Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 11:20:15 -0500
From: vakonradi@mmm.com
To: dave@faustex.com, elmice@eden.com, holly@eden.com,
robs@arrowsmith.com,
vakonradi@mmm.com, wylee@cs.utexas.edu
Subject: Proposals as I See Them
.....
Regarding the protoandroid, I hate to say it, but there is still no
reason
to believe that it is controllable, and plenty of reasons to believe
that
it is not. I am still opposed to sinking more money into it until we
have
a commitment from someone who (1) has done a somewhat related control
project
in the past, (2) can evaluate the current equippage and forecast
required
actuator/control systems, (3) is committed to making it work, and (4)
can
convince myself and others that he knows what he is talking about.
I'm
sorry, but a 500 lb iron robot thrashing itself to pieces and causing
a serious injury or death in the process is not a joke. It is not
engineering. I don't know if it is art.
......
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 1995 15:33:09 -0500 (CDT)
From: Brooks Coleman elmice@eden.com
To: vakonradi@mmm.com
Cc: dave@faustex.com, holly@eden.com, robs@arrowsmith.com,
vakonradi@mmm.com,
wylee@cs.utexas.edu
Subject: Re: Proposals as I See Them
In responce to vadims concern about control of the proto
android,this is
one of those times when a full presentation would have made things
more
clear.
The PA valve configuration is such that "thrashing" is not
possible.The Pa uses two 3-way valves interconected so that when both
valves are closed the piston of the cylinder is retracted.When both
are
open it travels to the other end.When one is open and the other is
closed
it closes the exhaust opposite the pressurized side producing a
stopping,or braking state.Something any self respecting controller
should
be able to handle.
The video that was shot in 94 proved that,but unfortunatly few
have
ether seen or paid attention to what was being demonstrated.
Also on the safety issue,the valves are 1/8 inch bore,not large
enough
for the fast motion displayed by the H2,and even that will be
regulated
down to opperate the PA on manual control.
My part of the proposal only covers manualy controlling the two
legs
and torso,but the design of the joints make feedback by way of
shaft,disk,pots or hall effect sensors,a simple matter drilling the
mounting holes.I have experimented with several plastic disks and
find
they fit quite nicely ,and since we only use 50 or 60 degrees it
makes
for the least amount of stuff to get in the way.
I may not have a degree,and I don't call myself an engineer,but
with
10 years of experiance in pneumatics including makeing my own
valves,I
think I do know what I'm talking about.
Artistic content? I think with the success of artists like Mark
Pauline,Matt Heckert,and Chico Macmurtri,society has blessed these
machines as artists themselves,capable of entertaining crowds like
the
best of performers.
If the group is to fund only those project that can guarantee 100%
success in the fiscal year than we destined to produce a large
collection
of things that have all been done so many times before that there is
no
risk involved,no creativity required.No real challenge.
-brooks
Thanks for flying PolyCosmos. Join us again.
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