I was satisfied with the initial prototype, running a single servo at random. Once i attached a feather and then a paintbrush to it; its seemed that a tickling robot was a feasible concept to build!
Allow me to expand on the idea of a "Bot"...
A Robot is a self sustaining device that has a brain which runs a specific set of instructions. The difference between a robot and machine, is that a robot can be programmed!
What this means: The tickling will vary in intensity, speed, position and will have a randomness aspect to it! Randomness which was lacking in previous attempts to build a tickling machine!
Now on with the update!
I decided to upgrade the Bot. I added 2 more servos, to a total of 4. I upgraded the PLC board with a new device that runs the servos specifically. this way i dont have to worry about the electronic circuit, and i can focus more on the program that runs the servo... which is the biggest item in this project! if the program does not exist, then I might as well attach a feather to a small fan or a drill and call it a day!
I also built "thingy" to hold all servos in the desired position. The current version (which i call module A, very creative.. eh?) is a foot tickling module. the module is placed infront of the feet, bound at the ankles with the toes tied together (or event all toes tied back to something).
the servo placement is as follows:
servo 1 and 2: directed to the area around the toes.
servo 3 and 4: directed to the area around arches.
I am thinking of adding a motor that will go between the 2 feet so a tip/brush would tickle the middle/ center area between the 2 arches/insteps.
The bot functions ok... still needs some improvement to the program which i will work on in the following week.
As of now, there are no tickling tips attached to the bot, I dont have any, and i have to figure out what to use... My guess is that this problem will be solved in the next day after a trip to the arts/hardware store!
cheers...
Allow me to expand on the idea of a "Bot"...
A Robot is a self sustaining device that has a brain which runs a specific set of instructions. The difference between a robot and machine, is that a robot can be programmed!
What this means: The tickling will vary in intensity, speed, position and will have a randomness aspect to it! Randomness which was lacking in previous attempts to build a tickling machine!
Now on with the update!
I decided to upgrade the Bot. I added 2 more servos, to a total of 4. I upgraded the PLC board with a new device that runs the servos specifically. this way i dont have to worry about the electronic circuit, and i can focus more on the program that runs the servo... which is the biggest item in this project! if the program does not exist, then I might as well attach a feather to a small fan or a drill and call it a day!
I also built "thingy" to hold all servos in the desired position. The current version (which i call module A, very creative.. eh?) is a foot tickling module. the module is placed infront of the feet, bound at the ankles with the toes tied together (or event all toes tied back to something).
the servo placement is as follows:
servo 1 and 2: directed to the area around the toes.
servo 3 and 4: directed to the area around arches.
I am thinking of adding a motor that will go between the 2 feet so a tip/brush would tickle the middle/ center area between the 2 arches/insteps.
The bot functions ok... still needs some improvement to the program which i will work on in the following week.
As of now, there are no tickling tips attached to the bot, I dont have any, and i have to figure out what to use... My guess is that this problem will be solved in the next day after a trip to the arts/hardware store!
cheers...
