Aurora's LEGO Robots

Building the perfect robot with less hassle.

Even if you think you've outgrown LEGOs, take a second look at the inventions below made by engineers and scientists in the robotics field (as well as myself!)

Yes, this LEGO Mindstorms set is dated, and there's a newer set on the market now to replace it, but honestly, LEGO Mindstorms is the best LEGO robotics set available. So pull yours out and have a second look at the things you can build to wow the judges.

All of the LEGO robots on this page have been built by me, Aurora, and credit is given to the inspiration. First, know that the LEGO Mindstorms is an incredible combination of mechanics, electronics, and software rolled into one! 

Tabletop Cleaner

A combination of the Ultimate Builder's Set and my own creativeness and a differential light sensor (see below under "sensors"), this little guy can stay on a tabletop with right and left edge detectors, rear edge detector, and avoid obstacles with a left and right bump touch sensors, and can track a beam of light or find a light source using Michael Gasperi's differential light detector.  Using six sensors mulit-plexed into three available input ports on one RCX, a little creative programming, and three motors (one for the brushes, two for the drive) makes for a cool project! 

 

The Claw IV

One of the first things I've built from the Mindstorms box: I added pneumatics and a ball, and suddenly I have a 4-axis grabber arm with a pneumatic claw that picks up balls from one location and deposits them to the target every single time! I must add that if it were strictly open-loop program, it would miss after the second or third try, as it never quite comes back to the same spot. This MEGA CLAW uses four sensors, five motors (three for the three-axis movement, one to operate the pneumatics valve, one as a pump to keep the air tank stocked), one RCX, and one Scout (to handle the extra motor ports).  Sensors detect the mechanical limits of the arm.

 

I initially wanted to make a 5 or 6-axis arm, but decided to wait until I understood how to get these pieces to fit together more efficiently. This is one of my favorite grabber arm designs, Cyber Arm II, created by another LEGO inventor. 

 

Max the Hexapod

Note:  Design and NQC program belong to JP Brown. 

I was so intrigued by the idea of a six-legged walker that I went right to the source - Flik by Nick Donaldson and Hexapod by JP Brown and made JP's posted version of a single RCX Hexapod.  It worked wonderfully!  It took every last LEGO piece I owned to put Max together, as he's a rather large robot - over 2 feet long, not including the whiskers.  

 

Killough Platform

This is a Killough drive system from Macs Robotics Page.  This platform can simultaneously rotate while driving forward.  Think of how an office chair's wheel base rotates around while you push the chair across the room. 

	Other Killough Web Links: Macs Robotics Page Leo's LEGO Page

 

 

Synchronous Drive Platform

This is a Synchro motor drive system also inspired by Building Robots with LEGO Mindstorms by Mario Ferrari et al.  The coolness behind this system is the robots ability to turn its wheels in place without turning the platform - hence this robot does not have a "front", "rear", "left", or "right" - it goes in all directions! 

Wheel assembly - each wheel is powered and can change orientation. Note that this robot was built upside-down!!

 

Tricycle Drive

Yet another Building Robots with LEGO Mindstorms inspired design.  I did not have an RCX free when I built this, so I plugged it into the Scout and made both motors go forward.  What was interesting about this was the vehicle initially went straight, then slowed and turned, then reversed direction in the turn, went backward, and began to turn again.  One motor controls the drive, and the other controls the front wheel's orientation.  So when someone asks, "Can you build a car to go forward and reverse without reversing the motors?" you can say "Yes!"

 

Twelve-Legged Robot

This robot was inspired by Building Robots with LEGO Mindstorms by Mario Ferrari et al.  The idea is to make a walker platform stable enough to turn tight corners while line-tracking.  The only improvement I would do next time is to couple the motors (independent motors - one per side - in above photo) so it does not have a gradual turn while it walks!

 

 

MIBO

From Jin Sato's book, The Master's Technique, we created MIBO, a LEGO version of SONY's AIBO - a robotic dog that can sit, shake (sort of), and shuffle along the floor.  He barks (more like a beep, really), and is lots of fun!!!  We're adding non-LEGO parts, such as a wireless camera and sound sensor for further abilities for MIBO.  (Chasing ball and following a whistle?)  We're really excited about MIBO and thank Jin Sato for all his hard work!

 

 

 

SHRIMP

The SHRIMP is a high-mobility wheeled rover designed by the Autonomous Systems Lab in Lausanne, Switzerland.  This innovative rover is capable of climbing over objects 2.5 times its wheel diameter!

 

 

Whiz

Whiz is a "whiz with sensors!" robot geared for a complex game of RoboTag.  This amazing robot is capable of exploring and reacting to its environment!  Whiz is loaded with a differential light sensor to seek and find light, a sound sensor to detect and react to sharp sounds, a line-detecting sensor mounted on the front for staying on a tabletop or within a black-outlined rink, and it can avoid obstacles by knowing which bumper - front or back - is triggered.

Homebrew Sensors & Actuators

These sensors were adapted from Extreme Mindstorms: An Advanced Guide to Lego Mindstorms by Dave Baum, Michael Gasperi, Ralph Hempel and Luis Villa and the RCX Sensors Input Page.  Many thanks to all these wonderful inventors for their genius! 

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