Wheeler : Progress so far

At the weekend I got a chance to do some more work on Wheeler, the Giant wheeled robot.  I have decided that this Robot will contain a single Lego NXT with a Mindsensor RCX multiplexer.  This will give me access to 3 NXT motors and 4 old style 9v motors.

Wheeler will have quite basic functionally so that I can save enough parts for the Massive T1 and try and keep cost down.  I have tons of old 9v stuff so that helps.

The plan is for 2 NXT motors to drive Wheeler, 2 RCX motors to move arms up, 1 RCX motor to control both hands, and 1 RCX motor to turn the head.  This leaves 1 NXT motor spare.

Below are some pictures of the current progress.

Before I started!

Now Wheeler has 2 basic arms with connected motors and the neck joint has a motor attached to it.

Top view of the 2 old style 9v Motors.  The motors are connected to the turntables via a worm gear that is connected to a 24 teeth cog which then turns the outer cog of the turntable via a 8 tooth cog.

The arm is very simple and light so that the motors can move it with ease.  Remember the old 9v motors are not as strong as the Power function ones.

The hand is controlled via a old style 9v micro motor.  These are very small, slow turning light motors that have become very rare.  I have decided that this type of hand is pretty naff and will be designing a new type that works like a vice.

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