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The Art of LEGO Design Jason Geist Original version by Michael Rosenblatt September 10, 2003
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Sources The Art of LEGO Design, by Fred G. Martin LEGO kit instructions Internet ME! And other TA’s, of course.
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Goals: Build better robots –Minimize mechanical breakdowns –Build robots that are easy to control –Encourage good design strategy –Strive for elegant, clever solutions
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Know your Materials Quick facts: –Plastic bricks since 1949 (wooden blocks prior) –On average, 2100 different parts each year –Manufacturing tolerance: 1/1000 of an inch –Number of ways of combining six 8-stud bricks: 102,981,500 –Widely used by scientists and engineers as a rapid prototyping tool
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Geometry 1-stud brick dimensions: exactly 5/16” x 5/16” x 3/8” (excluding stud height 1/16”), This is the base geometry for all LEGO components Three plates = 1 brick in height
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Structure Common pitfall when trying to increase mechanical robustness:
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Structure The right way:
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Structure The right way:
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Connector pegs Black pegs are tight-fitting for locking bricks together. Grey pegs turn smoothly in bricks for making a pivot
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Structure LEGO bricks are finicky: –They HATE duct tape. –They HATE hot glue. –They HATE super glue. –They HATE epoxy. You should never need adhesives to build reliable LEGO structures
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Help!!!
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Drivetrain LEGO Gears 8T 16T 24T 40T 24T Crown 1T Worm Bevel
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Worm Gears Pull one tooth per revolution 1 2 3 4 Result is a 24:1 gearbox Not back driveable!
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Motors 9V Gear Motor ~ 150 mA 300 RPM (no load)
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Motors 9V Micro Motor 20-30 RPM Internal two stage orbital gearbox (wow!)
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Mounting Motors Note Bulge under motor
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Mounting Motors Add a gear:
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Mounting Motors Use special 2x1 stud plate with “wing”
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Build for good control Slow vs. fast? Gear backlash Stability Skidding
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Wires Take pride in your wires!!! Wire management: use zip ties!!
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Design Strategy Incremental –Test components parts as you build them Drivetrain Sensors, sensor mounting Structure Don’t be afraid to redesign KISS
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Design Strategy Drivetrain driven Chassis/structure driven Modular?
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Testing Don’t wait until you have a final robot to test –Interaction of systems –Work division (work concurrently) Develop test methods Repeatability
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Philosophy Have fun Be creative, unique Strive for cool solutions, that work! Aesthetics: it’s fun to make beautiful robots!
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