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I think Small Parts sells different sized holes you can place on the robot to reduce the weight. We had a big box of them around here, but you have to be careful not to mix up the sizes or the small holes will fall through the big ones and you'll never find them again.
Has anyone tried running the compressor on helium? That might be a feasible solution to a slight weight problem, if you aren't concerned about having a robot with a squeaky voice.
Next year Exide will have their new batteries out - the ones that run on neutrinos, which are massless. Getting rid of that big box of electrons will certainly help out with the weight.
Since permanent magnets are allowed in any amount, you could try mounting some oriented with the earth's magnetic field to provide some lift. Your machine would have to be able to handle directional derivatives, though, and convolution integrals aren't on the additional hardware list. It might be better to try working in the frequency domain.
I have been struggling with this problem for some time, and think maybe there is a topological answer. If we start with the Moebius strip in two dimensions, and move to the three-dimensional Klein bottle, maybe there is a way to go up to a four-dimensional construct (maybe we can call it a 'Kamen Manifold') and make the weight disappear entirely. Then you can use all kinds of neat stuff like PVC pipe with the OD smaller than the ID, so that the inside is on the outside........................
Is anyone else really, really tired?????
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Leo M.
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