Building with LEGO MINDSTORMS have been a passion of mine to enjoy in my leisure time since 1999. Unfortunately life sometimes prevents me from doing so, even years at the time. But it´s all-ways something I come back to. Here I will post photos and descriptions of all that I´ve found time to build in the past and all the new robots that I´ll construct. My hope is that this blog can serve as an inspiration for others that share the fun of creating LEGO MINDSTORMS robots.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
BugIv 2,0
BugIv 2,0 was the first real bug-like little droid that I managed to put together. The curved antenna bumper and the decoration-eyes did that part of the job.
The funny thing is; that bumper is by far the best bumper I ever did. It works on release of the touch sensors, very sensitive and as you can see, the long antennas keeps it covered, which worked wonders. I´m not quite sure what went through my head when I painted the side shields metallic; they were original black..! Looks OK though. Looking back at this one makes me want to do more bug droids.
FEATURED:
Cybermaster Threads, which sometimes are a little challenging to put to use, but looks good when they´re there. Don´t recall whether the traction is good or not.
Air Compressor and micro-motor controlled Pneumatic Valve, which again controlled the grabber-claw at the back.
Monday, June 20, 2011
G.R.R. 1,5
This was the final version of the Geosa Rescue Rovers. The back tires prevented it from falling back over when entering the ramp with a loaded grabber. Besides that, there´s only a few other small changes from v. 1,4.
Thiking back on those challenges makes want to... Hmmm.. Some Mars stuff might be comming up..
Solar Powered Ventilator - SPV.
While playing around with the G.R.R. 1,4, I was really getting fond of the RCX and re-discovering LEGO, so some further purchases were made; 2 other RIS sets, a 1,0 and another 1,5. The LEGO solar cells and a couple of LEGO capacitors ended up at my table as well.
The RCX 1,0 could connect to a AC 9v converter, no batteries needed; genious..!!
This mock-up was made for an article in some LEGO magazine that i t was featured in and sad to say it´s the only one I have.
FEATURED:
Light sensor guided solar cells. The light sensors delivers the input for the RCX to determine which reads most light so it can adjust the solar caells position accordingly. The solar cells was connected to the capacitors and when they were loaded with 2,5 V each, a LED started flashing and so the wires were connected to the ventilator, powering it.
Moon base tiles, unfortunately I lost those at some point, which is really sad since they´ve been with me since childhood and are not produced anymore.
G.R.R. 1,4
Back in the days of the old official LEGO MINDSTORMS site, there was challenges with various degrees of difficulty. Prices were emblems that would be seen on your profile or invention.
One such challenge was the Geosa Rescue Rover Mission in which you´ld have to make an obstacle course, simulating a mars base. The mission, as far as I recall, was to get the robot to a fuel-cell area, grab the empty fuel-cell, drive up a "cliff" path, dump the empty fuel-sell in a designated area, grab a full one and find the way back to the start area. Or something like that.
I had great fun playing around with that challenge, but unfortunately no pictures of the "terrain" have survived, only this mugshot:
FEATURED:
Motorized Grabberarm, heavily inspired by the one from the Droid Developer Kit. It can grab and lift with a single motor. In the lifted position there was plenty of clearance to enter the ramp that worked as the cliff path.
Light sensor that determined which fuel-cell was empty; one was white/clear, 2 others were black.
Rotation sensor that made the rover stay on course. Sort of...
BugIv 1,6
BugIv 1,6 was my very first LEGO MINDSTORMS creation. It buzzed with live for the first time one very late night somewhere back in ´99. The original photo-file is lost all most equally long way back, so this is the best I could find.
Click it large.
FEATURED:
Front bumper w. 2 touch sensors, enabling detection of which side of the robot that bumps into something. The bumper that were in the building instructions of the RIS 1,5 set, from which this one were inspired, had a "dead" area in the middle, which are eliminated here by the 2 foremost flexible tubes
The antennas on each side activated the bumper when the robot was about to drive under anything that were to low for it to pass, like the couch, etc.
This bumper design proved quite efficient and can be seen in different variations on other of my robots.
Motorized light sensor, that just tilted up and down, searching for light. It was powered by the old LEGO TECHNIC motor at the rear
Protective flex-frame, good to counter the curious cat... ;^)
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