Mini-Move project

Perry_S

USA
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I am really excited about the new Synthiam mapping/nav functions as well as the additions to the Roomba movement panels. I needed a new bot to play with so I am making............"something."

Not quite sure what this will be but I am using an inmoov body printed at .64 scale along with my eyepod design for a head. This is on a new Create 2. I spent a lot of CAD time scaling the inmoov and making sure servos fit and all the functions were preserved. If you scale the inmoov down .64 then the large servos it uses become roughly the size of standard servos, that is why this size was chosen.

Since he is a small inmoov that moves I have named him Mini-Move

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PRO
USA
#1   — Edited

very nice, any videos yet?

#2  

Perry S, That is very unique and interesting. I really like the scaled down size to use standard size servos. I have been real happy with the EZ Robot HDD servos because they are strong and will reset if needed. What are your plans for the head, maybe some special effects? The new Create has more sensor feedback than the 1st Gen units that I use. It is a great platform. Will be following your build. Thank you sharing. Steve S

PRO
Synthiam
#3  

That’s a great use of the eye! I like it

PRO
Belgium
#4  

very nice .looks very robotic.

United Kingdom
#5  

Love the idea of using your eyepod design for the head.

#7  

Seems like the perfect size to be quick and avoid objects!

PRO
Belgium
#8  

hi perry S

may i ask where did you get the stl from this part . the black parts .

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roborad

i can hear your gears thinking .xD

#9  

Hey Nomad just mainly thinking to buy another Create 2 Roomba and put the Terminator head back on it,It is such a high performer and what a great price for Roomba and Create cable all in the box,Win Win there!

#10  

Thanks for all the comments guys. I was a bit surprised DJ didn't make a Tom servo reference. I have been working with the Create 2 and really like it. It comes with the cable and docking station as well so pretty much ready to run. I drilled out the top plate to provide access to the serial port which was really easy as it is pre-marked on the top.

@EZAng - I need to get a little more done before I can make a decent video

@Nomad - I started with this file from Thingiverse. I had to edit a bit to reinforce and a better fit but you could use it as it is pretty close for a full size inmoov

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1538320

@Robo Rad - It does seem to be perfect size and currently fits within Create 2's bumper switch envelope. I thought of your cylon bot immediately after watching this one drive around. Pretty stable and not too top heavy.

#11  

thats soo cool. Does the Create 2 move around rather well on carpets? how well does it do between a carpet and hardwood floors? Looks like it can handle a good about of payload weight too.

#12  

Oh my God the Create 2 is a roomba 655 with Lithium ion Battery and it is so strong that sometimes I accidentally start my Cylon by bumping my foot into the charging station which instantly starts the Roomba bursting backwards at full speed and I try to grab hold of it but sometimes it just rips right out of my hands and keeps going into cleaning mode! I then got to run after it to hit the Clean stop button! Those motors are so much torque,will easy go over any carpets,any floor.I will buy more of them for all my indoor robots.

#13  

Here's a little progress to report on. Robo Rad is right that there are a lot of features and capabilities with the Create 2. I thought there would be a lot more web content on hacking it than I have found but perhaps I am just not finding it. I have noticed the power and traction are great. Easily moves between carpet and hardware although I am sure the encoders do not like that. It comes with everything except the brushes. It still has a running vacuum fan and side whisker brush motor. I need to disable them both once I learn how. Here is what it looks like. The top plate has all the areas marked to drill holes for various functions. If you look here I have drilled out the hole for the serial cable. I had to order connectors to make the connector. Props to Jeremy for putting those instructions on Github.

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As far as the mini part of mini-move I have had fun printing him out. I was able to combine a tone of parts for printing. I use Solidworks for that. You can't just arrange the parts together and print them because there are clearances around the dovetails so you end up with gaps. I had to add solid material in all those positions. Since he is so small I could print all the major pieces at once after they were joined.

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The chest piece looks pretty cool

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Here's the waist section which I printed in one piece. The servos have the pot and electronics removed to be placed in the waist axis eventually.

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More to come

PRO
Belgium
#14  

perry S

these are great pictures .thank you for the link .

#15  

The other neat thing is you can just buy a new brush kit that fits perfectly to make it vacuum ,since the dust bin was still included with create2.Of course you can just also buy any roomba from model500 all the way up models ,used on kijiji or ebay.50 dollars sometimes 20 but you need to buy a new decent battery pack and a new create usb cable.DJ made a hack video showing how to make the USB cable for Roomba/computer.To me the price is great for what you get from Create2 ready in box with everything needed.All Roombas have a cover plate that is easy to pry off and cut the mounting holes on for robot bodies or access USB port.

