BallBot design #1

[Heriberto]

The first design will be a simple ball that can slightly deform itself to move in any horizontal direction.  The only vertical direction in this robot will happen when it flattens out on the ground.  Remember this is the first design so we need to make baby steps first.  Future designs will arise in the near future.

The image below represents a 31-zone 242-sided zonohedron.

[Guajardo]

Interesting. I have heard about of this concept before... I have also heard of similar ones where  where voltages are applied to different segments of a metal ball making it bend and move forward.

[Guajardo]

I found the link to the video:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/SbqHERKdlK8&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18&amp;rel=0&amp;fs=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/SbqHERKdlK8&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18&amp;rel=0&amp;fs=1</a>

[Heriberto]

I saw this same video a few days ago on the IEEE website.  Thanks for bringing it up. 

I found this other video about the metal "nitinol" or also known as shape memory metal first produced in 1962 by the Nickel Titanium Naval Ordnance Laboratory, hence NiTiNOL.  The closest I've seen done to Robot #10 is seen here from Japan, but it has far less resolution and it moves strictly in one dimension.
http://www.mint.se.ritsumei.ac.jp/images/softrobot/BuiltInPower/pvc_10deg_II.mpg

and what NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is doing for shape-shifting robots.
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/roboticexplorers/ants.html


another design


Something different for shape shifting robots is below from USC
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,529059,00.html

[Heriberto]

I found the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbqHERKdlK8&feature=player_embedded#

Jaime, this shape-shifting robot uses air to inflate and deflate the different segments of the ball.  I was thinking of pursuing this robot and making it mobile without the umbilical cord which feeds it air.  Maybe a mini compressor or SMA's to create collapsible chambers that shift air within the ball to create protrusions, hence moving forward.

Keep on bringing the ideas and stuff you find online so we can make robot #10 unique and better than the rest in all aspects.  I'll post more ideas when I get home.  Take care.  Over and out.

[Heriberto]

After the Robotics Workshop Inauguration we talked about many concepts and designs and concluded that we had to start with baby steps and work up to a bigger model once a viable design springs up.

Firstly, we need to create a Magic ball out of paper like the one below

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/06OERuqbFPM&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18&amp;rel=0&amp;fs=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/06OERuqbFPM&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18&amp;rel=0&amp;fs=1</a>

Thereafter, we start looking for sponsors and start building a working prototype.  It just needs to work and all efficiency or low mass motors, batteries or materials are not important.  After we prove that it works we can proceed to enhancing and adding solar panels, expand/collapse sphere, and maybe add cameras all around the ball for an experience that can only be experienced and not explained.

Things to note:  We need to start researching ways to produce plastic parts in a veeery cheap way and also figure out what type of nitinol wire diameter will be suitable for our needs.    stay posted!