Re: Hexapods / Stewart Platforms

Hexapods have been about for some time, you will find the
information if you do some research, especially among the many
university websites.

Try a Google search. "stewart Platform" returned 2690 hits.
And '"Stewart platform" software' returned 1040 hits.

http://www-sop.inria.fr/coprin/logiciels/RP/FK/6p-3/notice-html.html
offers a free ftp software download, along with a brief overview of
the maths involved, although the ftp URL may not be current any
longer since the site was posted in 1995.

I was looking at this hexapod site a few days ago.
http://www.foxkid.net/cmm/platform/project-notebook.html

Regards
John.

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, Charles Knight
<charles@i...> wrote:

> Well, I just finished going through some more of the files

section, and

> I found an interesting little directory called HEXAPOD. Obviously
> someone has given this some thought, as there are photos of real
> actuator legs there.
>
> So, I'll word my questions carefully. The hexapod (Stewart

Platform)

> design holds some interest for me, but while the mechanical side

of it

> is relatively straightforward, the algorithms for controlling the

motion

> of the platform, are not.
>
> <http://f4.grp.yahoofs.com/v1/oPXfPtz9G29D8Bgj4IfSmH01Nv-

1am3zEKWeWoCXoiFWAt3yRZm1byhZhEfRClDuRmSw5U-
2Kk_IKerQ/Hexapod/animated_hexapod.gif>

> is a direct link to an animation showing how it moves.
>
> I was going to ask if anyone had any experience with this type of
> mechanism, and whether anyone had built one. Obviously from the
> pictures, it's at least crossed someone's mind, and at least a

little

> work has been done in this direction. Considering this, are there

any

> updates on the project?
>
> Now, my real question. Is there any (easily available) software

which

> controls this type of mechanism? Preferably something free or low

cost,

> like TurboCNC... The mechanical side, while not simple, seems to

be of

> a relatively straightforward design. My concerns lie with the

control

> sequences needed.
>
> If such software is not available, could anyone here help me

understand

> the algorithms involved in controlling one of these things? I

could

> probably program a controller for a hexapod, but I'd have to

understand

> the math involved...and currently, I don't understand it at all.
>
> -- Chuck Knight