out I was building a B9. All she talked about was how wonderful he was and how she couldn't wait to see this arms waving routine. Well, I was fortunate enough to finish the animation a few weeks ago and share it with her. True to her personality she was full of praise, amused and happy. However she said; "He didn't say anything about Will Robinson". Well, today I was inspired to add that little saying and improve this animation routine. I've smoothed out the movements and added a few small things that no one but me may notice.

Along with the improved Danger, Danger, I also show a new animation I've been working one and new Date, Time, and Temperature scripts that are integrated directly into ARC. This new smooth feature is thanks to our fellow builder David B who was watching the old way I was doing it and cringed. LOL. This great guy sat down and spent hours of his precious time writing scripts and categorizing sound files from Craig's I-B9 CD to make this work. Thanks David B! The first time my wife heard this she said "I thought that guy was dead? How is this possible?" LOL

Enjoy and God bless my muse, Rita.

Dave Schulpius

#720  

I know you guys love Bloopers. Who doesn't? I was trying to show off a few new arm animations and things weren't going very smooth. I hope this puts a smile on your face:

Enjoy, Dave Schulpius

Australia
#721  

Hi Dave,

My condolences on the loss of your friend. I'm so sorry to hear that, but at least she got to see him completed waving his arms about.

Your B9 is nothing short of incredible, truly a work of art. You have set the bar so high only the most talented few could ever reach it.

Amazing work my friend

Steve

#722  

Dave ,

As always, a Great Job. It was fun to see the classic Danger, Danger, and the other features ! Will Robinson would be proud.

Time, work and effort spent shows thru his animations. Thanks for sharing your work.

Sorry for your loss. Rita sounds like a special lady. I know she will be missed.

Ron

PRO
United Kingdom
#723  

Dave, Wow! your B9 movements are so smooth the arms are now so realistic! The mechanics behind this are incredible, your dedication to this robot project is a shining light to all of us. I always look forward to your videos showing this great robots build and evolution.

So sorry to hear about your friend Rita, it sounds like she was one really special lady.

Tony

#724  

Thanks for the kind mention to my work and the comforting words about my loss. Although I am sad at Rita's passing I truly meant that video as a happy tribute to my friend. It was really for Rita, her friends and family. I felt I'd like to share it with you all here also for obvious reasons. I smile when I think of her.

I modified the arm wave movements so they aren't so large. After watching a few episodes of Lost in Space I noticed that Bob May (the actor inside the robot) didn't swing his arms all the way up to the collar and down below the hips. He just moved is arms about about 1/2 of the total arc. This may be different in other episodes. After adjusting and limiting the swing I really liked the animation as it seem more familiar to me. However an odd effect took place; even though I had raised the motor and servo speeds to their max the moment speed seemed slower. Probably because of the shorter distance the arms are now traveling on the arc. It's amazing to me what the human eye will see and how our brain interprets it. :)

#725  

Hi Dave,

I know you WILL NOT mess with the current settings ! But the PID loop may limit top speed by using a different calculated curve during accel and decal during the total arc. Just a possible explanation?

Works perfect in my eyes.

Ron

PRO
Synthiam
#726  

"oh boy... okay"

lol best ending ever

#727  

@Dave Ha, Ha... guess your next project is the Jupiter 2....:) How many ezb's for that?:D

#728  

@Andy, LOL my friend. I truly respect your skills but I understood very little of how to do what you just suggested. I tried to learn PID control adjustments and put many hours into the effort. In the end I turned to what I understand is the method most operators end up using, "trial and error". By resetting the different co-efficient settings It took many, many hours to get these arms to operate as smoothly as these do. Even so, I still have some glitches when the speed is slowed down on a downward swing on the left arm. However, I do have some acceleration limiting built into the settings to help with a ramping effect.

