Robotic Knee
Tips On Building A Walking Robot
Ok, so you want to build a robot but you don’t want something that looks like half a toy car, it has to be able to walk.
Walking robots are always fascinating because of their lifelike quality.
But how many legs should it have? Two? Three? Four?
The number you choose depends on your level of experience and the amount you are willing to spend to build it.
One of the factors you are going to have to deal with is Balance.
Let’s do a quick test.
Stand up. Now, assuming you haven’t fallen over, what is holding you up?
Lift up one leg and it becomes more obvious. Your brain reads the balance sensors in your ears and moves the muscles of your legs and body to always keep you upright.
This is called active balancing because your brain and muscles are constantly moving to compensate for the effects of gravity.
Now try getting down on your hands and knees.
Notice a difference?
Now your body is supported by four points on the ground and it’s much easier to keep from falling over.
This is called static balancing.
Before you get up, lift up one hand. Now you are only supported by three points and you have to actively balance again.
What this means for your robot is that if you use six legs instead of two the robot is using static balance and does not need any extra “brain power” to keep its self upright when it is not walking. Six legged robots or hexapods are very stable, even when walking, and are a good choice for your first walking robot.
But wait a minute I hear you say, wont something with six legs be harder to make than something with two?
No, not really. A two legged (biped) robot will need a minimum of six servo motors to work, one in each joint of the leg (ankles, knees and hips).
Usually a hexapod will need a servo motor in the knee and hip of each leg which means twelve servos in total.
But it is possible to build one with only three servos!
This reduces your building costs dramatically and gets rid of the problem of trying to balance on two legs. It’s much easier to program walking routines into a processor or you can simply add radio control and move the legs yourself.
About the Author
If you want to learn more about building a Walking Robot with only three servos then CLICK HERE!
Mark Geoghegan has worked in computer sales and repair for three years and enjoys robotics, sci-fi, fishing and golf. He lives in NSW, Australia with his son Adam.
Robotic Knee Surgery
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