User:Hnaveed6416/ENES-100/Project 2-Bio-inspired Robot

Problem Statement
Jovy came up with a project to make a bio-inspired robot that we can make in class. A bio-inspired robot is a robot but it moves and works like an actual animal or human, like an artificial leg or a robot spider Bio-inspired robotics. For this project, the team is asked to create an open-source bio-inspired robot that can be made using the makerbot and other available material in class such as, micro controllers, motors, and motor shields.

Team Members
Batong, Jovy

Mwangachuchu, Renita Naveed, Hassan Peterson, Edward

Week1 Narrative
We needed to decide on what type of animal we would like to make but also have the limitations in mind, suck as time, price, and Makerbot availability. We decided to create a snake that can do the following:
 * 1) The robot must be able to move on the ground and climb a certain height (steps, but not a table).
 * 2) The robot must be bio-inspired, so it must look and work like a real snake.
 * 3) The robot must be small enough to make it using the Makerbot
 * 4) the robot should be able to sit up and go in attack mode and be able to strike.

Week4 Narrative
How to Convert Sketchup SKP files to STL files


 * 1) First you need to download a file.....Depending on what version you are using download the skp_to_dxf.rb for versions 6,7, and 8. For any above version 8 download skp_to_dxf.rbz skp_to_dxf.
 * 2) Save the file For Sketchup 6,7, and 8.....On a Windows PC. If you have installed Sketchup on the C: drive then this folder will be at C:\program files\google\google sketchup\plugins. On Mac OSX. The sketchup plugins folder is /Library/Application Support/Google SketchUp [VERSION]/SketchUp/Plugins
 * 3) For Sketchup 8+.......in Sketchup go to Preferences > Extensions > Install Extension. Browse and select the skp_to_dxf.rbz file from your harddrive, and SketchUp will then install it for you.
 * 4) Now in your Tool Bar you will see Export to DXF or STL

Week 5 Narrative
The skin Prototype was made in google sketch up. the design of the skin is a cylinder with angled cuts on the sides to make it move forward due to the traction from the angled cuts. I couldn't find a way to get the angles on the side so i found a spiral step method, which starts with a circle. Then you just offset inward from the circle about 1/8". So now you are looking at a circle with a smaller circle inside of it. Now make four arc lines on each side connecting the bigger circle with the smaller one inside. This will give you 4 smaller plains to work on. Pull one of the section up 1/8" and then pull the other one 1/8" above the last one so like a spiral step with each step being 1/8" above the last. Once you done with all 4 of the pulls, you can off set from the inner circle to the outer one and have a new plane to repeat the process again.

The Skin Prototype was made in google sketch up. The process of making the skin was a very long and tedious process, due to the spiral step process This was the first prototype so we made a smaller section of it. When it was printed