Any robots like Hero 1 still made ?

Hero1 was quite expensive when it was manufactured.

Rich

I think it was like 3xx for a kit and 5xx for an assembled model (in

80s dollars). While the drrobot are very nice, and much better, the one with arms is 8.5 grand !

The RB5X, of the same general vintage of the HERO, is still available. A new owner has purchased the parts inventory and is putting the robot back on the market.

IMO, the RB5X is closer to the HERO than DrRobot is to the HERO. But in any case, all three are for the higher education market, and this market tends to be expensive. These are meant to be major purchased by universities, colleges, and the more affluent high schools.

-- Gordon

There appear to be more Heros around than you might think. First, go to ebay.com and do a search on "heathkit robot" or "hero robot". There appear to be 2 currently on bid, although the "buy-now" price is $1000, so looks like the sellers aren't asking cheap.

Also, several web resources ... first one has a swap shop ...

- dan michaels

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That sounds very low--I seem to recall well over a thousand.

This is almost as pitiful as the fact that we're still using the Space Shuttle. What happened, why are we still seeking out 30-year-old technology?

Oops your right ,

ET-18-1 Robot Arm 5 Axis Kit Cost: 349.95 Assembled Cost: 549.95

I guess i am going to attempt to buy a Hero from ebay. I was hoping that there was a

We are seeking out 30 year old technology, because the hardware hasn't changed much since then and the Hero hardware was pretty advanced for it's time. The Hero is so easy to upgrade to todays computing power it isn't funny. I've seen several websites devoted to just that. It is an awesome platform from which to upgrade also. The software side is just a matter of coding. I've been building a robot similiar to the Hero for about a year now that's based on the OAP sourceforge project. If I had been able to start out with a Hero chassis and then build up, it would have put me far far ahead of where I am now. I could be working strictly on advancing the AI code instead of still building encoders and saving up to purchase enough sonar modules. Don't knock the Hero man. I could come up with fifty people who would love to have something like that for their robot project.

Elj> dan michaels wrote:

I'm not knocking the Hero, I'm just looking at the fact that there is no robot platform built on today's technology with the same availability and name recognition.

Eljin wrote: : We are seeking out 30 year old technology, because the hardware hasn't : changed much since then and the Hero hardware was pretty advanced for : it's time.

Serious question: Have you ever actually used a Hero-1 ? Because I built one in my High School computer club, and it is not very advanced. This comment in particular:

: ahead of where I am now. I could be working strictly on advancing the AI : code instead of still building encoders and saving up to purchase enough : sonar modules.

make me think you haven't, because the Hero has only one encoder, a striped-wheel disk on it's drive wheel. Looking at the only OAP release I see (0.1, unless there is newer CVS code), it wants two drive motors with quadrature encoders for differential drive.

Hero has a single drive motor with only a single reflector so it can only count speed, it is NOT quadrature. There is a steering motor to turn the drive motor, so right away you have to write a new motor_control_module for this type of steering.

There is NO position feedback for the steering, head, or arm motors. Possibly an end limit switch on some (I think steering only). All position motors are steppers. On power up it runs through a (very very slow) home routine where each motor is run to one end, then to it's mid position, by counting steps.

If any position motor skips a step (which happens very easily), the Hero's idea of where it's motors are and reality will no longer match, with interesting results. At a High School fund raising dinner where we had Hero mingling, he got so confused he started to pick up my (young, attractive, female) History teacher's dress. It was even running on remote control at the time and nothing I did got it to release, I end up reaching over and dragging him out before anyone not on the robot team noticed.

(Yes, to this day no one believes it wasn't on purpose. It wasn't. I was a good boy, and anyway my mother was standing right next to me. )

And the are slow. Really slow. Excruciating slow. Like watching grass grow slow. With no appreciable strength in the gripper to make up for it. Of course I was happy for this when it picked up Ms. Fox's dress. (Yes, her name really was Ms. Fox. In an all boy's Catholic school).

Sonar: It has one Polaroid sensor. Wow. You can get the SRF05 for $25 now. The body heat sensor is useless, as it points in a different direction from the sonar. The sound sensor is a microphone.

So you get an aluminum frame with an incompatible drive system and a bunch of stepper motors without the encoders you don't want to build.

Before starting on this I would get a hold of the manuals and schematics and really go over them to make sure it has what you need.

Doubtful you'll find anything that large and equipped for under $500. I have seen Heros on ebay for $400-500 range in the past year, but some just a pile of parts sitting in the garage that hadn't worked for years. There is the Evolution ER-1 robot, but largely a $500 erector set you need to add your own notebook PC to. Probably would cost a "lot" more to get to the shape you'd want it in.

I lot of what others have said about the Hero regarding old technology is probably true. However, I have kicked around the idea of a Hero base, mainly for the base structure and motors, not for the brains. I think the basic "inverted trashcan" design is still useful. I would tear out the old cpu board and put in something more current. Then add whatever sensors I wanted. Nice hacker project.

- dan michaels

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What does the drrrobt software do ?

I have _almost_ decided to build my own robot. I really want a stronger arm than common, and i dont need all the degrees of motion either. I want an arm strong enough to pick up anything i can with my arm fully extended. This will take a while ;-)

One question, has anyone used continuous rotation servos for drive motors ? I am looking at my robot being around 100# with battery and arm payload. I want at least 6" wheels. Speed is not important, torque is, no sensing necessary. Seen any servos to fit this bill ?

100#. For something that heavy, you're probably going to have to go to some good-sized gearmotors with large reduction. I would suggest taking a look at some of the books that deal with largish bots. Also look at combat bot websites. Here are some books ...

"Build Your Own Combat Robot" by Pete Miles & Tom Carroll

"Build Your Own All-Terrain Robot" by Brad Graham & Kathy McGowan - large bots

"Applied Robotics II" by Edwin Wise - wheelchair size bot

- dan michaels

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I have been looking around, and high power motor controllers cost as much or more than some motors. I dont really need high speed either, so what im thinking is getting some 60 rpm continuous rotation servos, that have 99 ounce inches of torque, getting a weel kit for it, and the applying that wheel to a larger 6-8" wheel that spins free on ball bearing on a shaft.if my servo wheel is 3" and my support wheel is 6" then i should get 30 rpm and double the torque, which i think is enough, should move about 8 inches / second full speed.

Just thought of putting wheel to wheel today while i was working. The continuous rotation servo is $13 as well (plus i dont need any more controllers etc).

Think it will work ?

No way. 99 oz-in is still a small servo.

And you forgot to include the lever arm in your calcs. Try again.

99 oz-in * 2 / 8" = 25 oz-in. Tiny.