Sunday, April 10, 2011

Lego Stair Climber by Taylor Veltrop

Found on Tinkernology: http://tinkernology.blogspot.com/2011/04/stair-climbing-robot.html

This is a unique stair climber by Taylor Veltrop, who apparently is known more for his humanoid robots. It has 6 wheels on various complex linkages on its body. It can climb over more than just stairs. When it climbs over obstacles, it looks similar to a jointed tank tread. So why not just use treads themselves or more simply linked wheels?

I think the purpose behind this design is to shift the position of the climber's various parts so that it:
a) more efficiently shifts its weight so it doesn't tip over and
b) doesn't collide interfering parts with the obstacle; i.e., only the wheels should be touching the obstacle, not for example the beams in between the wheels, which cause friction and don't always provide any force for movement.