WaistBot

This is a small project I built that drove around in my apartment randomly. It uses two bumpers and has a waist for turning. It's a 4x4 vehicle.

I had plans for making the light sensor telling the RCX when the robot was aligned for driving straight but I never got around to implement that function. Instead I used some timing for getting it roughly centered.

I recall that some pieces fell off after some driving though. Can't remember what it was but I think it had something to do with the drive train and changing directions.

The yellow things in the front and aft is the bumbers. The white slip gear is used to save the steering engine and the waist construction. The drive uses two motors, one in front and the other in the back. It has differentials on both axles.

This is a pic of the driver that normally lives inside the RCX. It's not often they show their green faces. My theory is that they drive as they do 'cause the RCX don't let them see out (no windows, thank God BTW) and that they're green because they drive like they do (ready to puke).

Detailed photo of the steering setup, or the waist as I call it. Probably wrong word, I translated it directly from Swedish :)

Here's the motor that powers the steering. Note the light sensor.