|
| Home / Projects / Air |
 | Blimp Bot
17 Nov 2000
|
Project Outline A robot that flies and looks for its own "food".
My basic idea was to slap a big Balloon to a photovore and let it go.
This turned out to be a bit too simplistic to work. Currently i'm working on the package for the electronics and balancing the whole thing so that it doesn't tip over. Another problem is helping the bot stay nutrally boyant so that the platform is a stable one. |
Latest Journal Entry| version 2.0 07 Mar 2001 | | OK once again its been a bit and the little bot has got a new look.
For starters I abandoned the latex balloons. The latex bled helium too quickly and while the static didn't seem to create to much difficulty for the electronics it sure made working with the balloon a pain.
Mylar is currently the working material of choice. Also due to useing a different type of balloon with a different shape the frame has changed to a much easier design to work with.
Basicly its a floating stick...
I have a pic i'll be adding soon. in the mean time picture if you will a small dowel rod in the middle of which is a small package of eletronics. there are two motors each conecting to a gear system (aprox. 1:40) on a fan. The fans are half dollar sized wheels cut fron a soda can then split and twisted to form the basic shape. The "stick" hangs horizontally with four balloons tied to the ends and spaced out the middle section.
I plan on having the solar panels along the sides or perhaps on extension arms that stick out the corners. I had thought of putting them on top of the balloons but this is too much effort trying to keep the balloons balanced. Later versions may involve a custom mylar balloon but i'm still experimenting with lift also right now i seem to have a good ammount of margin for wieght so a plan on adding sensors like crasy. Possible even something kin to IR radar. I don't know yet.
|
Other Journal Entries
| |
|
|
