 Frank Yaeple, Fluid Power Editor
of Design News magazine shown "wearing" Robosaurus.
Frank, the "pilot in training"is strapped up in the
monster robot's cranium with a four point harness for his first
Monster Robot driving lesson. Instructor Bob Correll (KiteCyclist
and JetBike daredevil) is in the jump seat behind Frank. Frank
told us this was absolutely the most fun he ever had in his entire
life writing about a hydraulic engineering project!
The basic concept for this type
of control must be attributed to famous Science Fiction author
Robert Heinlein, whom decades earlier invented the idea
of a "Waldo" - a machine you put on
and control like it was an extension of your own body.
If you remember the movie "Aliens
2", you'll probably also remember Sigourney Weaver's "Waldo"
forklift that she "wore" to move big heavy cargo from
place to place AND which she cleverly used as a weapon in the
final combat scenes against the creature!
|
KEY ELEMENTS OF THE ROBOSAURUS
CONTROL SYSTEM
|
Each
of the pilot's arms are placed in a cuff restraint system. When
the pilot moves his arms, Robosaurus's arms
move in the same direction. Pilot's forearm
UP results in Robosaurus's forearm moving UP. Pilot's shoulders
rotated FORWARD results in Robosaurus's shoulder rotating FORWARD,
etc.
 Also,
all the pilot's fingers are simultaneously busy giving individual
UP and DOWN commands for various functions. CLOSING the right
middle finger and the right thumb together causes Robo's right
side CLAW to close together, whereas SPREADING the middle finger
and thumb apart causes the Claw to OPEN. The Pilot's INDEX fingers
are especially busy. As can be seen above, each INDEX finger
controls four push button commands and two toggle switches options.
In
addition to all this arm and finger action, the Pilot must also
control where Robo moves. Two P-Q Controls,
Inc. proportional FOOT pedals are used as both throttle and steering
wheel to drive Robosaurus around! Tilting both foot pedals FORWARD
causes Robo to drive straight ahead. AND the more the
Pilot's feet tilt the pedals, the faster Robo goes!
Tilting both feet BACK causes Robo to move BACKWARD. To spin
to the right, the Pilot applies downward tilt to the LEFT pedal
and backward tilt to the RIGHT pedal. It is very important for
the Pilot to coordinate all arm, finger and foot motions
simultaneosly. It is difficult and takes lot of practice,
but it is this essential training that enables Robosaurus to
move about in such a lifelike manner during a show! |
Each of the pilot's arms are locked into
the "control arm" system shown above. When the pilot
rotates his right shoulder forward, the drawer slides move with
the shoulder. This motion causes the "UP" shoulder micro
switch to close and in turn completes an electrical circuit that
signals a P-Q Controls, Inc. hydraulic control valve computer
board to cause the right shoulder hydraulic cylinder to extend.
Basically, the P-Q Controls, inc. Valve Control computer board
takes the simple "ON/OFF microswitch electrical circuit commands
and converts them to simulated proportional commands. When the
pilot removes his control force inputs, built-in springs return
all commands to the neutral OFF position.
|
