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Issy

Robot
 
By mikef
@ June 7, 2009
Walks around, wirelessly controlled, and shoots at things. Won Mechwars 2009
Cost to build: 
$700

 

Thought I would post about my latest robot: Issy (short for IssyDunnYet). I started actually making this robot run around about 3 weeks ago, and amazingly, it's ready to go in time for MechWars next weekend at Robogames in San Fransisco.

Issy is built out of 13 AX-12 servos using the bioloid frame kit, lynxmotion SES brackets for legs, and a custom AVR-based controller with an XBEE wireless link back to my PC. For competing in MechWars he is carrying a Wifi camera (through which I watch and drive), and an airsoft gun, as well as the required scoring system. 

UPDATE 11-25-09

Whoops, forgot to update stuff here after robogames. After quite a bit of work onsite, Issy won the Gold medal. Since I wasn't entirely familiar with the Bioloid servos at the time, I made a number of mistakes in how I was using them (and so they were severely underpowered). I ended up removing Issy's 3rd DOF in each leg to lighten him up and reduce the load on his leg servos. I also had to slow him down to avoid the scoring system detecting his rough walk as a hit. He's since been rebuilt as a slightly smaller fire fighting robot. A video summarizing Mech Warfare year 1, and showing lots of Issy, can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ_bAsbZLt4 

For anyone wanting more technical details, I've posted a tutorial on building Issy. His source code has also been open sourced and is included as an example in the ArbotiX release. 

 issy4.jpg

issyLeg.jpg

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By kyri
@ Wed, 2009-12-09 00:08
This is absolutely amazing. Seriously, I'm stunned at your ability to make this and I can't believe it only took 3 weeks. Super cool that it's armed with an airsoft pistol. If you're looking for sponsorship for your next event, let me know and I can hook you up with some equipment for your robot build.
By amando96
@ Thu, 2009-11-26 15:24
amando96's picture
wow, just wow! but isnt the camera a bit unprotected?
By mikef
@ Wed, 2009-12-09 00:27

I've updated the pictures a bit, the old pics were before I had all the sheathing on.

-Fergs

By AndreasHjulsager
@ Wed, 2009-11-25 22:56
How do you guys get gears and such stuff. Like the legs, etc. I can't find anything to mine robots.
By Benbo231
@ Fri, 2009-11-20 13:40
Benbo231's picture
Why not, for melee combat, have it sit on its 2 back legs, and hit the enemy with its front two. Or a flying tackle from off the ropes!
By Mecha-rasta
@ Thu, 2009-11-19 21:50
do you have any tips or book reccomendations for a begginer because i have just started to get into this and someday wnats to create a robot just like that.
By mikef
@ Wed, 2009-12-09 00:26

There's not that many robot books that are up to date any more. A classic, and probably my all-time favorite in robot books is Mobile Robots: Inspiration to Implementation by Jones and Flynn. It's dated, but if you avoid the 68HC11 sections, the rest is still good info.

As for building walking robots, there's even less. But there are a number of tutorials out there.

-Fergs

By mikef
@ Tue, 2009-06-23 21:50

Yeah, Issy did a pretty good job at Robogames.

The target plates do register a hit through a piezo-- unfortunately, the also register if issy puts his feet down too hard. We're looking at possibly using FSR plates instead (so that bots don't have to be so gentle).

 -Fergs

By droidbuilder
@ Tue, 2009-06-23 21:20
droidbuilder's picture

I saw in the RoboGames 2009 results that Issy got GOLD at MechWars-Airsoft event! Nice to see one of our own make history in a large event!

If I'm not mistaken, this video I found on BotJunkie shows Issy in action... You apparently used"skitter mode" to your advantage!

Question for you - how does the target register when it gets a hit. I assume a piezo speaker/impact device, am I correct?

Anyway, congratulations! This was way cool, hope to go to RoboGames to watch Mech Combat for myself next year.

 

 

By droidbuilder
@ Tue, 2009-06-09 21:23
droidbuilder's picture
Nice! Looks like 3DOF on each leg - I assume you use the topmost servo to "kick" when you are in skitter-mode. Thats a pretty interesting move. Manueverability looks awesome. Those 2-legged bots better watch out for you at RoboGames! I wanted to go this year, especially to see MechWar, but other commitments send me to the opposite (east) coast.  Maybe next year... Good luck at RoboGames!
By mikef
@ Tue, 2009-06-09 23:51

Yep, it's 3DOF... I'm barely using 2 of the servos, they only lift the leg a very little bit. The idea behind the position of the lift servos, is that you can rotate them outwards and instead of them being one over the other, they would be side by side, and Issy would go from being ~12" to being about 18" wide. It would also massively speed him.

 Unfortunately, the servos aren't quite powerful enough for that wider stance with all his mech gear attached. After robogames I'll be pulling all that mech gear off Issy, and working on some fun IK so that he can dynamically change the width of his stance as he varies his speed, as well as using the body for pan/tilt rather than a seperate tilt servo and turning the whole bot. I'm hoping to have him way faster and lighter next year, got a bit of a late start this year....

-Fergs

By LOLGeek
@ Mon, 2009-06-08 18:21
LOLGeek's picture
if so where did you get it? Nice bot.
By mikef
@ Tue, 2009-06-09 03:01

The servos and white servo brackets are from the Bioloid system. You can find it at Trossen Robotics.

-Fergs

By voodoobot
@ Tue, 2009-06-09 03:35
voodoobot's picture
every time I see these types of bots I think "ghost in the shell"......of course this isn't fully armoured and doesn't have an autocannon mounted on it...  :D
By sthmck
@ Sun, 2009-06-07 18:21
Good luck at RoboGames. Hopefully I will see you there next year.
By ArunioSmo
@ Sun, 2009-06-07 17:25
ArunioSmo's picture
this is great I love it :)
By mikv
@ Sun, 2009-06-07 17:16
mikv's picture
That's something to aspire to! let us know how it goes in the games.
By robologist
@ Sun, 2009-06-07 13:28
robologist's picture
Still amazed when seeing that "skitter" move Mike, cool to see. Have you doine any test combat yet, target practice?
By mikef
@ Tue, 2009-06-09 03:00

I ran it around for a little while in the office, the guns occasionally jam, but if I keep moving it shakes it loose again. It's definately quite maneuverable though.

-Fergs