Hey Guys!
So I was watching this video, and I really liked the leg gears, called grasshopper gears, I think. So, can any of you think of anything we could use a similar mechanism for in vex? I was thinking something similar could be used for a DR4B, maybe?
Edit: also, it might be possible to use a mechanism like shown in the video to make a drawing machine or something similar, like the 3D printer shown. You could also use them to maybe make a jumping robot, like they are found naturally, in a type of jumping insect, shown here.
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Cool find! I think that this is buildable with VEX components. The hard part is going to be the “tendons”. For competition you are limited to the nylon cord which over time will stretch. Cotton string would work, but note sure of how much you would be able to lift.
The model shown has the tendons wrapping around a drum for a few turns and then reversing to go the other way. You could also go for a big gear with tendons offset at 180 degrees in a “Choo-choo” format. (Look at how pistons drive wheels on steam trains to change linear motion to rotary you can go backwards to get rotary motion to be linear.
Lets see your model!
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Maybe instead of cord or string on a drum, use pneumatics?
I was honestly thinking that these would be better for IQ, since you could 3d print them to have v-shaped teeth, like is seen in the video. I think that this would cause them to have better traction/less slip. I like the Idea of using the string. I think that these would be better for precise things-as you can see, they are using stepper motors in the vides, which makes sense as this is on a 3D printer.
It would be a little easier to prototype this in VEXIQ, but they suffer with the “No 3D printed parts rule”. There is presently a part that is a gear with a 1x3 attached to it ( used in claw construction) that would work. I don’t think it’s a buy in a bag part, but a number of kits have it
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