Robotic leg controller wins Camaro in Philips Dream Machine Contest. (Philips Semiconductor)

EDN, April, 1995 by Leibson, Steven H.

A robotic leg controller patterned after an insect leg has won first place (the prize: a red Chevrolet Camaro) in Philips Semiconductors' Dream Machine Contest. Judges from Philips and EDN examined 97 contest entries to find the winner. Zhimin Ding at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois (Urbana, IL) created the design. The robotic controller, based on a Philips 87C552 [micro]C, drives a two-jointed leg powered by gear motors. The leg not only provides motion, but also senses the best location for a firm footing on changing terrain. The 87C552's integral A/D converter measures joint location through potentiometers mounted on each joint and strain gauges mounted on the leg's motor shafts. Torque information from the strain...

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