I always like to point out great design when I see it, and Mike Smyth's Minimechadon is a prime example. Mike created the little guy to experiment with learning algorithms for walking. The robot weighs 12oz and has 4 degrees-of-freedom.

The sensor array consists of 4 touch sensors on the bottom of each foot, Left and right IR obstacle detection, and 4 CdS photo detectors located on all four sides of the robot. The heart of the control system is a Microchip PIC16F819 micro-controller and a separate 8 channel A-D converter.

The mechanical structure is built from brass tubing (which all the wiring runs through, UHMW (a high density plastic material), and PCBs. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the robot is the use of PCBs to create a 3D structure and mount all of the circuits/electronics.

There are other pictures of the MiniMechadon on Mike's website , along with other projects. Be kind to his server though.

Tags:

biped,

PIC,

If you've ever need a digital servo but have balked at the price, the Open Servo Project should be an attractive option. The project seeks to develop software and hardware to replace the internals of standard servos like the Futaba S3003 and the Hitec-HS311.

OpenServo is an open community-based project started by Mike Thompson with the goal of creating a low-cost digital servo for robotics. The hardware and software design of the OpenServo is free for anyone to use and modify to meet their particular needs. It is currently being developed by a small group of dedicated individuals striving to maintain the very best in free, open source software and standards.

The project uses a 8bit AVR microcontroller, MOSFET h-bridge, "feedback of servo position, speed, voltage and power consumption", and only costs about $10 extra per servo (so, about $20 for one complete servo).

Visit the OpenServo Forums for more information.

Tags:

open source,

servo,

This is an update to our previous post about this miniscule but amazing 'hand' from UCLA . The hand, which measures 1mm across when closed, is powered by gas pressure, and is hoped to be one day used in micro surgery. Balloons at the finger joints inflate to close the hand.

You can also see a video of the hand grabbing a fish egg . It's pretty amazing.

Tags:

hand,

UCLA,

Scientists from the Shiga University of Medical Science and Ritsumeikan University in Japan, have created yet another miniature robot to explore around the inside of your bod y. The robot, which is less than 1" x 0.5" is inserted through an incision and is moved by controlling a magnetic field surrounding the patient.

The researchers developed five different kinds of prototypes with features such as image capture functions, medicine delivery systems, and tiny forceps for taking tissue samples. MRI images of the patient taken in advance serve as a map for navigating the minibot, which is said to have performed swimmingly in tests on animals.

The robot is also equipped with an umbilical cord to send back images and other data. Here's a link to the article in Japanese, if you're so inclined.

Tags:

surgery,

In more robot news from Asia, here's an interesting story about a sewer inspection robot that was used to locate a fugitive who'd hidden in the city sewer. The man, who'd stolen a woman's purse, escaped into a sewer pipe. Unfortunately, he'd been stripped of his clothes while fleeing, and he chose an exceptionally cold time to do so - the temperature was 34 degrees F.

The robot located the man, who'd apparently gotten lost in the pipes. The robot, a sewage pipe inspection robot, has six wheels and comes equipped with a camera.

Here's a video of a Korean Japanese news report on the event:

Tags:

korea,