New Vexplorer Scorpion built from base kit only!

Mystbusters own Grant Ishihara challenged students to create a new robot desing based on the parts which came in the Vexplorer Kit which debuted last Christmas season. The winners of the contest have been covered by the magazine Robot. (Check out the article and video's of the winners at http://www.botmag.com/) Since this competiton was aimed at students we did not participate. My son and I did design, a Vex Robot of our own configuration which we have dubbed "Scorpion". The only parts not from the original kit are the 9.6v battery, the Vex Wrist add-on, and some tape to mount the control unit where bolts were not feasible. At some point in the future the tape may be replaced with hook and loop fastener.

We are posting pictures of our creation along with a video you can check out.

As a side note we'd like to see more father and son teams at the competitions (not to mention mother-son, father-daughter and so on.)

New Vex Builder

4 wheel drive accurate to drawing, but not top performer

Revised Chassis ready for mounting electronics

Dissasembling Vex Exporer was easy

Spybot completed for Vexplorer

Wrist Kit must go! Vexplorer Robot better without it.

Well the testing is done and the verdict is in. The Wrist Kit is coming off of our VEXplorer Robot!

While it does improve dexterity in situations where the Vex explorer robot is being observed directly. It's effect on camera view in remote teleoperations are ultimately what got it nixed on our bot. We also believe that retrieval was faster and more certain without the Vex wrist kit addition.

I guess we still see our VEX Explorer being primarily used for remote operations.

I would however give the wrist kit good marks for durability and quality of construction. We offten used it like a crab leg to assist the robot in climbing over pizza boxes and such.

I really think and an elbow or "wrist" jointed arm that ended in two powered Vexplorer wheels would be a neat addition.

Take Care,

Alan

VEX Mystery Robot Explained by VEX Robotics Lab

In the previous blog we touched on the "other vex robot idea's" that appear in the Vexplorer Assembly Guide. We submitted the question to the VexLabs Forum and were told that the configuration appearing at the top of the page (refeffed to earlier as A1) is in designed so,

"The wheels on the arm are rollers for use as a roller-claw. The piece of claw bracket mounted to the front of the drivebase is the "bottom" of the claw. Basically, the rollers will roll an object up this bracket and hold it in place. This design was created to grip nerf-footballs, and carrry them around." Jon - Vex Engineer

I wonder if we can get it to punt? Seriously, roller claw was something that I'd not thought of, and could be pretty usefull for certain objets Perhpas I should have caught the hint on the Vex explorer Parts page where the optional explorer wheels pac is noted for such applications.

Also, using the arm, wrist kit and a motor and wheel kit with some minor pieses we might be able to make a well articulated roller gripped arm. That also could facilitate stair climbing or improve options in bad terrain. The's it should be able to be accomplished with modying the VEX Blue Controler (VEXplorer Contorler being reffered to as blue vs the orginal which is refferd to as the Red Contoller.)

Let ne know if you have related experiences or ideas.

Thanks,

VEX Mystery Robots?

Are mystery configurations included in basic Vexplorer Kit?

If you purchased and assembled the VEXplorer Robot Base Kit (or perhaps have downloaded the PDF's from VexLabs) you may have noticed that Page 17 of the VEXplorer Assembly guide there are two alternate robot configuration drawings shown.

For our purposes here I will refer to them as Alternate Configuration 1 (or A1) or A2

A1, being represented by the strange six wheeled climer or battlebot type robot shown at the top of the page.

And, A2 - Spybot, which is show on the lower part of the page from the manual and also in the files that accompany one of Grant Imaharas' recent articles on the VEXplorer in Bot Magazine.

(And again below, looks like this)

Do you have any feedback on what you think A1 is designed for?

A2 is obvously a spy-bot but A2's functions are not as clear to me.

We are currently planning to convert our Vexplorer to the A2- Spy-Bot configutation for your review.

Thanks,


New Builder

PS: If anyone has information on how these configurations or drawing came into being or if you have completed them, we would greatly appreciate any information or feedback you may have.

Ordering & Installing the WRIST Kit for VEXplorer Robot (Review)

We recieved out VEXplorer as a Christmas present and upon seeing how pleased we were with it my oldest daughter ordered the optional WRIST Kit for post holiday installation. (Thanks Jessica).

The ordering process from VEXLabs.com was straight and delivery was quick.

