Rodney the skateboarding robot :: Robotics

Rodney the skateboarding robot My project is Rodney, the robot skateboard, targeted at kids who want a cool skateboard accessory, and parents who would most likely buy one for their kids. Similar designs are a handle-like device with wheels that pulls a skateboard or roller skates, and the Segway. I have studied these designs, and a brief history of skateboards to better my understanding of how to make my robot work. The first design has a forward/reverse options for the motors and is turned by turning the board or roller skates. It is practically just a way to use the skateboard without using much energy. Segway ® Human Transporter (HT) can self-balance because of a technology called dynamic stabilization. Dynamic Stabilization works by using solid-state gyroscopes, tilt sensors, high-speed microprocessors, and powerful electric motors performing to keep it balanced. The skateboard originally in the 50s was conceived as a way to surf on land, whenever there was bad surfing weather. It started out as roller skates nailed to a wooden base. Then a bicycle company in the early 70s built better boards with flexible mounts for the wheel axis, and thus was born the modern skateboard, with grip tape for more maneuverability and painted designs and logos on the bottom of the board. Rodney is a two-part robot, one is the controller for Rodney and the other is Rodney himself, the maneuverable part. The controller consists of flat platforms with four walls of beam pieces. It has a RCX 2.0, and three touch sensors. The Rodney also RodneyBeta the skateboarding robot has an RCX 2.0 and four motors in a car-like design. He has beams and panel pieces connecting the motors together for additional stability. Rodney was successful at pushing my skateboard forward, reverse, and even turning. He could move the skateboard by itself at around 5mph and slightly less with added weight. The maximum weight that it can hold is about 2lbs. The remote controller has a range of around 10fts, and when it is out of range Rodney continues doing the same function that it was doing previously. I found that sometimes wheels may fall of Rodney, and occasionally he slides out from under my skateboard. I see that the alpha form of Rodney can that at least three forms, one being the