Mana Cat

I'm not going to finish the Mana Cat. I rather build something else.
It was interesting to test out the leg configuration with the Mana.
They actually work really well.

<http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=128009
<http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Legomaster/Mana-Cat/thumb/mr-krackle-3-preview-3.jpg_thumb.jpg>>¬

The gearing works well and is strong.
The controlability is tricky and is not really precise.
Also due to the orientation of each Mana, the leg button control is different.
Making it confusing to control because of the 16 different ways the four legs
move. 

<http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1231061
<http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Legomaster/Mana-Cat/thumb/mr-krackle-4-mana-cat-spine.jpg_thumb.jpg>>¬

I needed to create the basic body design to test the application.
I learned a couple of things when I tested and built the body.
Like the spine idea. It works great! Bends fwd/rev.

I developed the ankles to "return" to a level position, thus the spine idea was
born. I didn't want to create any additional control surfaces, I wanted the Mana
remote to be the only control. So no adjustability in the ankles or elsewhere on
the robot. Just the Mana driving the legs in an effort to "shimmy" or walk.

<http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1231060
<http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Legomaster/Mana-Cat/thumb/mr-krackle-3-preview-4.jpg_thumb.jpg>>¬

Really my dismay with this project started with the feet. They do the job, but
are not pretty and they look clunky. Plus the rear feet looked just like the
front ones. Yuck.

Plus, the neck area created issues and I had difficulty making the kind of
components I wanted. They would have required additional motors and sensors.
Items I did not want to add. Plus the whole base of the neck was making it
difficult to build.

I took a break, and then another and another. Got Builders-Block, then began the
head. The head was soooooo cool, I decided it belonged to another Mecha.

I created the face of a new robot, added a pilot, installed nifty new trans 2x2
LED bricks from HiTechnic (eyes), added the motors and gearing for the head
up/down tilt, added the motors and gearing for the left/right pan over the
course of this past week.

Last night I completed the main shoulder actuation for the upper most fwd/rev
joint. I will go to the studio tonight and work on the shoulder splay.

All black technic and plates, heavy gearing, z8 to z40, dual high rpm motors,
z24 worm driven.

<http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1138347
<http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Legomaster/Things/thumb/find-the-ball-joints-4x5feetlong.jpg_thumb.jpg>>¬

So the robot that will come about from this project is a more like a promise I
kept to myself; complete the
<http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=4473 Super Mech Bot>. The new
robot will look like what was originally intended; an elongated hexapod - like
the <http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=99659 RG Mech>.¬

I now need two more Mana Units. Anyone? Each leg will have a Mana so the legs
can do neat things, while sporting a fully motorized armature on top.

My camera charger is messed up, so until I take pictures, so long Mana Cat.
The kitty that almost never was.

Thoughts? or more dead air, share your ideas, contribute.

e

<http://www.lugnet.com/~1051/
<http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Legomaster/Contact-me/legomaster-icon1-w88-h31.jpg>>