Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!sgiblab!sdd.hp.com!cs.utexas.edu!torn!nott!cunews!bws-pc.carleton.ca!Brian_Sullivan
From: Brian_Sullivan@ccs.carleton.ca
Subject: Re: A sense of balance
Message-ID: <Brian_Sullivan.156@ccs.carleton.ca>
Sender: news@cunews.carleton.ca (News Administrator)
Organization: Carleton University
References: <1993Jan31.085934.17072@adobe.com> <1993Jan31.161809.7936@sbcs.sunysb.edu> <1993Feb1.002811.22121@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU> <1993Jan31.213538.5336@memstvx1.memst.edu> <1993Feb9.162355.20302@sagpd1>
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1993 21:59:47 GMT
Lines: 30


>       Along the pendulum train of thought ... How about two potentiometers
>    mounted at right angles to each other. Each Pot would have a weight 
>    disk or arm attached. As the device was tilted the weights would 
>    tend to stay down thus turning the pot(s). The accuracy would be 
>    low and dampening could be adjusted by the amount of weight used. 
>    An A/D converter would be used to measure the angle of tilt. Cost 
>    could be trimmed in pot quality with the correspondung sacrifice
>    in accuracy.


>    Monty Saine

A thought on pendulums. As the robot moves, they tend to jiggle 
about. Using a weight to dampen movement, will slow things down, but 
pendulums love to swing. 

A device used in ocean going ships to dampen wave movement might be 
of interest. A large tank on deck is 1/2 filled with water. As the ship 
rolls to the left the water moves left, when the next wave attempts to roll 
the ship right, water in the tank continues left, dampening the roll, etc. 
Works rather well.

What if you were to fill a small ballon with about 1/2 oz of water and 
attack it to the pendulum. Bet the same effect will keep the pendulum 
pointer down, even over uneven surfaces. 

Just a thought ...
