Joe Swann

Some videos from my Arduino Mega tests, testing servo speed, PWM, servo library etc.

Read More >>

We are taking inspiration from many sources for our creature, mainly because to our knowledge mammals and reptiles do not have six legs and insects do not usually grow to 50cm in length. We are exploring the idea of the ‘wtf’ mammals like the pangolin and the porcupine. Images after the jump.

Read More >>

A few renders of a rough mockup I did this evening in 3DS Max.

This model will be small, cheap and pack alot of punch in true kiwi style.

The models initial design uses 18 HTX900 servos, these are some of the cheapest servos money can buy but they have impressive torque and speed despite that. These servos control 6 legs of the hexapod with 3DOF per leg. The initial fabrication will be done using solidworks and ~3mm lasercut acrylic. Control will be achieved using the mighty arduino mega (able to control up to 48 servos simultaneously), and two xbee modules will give us the ability to reprogram on the fly from up to one mile away. A wireless camera will be integrated into the ‘face’ to give us a ‘bots eye view’.

Read More >>

A collection of links to projects that will inform and influence our design.

Read More >>

Since we have agreed that whatever else we do, it should be a hexapod, here are my initial sketches to test layout.

Brief for main animatronics segment

Flash CS4 & HP TX2500: Fatboy Slim – Weapon of Choice,

Method, using the tablet to locate lines frame by frame, shortcuts to skip forward/back a frame help. I am considering splitting each scene into its own flash file and compiling later as this file is slightly unresponsive at the moment.

Project 1 – Rotoscoping a Music Video

One of the oldest and most useful animation techniques is to use prerecorded footage as a guide fordrawing character outlines – a process known as rotoscoping. For this project, you will rotoscope a 30 second portion of dance found in one of the three musicvideos listed below.

Read More >>

My final presentation for the project.

Read More >>

Why oh why? That’s like 6 hours of work lost. I’m not doing it all again, I guess I’ll just work with what I have.

Click for high res.

Mostly finished…

Render showing how the folded rotor would fit with the tail rotor. The rear rotor would be chain or pulley driven.

This is my design for the rotor head. This design is roughly based on one I found at sportcopter.

Here is my solution for folding the mast while keeping the rotor in a good position for road travel. The blade shroud helps to protect the blades.

Research into single sided swingarm solutions, lightweight suspension solutions, steering solutions, combining propeller drive with road drive.

Research gallery after the jump.

Read More >>

Research into single sided swingarm solutions, lightweight suspension solutions, steering solutions, combining propeller drive with road drive.

Research gallery after the jump.

Read More >>

Critical analysis of the current design

The electric car was an early precursor to the gasoline-powered automobile, setting numerous land speed records and making motorized transportation a significant lifestyle change for thousands of urban dwellers in the late 1800’s. Appreciated for its ease of use and quiet operation, the electric car enjoyed popularity through the 1920’s, until Charles Kettering’s invention of the electric starter, and the discovery of oil in Texas led to a decline in gas prices. Gasoline-fueled cars, which had been noisy, odorous, and difficult to operate, also gained market share as improvements in manufacturing led to steep price cuts, making the vehicles more affordable than their electric counterparts.

-http://www.neilpeterson.com/?p=1211

The idea behind this project is to explore the idea of alternative ‘scenarios’ in transportation history,. For instance what if betrol based engines had not gained dominance in the 1920′s?

Part of the motivation for this project is to investigate the concept of technological evolution. The idea of ‘the selfish gene’ defines the way technology has evolved outside of individual designers and companies. There are other contexts that also affect the development of technology, individual designers provide styles and ideas that can last for decades or even centuries.

Read More >>