The
world is run by this simple concept.
Inspiration always precedes innovation.
Would the modern automobile as we know it exist if Henry Ford had to
re-invent the wheel? What about the
computer or modern medical science?
Isaac Newton put it best when he famously uttered: “If I have seen further it is by standing on
the shoulders of giants.”
When
I first joined the NXTLog community, it was because of inspiration. Seeing all of the incredible projects filled
my mind with possibilities of what I could do.
Not just to admire and wish I had the pieces or the skills, but to use
the ideas themselves as sources for my own constructions.
Therefore,
inspiration was a major part of my robotics career even before I joined FIRST.
It is For Inspiration and
Recognition of Science and Technology – the ultimate goal of the program is
to inspire participants, mentors, and others about engineering technology. And today, I bring you a tribute…to teamwork,
coopertition and inspiration in general.
Those
of you who have been around for a while might recognize these two creatures…in
August 2010, NXTLog released the Robotic
Pet building challenge. Dogs, cats
and birds headed the popularity list when scanning the list of entries…but most
eyes paused in surprise when gazing at the two projects you see above. CheshireCat150 and NatoNX had a slightly
different take on the challenge.
So
what’s so significant about two competing entries into the same challenge? What’s the point? And what does this have to do with the “inspiration”
I was talking about earlier? Well, in
life and in FIRST, it is impossible to improve unless you are willing to learn
from your competition. Who knows, your
competition might even be on your alliance someday…
Xenon
(CC150’s entry, top) and BlazingFire
(my entry, bottom) were two very different entries into the same challenge. Both came at the True Problem of building a dragon
in a different way, and the different Specifications each builder generated is
evident in the Detailed Design exemplified in each one. Xenon breathed fire and walked reliably,
while BlazingFire raised his arm in anticipation of getting a treat. What would I get, I wondered, if I tried to
combine the two into one, and left the result as a tribute to inspiration and
teamwork…?
This
is XenonFire. A week-long project attempting
to combine the best of both Xenon and BlazingFire into a single design that,
while not superior to either design alone, is a symbol of inspiration across the
realm of robotics and life in general.
LEGS/WALKING MECHANISM
The
legs and walking mechanism are core to any quadruped dragon, and an essential
part of the three you see here. They put
the LEGO in Motion, allow them Rumble over anything in their way, and Ultimately,
make the Ascent wherever they want to go. BlazingFire, while possessing a meticulous
leg design, lacked the reliable, quick walking speed featured by Xenon. My goal was to integrate a similar leg design
and CC150’s elliptical-based advancement mechanism into a single dragon. Turning would be accomplished by a central
pivot, and the legs would be mechanically linked as to stay in synchronization
at all times without sensor feedback and software aid. To do this, I used a double-differential
setup featuring two motors that allowed full power of both motors to be applied
to both the walking and steering mechanisms at different times. Each of the motors are connected to one of
the outputs of each differential, except that one motor’s output is reversed by
means of a gear train before entering the second differential (the one on top
of the robot.) This way, the bottom
differential turns when the motors rotate in the same direction. This drives the center shaft that drives the
legs. The top differential rotates when
the motors turn in the opposite direction.
This drives the center turntable that allows XenonFire to pivot and
turn.
NECK AND HEAD
The neck and head are important features of any
dragon, and provide key clues if the dragon is friendly…or just hungry! XenonFire, while having a head too small to
feature a fire-breathing mechanism that Xenon sported (trust me, I tried), does
have a little red tongue. Horns are
similar to his predecessor BlazingFire.
WINGS AND TAIL
CONCLUSION
XenonFire
features a simple navigation program, utilizing the ultrasonic sensor on his
stomach. This Code allows the Orange
creature to roam autonomously. When he
detects an object for more than 0.5 seconds, XenonFire stops, opens his mouth
and roars, then backs away, turns, and proceeds on his wandering.
Enjoy
these other pictures of XenonFire I had some fun taking earlier today…
XenonFire
is a tribute to that inspiration, to the collaboration that allows our
world to function. Special thanks to CC150 - for all the inspiration.