#16  

I had a chance to redesign the waist pot holder. Scaling the original down to .64 meant I needed to adjust it so a full size pot would fit. The electronics you see are from one of the waist servos.

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You can see how it meshes with the waist pivot point here.

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So now I can lay everything out. This thing seems tiny.

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All buttoned up and tested with an IOtiny. Works great.

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PRO
Belgium
#17  

perry S

these pictures are fantastic .

thanks

#18  

I am hoping you see something that will help you with your build. Mine may be smaller but all the concepts are the same. Hopefully you see what I had to do with the waist servos. I think you will have to do the same in the future. Keep it up brother!

PRO
Belgium
#19  

hi perry s

i am a little confused about this picture . it seems the middle lower part is backwarts consider the grove for the bearings .

eather the the middle part is backwarts or the wormgear nut .

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#20  

Wow, you have a very sharp eye Nomad. You are correct, the center piece is backward. With this little bot there is no need for the ball bearings at this joint so I just went ahead and used the pieces since they took so long to print. I have since fixed the CAD file but as I said, the parts were still usable. I think the bearing design is wrong anyway as the weight of the robot is always pointing down. It needed a roller style bearing here if anything.

PRO
USA
#21   — Edited

nomad, how are you? and how is your InMoov coming

PRO
Belgium
#22  

hi ezang

just paint

hi perry S

i learn from a proxD YOU  haha

#23  

So, I have had some time to make adjustments and place the next X-asis servo i the correct position. You can see it below.

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You can see here the fluid movements provides by the touchpad control

#25  

I like how the lighting effects gives depth to the eye. Looking good, thanks for taking the time to share progress. Steve S

#26   — Edited

I agree @Steve S. These are some cool effects. I also love the way the head moves and how he has it in sync with the waist. Very sci-fi looking. Something childhood dreams (or nightmares) are made out of.

#27  

Thanks guys! I'll keep updating as I make progress.

United Kingdom
#28  

As you American’s say: it’s awesome!!

Great work Perry.

PRO
USA
#29  

Perry,  very creative of your InMoov parts...I-robot parts, and sort of Head-eye parts  :)-

As we say around the world: awesome!!

Thanks for sharing your progress.

#30  

Would make a great starwars or Mandalorian robot, send vid to Disney see what they think!

#31   — Edited

Well now that the roomba has been fitted with brushes my wife thinks she owns it for cleaning. Ugh. So my minimoov needs a place to sit while his base is away at his day job.

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#32  

OK, I think this is starting to qualify for robotically creepy.

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PRO
Belgium
#33  

perry s

love it . it looks real robotic.

Unknown Country
#34  

Wow Perry that is one amazing little inmoov you got there! Any way i could get the parts you modded to fit pots ? i was thinking maybe moving further down from the chest on my mini

PRO
Synthiam
#35  

Haha I think Perry might need to change his username to mad scientist or doctor Frankenstein LOL

#36  

Perry, Wow, those legs look great! Steve S

#37  

Thanks all, I'll keep the pics coming. If you're looking for a specific STL let me know.

PRO
USA
#38  

Looks great, thanks

Does it walk yet?

#40  

@Perry_S

The legs are a awesome!  Do the legs or top platform function?  Your work wants me to put my mini-inmoov back together and get it working again.   Keep up the great job! Cheers

#41  

Hi Merne, The legs are static right now. They articulate and have all the degrees of motion that is needed but they currently haver no motors. They could be added easy enough. There is a ratchet function in each joint so you can position the legs how you want and they stay. I guess this could be a good candidate for a walker though as it weighs so little compared to a full size inmoov and it is much stiffer.

#42  

Hi Perry, That is very cool.  I forgot to ask if you designed the legs.  It will be cool when you add the motors.  Thanks for sharing your build.

Cheers

#44  

So I am working on the best way to use 3D printed materials. I love the FDM method, that's what most printers that use filament are called. FDM means Fused Deposition Modelling, which means plastic is melted into place. There is also SLA or stereolithography apparatus which uses a polymer that hardens under UV light. So you expose a cross section to UV light and it hardens instantly.  Both methods have their pluses and minus'. For instance filament printing is rugged with lesser resolution. SLA parts can support extremely small and complex features but they are not strong. SLA materials are coming along though. So for my minimoov I printed the gearbox housings out of PLA cuz it is strong and has good abrasion resistance. I printed these gears out of ceramic material on a SLA printer and the resolution is incredible. There are no level lines like you see on regular prints.

I added bearings to keep things honest.

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Portugal
#45  

Nice! Could you share those stl files Perry?