The Vex site had the following to say about the "wrist" kit:

"The VEXplorer Wrist Kit will add additional "wrist" joint to the basic VEXplorer robot. By integrating the wrist joint into the VEXplorer arm, the VEXplorer will gain significant dexterity.The VEXplorer Wrist Kit will add additional "wrist" joint to the basic VEXplorer robot. By integrating the wrist joint into the VEXplorer arm, the VEXplorer will gain significant dexterity."

Also, the kit was being offered for a very reasonable $19.99.

It is interesting to note that while the wrist kit is associated as a VEXplorer product (Vex Blue Controler) it as also capable of being added to the more sofisticated VEX Red Controler robots.

Okay! Good news first.

The wrist does substanitially improve dexterity allowing the robot to complete a huge number of stasks that it previously could not. For the non-mechanical and physics mided (like myself) I will attempt to post some pictures which illistrate the point.

We call it the basket problem:

Here we see that the articulation of the wrist allows the arm a

nd gripper to reach over the horivonal edge of the basket and retreive an apple that it would otherwise be un-able to reach. The apple on the right side of the basket represents the level at which the VEXplorer could retrieve prior to the wrist accessory upgrade. The other photes finish out this sequence.

This additional ability to articulate the arm will also allow you to better grab items on shelves and low tables.

Unfortuantly it does introduce a couple of obstacles you will need to be aware of and overcome.

More in Part II of Vexplore Wrist upgrade review.

Builing the Robot from the basic assemblies

The good news about VEXplorer is that it arrives as prebuilt sub assemblys. The bad new is that it can be some what frustrating to tighten some of the fasteners between the main assemblies when ther are being installed in tight access areas.

Grant Imahara of (Mythbuster fame) has an excellent artilce on the Vexporer (RoBot Magaine, Winter 2007) including tips for difficult to assembe parts. Let's just say that scoth tape on a wernce and new or a plasic probe or invered assemple let gravity support your goal. Many say they assempled in about an hour. I didn;t time it but I'd guess we were more like an hour f0rty five. Be sure t0 read Grans Article in the on-line issue of this months robot magazine. http://www.botmag.com/issue9/index.shtml

The packaging was ecellent showin off the cooler features and providing encouraging children to assist with construction there by installing a stronger sence of accomplishment.

Conteting the wire from the various motors and servose to the VEXPlorer (blue) Contol unit it fun. There is a map to operate vaious channes with various movents and as we add devices this beacomes a major topic of its own

At our house many options were explored and votes were taken befor a confguration we were all pleased with was fpund. .

Then of course. we add another cababiliy and are confoned with integrating it from a control funtion.

Believe me it's no fun to be in a time retrevial competition and drop your beverage because you forgot that the left t&B buttons are now controlling the wrist and that grabber closing and opening function was moved to the right joy stick. But these are the parst that make this fun. Many of the things I thoght would be problemms we not, and sometimes we found some where not were expected. We welcome sharing any solutions you come up with and we are glad to do the same.

Have Fun,

Gino and Al

Vexplorer Represents Huge Value in Robotics

You are probably already aware that Revell Models has teamed up with robotics development ginat Inovations First to deliver the first full feature hobby class (not toy) robot that combines the following features and capabilities at an incredible price. To top if off they also offer a number of optional kits to enhace the robot.

Let's look at the capabilities bundle inton the basic unit,

1. Color Remote Video Camera with sound (for spying and remote/telemetric opeation of robot).

2. Advanced and supprisingly powerful Gripper with Motorized are. Easily graps objects and lists 20oz beverage containers with aplomp.

VEXplorer Gripper

3. Awsome 6-Wheel powered drive with twin engines (Tank style driving contol). Advanced wheels and all-wheel drive make this thing pretty hard to stop (espessialy with on of the Power+ Hacks we'll talk about later.)

This robot can fetch full cans of soda(or beer), be operated remotely from another room and make it over most floor obstacles for a suggested retail price of $249.00. Shoot we paid $175.00 for our kit at the local Fred Meyers Dept. Store and I've heard that onetime Amazon mistakenly offered them for considerably less. A google search will show prices and suppliers.

Comming up: (Let's make it better!)

So far you can probably tell that we are very pleased with the VEXplorer Robot, and that is true. It wasn't long though before we began to look at performance enhancements and upgrades which we'll civer in the next blog. The Vex wrist kit has been installed for weeks and throughly lested. We'll blog that soon. Also we did extensive research and compairisons with possibly battery types to enhace speed. And the use of alternate flashlights.

Have fun,

New Builder