ArcBotics

Servotor32 2.0 Firmware Update

joe — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:59:52 +0000

I’ve been working like crazy for the last week to package the firmware all nice and tidy, as well as write a new backend engine for servo update that doesn’t require any manual updating by the users’ code. What this really means is:
Hexy is now way easier to code for!

The mess is all hidden, its now all in an easy library we’re now writing docs for
New backend that doesn’t require manual updating. Tell a servo to move, it moves! You don’t even need to know its there anymore.
A driver is now included for the ultrasonic module, as easy as calling hexy.ping()
The board now automatically configures the bluetooth module once plugged in
Debug printouts for those so inclined on knowing more how the code works
Way more commenting to make it easier to understand the code, and to make your own

I’m still working on adding arduino move-generation to PoMoCo, but progress is going well. I can now generate moves with python code that you can copy-paste into the arduino code. One step easier in making Hexy more autonomous.

Get it here

Hexy Colors!

joe — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 23:31:05 +0000

It took much longer than expected to get all the colors of plastics. We were mislead by the local plastics supplier on lead times, and orders that previously took two days have taken 4 weeks. We have since found a far superior who delivers on time, and have sample of each color of Hexy now available. Colors of the figurine rewards will soon follow.

So without further ado, here are the Hexy Colors!

The Gang

Clear

Grey

Red

Orange

Green

Blue

Purple

Kickstarter Launch, Press and more

joe — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:45:21 +0000

Wow, its been a fantastic past two weeks. The kickstarter exploded, we’re meeting tons of people interested in helping the educational mission, and opportunities are popping up as fast as we can reply to them.

Press is also starting to take off:
Robots.net, Dvice, CNET, PC World, Designboom

With the support from the Kickstarter project, its now going to be possible for us to develop more educational robots in the future. We’ve got some really exciting products that are planned for the future, so thank you to all the supporters, you made this possible!

Maker Faire was also a great time. We got to meet a lot of people who are excited about the work we’re doing, and we got valuable feedback from people in terms of what they were looking for in Hexy, what they liked and didn’t like, and ideas on how to spread it around better. Thanks to everyone that stopped by the booth, especially the kids:

Lets keep this going, spread the word. Cheap robots for everyone!

Spark

joe — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:49:21 +0000

This little fellow just might make it in time to see San Mateo Maker Faire!

Preparing for Bay Area Maker Faire – and the Hexy Kickstarter!

joe — Tue, 08 May 2012 08:07:56 +0000

ArcBotics will be at the 2012 Bay Area Maker Faire, where we’ll be launching the kickstarter for the Hexy Hexapod. We’ll be on staff with fully functioning Hexy demo robots, raising awareness of the campaign, and getting community feedback for improvements we can make. We’ll be handing out as many of these little flyers as we can (front and back):

Hexy RC1 Walking and Turning

joe — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:40:21 +0000

After writing a 3D hexapod simulator, I worked with the inverse kinematics library I wrote to make a simple walking gait. It moves fairly smoothly, and I plan on applying some of the techniques I applied to making the turn smoother. Some of the ‘mistakes’ I made while getting the gait to work might make its way into the future dance moves demo, too.

Hexy RC1 Turning Test

joe — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:52:11 +0000

A first test turning test using the new open source Inverse Kinematics software written to make movements easier.

Rev 10 Hexapod Progress

joe — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:30:21 +0000

Latest Revision of the hexapod (Rev 10), and approaching final mechanical design. At this point its mostly about maneuverability and ease of construction:

Servotor PCBs arrived! (pictures)

joe — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:45:20 +0000

The first batch of Servotor 32-Servo controllers has arrived! Here’s some snapshots to show about what they’ll end up looking like, and the colors. I really like the black/white job the manufacturer did. Let the servo-whirring begin!

ArcBotics’ Hexy the Hexapod Robot Playing Guitar

joe — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:21:05 +0000

Took about an hour to program in python, and lets you hit notes by hitting keyboard keys. Shot to show off the responsiveness of the legs to commands. Figured it was cuter than it walking. Enjoy!