Thanks for this suggestion. though. It sounds like you have good experience in setting PID co-efficient settings. I would be honored if you could stop by my place and lend a hand if you're ever in Waukesha, WI. Heck, I'd even buy you a couple beers (after the work was done. LOL). :)

RR, It would be so cool to build a J2 in the backyard. I know a couple people that have done this. Really! The're so close to the real ship from the TV show that it's chilling. I figure it would take at least five EZB's to operate a J2. Maybe another two if you want it to break orbit and head out into deep space. :P

#729  

Dave, Watching youtube today and your video popped up as recommended, what a great video! It was like watching "Lost in Space" all over again, but this time it was a real robot, without the man inside. What great work to build such a fantastic fully detailed classic robot! Sorry to hear about your friend. Steve S

#730  

Thanks Steve, That all means a lot.

I worked a little more on the Danger, Danger animation today. Mostly added the radar and bubble rotating back and forth during the routine. This really added just the right pizzazz.

#731  

Dave ,

The advances you are making, makes me want to watch some old episodes. The thought of a real Robot, from the past is really something. Someday please do a skit for us. It would be fun to see your "Mechanical Marvel" perform a classic scene.

Thanks ,

Ron

#732  

Thanks Ron. That does sound like fun. I'll certainly do that. However I don't think the guys would want to see me in the video. I'll need to find a Judy Robinson look a like to be on screen playing with the Robot. :D

#733  

I'm having fun with a new script I wrote for my B9. I ripped a lot of sound clips from Season 1 & 2 of my Lost in Space Blu Rays and wrote an EZ script where he will randomly play them. The whole game here is that it sounds like he's doing impressions of these actors. It's a blast! The more clips and script choices I have written in the more random the choices are. Have a watch and enjoy!

#734  

Hi Dave,

I love it ! You always entertain... I really enjoyed Elvis. It is great to see your years of effort and skill in action. I see why you can sit for hours and play..

Thanks,

Ron

#735  

This is the best robot video I have ever seen! Your B9 is amazing! You have done a great job building and programming this wonderful robot! Even when he repeats himself he is funny. That Elvis was great. I can see your robot doing shows on a stage and bringing in tons of people to watch! Everyone post this to Facebook and twitter! This is a B9 with EZ Robot and all kinds of amazing!

#736  

I was never satisfied with the drive motor and feedback device I was using my B9 Lost in Space Robot's radar section. This video follows my three day adventure of replacing that system with a whole new design. I'm installing a thinner, stronger motor That I bought from ServoCity and it has it's own encoder already installed. Danger, Danger! This is a 45 minute video so pull up a comfy chair, find your favorite hemorrhoid pillow, grab an adult beverage and sit back and enjoy!

#737  

@Dave. Wow I have no life, lol.:) Great video with lots of info. Your dedication and perfection is great. I've watched Many if not all of your videos and have yet to see how you would get your B9 outside.

Thanks for the video.

#738  

Thanks Merne. I'm glad you're enjoying my progress.

#739  

Hemorrhoid pillow:P

Your LISR is amazing Dave, very smooth motion and very quiet.;)

May i ask what arcade games you have there?

#740  

Thanks newagetomy for the kind words about my robot. I'm glad you enjoyed the humor.

Before I got sucked into the robotics would and lost myself in it I collected and restored pinball machines from the 80s and 90s. I have 15 pins between two rooms in my finishedbasement. I also have a video pinball machine and a Mame arcade game. Both where built by me. Lots of fun for all. Thanks for asking.;)

#741  

The video pinball machine sounds great, and the old pinball machines would be timeless, can just imagine the sounds from them.

I'd never heard of MAME before-Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator?

I love those old games, and i hope that software is never lost or forgotten.;)

The Mame arcade game you built, is it just the one game or is there a few on there you can play?

#742  

There's thousands. All the classics. The trick is to get them set up to run on this machine using these controls. Each game usually has it's own configuration settings that can be fiddled with.

United Kingdom
#743  

Hi Dave. Hope you are keeping well buddy.

Had a bit of spare time and wanted to see your progress with B9. For the changes and mods you have done since I last looked in, I can only say that what you have done... is fantastic.

Just watched your 3 day neck mod and it’s looking great. I do respect your perseverance and from the looks of it, it was well worth it. With the better range and ramping, the head/neck movements really do look great. 1st class job.

Catch up with you soon my friend.:)

#744  

Hi Dave, If you get a chance, can you post a video of your Mechanical Marvel in action again? Some of us remember seeing his antics on tv, but wonder what he would think of today's world, with even cars being sent into space.

