| Blog series by Tony Slattery | updated 06-09-2015 12:33 AM | 3 parts | 14242 reads | 12 comments total |
Part 1: Return of the Wombat
A short history of my journey into the art and craft of making ramp walking toys. Also known as passive dynamic walker. As much as I like making things, enjoy making things that move even more. It all started with the Ramp Walking Rhino, a design by Robert Lou Ma. I made one, and it kind of worked. I think the problem was a small hinge, which I did not have, so I used a piece of piano hinge instead. The challenge with these toys is to minimize friction, and the hinge was not sturdy ...
Part 2: the man who started it all - Tad Mcgeer
For anyone interested in ramp walking toys, here is a link to a youtube video: https://youtu.be/WOPED7I5Lac featuring Tad (not Ted) McGeer back in the 1980s with a very impressive model. Also if you google tad mcgeer passive dynamic walking find a lot more. Be warned – your life will never be the same again.
Part 3: Introductory Computational Model of a Passive Dynamic Walker
For those interested or can understand the science behind ramp walking toys, found this: Click on the image to download a PDF copy – links to a new page. This refers to the kind that rock from side to side, as the walking robot types. Trying to read this as a strange hypnotic effect on me – puts me to sleep zzzzzz…. My simple solution is to simply put the axis of rotation above the center of mass. Fortunately I have access to a CAD program allows me to pin...
