Walking Robot - Team Lead
To view the Presentation for this project, CLICK HERE:
To view a short initial demonstration, CLICK HERE:
This project had a few requirements:
1.) The Robot must contain no less than 6 legs and no more than 10 legs.
2.) The Robot must be no larger than 1 cubic foot.
3.) The Robot must not cost more than $100 to produce.
4.) The Robot will compete against other student's robots in both speed and agility.
5.) The presentation should try to sell the robot as a viable product which solves a consumer demand.
My robot was constructed for less than $40, beat all other student's robots in the competition for speed, and came in 2nd on agility, having successfully traversed a small obstacle course. Where most students focused on intricate and elaborate designs, I focused more on a simple yet effective design. I tried to minimize weight, wherever possible, and chose a linkage design that was simple but long tested. On the day of the competition, there were 2 robots that did not even function because they were overly complicated and the students did not have time to properly test and evaluate their design.
While my robot may not have been the prettiest or the coolest, it was definitely the most effective. This project helped to reinforce the primary function of an engineer: to make a design efficient. Efficient in all aspects, from cost to energy usage.