Dtto 3D Printable Modular Open Sourced Transformer Robot

Dtto robot is just cool! See it here in the video presentation:





Project description:

The Dtto v1.0 Robot is a modular transformable robot designed to be versatile, flexible and self-reconfigurable. The idea of modular robots is that they can adopt any shape they want, by changing the position and the connection of their modules.

This robot is aimed for research on modular self-reconfigurable robots and educational purposes. It is designed to allow multiple modules to communicate, mechanically connect and disconnect and to work collaboratively in the locomotion, self-reconfigurability and efficient movement.

The versatility of the robot will allow it, in the future, to be able to perform rescue operations, exploration of unknown environments and space exploration.

In future works, the modules will have built in camera, ultra-sound sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, magnetometer… The possibilities are endless.

Dtto key features:

• Small and self-contained robot
• Fully 3D printable
• Self-reconfiguration capabilities
• Bluetooth + Radio communication
• Multiple locomotion modes (snake, wheel, walker...)
• Rechargable batteries
• Simulation model validated
• Cheap modules (<55 USD)
• Open Source Hardware and Software
• FIRST OPEN-SOURCE SELF-RECONFIGURABLE MODULAR ROBOT!

Dtto is made from modules:

Hackaday project homepage:

https://hackaday.io/project/9976-dtto-explorer-modular-robot

Dtto GitHub:

https://github.com/otrebla333/Dtto-Modular-Robot


Dtto was inspired by high-end MTRAN3 robot system:

BoxBotix Open Source Robotics Platform

BoxBotix is an open source robotics platform that uses 3d printed modules to create several different types of robots.

BoxBotix introduction video:



Quadcopter configuration:




BBTank with 3d printed threads made from TPE using a Lulzbot Taz6




BotBotix homepage:

https://boxbotix.com/

Project homepage on Wevolver with all the files and build instructions:

https://www.wevolver.com/coby.leuschke/boxbotix/main/description/

3D Printed Robotic Shielding with TangoBlack+

Researchers at MITs CSAIL devloped a method that uses standard 3d printer with advanced programmable viscoelastic materials like TangoBlack+ to make shock absorbing skin for robots.

Those 3d printed shielded robots use only 1/250 the amount of energy they transfers to the ground and also allow the robots to land nearly four times more precisely.




Source article with more information:

http://news.mit.edu/2016/3-d-printed-robots-shock-absorbing-skins-1003

Research paper:

http://groups.csail.mit.edu/drl/wiki/images/3/30/2016_MacCurdy-Printable_Programmable_Viscoelastic_Materials_for_Robots.pdf

Here are their jumping robotic cubes:

How do robots make robotic babies?

Stork? No. WiFi and 3D printing. Obviously.




A team of scientists at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam demonstrated how robots can evolve and reproduce. The first robot baby is a big step towards robotic ecosystems that can evolve in challenging environments. Two parent robots meet and exchange robotic DNA over WiFi which makes the baby in a 3d printer.


Original article in Dutch (Chrome Translate is your friend):

http://www.vu.nl/nl/nieuws-agenda/nieuws/2016/apr-jun/wereldprimeur-robots-planten-zich-voort.aspx

Happy 3D printed robotic family

Robots evolving and reproducing? Welcome to 2016. Also: I see no connections with any SF movie plots out there.

MADspace Advanced Robotics System 3D Printable Rover

The MADspace Advanced Robotics System (M.A.R.S.) rover is a 3D printable space exploration rover. It can be used in education, DIY science and development.

Key features:

• 6 driven wheels of which 4 can steer (pod wheels)
• Rocker bogie suspension (semi-active, 2 shoulder servos)
• Gyroscope
• 16 channel I2C PWM driver
• Raspberry Pi
• 2 logitech c270 webcams with pan/tilt
• Web interface written in web.py
• Two 10Ah 5V battery packs, one for drive and one for logic.

Here is the video of first rover movements:



Project homepage with all the parts and instructions:

https://www.wevolver.com/wevolver.staff/m.a.r.s./main/description/

MARS was developed in Eindhoven MADspace by:

• Paul Wagener (lead software)
• Tom Geelen (Embedded control and mathematics)
• Serdar Yildirim (all round)
• Guus van der Sluijs (Project leader and lead mechanical)

Single Actuator Wave-like 3D Printed Robot

SAW is a 3d printed robot that can crawl, swim and climb using wave motions with only one motor. And it looks creepy.

