With the stilts to a beta design stage, I needed to work out the torso/harness.
The stilts need to attach to this for support, but the harness is also critical for a lot of other things - like back support, arm flexion, and a billion other things.
Here's what I came up with:
The stilts need to attach to this for support, but the harness is also critical for a lot of other things - like back support, arm flexion, and a billion other things.
Here's what I came up with:
1. I'm using the 20mm x 40mm aluminum rods for lightweight support. But they're not naturally interlocking. This tee piece allows me to connect the supports in the shape I need. That horizontal bar does go all the way through both tees.
2. The shoulder support/strap is pretty basic. I plan to line the bottom with padding somehow. There's a cut-out for a strap with webbing. Gonna have to come up with a cool way to attach it below.
3. Around back there are sockets for the vertical supports.
4. This is the hip axle. What's not shown is the fact that there will need to be a hinge in between this part and the waist belt for more accurate hip movement. Easy enough.
5. Waist strap on either side.
6. The waist belt is kinda self explanatory. Hopefully I can print this all as one piece on my printer.
7. This is the shoulder mechanism! I designed a part that will mount a rotating bearing plate to a fixed point. Here's a closer look.
The bearing plate is cheap off Amazon and lightweight. With the insert pieces I modeled (seen sticking up), rods that extend through the upper arm can hinge at these points. With both a hinge and circular rotation, it acts just like an actual shoulder.
8. The same type of mechanic is used at the elbow, so I used the same piece again. Love it when the work does itself.
So....
that's some major progress to have the stilts and the harness to a printing-testing stage. Just need to work on the arm/hand rig to get it working with the rest of this exoskleton (endoskeleton?) that's been designed.
8. The same type of mechanic is used at the elbow, so I used the same piece again. Love it when the work does itself.
So....
that's some major progress to have the stilts and the harness to a printing-testing stage. Just need to work on the arm/hand rig to get it working with the rest of this exoskleton (endoskeleton?) that's been designed.