DOGBOT1

Dogbot's birth is the result of one of my more ambitious challenge: make a walking robot that could 
turn easily.

Honestly, it doesn' t walk but contains many interesting features. 


Its head contains 2 sensors, a light sensor pointing up  and a touch sensor in the nose.
 A Lego Darth Vader helmet is the nose of my dog.
 Head stands on a motorized turntable.
 Two small pneumatic cylinders move the ears.
 Inside the body there is one motor that acts the pneumatic pump and the valve together. 

Each front leg contain a touch-sensor that detects the ground.

Front legs stand under 2 large turntables which are actuated by a motor.It allows to make the dog turn. 
Front legs rotates are symetric, it results front legs can bring to body or get away.Front legs axles change 
when only one foot touch the ground.Note that another  touch sensor is between the 2 legs to inform on 
rotation.

Dogbot's walking geometry is currently use in big Lego walkers, it is a confirmed one but I' ve made few 
mistake.
When walking each front leg is actuated by an independent motor, "ground sensors" inform about the 
leg's positon but motors are not linked together.
Only 2 back legs are linked together but the 2 back legs motors are connected on the same RCX port. It 
results a lower power.The biggest mistake is about legs synchronisation, 2 touch sensors for front legs 
and a rotation sensor for back legs.....very difficult to programing(I'm not Bill).

In a second version I' ve put 2 large turntables up and down each front leg. I' ve build back legs same 
way that front ones.When I decide to use one RCX output for each leg's motor and realize that Ihave to 
sacrify one feature: moving ears or turning head I gave up cause I really love my dog's head!
 
Chrismaker@noos.fr