Inspired by nature, emulated by technology: Jansen walker robot
Nature has always been a source of inspiration for man to emulate and the field of robotics seems to be taking much of it lately. The Jansen Walker robot, which testifies to this statement, emulates the walk of a sea creature, the crab. This "Creative Commons Licensed robot" by John Park and Adam Hahn, is in its Beta 2 stage, and as the name suggests, is pretty much inspired by the Jansen Mechanism (a very effective mechanical leg design for converting rotary motion into leg movements).
The Walker robot has 12 legs (3 pairs on each side) and 1:1.8 ratio gears, and resembles a crab scurrying sideways, when it walks. Its movements are actuated by servos, with 15 gear teeth, that are modified for a constant motion. For the electrical part, an Arduino serves as the brain which controls the servos through PWM signals and requires 6-20V of power for operation. Its parts are laser cut from 2 mm acrylic (except for the bolts) and a coating of rubber is given to the feet for an extra grip. For complete details read Jansen Walker at 4-Volts.com. More pics after the break.
