PropellerCode.com » Design

ChemBot: a blob-like, shape-shifting robot that inflates and deflates

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:03:07 +0000

Here is a robot that is the first of it’s kind, and a little odd too. This is a blob-like robot that inflates and deflates different areas of the outer body in order to roll a certain direction. The robotic shape-shifting principle is similar to the older robotic wheel design, these robots basically are always “tumbling over” rather than rolling. In order to maintain a constant rolling motion, they basically are in a constant state of “falling over” in a controlled direction. However in contrast to the older wheel design, this robot cannot fall on it’s side because it can roll in any axis. Also, this robot is capable of becoming extremely flat in order to fit under or through something. It’s a brilliant design and is capable of many new kinds of applications. At this point most the development is geared toward the military since there is a demand from DARPA for new kinds of spider-like robots. Some of these new robots could get pretty scary!

Links:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/blog/robotics/robotics-software/automaton/irobot-soft-morphing-blob-chembot

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10375216-1.html

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17912_3-9970345-72.html?tag=mncol;txt

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9935339-7.html?tag=mncol;txt

Solidworks 2009 Beta 2 Now Available

admin — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:53:05 +0000

SolidWorks 2009 Beta 2 is now available for download for all subscription customers.

As a SolidWorks Beta tester, you can:

earn points toward great prizes
help influence the development of the software
get recognition from your peers

As a beta participant be assured that you are having a direct impact; this is your opportunity to help shape the future of CAD

To download and check out all the prizes, visit the beta website. The SolidWorks Beta 2 files will be located on the Customer Portal on the SolidWorks website. SolidWorks 2009 Beta 2 is now available for download for all subscription customers.

The Solidworks 2009 Beta test program is set up so that Solidworks users across a variety of industries can help to make the final build of the Solidworks 2009 software as good as possible when it is finally released. This year the Beta program will be available to everyone via the Solidworks Customer Portal on the Solidworks website instead of the special Solidworks Beta link. Some incentive for being part of the Solidworks 2009 beta test program is that Solidworks gives points for every glitch and bug found in their software. After, Solidworks gives away free stuff to people with a lot of points.

Links:

Solidworks 2009 Beta 2 Now Available

Solidworks Education Edition 2008-2009

admin — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:46:40 +0000

For those of you interested in designing your own robots using the best tools available, there are some new tools just released. The Solidworks 2008-2009 Student Edition is finished and available online. SolidWorks 2008 is available now for purchase in 13 languages worldwide through SolidWorks authorized resellers.

SolidWorks Education Edition 2008-2009 for the first time includes COSMOSFloXpress, an easy-to-use fluid dynamics application that calculates how fluid flows through a part model. Based on this analysis, students can easily find and fix problem areas in their designs.

Links:

Solidworks Unveils Solidworks Education Edition 2008-2009

Build Your Own Robot Demonstrations, Coming Soon

admin — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 04:11:31 +0000

DIY, do it yourself robot demonstrations are coming soon to PropellerCode.com. We here at PropellerCode.com com are working on designing low-cost robots with the budget in mind. We like the idea of being able to build nice prototype robots out of low-cost materials and random junk laying around. We may possibly even explore the idea of designing robots out of trash. Ideally the only thing you should have to spend money on when building your robot prototype should be some motors and electronics. Come back soon to see check the progress.

DIY 3D Printer: The CandyFab 4000 Machine

admin — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:40:15 +0000

Just when you thought the Fabaloo DIY Fab@Home 3D Printer machine was a big sticky mess by squirting goo onto things, there is a new even more sticky 3d Printer design you have to see. The CandyFab 4000 machine by a company called Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories is a DIY 3D printer that utilizes hot air and sugar to craft real life 3D objects. The low-cost method used in this 3d printer is called Selective Hot Air Sintering and Melting (SHASAM). The printer uses sugar as a powder they is laid onto a flat bed in thin layers, then the CNC hot air blower melts the sugar wherever the 3d computer model has a solid body. As each layer finishes a new layer of sugar is put on and the process is repeated until the entire model is complete. After completed, the heated and melted sugar is very hard and glassy. The finished object is a bit rough on the edges, but can be smoothed out. The 3d sugar printer can fabricate fairly large scale objects.

The software for the CandyFab 4000 3D printing machine is designed to be open source for the DIY do it yourself home builder. Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories wants this project to be available for interested hobbyists who want an alternative more affordable rapid prototyping machine. The open source software makes this a project that other people can help improve as well. Hopefully in the near future the designs will be greatly improved with higher resolution prototypes.

The CandyFab 4000 printer is the cheapest 3d printer available today, the total cost of building this 3D printer is only around $1000 plus some spare parts laying around. That is much less than any other design out there. And not only that, you can build it yourself! There are even 3D Google Sketchup models available online for free. All you have to do is order the parts and send some of the parts to local machine shops to make the parts and then you have you very own personal 3d Printer! I think it’s a great project because the materials are so affordable! At the cost of only $1000 you could even build more than one! B)

Links:

Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories

Robot Monty Throws and Catches a Ball

admin — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:26:43 +0000

Go Monty! You can do it!
This robot named Monty is a dynamically balancing robot designed and built by Trevor Blackwell of Anybots Inc. This robot has been trained to throw and catch a ball. It appears to drop the ball often, but the robot Monty does catch the ball when Trevor Blackwell throws it. I think this robot is cool because it not only balances on 2 wheels, it also is able to catch a ball with it’s mechanical robot hand and throw it back without falling over.

New 3D Solidworks Models of Hardware and Electrical Components

admin — Thu, 22 May 2008 02:41:30 +0000

PropellerCode.com is proud to announce the new addition of free 3D Solidworks Models of various hardware and Electrical Components.

We feel it is important that you design your robots with the best tools avaliable! That is why we here are PropellerCode.com are now releasing these 3D Solidworks models to you free of charge! How could you ask for more!?!

On the main 3D Solidworks models page you will find Solidworks models in native Solidworks 2008 format. The files are all in .sldprt format for your ease of use!

Build Your Own Mech: Computer Chair

admin — Tue, 13 May 2008 15:36:52 +0000

Here is a fun little project, build your own mech computer chair and drive it around your office! The M01-Mech robotic computer chair uses a simple bi-ped mechanical walking robot design. It doesn’t move very fast, but it does prove that people can build their own complex robot designs for under $1000. That is cheap for a robot, especially considering the rising cost of building materials. And not only that the M01-Mech can even carry a person around. This walking mechanical chair uses the Parallax Basic Stamp 2 chip to control it. I recommend trying this project out yourself, the Parallax Propeller chip is overall simpler to program than the Parallax Basic Stamp II chip and it costs much less too! Just create an object for driving a a 2 legged robot around and then the code will be simple for the Parallax Propeller chip. I’d like to have my own 2 leg mech to drive around my room too! This 2 leg bi-pod mech is even a chair!

M01-Mech

Beta version of M01-Mech

M01 – MECH
online website