Pan&Tilt Bracket

[CaptKill4Fun]

:cool: Hi,

I recently designed this bracket for a stand-alone, self-contained Pan & Tilt box for a bigger project I'm working on.

This bracket will also work as a waist bracket for legged robots as well as it can be used for many other situations that normally require more metal to solve the same function.

I am posting this bracket design to the contest. If it looks a little familiar, that's because it's growing out from the basics of another bracket but modified and extended to perform a new task.

Prototyping the bracket:

http://www.brainless.org/images/Pan&Tilt-Bracket/IMG_6262-Pan&TiltBracket-cpc.jpg


http://www.brainless.org/MultiMedia/Robotics/Photos/Pan&Tilt-Bracket/IMG_6245-Pan&TiltBracket-cpc.jpg


http://www.brainless.org/MultiMedia/Robotics/Photos/Pan&Tilt-Bracket/IMG_6249-Pan&TiltBracket-cpc.jpg


http://www.brainless.org/MultiMedia/Robotics/Photos/Pan&Tilt-Bracket/IMG_6251-Pan&TiltBracket-cpc.jpg


http://www.brainless.org/MultiMedia/Robotics/Photos/Pan&Tilt-Bracket/IMG_6252-Pan&TiltBracket-cpc.jpg


http://www.brainless.org/MultiMedia/Robotics/Photos/Pan&Tilt-Bracket/IMG_6273-Pan&TiltBracket-cpc.jpg


I only wish I had a more affodable source for producing all the brackets I've been designing.


I used 1mm/0.040 thick 5052(H32) Aluminum (it maybe a little soft for a some robotic projects, but the local water-jet shop cut them for me very cheap.)

Water-Jet cutting leaves the edges feeling like rough sandpaper. This type of bracket is maybe best cut with a NC Punch or Laser and made from some other much harder and stronger alloy ... maybe T3 or T6 aluminum alloy. I really don't know all the choices available for forming into brackets like this for robots.

Sadly, I have several new bracket designs to imporove, simplify and make robotics more affordble ... if I could just get the brackets made more affordably.



C U L8r, Capt.Kill4Fun ...

[Tyberius]

Some advice, generally speaking you don't want a ton of weight to rest on a single servo shaft (if you were to use that as a torso twist piece). Instead an indirect drive setup is usually more ideal, where the weight is distributed and mounted on a separate frame and the servo just acts to rotate it- lynxmotion has designed one of these that you might want to take note of as well.

[kdwyer]

I love the idea of modifying parts of existing designs. The more modular, the better.
Just a quick comment:
Isn't the metal gauge a little light? I know thinner sheets are easier to prototype, is this the thickness of the finished piece? Or is it my eyeballs and the photos that make normal-thickness seem thinner?
You may need a heavier gauge especially if you go to indirect drive, the closer distances between force-points put more stress on the mountings.

[Alex]

Cool design CaptKill4Fun! I got ya entered in the contest:)

What sort of software did you use for designing your bracket?

[CaptKill4Fun]

Cool design CaptKill4Fun! I got ya entered in the contest:)

What sort of software did you use for designing your bracket?

:cool: Hi,

I'm using a student version of SolidWorks now ...

I started using eMachineShop a free online CAD program and is probably the easiest CAD program to learn ... I highly recommend eMachineShop.com for starters because of ease of use and so far they have very competitive rates to most machine shops for making parts too.

I've gone through a couple of different CAD programs, but SolidWorks is an easy step up from eMachineShop for general parts but adds the ability to assemble models from multiple parts.

The tutorials help, but it's still a learning curve to master the program.


C U L8r, Capt.Kill4Fun ...

[SN96]

Very nice design, I would contact Lynxmotion and submit this design to be included in the current line of servo brackets they offer.

[CaptKill4Fun]

Very nice design, I would contact Lynxmotion and submit this design to be included in the current line of servo brackets they offer.


:cool: Hi,

I have sent the files and explanation of the use for the bracket to Jim/Lynxmotion.com ...

We've discussed having several of my own part designs made ... but even Lynxmotion doesn't make a profit on brackets because it costs so much to have them made.


C U L8r, Capt.Kill4Fun

[SN96]

:cool: Hi,

I have sent the files and explanation of the use for the bracket to Jim/Lynxmotion.com ...

We've discussed having several of my own part designs made ... but even Lynxmotion doesn't make a profit on brackets because it costs so much to have them made.


C U L8r, Capt.Kill4Fun



Glad you sent in your design. I'm sure Jim makes a small profit with the brackets because he has them made in bulk. I agree the expense of having them made is a factor, but I don't see why he would go through the trouble if they did not turn at least some kind of profit.

[Alex]

I'm sure Jim makes a small profit with the brackets because he has them made in bulk.

I would think by having brackets made in bulk, it would be the reverse (a larger profit)...

[Tyberius]

I would think by having brackets made in bulk, it would be the reverse (a larger profit)...

He was just saying he makes some profit as opposed to none, in response to this:



... but even Lynxmotion doesn't make a profit on brackets because it costs so much to have them made.



Go get some coffee Alex :D

[Alex]

Good call Tyberius, haha! I need to go down to StarBucks;)

I was up late last night playing Metroid Prime 3 on the Wii. That game is freakin awesome!!

[CaptKill4Fun]

:cool: Hi,

I made a little video showing off how the new Pan & Tilt bracket works ... it's carrying about a 0.5Kg load ...

A New RoboBracket ... MPEG-2 video:
http://www.brainless.org/MultiMedia/Robotics/Video/ANewRoboBracket.mpghttp://www.brainless.org/MultiMedia/Robotics/Video/ANewRoboBracket.mpghttp://www.brainless.org/MultiMedia/Robotics/Video/ANewRoboBracket.mpg


So the base is a dual-servo drive BoeBot sans the STAMP controller ... that's right, there is no controller on this, it's all wireless control to example the bracket Pan & Tilt system ... yet the wires don't get all wound-up between the top and bottom halves.

[Alex]

thanks for the update Capt!

[SN96]

Thats all I was saying. I'm sure he gets some kind of return on his investment or it would be a waste of time. How much return I dont know, but its none of my business anyway. :happy:

[archcvd]

That's great! Did you just use a regular break to bend the aluminum?

[CaptKill4Fun]

:cool: Hi,

I just used a small table top clamped vice and pliers and a small hammer to bend the parts to shape.

[Adrenalynn]

Just as an FYI -

Harbor Freight has a pretty decent 12G and below (probably a bit larger for aluminum) 36" hand brake. I've had one for quite a while, and it really does work very well if you have room in the garage...

This should be direct linkage: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91012

[CaptKill4Fun]

Hi,

Okay, you can't bend these kinds of parts with a cheap break/bender ... they need to be bent with a finger in a break/bender ... those machines cost a small fortune.

[archcvd]

Hi,

Okay, you can't bend these kinds of parts with a cheap break/bender ... they need to be bent with a finger in a break/bender ... those machines cost a small fortune.

I was thinking you used one for your own project, which is why I asked. Cheapest I found was around $300 I believe.