Robohub.org
 

TrotBot tackles rough terrain

by
17 November 2016



share this:

Hi, I’m Ben. I was a member of the team that developed a new walking mechanism, TrotBot, that we eventually scaled up to the size of a mini-van. We were inspired to begin this project in 2012 when we discovered Theo Jansen’s Strandbeest. This led us to embark on a LEGO building spree, attempting various existing walking mechanisms.  However, they performed poorly on rough terrain, so we decided to design our own. We wanted our design to have lifelike motion and to be functional on rough terrain. After a couple months we had designs and LEGO iterations of TrotBot, a walking mechanism with the gait of a galloping horse, and a very high footstep to tackle obstacles. Below is a simulation of the linkage we discovered compared to Strandbeest and Klann’s Mechanical Spider.

After tinkering with our new linkage in LEGO, it wasn’t long before we, somewhat naively, decided to scale it up to the size of a minivan. This turned out to be a more difficult challenge than we originally anticipated, like asking a bridge company to build a bridge, but with moving supports that occasionally lift off the ground. Despite a rat’s-nest of problems to solve, we finally managed to get this machine walking after two summers of hard work. Below is a clip of TrotBot 1.0.

I scaled back down to LEGO scale, using the insights gained from the scale-up, and the functionality of my builds improved enough that I decided to post the mechanism and build plans. For an example of how TrotBot’s high foot-path improved its functionality, below you can see a LEGO TrotBot tackling an obstacle course.

I’ve posted detailed plans on how I built TrotBot in LEGO, some of the engineering insights behind the design, as well as some of what we learned throughout the process of creating TrotBot at DIY Walkers, where I will continue to post my progress with future builds.  If you have insights into TrotBot or walker projects you’d like to share, or if you are a teacher hoping to motivate your students to take on a hard STEM challenge, please visit the site and get in touch!


If you enjoyed this article, you may also want to read:

See all the latest robotics news on Robohub, or sign up for our weekly newsletter.



tags: , , , , ,


Ben Vagle is 16 years old and has been building mechanical walkers for the past 4 years, at both LEGO-scale, and SUV-scale...
Ben Vagle is 16 years old and has been building mechanical walkers for the past 4 years, at both LEGO-scale, and SUV-scale...





Related posts :



Open Robotics Launches the Open Source Robotics Alliance

The Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF) is pleased to announce the creation of the Open Source Robotics Alliance (OSRA), a new initiative to strengthen the governance of our open-source robotics so...

Robot Talk Episode 77 – Patricia Shaw

In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Patricia Shaw from Aberystwyth University all about home assistance robots, and robot learning and development.
18 March 2024, by

Robot Talk Episode 64 – Rav Chunilal

In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Rav Chunilal from Sellafield all about robotics and AI for nuclear decommissioning.
31 December 2023, by

AI holidays 2023

Thanks to those that sent and suggested AI and robotics-themed holiday videos, images, and stories. Here’s a sample to get you into the spirit this season....
31 December 2023, by and

Faced with dwindling bee colonies, scientists are arming queens with robots and smart hives

By Farshad Arvin, Martin Stefanec, and Tomas Krajnik Be it the news or the dwindling number of creatures hitting your windscreens, it will not have evaded you that the insect world in bad shape. ...
31 December 2023, by

Robot Talk Episode 63 – Ayse Kucukyilmaz

In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Ayse Kucukyilmaz from the University of Nottingham about collaboration, conflict and failure in human-robot interactions.
31 December 2023, by





Robohub is supported by:




Would you like to learn how to tell impactful stories about your robot or AI system?


scicomm
training the next generation of science communicators in robotics & AI


©2024 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence


 












©2021 - ROBOTS Association