toy robot arm made out of syringes
This is a toy robot arm made from syringes bolted together
![](arm4.jpg)
It is quite appealing but is difficult to use.
![](arm5.jpg)
![](arm6.jpg)
![](arm7.jpg)
Although it looks good it's better to make a thing with an electric grab and a long vertical jib which can pick things up and put them on a table.
![](grabcan1.jpg)
It's a bit like a motorised coatstand with a grab it winches up and down
![](grabcan2.jpg)
The traveller works with three pulley wheels running on diagonally opposite corners of a bit of square-section doweling
![](wholetoo.jpg)
There isn't really any limit to the height but table-height is logical
![](high.jpg)
link to 5 megabyte movie of robot
This is an easy way of making a linear actuator; you can use central locking servos but they are a bit expensive and have limited travel. To make it stronger use a strip of angle-section meccano instead of the bent card.
![](servo.gif)
Robots either use rotary or linear motion, for very long linear motion use traveller as described above.
This is a way of motorising a steel rule
it might be a good way of constructing table climbers.
This is one of the hinged linkages from a folding umbrella sellotaped to my finger. You can do about three per hand.
![](umbrella.gif)
They are very useful for making robotic grabs. Use two, put wire cross-brace through the holes normally used to hold the canopy. Rubber bands & paper-clips to open it, motor-gearbox winding string to close.
![](grab.jpg)
![](grab.gif)
![](grabcup.jpg)
link to 5 megabyte movie of robot which can climb on & off tables carrying an empty coke can
This is a drawing of the table-climber
![](table1.jpg)
the drawing shows it balanced on the edge of the table with its drive mechanism hanging down so that the drive wheels are just above table-level
this drawing shows it driving along with the grab lowered; below is an animation of climbing on/off table
link to my dynamic balance page
robot which solves rubik's cube
Card dealing robot
link to practical illustration of the problem
make a finger
another type
possible use for all those car factories
related ideas
chess
steamboy clip
pager motors
my email is davidvwilliamson@hotmail.com
back to main site
![](elephantstrunk.jpg)