Over the last week I’ve been working on the next version of the Jansen Walker, this will be the 3rd release.
The goal is to make it much easier to assemble, faster, and 1/3rd larger using 3mm (1/8in) material.
The biggest change is that instead of using modified servos, which seem to scare a lot of people off, use geared motors which are about the same price. That will make the electronics side easier, perhaps slightly more expensive depending on your controls.
The new version will use the Tamiya Twin-Motor Gearbox, that has a good 203:1 ratio that is ideal for a medium to low RPM walker. It’s $10.95 at SparkFun.
I see three obvious ways to control the walker electronically:
- Very simple: switches and batteries
Direct wired buttons to the motor and battery would work well, but have no speed control
- A generic R/C setup with a remote, receiver, and two small speed controllers. I think this would be fun.
- An arduino or any microcontroller with a motor shield
I’m also playing around with ideas to make assembly easier and faster. Currently it takes about 4-6 hours to assemble, mainly because of all the legs and joints. There are 5 joints per leg, and there are 12 legs.
The next thing I'll be trying is nylon tubing and compression using bolts, that should allow for secure joints that still still rotate freely. As soon as my parts arrive I’ll be testing this method, I think it will shorten assembly time by as much as half.