Regards, Ron

#745  

Hi guys! Sorry for the delayed response. I just by chance found your posts to my project thread. I'm not getting posting notifications sent to me from EZ Robot since I had to change my email address. I guess I need to manually send in my new address to EZ Robot for them to change since I can't do it myself on this website. However that's another subject...............

Thanks for the kind words and interest.

@Steve, I hope your now doing well. I'm honored you thought of my big friend. Yes rebuilding the Radar section really made a huge difference! I'm very happy with the end result. I actually have made more progress since the rebuild you mentioned. Mostly in scripting and animations but they have turned out well. He's a lot of fun to play with and grow. It a never ending project for sure.

@Andy, I definitely need to do another video showing off some of his recently learned skills. Very soon I'll be dismantling him and storing him away for travel to Sunny Florida on the other lower side of the USA from Wisconsin. Retirement is arriving and our new home will be in the tropics. The B9 will be out of action for a long time while I pack up this home and relocate it down there. No robot work while that life changing event is happening. ;) I'd like to showcase a good example of the amazing things EZ Robot has let me do with this robot before I take him apart for the trip. The Bing Voice API has been a real game changer. It and simple EZ Scripting allows him to appear as autonomous as if he were the real TV Robot.

Once we get re-established down south I plan to redo B9's bubble lifter mech and possibly his wrists and claws. I already have the high speed linear actuator and linear pot for the lifter replacement. Also, a new vendor has appeared in the B9 Robot Builders club that will very soon be offering a new style lightweight carbon fiber 3D printed claw. They are amazing and exact to the original. My current ones are heavy and have issues I don't like. eek

United Kingdom
#746  

Hi Dave.

Yes I’m good thanks. Good to hear from you. In regards to your account and email address, I did this quite a while back by emailing the office with my new email address, and got a reply shortly after saying they did it for me. I started getting forum alerts pretty much straight away after they did that. Hope that helps.

Well, I wish you luck with the move... a huge life changing event that’s for sure. Anyway all the best and catch up with you soon.:)

Steve.

#747  

Dave, where in Florida? I've got cold beverages waiting if you're in driving distance! (Please say Southwest Florida)

#748  

@Steve, Thanks for the advice. I need to do this asap!

@Tex, actually it's cape Coral. That would be SE! Looks like you need to stock up! LOL. :D

#749  

Hello Dave,

I'm Happy to hear of all that has been going on. The move to the warmth will be a big change from Wisconsin ! Enjoy the retirement !

I look forward to the update video before your "Bubulous Friend" goes into "galactic stasis" for the journey to the lower limits of the Galaxy. (LOL) Just keep Dr. Smith away from him.

The future bubble and claw upgrades sound great. Keep us in mind for video updates. I have enjoyed the build journey you have shared with us and look forward to the future discussions, and updates once you are settled.

Ron

#750  

Dave, you'll be less than 1/2 hour away from me. Can't wait to meet you and your B9 (I'll bring him a couple quarts of 30 weight)!

#751  

@Ron, thanks once more. It's been a fun journey for sure. One of the most rewarding and satisfying (and frustrating) things I've even done.

@Tex, SHUT UP! Only 1/2 hour away! Sweet! This move just keeps getting better and better. :D

#752  

Dave,

Send me an email with your new address. No use clogging the thread with non-EZ-B chat.:)

#753  

Looking back on my project I see I didn't share this video I made of me attaching an arm I designed to my B9. I still have him crated up after my move to Florida and I'm waiting for some time to open up to set him up. In the meantime I've been watching some of my old videos to get my robot fix in. Here's a rather long video but if you skip forward from time to time it's tolerable. Hope you enjoy:

#754  

You may have said earlier, but where in Florida did you move? I am going to be spending some time in Port St Lucie off and on for work, and if it is not too far a drive, i would love to meet you in person, and maybe see B9 up close. (I am currently on the train on my way home from there. I work for Amtrak, so I take the train when time allows, although I will be visiting enough that I may fly some times).

edited... I see you did say. Cape Coral. That is a bit of a trek. Maybe meet in the middle one day though.

