A true robot in disguise. Ron Tajima has created the CanBot, a beer can transformer robot that can walk around. What captured me most about this bot is the way it can use rolling for locomotion. It seems to move quite a bit faster with better control in this configuration. Single servos control the leg mechanics, but with several layers of legs, the bot could control the direction of its rolling, but that is getting ahead of the design. The control of the bot is performed through a Wii remote. The bot also appears to have a dev-board as its central controller. It looks like an off the shelf board, but I could not identify it. If you know what it is, please let me know.
This is not Ron Tajima's first robot. He built a Wii remote controlled Roomba vacuum robot. A PC controls the Roomba bot via a serial-Bluetooth adapter. Tajima aslo made a battery powered IR sensor built into a chop-stick case.
Tajima also took 448 LEDs were mounted to the top of a Roomba, turning it into a real-life Pacman. A SH2 MPU communicates with the Roomba while also handling a serial-bluetooth adapter and LED driver circuit. He plans to make a game out of this Pac-Roomba, but it may be some time off.
Eavesdropper