December 7, 2007

Understanding Stepper Motors

“A stepper motor is a brushless, synchronous electric motor that can divide a full rotation into a large number of steps. When commutated electronically, the motor’s position can be controlled precisely, without any feedback mechanism” (citation from Wikipedia) Any DIY Maker should understand the workings of stepper motors, Ask any Robot maker, just about any motion control a robot makes is done with stepper motors. Here are a few links

Flexible-Jointed Robot - Amazing Stability

  This Flexible-Jointed Robot has amazing stability. I could see this thing walking down a battle field or working in a construction site stepping over piles of debris. “If robots are going to work alongside humans, then they will need to stand up to accidental bumps and shoves, not to mention the occasional deliberate kick. That is why researchers in Japan have developed software that allows a life-size humanoid robot