Wooden ramp walking robot toy - free plans!
UPDATE: The Automata / Automaton Blog is pleased to be the exclusive source for free plans for making your own ramp walking robot. Enjoy!
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I've seen ramp walking toys of similar design before, but the robot figure created by Roberto LouMa seems particularly appropriate!
Here is a frightfully/delightfully technical look at the principles behind such toys: An Uncontrolled Walking Toy That Cannot Stand Still. Here is a more easily digestible summary of the ramp-walking tinker toy (a product of Cornell University).
Despite the academic research and how common such toys are, it is surprisingly hard to find plans that show how to make a ramp walker. I have heard that there are detailed plans for a lathe-turned penguin ramp walking toy in the book 52 Weekend Woodworking Projects by John A. Nelson. I don't have the book, though, so I am not certain of this. Does anyone out there know if there are plans for a ramp walker in this (or some other) book?
Labels: gravity, mechanical toys, ramp walker, wood
posted by Dug North on 9/03/2010
2 Comments:
Neat! I want one of those and an Escher-style neverending ramp.
I should point out that the book Walking Automata: A Collection of Self-Moving Models to Cut Out and Make looks like it is focused on plans for paper ramp walkers.
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