Introducing The Altair Ez:2 Robot

Hi @RichardR, Looks like Firgelli has two styles of actuator that may work for small to medium load. Their L12 and L16 series. Sounds like the L16 moves pretty quickly and id the strongest. If you want larger Firgelli actuator's they have a sister company that will provide them. They have one for the Lego Mindstorm and other types of motor.

www.firgelli.com/products.php

Here's the specs:

L-12:
Stroke: 10mm (-S and -P only), 30mm, 50mm, 100mm
Maximum Force: 12-45N

No-Load Speed: 5-23mm/s

Voltage: 6V, or 12V (-R option is 6v only)

Control Options: Limits Switches(-S), Linear Feedback(-P), RC Servo(-R), Integrated Controller(-I)

Pricing: $70 per unit for limit switches(-S) or RC Servo(-R). Linear feedback(-P) $80 per unit. $90 per unit for integrated controller(-I). $10 per unit discount for quantities of 10+.

L16:
Stroke: 50mm, 100mm or 140mm
Maximum Force: 50-175N

No-Load Speed: 8-32mm/s

Voltage: 12VDC

Control Options: RC servo(-R), Limit Switches(-S), Linear Feedback(-P)

Or you can also use the L16-P as linear servo by purchasing an LAC board.

Pricing: $70 per unit for limit switches(-S) or RC servo(-R), $80 for linear feedback(-P).

www.firgelli.com/products.php

@Dave... thanks ....

Richard R, the linear actuator I am using is the Firgelli L16-150-12-P which is surprisingly powerful. I need the P (linear feedback) version as I want max torque so 12V is important also I want to use my own Smart servo PIC and board (which has current sensing which is important with any worm gearing drives like these).

Here is a jpeg showing the Smart servo board controlling the linear actuator on the elbow. You can also see the miniature Sharp IR ranger on the claw which detects any object close to the claw tips.

Great to see you back Tony and sharing your robot building experience with all on the forum again ,missed your contributions in the recent past ,very detailed as always. Pat

Sweet Tony. I'm so jealous. That's a Sweet arm! I wish I had your skills.

I spent the day today going through the Kangaroo x2 ramping script you wrote and just couldn't wrap my head around most of it. I did get the motor to move at different speeds and stop at certain positions but couldn't figure out how to get the control and ramping effect I'm needing.

The guys over at DE sent me a copy of a Bata version for both their new hard code for the Kangaroo and the DeScribe software that gives the Kangaroo Accerallition control in position mode. It works pretty good but not as well as I would have liked. I think the issue is my heavy Asymmetrical load it's trying to adjust for. I don't think the Kangaroo is good with auto Tuning these types of load. I had to do a bunch of tweaking to the auto tune settings before I was happy with them.

Tony, I hope you don't mind me tooting your horn here. However i was blown away when I watched this YouTube news cast about your work and how your known world wide and respected in your community at home. I think our friends here would really enjoy it also.

Did you make that Star Trek Transporter shown in this vid? I've had one sitting on the shelf in my office for a couple years now. You do Very cool work. I'm proud to know you! cool cool

Dave, thanks for the kind words! the interview is quite old now, we have done quite a few more toy, game and gift products since, and are now just signing off our sixty-first licence (in fourteen years).

My favorite TV interview is with the BBC, this also explains how we inventors get paid in royalties. I get very nervous doing TV interviews as you can tell in the video, here it is.

tony

great video.is this cube still on sale?

for the nervous feeling ,go to optition .seeing and talking at the same time, cost alot oxigen.