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Colin's LEGO[1]
Walking Machines |
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I've had a fascination with walking mechanisms since I was
about 15 years old. My primary interest is in 6-legged walking
mechanisms that have a single input but have a complete 2-D or 3-D output
with an efficient walking gait. Not an easy task, let me tell you
(it's also a rather useless goal but hey, it's just for fun). Today,
it's no big deal to have one or two inputs per leg all plugged into a
master controller. The LEGO Mindstorms are a great candidate for that
task. Maybe one day...
LEGO builders: if you use my mechanism, please send me a link to your
page. I would love to see another one in action, and I'll be glad to
link to your site!
If you have questions about these projects, feel free to
contact me.
If you are interested in learning about Mechatronics and using the LEGO
Mindstorm kits, you can visit my education site
here.
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Prototype 1 - This is IT!
So big I had to use a hand crank. It walked in slow motion, but boy
was it cool to watch! The rubber bands were there to counteract the
weight of the legs to help them retract. Completed in 1995. |
Picture 1 jpg
(800x635) 90KB
Picture 2 jpg
(800x542) 60KB
Picture 3 jpg
(800x749) 101KB
Computer Animation - maybe someday... just use your imagination. |
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Prototype 2 - This was a
major development at the time. On full batteries (D-size!), it could
walk on its own. The mechanism was quite different. It was actually
inferior in a way, because it didn't have parallel arms like Proto 1, which
meant it was less efficient because the legs would swing more that
rise/fall. Completed around 1997,98. |
Picture 1 jpg
(800x640) 72KB
Picture 2 jpg
(800x544) 56KB
Picture 3 jpg
(800x548) 57KB |
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Prototype 3 - This was
the most successful version,
using the best of both previous prototypes. It uses an inverted slider-crank mechanism as the actuator, and the legs
have a fairly good footprint due to the parallel arms on each leg.
The mechanism is symmetric, so it runs the same backward or forward.
Completed in 1998. |
Picture 1 jpg (699x550)
77KB
Picture 2 jpg
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Picture 3 jpg (800x600) 94KB
Video clip1 mpg (320x200) 1.36MB
Video clip 2 mpg (320x200) 1.36MB |
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No Picture Available |
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Prototype 4 - I never took pictures of this
guy. It was basically Proto 3 with separate drive shafts for the
left and right leg sets. I had a manual transmission on it that
allowed me to physically change the relative motion of one side to the
other. Fun but tedious! |
| No Picture or Video available - sorry. |
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Prototype 5 - Not a replacement for Proto 3
for sure. This one was just for fun. The walking pattern is
non-symmetric so it isn't as stable walking backwards. It needed a counterweight (another motor) on the front to stabilize it.
Completed in 2000. |
Picture 1
jpg (800x600) 220KB
Picture 2 jpg
(800x600) 220KB
Video clip mpg (320x200) 922KB |
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Prototype 6 - This was really just for
fun. It implements concepts from the old wind-up toys of long ago. Notice also that the motor with the crank wheel is
the "power
supply." The LEGO gear motors are extremely efficient for
generating EMFs (Electro-Motive Forces). So, you connect one motor
to the other, and they drive each other. No batteries needed.
Completed in 2001. |
Picture 1 jpg (800x600) 124KB
Picture 2 jpg
(800x600) 127KB
Video clip mpg (320x200) 926KB |
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[1] LEGO® and MindStorms® are registered trademarks of the
LEGO Group. This page is not endorsed by, sponsored by or approved by The
LEGO Group in any way. |
