Servo - November 2015

When most people consider using air as a method of movement, the first thought hat usually comes to mind is the use of pneumatics. Although this is the most popular and the one we will primarily discuss here, there are a few other “windy” options you may want to consider. We will take a quick look at a couple, and maybe they will inspire you to come up with a new concept yourself!

The use of pneumatics provides the prop builder with a unique set of qualities that are hard to achieve using any other method of movement. They are able to lift much heavier loads than servos and can move extremely fast. Once you start using pneumatics, you will find a variety of applications where they will be the optimum solution. While their use may be a bit intimidating initially, harnessing this power is no mystery.

Many feel there is a steep learning curve required to harness this elusive power of pneumatics. Do not be hesitant to give them a try as the basics are fairly straightforward. Granted, you do need to watch what you are doing in order to keep things safe. However, mastering this skill will allow you to accomplish many tasks that may have previously been impossible for you to do using other methods. Like any other technique, they are not without their own set of drawbacks. Pneumatics do require some extra equipment in the form of an air compressor, hoses, and fittings, as well as the required electronics necessary to control it all. There is also the need to deal with the loud noise of the compressor, along with the blast of air exhaust that accompanies the use of pneumatics. There are a few ways to deal with this, and we will cover those later in the article.

Pneumatics also include the limitation of being either on or off. Standard cylinders using the traditional setup we will discuss here lack the proportional control we have when using servos. There are models available that are controllable, but those are beyond the scope of this article. I will add that topic to my list of future projects.

Will I Need to Take Out a New Loan?

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When building animatronics, it is important to avoid falling into the trap of always trying to use the same mechanisms and techniques to solve every build challenge. We all have our favorite methods, but sometimes you need to implement other techniques in order to solve a unique problem.

We are often confronted with the need to rapidly move heavy loads. Servos and motors are not designed for this, so we need to look for another solution. To paraphrase Bob Dylan, the answer may be blowing in the wind.