WALK-E

By Robert Saunderson

This assignment is the first in the project for IN5590. The project will span from Assignment 4 to Assignment 7 and will conclude with an open demo of the final product.

The aim of this assignment is to provide a description and sketch for the project.

1) Servo-Actuated Bipedal Walking Robot

The project I have chosen is a servo-actuated bipedal walking robot that I will call "WALK-E."

2) Goals

The goals for this project are:

Create a bipedal robot design that can traverse both smooth and rough terrain.

Attempt to use 3D printing for structural parts (i.e., not carbon fiber tubing) - not including joints.

Gain experience with Dynamixel servos for robotics.

Develop a versatile platform to gain experience with programming robotic systems.

Possibly implement control theory and learning algorithms to optimize movement across different terrain.

3) Sketch

The project will involve using SolidWorks to create a digital model of WALK-E to simulate movement and structural strength. The designs from the CAD software can then be 3D printed and tested in the physical world. A goal for the design is that it will be modular and easy to replace broken or outdated parts. After this stage, the focus will shift to programming and movement dynamics.

Below is a general sketch of how WALK-E will look and the elements it consists of.

The final design is subject to change from what is shown in the scetch.

4) Bill of Materials

This table contains the most important componants for this project:

5) Acknowledgments

Speacial thanks to my wife, Maiken for inspiration and the great name of "WALK-E"!