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  • Author Author: dubbie
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Walking Robots #2 : Tobbie is Completed

dubbie

Continuing with my investigation of walking robots I have completed making Tobbie, as illustrated in the video below. I am very impressed with the mechanical engineering and design of this product and I think it is a great robot. I am sure that there is much more that can be done with this than just playing with it's supplied functions.

 

 

The walking mechanism is fascinating. It uses alternating sets of three legs to move forwards or backwards. It uses three legs because it is always stable so while one set of three legs is on the ground Tobbie is stable, so that the other three can be moving forwards or backwards. I'm not entirely sure how it turns yet, maybe some vector type combination of the two sets of legs.

 

It seems perfectly feasible to replace the existing electronics in Tobbie's head with an Arduino Nano or similar. I might even have a go at this myself.

 

Dubbie

  • in reply to dubbie

    I can imagine it now... A Tobbie swarm!

  • in reply to danielw

    Daniel,

     

    It does seem as if Tobbie might make a good platform for some interesting experiments in walking mobile robots. I obtained mine from Amazon where one seller was much cheaper than all thee others. Seemed to be a good seller as it came quickly and was complete.  I think it is a good quality design, but it is important to remember than it is still a toy made from plastic and probably quite easy to break. Good fun though so far.

     

    Th box states it being suitable for 8 year olds but they would have to be pretty aware mechanically and very careful in order to construct it properly. I took three days to put it together as I wasn't in a rush and I carefully removed all the burrs from the injection moulded parts. Some steps were difficult to understand, especially towards the end - six legs do kind of get in the way!

     

    If MyTobbie works out I might even buy some more.

     

    Dubbie

  • That looks Awesome.  I might have to start saving up my pocket money! There's so much scope there for modding.

  • in reply to genebren

    Gene,

     

    I haven't tried it on different terrains yet so it will be interesting to see what it can cope with. It will probably depend on how high the legs are lifted compared with the surface roughness.

     

    Dubbie

     

  • in reply to three-phase

    Donald,

     

    I have done a little bit of design in my time, although not with any great success and I think it helps me at least, to understand when something is well designed. I agree that for the price, this toy is very well designed and someone or a group of someones has put in a great deal of time, effort and thinking. Or maybe they are just very good designers!

     

    Dubbie