| Marty The Robot Has A Way To Walk |
| Written by Lucy Black |
| Saturday, 23 July 2016 |
|
It is not often that a robot, especially a small cheap robot you can actually buy, does something fundamental so differently that you just have to keep watching the video. In this case Marty the robot has a new way of walking. Even if you don't want to buy a Marty, and I can't see why anyone wouldn't, then it is worth copying the way he walks if you are thinking of building your own robot. Currently on Indiegogo with a flexible goal, which means the project goes ahead no matter how much money is raised, Marty is a cute educational robot. Hasn't the world got enough cute educational robots? Probably but there might be room for Marty. At just over $100 for a basic, but complete, unit, you can program Marty in Scratch, Python or C++. A WiFi custom control board handles the sensors and the servos. Standard sensors include an accelerometer, and beeper and lots of expansion possibilities. You can also add a Raspberry Pi as a second brain if you need the processing power for advanced things like computer vision.
The robot is open source and there are files that let you 3D print your own if you can't wait for the commercially built units sometime early next year. Marty seems to tick all the boxes and programming him seems like a good way to learn about robotics but we need to talk about the elephant in the room - that walk! Marty has three servos in a neat arrangement that allows each leg to move backward and forward, side to side and rotate:
OK, but how does that help with walking:
Keep watching the video. Eventually it makes sense. I suppose it also allows Marty, or rather his programmers, to indulge in some funky moves, but it's a nice design no matter what it gets used for. Marty is cute and has active eyebrows - a must for any robot, I hear a rumor that Nao has just acquired a pair, and optional arms. If you are looking for a walking robot platform this looks like a distinct possibility. More InformationRelated ArticlesIntroducing SpotMini - A Domestic Pet Helper Vyo - A Robot For Controlling Smart Home Devices Jibo The Friendly Robot Could Be Your Next Platform Pepper - Aldebaran's New Robot Designed To Be Your Friend ASUS Unveils Zenbo Home Companion Robot Buddy Your Social Robot Has An SDK
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 23 July 2016 ) |