From project description:

SAW (single actuator wave-like robot) is the first robot that produces a pure wave-like motion with a single motor. The robot was developed for medical, industrial and search and rescue purposes. The design is simple, 3D printed and the passive wheels are for steering only. In the movie we show that the robot can crawl over different surfaces, climb and swim. It reached a maximum speed of 57 cm/s which is 5 times faster than any other similar robot.

The robot's design is simply and highly reliable very little maintenance was needed.

The robot's motion is similar to the "do the worm" dance.
The robot was developed at the Bioinspired and medical Robotics lab at BGU by David Zarrouk, Moshe Mann, Nir Dgani, Ilanit Waxman, Tal Yehuda, Nissan Jerbi and Amotz Hess.

Research paper:

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-3190/11/4/046004

Thor Open Source Robotic Arm from Spain

Thor is an Open Source and 3D printable robotic arm with six degrees of freedom developed by Ángel Larrañaga Muro from Madrid, Spain.

Its configuration (yaw-roll-roll-yaw-roll-yaw) is the same one that is used on most manipulator robots that currently exist in the market. In its upright position, Thor is about 625mm and it can lift objects up to 750 grams.

Here is the video showing Thor in action:




Here is the CAD animation of the assembly process:


You can get all the files and learn about Thor at:

https://hackaday.io/project/12989-thor

https://github.com/AngelLM/Thor

BCN3D Moveo Open Source 3D Printed Robotic Arm

BCN3D presents Moveo, a fully 3d printable open source robotic arm. Another step toward fully robotic world where we puny humans will be free of any work :-)




From project description:

BCN3D Technologies keeps taking important steps in order to achieve his goal of bringing the digital manufacturing technology to everyone. In this occasion we are presenting the BCN3D Moveo, a robotic arm design from scratch and developed by our engineers in collaboration with the Departament d’Ensenyament from the Generalitat de Catalunya.

Its structure is fully printed using additive manufacturing technologies and its electronics are controlled by the software Arduino. The BCN3D Moveo has 5 axis.
Moveo, fully functional nowadays, has been born, as all the BCN3D Technologies products, with an open and educational wish.

As we have done with all our developed pordutcs, the BCN3D Moveo files will be available for everyone. Thanks to the platform Github, a website where users around the world share their designs, anyone will be able to obtain all the necessary information in order to assemble his own BCN3D Moveo at home.

Nevertheless, BCN3D will fee all the Moveo know how on our Github account, as we have been doing with all the BCN3D Technologies products. Thus, the users will be able to find the bill of material (BOM), where all the needed components for the assembling of the arm come detailed, as the CAD designs, so anyone will be able to modify the BCN3D Moveo design as they wish.

Furthermore, the Github users will find the STL files for the structure printing and the assembling, fine tuning and firmware upload manuals, which will be available both in English and Spanish.

Download the BCN3D Moveo CAD files, the STL files, the assembly and user manual and the Bill of Materials on our Github: https://github.com/BCN3D

Project homepage: https://www.bcn3dtechnologies.com/en/bcn3d-moveo-the-future-of-learning/

Pleurobot Robotic Salamander

Pleurobot is a robotic salamander with 3d printed skeleton that was developed on the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland.

Look at it move:



Source:

http://actu.epfl.ch/news/a-new-robot-mimics-vertebrate-motion-2/

Tend.ai Robotic Servant for your 3D Printer Farm

Tend.ai developed cloud robotics solution that enables a robotic arm to operate your 3d printer farm. You do not need to know how to program the robot since it uses a webcam and machine learning to figure out triggers and actions it needs to do. You basically show it what to do.
Since it can work non-stop, you can have a small manufacturing robotic cell in your workshop or home. it goes without saying it can operate other machines as well, such as CNCs or laser cutters.




One thing comes to mind: since you can get orders from the web, use a robot to operate your 3d printer, and package the objects, you will just probably need to send them via delivery service. That can probably also be automated... You see where I'm going ...

