Due to unfortunate mechanical failures on my mowbot robot I was able to piece together a prototype for my long running edgebot project. Here is a video. Yes, wheelies are awesome.
Edgebot Prototype from Daniel Epperson on Vimeo.
UPDATE: It cuts!
edgebot trimmer first run from Daniel Epperson on Vimeo.
The mowbot suffers mechanical failures from time to time that require interesting fixes. This time around the mowing deck has broken around the motor mount.
Additionally, the plate holding the carburetor to the engine has split into two pieces. This is preventing the engine from getting the proper air/fuel mixture and causing it to run erratically. I haven't been able to find a replacement mounting plate for this carb yet. I am also considering looking for a clamp-on style carb instead of this tricky plate shenanigan.
Hopefully I'll have these sorted out by the time the yard needs mowing again, as the mowbot is my only mower.
Consider this: put a linear actuator in parallel with the drive motor which extends a weight forwards as the wheels get more power. When accelerating quickly it would need to extend quite quickly, though.
ReplyDeleteor just a third wheel in the back... lol that last idea was a bit out there..
ReplyDeleteHA! I thought the same thing. Actually the fix was very simple, I just needed to move the CG (center of gravity) forward some. To fix it I ended up mounting the motors closer to the rear of the frame.
DeleteIn the end it still didn't work very well. The trimmer motor is pretty weak and with no articulation on the arm it is very hard to position it correctly. I'm thinking an arm with a degree or two of freedom and a system (sonar?) to position it automatically may be in order... We'll see.