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This instructable will describe how to create an updated LEGO CAMLU (Computer Activated Motorized LEGO Unit).
My students and I built literally hundreds of radical variations of the LEGO DACTA 1038 robot. The original plans date back to 1985, and I have not constructed the model for years- certainly not since the tsunami of new LEGO components.
I attended BrickCON 2010 in Seattle, and observed the robotics competition. Most of the robots with modern LEGO servos and components did not move much faster than the original LEGO 4.5v robots of the late 1980s. It occurred to me there is no updated version of the CAMLU, using any of the succeeding motor systems. I thought it would be fun to resurrect and update the original CAMLU. It would be fun to enter it into a competition with a Mindstorms bot.
This particular CAMLU uses the LEGO Technic 9v motor. I have constructed variations using the 9v mini-motor and the Power Motor systms.
Note: The CAD images were generated in LDraw/MLCAD . The avi file was captured from LDView . The nice rendered images were created with L3PAO, LDView and POV-RAY. Additional editing performed in GIMP.
LDraw software available at www.ldraw.org
POV-RAY available at www.povray.org
GIMP available at www.gimp.org/downloads/
Philippe Hurbain's Comparisons of LEGO Motors:
www.philohome.com/motors/motorcomp.htm
I play with different educational manipulatives for a living. Visit www.weirdrichard.com.
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Signing UpStep 1Gather Your Parts
You will need to gather your parts. These components are available from BrickLink (www.bricklink.com - my preference), and often come up at Craig's List or ebay. I haunt yard sales! Elements can always be purchased from LEGO or one of their retailers.There are a variety of robot controllers on the market (The PCS Brain is available on the web).
2 -Brick 2 x 6 x 2 Weight with Plate Bottom
2 -Electric Technic Motor 9V
4 -Axle 6
4 -Beam 4
3 -Beam 6
4 -Beam 8
2 -Beam 12
4 -Bushing
2 -Gear Spur 24
2 -O-Ring
4 -Peg 3/4
12 -Peg Friction
2 -Plate 1 x 2
1 -Plate 1 x 6
2 -Pulley Medium
6 -Pulley Small
7 -Technic Plate 2 x 4
2 -Technic Plate 2 x 8
2 -Worm Gear
2 -Plate 2 x 10
2 -Technic Axle Joiner
1 -Single Wheel Holder with Wheel
1 -2x2 Turntable
1 - Robotic Controller (In this example the PCS Brain)
2 -Brick 2 x 6 x 2 Weight with Plate Bottom
2 -Electric Technic Motor 9V
4 -Axle 6
4 -Beam 4
3 -Beam 6
4 -Beam 8
2 -Beam 12
4 -Bushing
2 -Gear Spur 24
2 -O-Ring
4 -Peg 3/4
12 -Peg Friction
2 -Plate 1 x 2
1 -Plate 1 x 6
2 -Pulley Medium
6 -Pulley Small
7 -Technic Plate 2 x 4
2 -Technic Plate 2 x 8
2 -Worm Gear
2 -Plate 2 x 10
2 -Technic Axle Joiner
1 -Single Wheel Holder with Wheel
1 -2x2 Turntable
1 - Robotic Controller (In this example the PCS Brain)
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I think your decision to go with rendered drawings rather than photos was a good one -- it is extremely clear what is going on at each step, without the vagaries of background and lighting to confuse the reader.
One minor comment -- you could make all of the URLs in your introduction active hyperlinks. Just highlight them (or highlight an actual word you want to be a hyperlink), click on the "world in chains" icon in the editor, and paste the URL in the the little text box in the popup).
Re: The URLS. Done. Thanks. -r