Walking Bots

[purduephotog]

A little late for the 2009 game...

When I saw this game come out I was so very excited for one simple reason: I thought we could finally see some 'walking' robots out there. Were the game structured in such a way that your choices were 'low friction moon wheels' or 'high friction legs' I think you'd have a very interesting trade space.

Any comments? Boo's accepted!

[Don Wright]

I think the original post was asking if the rules said you could use high traction legs or low friction wheels, would it have created some very interesting designs...

I think it would...although, the definition of "legs" would be so hard to define... I mean, is a wheel with 36 high traction spokes without a rim considered a wheel, or legs?

[EricH]

I must say, you are showing remarkably little ingenuity...

Use the rover wheels as feet.

This, however, does not get around the fact that by the time you had a walking robot, with the bumpers and trailer hitch, that performed reasonably well, you'd be running a little low on motors for most other things.

[nathanww]

The problem is, even if you were allowed to "jam" the rover wheels so they couldn't rotate(which I don't think you are), you'd still be getting very little traction on your legs.

[Lil' Lavery]

I think it would...although, the definition of "legs" would be so hard to define... I mean, is a wheel with 36 high traction spokes without a rim considered a wheel, or legs?

You could limit "legs" to use non-rotating actuators, such as pistons (though you would also need rules to avoid teams from building a robot powered like a train, though maybe the coolness factor of that would surpass the rules).

[kapolavery]

or you could even make it like star wars, those at-st walkers in return of the jedi haha

or design it so that it imitates the motion of a roller skater..thats sort of like using legs

[Imadapocalypse]

or you could even make it like star wars, those at-st walkers in return of the jedi haha

or design it so that it imitates the motion of a roller skater..thats sort of like using legs

That idea is so baller

[EricVanWyk]

or design it so that it imitates the motion of a roller skater..thats sort of like using legs

Here are two skaters:

http://www-robot.mes.titech.ac.jp/robot/walking/rollerwalker/rollerwalker_e.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRDjwG9a1uk

I really like the top one's creator: Hirose does some amazing things.