Product category:
Linear Position Sensors
News Release from: Variohm Eurosensor | Subject: Contelec KL position transducers
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 12 June 2000
Position sensors keep innovative robot
walking
When Portech Limited received an EU grant to prove the single Computer Node concept, they built a walking robot which incorporated Contelec KL position transducers from Variohm Components
When Portech Limited received an EU grant to prove the single Computer Node concept, they built a walking robot which incorporated Contelec KL position transducers supplied by Towcester based Variohm Components The brief issued to Portech was to produce a robot which could have legs added or removed but which could still function without the software having to be rewritten
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 30 Jun 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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Their 8-legged 'Robug' is the result.
The Robug has four actuators on each leg which allow the robot to walk.
The position of the actuators however has to be monitored and this is where the Variohm supplied units come in.
The KL series transducers are linear conductive plastic potentiometers which are available with stroke lengths between 10mm and 100mm.
They are available with a variety of actuator styles and offer reliability, high repeat accuracy and long life at reasonable cost.
Being potentiometric they are 'absolute' devices which know where they are at all times and this is important in the Portech application as the Robug will not walk properly if its legs get out of phase.
Portech could have used rotary transducers but the linear type was much easier to apply.
The Robug has proved to be a great success.
It sees each of its legs as a separate node which can work independently off the main body.
The project has already proved the point that this type of system works and the Robug is now finding applications in industrial environments where human beings couldn't survive.
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