Friday, March 18, 2011

Lego NXT-Servo Controlled Pnuematic Switch

Sparramc has a video of how he is using an RC servo motor to operate a pneumatic switch. 


I think we are all craving a really good way to control pneumatics with a NXT.  It would really add a whole new dimension to our robots.  The way that I do it is rather than using a servo as seen in the video, I use a medium PF motor.  Then I control it using the HiTechnic IRLink.  I have tons of luck with it, but one drawback is that I cannot stop the motor in the center position as sparramc has done. Then again, I haven't found the need to do so.  Check out an older video of mine.  You can see how I did it at about 0:38 into the video.


I am currently using four of these switches to operate the grippers on my Flexpickers.  The bad thing in my case is that each robot is run by its own NXT and I had lots of problems because I only had two IRLinks sensors to operate four grippers.  But after I ordered two more, things went very smoothly. Just turn the motor on for about one quarter of a second, and it works great.

1 comment: