[Robotgroup] Fwd: Tracked vehicles

[Paul Atkinson]

Eric, (is this worth sending to the guy?)

The iRobot machine called packbot is good at stair climbing. It's the one where there are 2 pair of tracks with a common center axle. The smaller tracks can be set at an angle that makes it easy to grab the first step, then you flatten the thing out and up it goes.

Packbot here:
http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=109

For a do-it-yourself version, I think the first issue of Robot Magazine had one built (by one of the Myth Buster guys) out of Vex Robotics pieces. While I think Vex stuff could carry the weight of the camera, I don't think it's robust enough for professional duty.

Vex version of Packbot here:
http://www.botmag.com/articles/mythbusters_test_the_vex_robotics_design_system_1.shtml

Paul



----- Original Message ----
From: Eric Lundquist <elundquist at austin.rr.com>
To: The Robot Group Mailing List <robotgroup at puremagic.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 9:45:20 AM
Subject: [Robotgroup] Fwd: Tracked vehicles

I received this email from a deputy in Maryland.  He is looking for some
sort of radio control robot that is capable of climbing stairs.  I have
attached my response to him but I thought that others in the group might be
interested in responding as well.
- Eric


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Eric Lundquist < eric.g.lundquist at gmail.com>
Date: Feb 12, 2007 5:13 PM
Subject: Re: FW: Tracked vehicles
To: "Winer, Rick" < RWiner at fredco-md.net>


Hi Rick,

Stair climbing is REALLY hard, especially with a small robot base.

Here is a link to a slashdot article that describes a stair climbing wheeled
robot build by Dave Anderson of the Dallas Personal Robotics group.
http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/01/2259233
Be sure to check out the video and his build log where he describes how he
built it.

The only really good commercially available stair climber I have seen is the
one built by Rodney Brooks' group from MIT.  Their company is called
iRobot.  They build the little Roomba vacuum cleaner but they also build a
double tracked base that is used in a lot of bomb disposal robots that I
have seen.  The have 2 sets of tank tracks.  The one on the back provides
the main driving force.  The small tracks up front rotate around and pick
the nose of the robot up off the ground and over the top of a step.
Video here:
http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=215

If nothing else, these should give you some ideas on what is possible.  I
hope this helps.

Regards,
Eric



On 2/12/07, Winer, Rick <RWiner at fredco-md.net > wrote:
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> *From:* Winer, Rick
> *Sent:* Monday, February 12, 2007 3:16 PM
> *To:* ' robo at robotgroup.org'
> *Subject:* Tracked vehicles
>
> Eric:
>   I stumbled across your web site while searching for tracked vehicles on
> the Net.  I am a Deputy with the Frederick County Sheriff's Office in
> Maryland.  I'm working on a project where I am mounting a Remington Eye Ball
> Video unit on a remote controlled vehicle.  I am currectly using a RC truck
> but it is only two wheel drive and does not ascend stairs.
>
> I thought of using some sort of tracked vehicle and hence this email.  Do
> you know of something that would help me out?  The ball weight is 20.5ounces and has a diameter of
> 3.35".
>
> I was going to visit our local Hobbytown but thought that I'd seek out
> experts who have "already invented this wheel".
>
> Thanks for your time...Rick Winer
>
>
>
>
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