FIGURE 12A.
Wheeled
robot with
direct drive.
tools, and many more items of
applicable interest to robotics and
mechatronics. I highly recommend
that you go to their site to view all
their products. The site has
dimensional drawings, clear
photographs, photos of multiple uses,
applicable mounting brackets, and
accessories.
FIGURE 12B.
An Ackermann
steering
configuration.
Building a
Robotic Platform
As I mentioned earlier, the R&D
people sent me the robot arm base in
Figure 2 to modify and use in
experiments. They wanted to show
the versatility of their various
components and structural items, and
get my feedback. I decided to modify
it a bit with basic ServoCity (but also
Actobotics) mechanical components,
FIGURE 12C. Chain drive configuration.
just to see how easily I could change
the configuration using only these
parts. Figure 11 shows a few of the
changes I made. I removed the chain
drive and replaced it with two servos
at the end. (Easy changing of
configurations during a prototyping
process is important in selecting a
final design.) The two
wheels are driven by a set
of their 12 VDC
gearmotors, of which they
offer over 50 different
models and gear ratios.
There are numerous
ways to mount these
gearmotors; Figures 12A
through 12C show a few
of the ways. I used a
miniature Firgelli L12-50-50-
6R linear actuator instead
of a standard servo for the
gripper as it made for a
more compact
arrangement.
Pettey and his team
are customer-oriented and
are very open to
suggestions from prospective robot
builders. Their product line is
constantly growing, and they aim to
keep the robotics and mechatronics
community supplied with as many
parts and components as they can.
Some have called ServoCity the ‘Home
Depot’ of robot parts.
Robert Beatty and his two
daughters built the Mars rover shown
in Figure 13 with ServoCity parts. The
robot rover was built for a museum
exhibit in New York City.
Final Thoughts
80 SERVO 08.2013
FIGURE 13. Mars Rover for museum.
Though some of the ServoCity
components and products might be a
bit higher priced than you desire, you
will certainly save a lot over trying to
design and machine similar parts on
your own. These components are very
robust and intuitively designed.
Coupled with their gearmotors,
servos, and motion products, a well
thought out design can result in a
great robot when using these parts.
SV