Source:

https://techcrunch.com/2016/06/22/tend-ai-trains-your-robot-to-operate-dozens-of-3d-printers-and-laser-cutters-at-a-time/

3D Printable Land Sailer Toy from Thailand

KungRC from Suphanburi,Thailand published a 3D printable land sailing vehicle that is remotely controlled.
He used a 10mm aluminum rods for structure and 100mm roller blade wheels. It is 3d printed on Innoprinter A4 machine.
It looks like a fun toy or an educational project.

Here it is in a video:



All the files to make it can be found at:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1568746

Open Surgery 3D Printed Robot

Frank Kolkman developed a DIY surgical robot made with some off-the shelf electronics and 3d printed parts. It is a home-made version of a 2 million dollar laparoscopic surgery machine made for some 5000 USD.
Naturally, you can not perform real surgeries with it (yet) and it is controlled via PS3 controller, but it is a demonstration of what can be made with simple technology for a low price.

Robot moving:



Here is a Dezeen interview:




Project homepage:

http://www.opensurgery.net/

Frank's homepage:

http://www.frankkolkman.nl/

CRACUNS flying and diving 3D printed drone

Johns Hopkins University developed 3d printed quadcopter drone that can both fly and be submerged under water. Since it was developed in cooperation with the military it will be probably be used as a weapon system sometime in the future. Cool technology, but we need more food delivery drones and less war-bots. It is named CRACUNS, which stands for "Corrosion Resistant Aerial Covert Unmanned Nautical System".




From the news article:

“Engineers at APL have long worked on both Navy submarine systems and autonomous UAVs,” said Jason Stipes of APL’s Sea Control Mission Area, project manager for CRACUNS. “In response to evolving sponsor challenges, we were inspired to develop a vehicle that could operate both underwater and in the air.” The resulting CRACUNS prototype system was developed and tested using internal research and development funding.

CRACUNS enables new capabilities not possible with existing UAV or UUV platforms. Its ability to operate in the harsh littoral (shore) environment, as well as its payload flexibility, enables a wide array of potential missions.
The most innovative feature of CRACUNS is that it can remain at and launch from a significant depth without needing structural metal parts or machined surfaces.To make that possible, the team needed to overcome two big challenges. First, the APL team leveraged advances in additive manufacturing and novel fabrication techniques available at the Laboratory’s extensive fabrication facilities. The team fabricated a lightweight, submersible, composite airframe able to withstand the water pressure experienced while submerged.

The second significant challenge was to ensure CRACUNS could not just survive, but operate effectively in a corrosive saltwater environment. To do that, the APL team sealed the most sensitive components in a dry pressure vessel. For the motors that are exposed to salt water, APL applied commercially available protective coatings. The team tested the performance of the motors by submerging them in salt water. Two months later, they showed no sign of corrosion and continued to operate while submerged.

Full press release:

http://www.jhuapl.edu/newscenter/pressreleases/2016/160317.asp

Syknet will know how to use this little guy

Hydraulic 3D Printed Insectoid Robot

Researchers at MIT CSAIL developed a 3d printing process named "printable hydraulics" where you can 3d print with soft and hard materials at the same time. This creates articulated objects which can move when pressure is applied.
They demonstrated it by 3d printing an insectoid robot that moves when motor and battery is added. Other robotic accessories such as hydraulic grippers can also be 3d printed.

Hydraulic hexapod in action with other flexible parts demonstrated:



Learn more at:

http://groups.csail.mit.edu/drl/wiki/index.php?title=Printable_Hydraulics

https://news.mit.edu/2016/first-3d-printed-robots-made-of-both-solids-and-liquids-0406

Full paper in PDF format:

http://groups.csail.mit.edu/drl/wiki/images/7/7c/2016_MacCurdy-Printable_Hydraulics-A_methods_for_fabricating.pdf

How to make a simple 3d printed snake robot

Nikodem from Poland made a very good tutorial on how to make a 3d printed snake robot. It actualy uses a worm equivalent movement , but hey snake sounds cooler :-)

Here is the build instruction video:



Detailed step-by-step guide and all the files can be found at:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Snake-Robot/?ALLSTEPS

