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Robots designed and built by David Buckley - to October 1998

Key

A design Abandoned
C Concept
D under Development
HM History Maker
RB undergoing a Rebuild
Ret Retired
T Transferred to new owner

Robots

Teal - HM
From a design by Peter Holland, published in The Model Maker about 1955.
Probably the first design for a walking vehicle to be published in Britain as a construction project.
Built October 1976.
Size - 12" * 5" * 8".
Operational area - minimum 4ft * 2ft.
Icarus - HM
Based on a design by A B Orr, Newnes Practical Mechanics July 1962.
Following Grey Walters machines it is probably the first published design for a phototropic vehicle.
Won a Gold medal at the Robot Olympics, Glasgow 1990.
Built April 1990.
Size - 6" * 4' * 6 1/2".
Operational area - 3ft * 3ft.
Fred - HM
Based on a design by Peter Holland, Radio Control Models & Electronics, December 1964.
Probably the first published design for a photo- tropic vehicle which didn't follow Grey Walters design of a scanning turret coupled to the front wheel. Instead Fred's turret independently rotates and a sensor integrates the light level over the Port and Starboard sectors and directs the steering to head to the brightest sector.
Built May 1990.
Size - 5 1/2" * 4" * 4 1/2".
Operational area - 3ft * 3ft.
Hexy - HM
Based on a design by G Drapper, Radio Control Models & Electronics, March 1965.
Probably the first design for a phototropic vehicle which didn't use a scanning turret.
Built May 1990.
Size - 6" * 6" * 3 1/2".
Operational area - 3ft * 3ft.
WiLF - HM
Based on a design published in Everyday Electronics, June 1975.
Probably the first published design for a Line Following vehicle.
Built October 1991.
Size - 5" * 4 1/2" * 3".
Operational area - 3ft * 3ft.
Timbug-II - HM
Based on a design published in Elektor, June 1980.
Maybe the first published design for a robot vehicle using ultrasonics for obstacle detection. Uses an ultra-sonic beam to detect obstacles, avoidance is by random back-off and turn behaviour.
Built March 1992.
Size - 5" * 3 1/2" * 3".
Operational area - 3ft * 3ft.
Quester - Ret
A micromouse, which uses vision to detect the walls of the maze, segmented bump sensors in case it doesn't, and a layered behaviour control program.
Finalist in the Robotics Age "Home Robot Photo Contest". Article in Robotics Age Jan/Feb 1982.
Photograph of Quester used to illustrate an article on mobile robots, p641, The Home Computer Advanced Course #33, 1984.
Photograph - Scale Models International, April 1988, p207.
Built June 1981 -.
Size - 8" * 5 1/2" * 7 1/2".
Operational area - 3ft * 3ft using a small maze.
M23 - Ret
Computer controlled Turtle using an Infra Red communications link.
Won a Bronze medal at the 1988 International Model Engineer Exhibition, London.
Photograph - Scale Models International, April 1988, p207.
Built May 1982.
Size - 10" * 10" * 5".
Operational area - minimum 4ft * 4ft plus host computer.
Zeaker - HM
Black vehicle, the prototype Zeaker.
A computer controlled micro robot vehicle attached by an umbilical to its control station and host computer.
Built November 1982.
Size - 5 1/2" * 5" * 2 1/2".
Operational area - 3ft * 3ft plus host computer.
Zeaker - HM
White vehicle, the production prototype Zeaker.
A computer controlled micro robot vehicle attached by an umbilical to its control station and host computer.
Published as a construction project in Practical Electronics May & June 1983 and sold by Colne Robotics.
Zeaker was the first British computer controlled micro robot vehicle to have comprehensive segmented bump sensors.
Illustrations of Zeaker used in The Usborne Practical Micro Book, p49, p75, 1985.
Highly Commended at the 1988 Model Engineer Exhibition.
Photograph - Scale Models International, April 1988, p207.
Built February 1983.
Size - 5 1/2" * 5" * 2 1/2".
Operational area - 3ft * 3ft plus host computer.
Prowler - HM
The first design published in Britain for an expandable micro robot vehicle.
Controlled over an umbilical from an host computer.
Published in Sinclair Projects Aug. and Dec. 1983.
Built Summer 1983.
Size - 9" * 4 1/2" * 3".
Operational area - 3ft * 3ft plus host computer.
DoubleVision - HM
A simple stereo scanning camera for a computer.
Published in Practical Robotics, July 1984.
Built June 1984.
Size 4" * 4" * 4"
Operational area - 3ft * 2 ft
Modular-I - Ret
Designed and fitted out by D L Buckley, chassis built by David Joseph.
A self contained modular robot vehicle with obstacle sensors and obstacle avoiding software.
Built Autumn 1983.
Size - 13" * 10 1/2" * 6"
Operational area - minimum 4ft * 4ft.
Zero 2 - HM
Expandable Turtle controlled over an umbilical from an host computer, driven by stepper motors and capable of precise movements, is able to follow lines using the inbuilt line following sensors.
Design started July 1984.
Size - 7" * 6" * 4".
Operational area - 3ft * 3ft plus host computer.
First-Step - D
Four Legged Walking Robot, uses 3-D pantograph arrangement to produce a gravitationally decoupled leg mechanism similar to that used by Shigeo Hirose, A Study of Design and Control of a Quadruped Walking Vehicle, The International Journal of Robotics Research, Vol 3, No. 2, 1984.
Won a Silver medal at the 1988 International Model Engineer Exhibition, London.
Photograph - Scale Models International, April 1988, p207.
Design and building started September 1987.
Size - body about 6" * 6" * 6", legs extend to about 15" * 15".
Operational area - 4ft * 2ft plus host computer.
Shadow Walker - HM Ret
A two legged human sized pneumatic powered walking robot.
Design and building started 1988.
Size - 5ft 6inches high, weight about 80lb
Operational area:-
safety supporting frame 4ft * 8ft * 8ft plus host computer, a small compressor fits under the host computer's table.
Omnivore - HM
Designed by Jonathan Connell and published in Omni October 1988.
A self contained robot vehicle with an electronic neural control circuit with layered behaviours.
Built as published May 1994.
Size - 9" * 5" * 4"
Operating area - 6ft * 9ft minimum.
Liberator - T
A self contained mobile robot, will be equipped with a vision system and arm and gripper.
Sometimes controlled over an umbilical from an host computer.
Triangle Digital Services 2020 Forth computer
Built 1991
Size - about 20" * 15" * 5ft high
operational area - 6ft * 6ft minimum.
Simplhex - Ret
A self contained six legged walking vehicle using 12 model-control servos, it has an onboard control computer enabling it to walk whilst avoiding obstacles.
i. Umbilical controlled from an Acorn Achimedes A3000
ii. made self contained using a Basic Stamp BS1
iii. Stamp code compiled into a PIC16f84
Design and building started September 1994.
Size - 13" * 8" * 6" high
Operational area - 3ft * 3ft minimum.
Elizabeth - T
Imperial-Lady class robot #1
A self contained mobile robot able to navigate in an unstructured environment and coexist with human and other reasonably sized animal life.
Multiple sensors and multiple sensor systems.
Data fusion via behavioural fusion control strategies.
Triangle Digital Services 2020 Forth computer
Design and building started September 1993.
Size - about 26" * 18" * 36".
Victoria - T
Imperial-Lady class robot #2
A self contained mobile robot able to navigate in an unstructured environment and coexist with human and other reasonably sized animal life.
Data fusion via behavioural fusion control strategies.
Triangle Digital Services 2020 Forth computer
Design and building started September 1993.
Size - about 26" * 18" * 36".
Tiny Tim - Ret
A sub miniature self contained robot vehicle with onboard computer programmed in a high level language, capable of seeking light whilst avoiding obstacles. Uses a five layer behavioural control program.
Built May 1994.
Size - 1.5" * 1.9" * 1.3".
(yes thats 3.8cm * 4.8cm * 3.3cm)
Operational area - 6" * 6" minimum.
Jack-0 - A
A six legged self contained walking robot vehicle able to cope with unstructured terrain, to be equipped a vision system for terrain mapping and object location, and a limb and gripper for object retrieval.
Size - about 40cm * 30cm * 30cm
Operational area - 6ft * 6ft minimum
Mr Big - C
A micro miniature self contained robot vehicle with onboard computer programmed in a high level language, capable of seeking light whilst avoiding obstacles. Uses a layered behavioural control program.
Design started March 1995.
Size - 1" cube.
(yes thats a 2.5cm cube)
Operational area - 6" * 6" minimum.
Clarissa May - D
Groundhog class Mars tug, rough terain vehicle with onboard computer programmed in a high level language, capable of seeking light whilst avoiding obstacles. Uses a layered behavioural control program with intrinsic sensor fusion.
Uses a Basic Stamp BS1.
Built May 1995.
Size - 6.5" x 6.5" x2.75" high
Operational area - 2" * 2" minimum.
Snowdrop - D
Groundhog class Mars tug, rough terain vehicle with onboard computer programmed in a high level language, capable of seeking light whilst avoiding obstacles. Uses a layered behavioural control program with intrinsic sensor fusion.
Uses a Basic Stamp BS1.
Built May 1995.
Size - 6.5" x 6.5" x2.75" high
Operational area - 2" * 2" minimum.
Gargantua - A
A micro miniature self contained robot vehicle with onboard computer programmed in a high level language, capable of seeking light whilst avoiding obstacles.
Used a cut up Basic Stamp BS1 SIL version.
Built August 1996.
Operational area - 6" * 6" minimum.
Ranger Scout - A
A 2 inch cube wheeled robot
Used a Basic Stamp BS1.
Built November 1997.
The Imperial Drone Red - Nevik
A minimal wheeled robot built from coloured cardboard using hot-melt glue.
Capable of seeking light whilst avoiding obstacles.
Uses a Basic Stamp BS1.
Built November 1997.
The Imperial Drone Green - Gotan - T
A minimal wheeled robot built from coloured cardboard using hot-melt glue.
Capable of seeking light whilst avoiding obstacles.
Uses a Basic Stamp BS1.
Built November 1997.
Hugo
Cardboard animatronic head designed to be built by students in a workshop on animatronics.
Prototype for Alex.
Built April 1998.
BigFoot - HM
A two servo biped walker.
Uses a Basic Stamp BS1.
Size - 10" high.
Built October 1998.
Alex
An animatronic head.
Built October 1998.

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