Maxwell (Finally) Gets a Vertical Arm Lift

21 Dec 2011 maxwell  robots  ros  I've been saying for quite some time that I wanted to add a vertical lift to Maxwell. Earlier this month, he finally got that lift:


The linear actuator gives the arm 20" of additional vertical mobility, making it possible to grab objects at floor or table height, or hit most light switches. The lift is currently integrated into ROS arm_navigation, I'll have some awesome videos soon.

In addition to the arm upgrades, Maxwell recently got a new ASUS Xtion Pro Live to replace his Kinect. The ASUS device requires only USB (no 12V power) and is significantly less heavy, reducing neck and back stress (a common problem amongst aging robots). Speaking of aging robots, Maxwell turns one early next month.

Update Palooza

21 Dec 2011 maxwell  robots  This blog went a bit quieter earlier this year. That is about to change.

First up, is a series of awesome pictures of a new 3d-printed gripper for Maxwell. One of the cool tools that I have access to these days is a Project HD3000 printer. Here's the grippers straight off the printer:
One side installed:
And a grasp:

Maxwell vs Shallow Blue Video

15 Aug 2011 maxwell  robots