Dyne's LD-F1 (D-O concept) build

[Dyne]

I'm still working on compiling the files.  As I said previously, the initial files will mostly be LD-F1 as he currently exists, before the big changes I'm making. However, there are a few tweaks.

For example, back in post #12, I showed the Voltage Regulator that hides under the tracks. When I added this, I had to drill holes in the Rear Outer Wall to route the wires into the chassis because I'd printed the part before I realized I hadn't added one to the model. I've since done that.

There are also some new parts I haven't used yet, like an optional tube that the Front Axle can slip through inside the Electronics Box when the axle is installed. The purpose of this is simply to make sure the metal axle isn't able to short any wiring if something comes loose.



Here's another new file.  Back in post #60 I showed a pic of the inside of the head and a servo meant to raise and lower the antenna.  The idea I mentioned for that mechanism didn't really work out, so instead I made a little mount that rotates the servo 90 degrees.



This puts the servo movement in the same plane as the antenna's motion, which should make the hypothetical actuating mechanism a lot easier (a rack and pinion, or just a linkage of some sort).


Recently I was handed something that made me wish there was slightly more space available in the droid: A Toyota 12V window regulator motor.  This is strong enough to easily be able to lift the head even without additional gearing (after all, it can lift an entire auto window), without also being clearly impossible to fit inside the droid's central body.



Add a spool of wire or fishing line to the motor's output, attached to the back of the rear shell pivot or the back of the lower shaft hubs (so winding the spool pulls the line to lift the stalks), then use a motor driver like the BTS7960 and a pair of limit switches.  Possibly controlled by ESP32, possibly a simple setup with the switches and a pair of diodes wired up something like what's shown around 4:25 in Michael Rechtin's 3D Printed linear actuator video, which I linked to back at the end of post #18.

I don't think I'll do this as I still likely can't fit it inside (at least, not without removing the lower stalks, which would make it pointless).  But it's definitely more plausible than what I was trying before.


Edit: On the topic of the head losing its center of rotation, I think that by removing the vibration dampening inserts from the Head Rotation Servo and using M4 screws instead of M3, I've tightened things down enough that it will have a much harder time skipping. I won't know for sure until I get around to putting the head back on.

While I was putting the new screws in, I noticed that the two screws that secure the forward end of the Starboard Tilt Servo to its bracket had lost their nuts and backed almost completely out, no longer securing the servo to anything. Most likely this was because the screws were a bit too short for lock nuts and they vibrated loose and fell out. I've replaced them with longer screws and put my last M3 lock nut on one of those. I'll put lock nuts on the others when I get some more.

I made a minor change yesterday. I dremeled off the excess length of the Rear Axle. It's always been a bit too long, which interferes with the Track Covers.

I've also realized that without the head attached to the rear shell, it would be much, much easier to motorize the opening. Which means I could potentially put something fun in there after all.