Alan

#755  

Hey Alan. Wow, I'd love to meet you in person. I've always admired your skill and personality here on the forum. You've helped me out many times and probably more often than you know. Too bad you're too far away for a drop in visit. You probably know by know I love to show off whether it's something I did well or terribly bad. LOL. Just let me know when you're close and I'll drive to you.

I absolutely love the train. When I was a kid my Grandmother would take me on cross country trips all the time. Great memories. Sadly I've only done it as a adult a couple times. Now you've light a spark in my heart and I'll have to take a train trip now. :)

Edit my last post. I do see I did post the above video about a year ago. Oh well, Like I said; I love to show off. Soon I'll be uncrating and assembling my B9 after the long move from Wisconsin to Florida. I plan to video that and take pictures. I'll document it here. I really miss having the big guy set up and working on him. I have many upgrades I want to do to him; better feedback on the arm retraction system, better bubble lifter system and more. Stay tuned if you are interested. ;)

#756  

Hi all, just some quick background. I've moved my life from Wisconsin to south Florida (Cape Coral), USA. One of the biggest challenges was safely moving my almost 7 foot tall, over 400 pound Lost in Space replica robot. When I built him I planned and built in the ability to take him apart in sections to make moving him less of a chore. This design worked well but in practise I'd go back and make some changes to make it easier and smarter. Isn't that always the way? Oh well, too late now.

I didn't take any pics of the disassembly but I've got a few of his main torso and leg section being loaded and sealed in the crates I built. The other sections like the head and arms were placed in Home Depot Wardrobe boxes and padded extremely well. These Home Depot Wardrobe boxes are large, extremely strong and inexpensive. They even have a metal pipe sitting across the inside top to hang your stuff on. I didn't hang anything on them but the pipe did reinforce the top of the box to add more protection from things be stacked on top. I think I spent about 15 USD on each! Here's the pics:

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United Kingdom
#757  

Amazing Dave, But I wouldn’t expect anything less, even your creating/packing B9 is professional!

Cheers Chris.

#758  

Wow, what a nice thing to say Chris. Thanks. This robot means a lot to me. I wanted to make sure it survived the 1400 mile trip unharmed. It's still created up these past two months and I'm getting very anxious to get them open and see how he survived.

Here's a picture of him still boxed up, resting on the new game room flight deck, waiting to be unpacked.

Edit: don't know why it's sideways. Looks right on my end. Sorry.

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#759  

Dave, Best wishes on your move to Florida. I am sure when you are ready; you will reassemble your awesome B9, and have him doing all of his great moves, and cool recordings. Steve S;)

#760  

Thanks Steve. Really, I can't wait to plug in his power pack and bring him back to life.

I thought retirement would be lots of free time to do what I wanted and when. So far it's been all packing, moving, unpacking and house fixing. LOL. :P No worries though. It's not all that bad. I haven't plugged in my alarm clock since I've arrived. :D Life is good.

Hope all is well with you and your loved ones and life is good for you as well. :)

United Kingdom
#761  

Dave,

I’ve alway admired your work and your attention to detail is first class. I enjoy listening to you videos and it’s certainly a labour of Love.

Enjoy your retirement in Florida, if you have your health then you have the most precious thing, as time is currency in my mind.

Cheers Chris.

#762  

After 3 months and moving my home 1400 miles cross country I'm finally uncreating and setting up my B9 Robot from Lost In Space. Pull up a chair and get some popcorn. This 40 minute video follows my hijinx of unboxing and setup of my old friend. It took me 5 years to build this guy and to animate him thanks to EZ Robot. I still have lots to do. I've been dying to get him back together.

#763  

It's ALIIIIIIIVE!

Looks like you both made the trek unscathed - and you are looking quite relaxed!

I was going to ask if the pinballs went too; looks like they have (yay!).

I'll be knocking on your door in late January!

PRO
Belgium
#764  

avery time i see the B9 ,its amazing work what you have done.

#765  

@Tex, Yep, we made it! All seems well. Didn't lose anything of value and hardly any damage. That's huge considering what was moved and how I did it. I sold 5 pins because I would not have the room in this new house. It was a sad thing to do but in the end the extra cash came in handy. I'm looking forward to your visit when you get into town! When we sit down for that adult drink I'll be even more relaxed. LOL

@Nomad, Thanks for the kind words my friend. It means a lot. ;)

#766  

Dave, Great to see your boss B9 operating again. Looks like your special packing paid off. I think the scene where he is looking around, he was deciding which pinball to play later. Thank you for sharing. Steve S

#767  

@Steve. Lol, ya, he plays a mean game of pinball. It's good to have him set up and running. Feels like home again. :) can't wait to start ez scripting again.

#768  

Once again I feel completely emasculated, lol. Really Dave, your commitment to this project, which means a lot to me personally, is unparalleled. You should be proud of what you have accomplished here.

#769  

Wow @Mac. Thanks! You're right, I am proud. I'm really honored to have the praise of someone like you that I really respect. You have obviously made a huge commitment to several things in you life (among them; higher education and applying this to a career of helping people). It means a lot to me for someone like you to notice this level of commitment in me.

PRO
Belgium
#770  

i found this interesting video.a real B9 whit human inside.

PRO
USA
#771  

@nomad, the gentleman with white hair is the actor who was inside the robot for lost in space tv show during the 1960s.

PRO
Belgium
#772  

its a long time ago,i cant remember it.sounds just desame as dave his b9. so thats bob may.

#774  

Hey @Nomad. Thanks Man. Ya, saw that one. I've probably saw most vids out there with B9 included. Like you and your little robots, I'm just as nuts over the big ones.

Will (fxrtst) built his B9 long before I even started thinking about building mine. He gave me lots of help and tips over the years it took. He was one of the founding members of the B9 Robot Builders club back in its heyday when lots of exciting things were going on. Things were happening like B9 Robot building get togethers, parties and shows where the old cast members were in attendance. These guys like Bob May and the voice actor that did the B9 Voice unicorn Tufeld seemed to always be hanging around. They would even show up at people's homes that were having B9 Robot gatherings when invited.

I would not be at all surprised if Will (fxrtst) had attended some of these and met these guys. I think I saw one or two videos with him hanging around in the background. Sadly I joined the club just before these great actors passed away and never had the pleasure of meeting them. tired

@Will, thanks for adding the videos. It's always fun to watch them again.

PRO
Belgium
#775  

where comes the name B9 come from?

#776  

Well, that's a good question and one I have always wondered.

The way this robot has been identified on the 60's show is:

Class M-3 Model B-9 General Utility Non-Theorizing Environmental Control Robot, known simply as the Robot.

I'm sure the guys writing the script needed some way to reference him in the show and they came up with that long line. When the show first started it had a real serious and military leaning theme. I'm sure the robot being a military machine and nothing more then a tool to serve and protect the Robinson family he wouldn't have a personable name. That's that way it was back in the 60's on TV. Lots of serious stuff.

PRO
Belgium
#777  

i just looked ad some pics.the long name is the version you have.

#778  

I always assumed B9 was a fun way of saying that "Robot" is a benign machine, meaning he's not an evil robot.

#780  

It's been a while since I did a video of progress I've made on my B9 Robot build. I haven't been sitting around though. I've been doing a lot of updating, repairing and upgrading. I feel like I'm on the home stretch of being done with planned upgrades. I'm sure there will be more after this round. You all know how that goes. I just can't stop tinkering on this guy. LOL!
In this video I'm showing off the installation of an On board Mini PC that now controls the robot through EZ Robot's EZBs using Synthiam's ARC control software. I used to connect to the EZBs over wifi from a laptop. I feel like I now have a "real" robot with a real computer in his guts. LOL. I also show how I've installed a "Smart Power Switch /Strip" that monitors the computer and when the computer powers down, the Smart Switch will power down the rest of the robot. It's all explained in the video. I don't know what happened to the color in this video. It was all washed out and I had to do a bunch of color adjustments to make it watchable. It's not quite right yet but a lot better then it was.
So, sit back and enjoy! It's about 18 minutes long. Thanks in advance for watching.