SparkRover Open Source 3D Printable Robotic Rover

SparkRover is an open source rover powered with Arduino with Bluetooth connectivity so it can be controlled with a smartphone. Its structure and wheels are 3d printed.
It was developed by Instructables user Dominick Lee who described the main areas where this small rover can be used:

• Robotics Learning Platform
• GoPro Automatic Camera Dolly
• Panorama Camera Assistant
• Maze Solving Robot
• Robot Racing

SparkRover parts list:

• 3D Printed Parts (1x - SparkRover Chasis, 1x - Cover for the Chasis, 2x - Front Wheel, 2x - Back Wheel)
• 2x of 55mm O-Rings
• 2x of Futaba S3003 Servo pack (contains a servo, servo horns, screws, etc.)
• HC05 Bluetooth module
• Arduino Nano v3
• 26 AWG stranded wire (or jumper wires)
• Push button latch switch
• Small 3.7v LiPo battery
• 3.7v to 5v Step-Up chip
• Ultrasonic sensor

Detailed construction guide, .stl files and guidance software can be found at:

http://www.instructables.com/id/SparkRover-3D-Printed-Smartphone-Controlled-Robot/?ALLSTEPS

Zowi Open Source 3D Printed Robot

Zowi is an open source robot developed by Javier Isabel. It is small, simple and cheap to make so it's ideal for education. Since it uses an Arduino or a simillar controller it is very hackable and programmable.




It uses the following vitamins:

• 4 Futaba 3003 servos or compatibles
• 6 M3x10 Bolts (ISO 4762)
• 2 M3x10 Bolts (ISO 10642)
• 8 M3x12 Bolts (ISO 4762)
• 8 M3x16 Bolts (ISO 4762)
• 22 M3 nuts (ISO 4032)
• 1 BQ ZUM BT328 or Arduino
• 4 x 2 AAA Battery holder
• 8 AAA bateries

All the files and instructions to make it can be found at:

https://github.com/bqlabs/zowi

Different modifications and designs submitted by the community can be found at:

https://github.com/bqlabs/zowi/tree/master/mods/

One of the visually more interesting modifications developed by the community

Zowi is further development of BOB robot.

Ardumower Arduino Controlled 3D Printable Lawn Mover

Andreas Haeuser developed a 3d printable lawn mover. It is controlled by Arduino and looks easy to build on any FDM machine with some electronics knowledge.

Tech specs from the project page:

The 3d printed ardumower works on the same principle as its commercial counterparts, which can be bought for a lot of money at most hardware stores. It drives in the inner space of a “boundary wire fence” (BWF). If it comes close to this it stops, turns and then it goes on mowing your lawn continuously. The ardumower is well tested for a lawn size up to 500m². If your lawn is bigger you need a second battery or you should print a second ardumower.

In addition to a 3D printer and the needed filament (ABS and PLA) for printing the parts, only a few tools and resources are needed to build the chassis. These are mainly common hobbyist tools. You do not need a lathe or a milling machine. Every common 3d printer with a build volume of minimum 180mm x 180mm x 60mm (x,y,z) is suitable.

The ardumower is driven by two 12V geared motors. The cutting device is made from a 12V DC-motor and a cutter disc with a diameter of 220mm. The power comes from rechargeable 12V NiMH or 11,1V LiPo batteries.

You can get all the details and purchase the construction manual with all the files for 9,99 euro:

http://www.reprap-windturbine.com/index.php?id=20&L=1

3D printable Mars rover robot from Russia

Misha Larkin from Russia published his version of 3d printable Mars rover robot. It looks great. It was printed on XYZ daVinci.




All files and instructions can be found at:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1318414

You can see a different version here:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2015/03/3d-printed-rc-mars-rover-robot.html

BristleBots 3D Printable Insectoid Robots

Alex Czech from Australia developed this small and simple vibrating movement 3d printed robots. They are powered with a simple battery and low cost DC motor that vibrates their "legs" or bristles. They can be used as an easy educational or toy project.

3D printed vibrating bristles

Here is the BugBot buzzing around:




Here are the small plastic critters from the Bashbot series and they are fighting in the arena, There can be only one.



I wonder how would cats react if I let few of those insectoids go freely on the floor ... we will have to see ...

BugBot is a free download at:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1345864

Other .stl-s for different types can be bought at: https://sellfy.com/3DPrintIt