This must be the most complex and biggest robot I own for the moment. It did take me almost 2 year to build this robot.
(mainly because it was a set from "Deagostini", and parts where send to me over a period of about 90 weeks)
It does have built-in bluetooth, cmos camera, light/sound sensors etc ...
You have to assemble this "kit" on your own, and it also comes with a (C-like) programming environment.
Even an "extension-board" is available, so you can add your own custom-made electronic circuits to this robot.


I-qbot

It's pretty save to assume, that this is the smallest biped robot available at the market for the moment.
This little guy stands only about 10 cm in height. (about 4 inches for our non-metric readers).
It comes with a remote control, and a few hundred preprogrammed movements.
(from Kungfu-kicks, over romantic & aerobic guestures, to some music-playing and acrobatic stunts)
He can even talk, and understands (a set of) voice commands :-)


I-sobot

When we visited Legoland in Germany, a few years ago, I couldn't resist in buying this NXT robotics set.
I was a very active member of the Lego Mindstorms community. I was even a "preselected" member, to do a review of the Vision Command set.
(I did receive this set for free, along with 4 other members worldwide, long before the final release-date).
I was also a forum-host on the official Lego Mindstorms forum. (In return, I received some free Mindstorms pieces from time to time)

So, this NXT set was a real "must have" for me, because it did contain a new CPU and new sensors, new ways of communication,
a whole new way of "thinking" and "building" ...
Due to lack of time, I did build the "original robot" with the included instructions, since then it is sitting in a cabinet in our living-room :-)
(I will surely do some nice stuff with this set, as like I did with the Mindstorms sets, it's just a matter of time ...)


Lego NXT robot

Since I have a CnC machine (see the "CnC" section), and I needed some practice with servo's for my home automation projects.
(see "Home Automation" section), I decided it was time for a little "fun" project. Inspired by some forum-threads at www.trossenrobotics.com ,
I make a hexapod, completely from scratch.
All parts where drawn with AutoCAD. After that, the files got processed by Rams 3D Gold. The final result where files that where directly usable in ColiDrive,
the application that drives my CnC machine. I Bought a 5mm thick plexi plate, and milled / drilled all the parts out of it. (took me about 2 hours)
The U-brackets where fitted together with "cloroform". A dangerous product for inhalation, put perfect to get the plexi a bit "weak", so the pieces "melted"
together perfectly.

The AutoCAD files are available for people who are interested, you can find them on my skydrive, by clicking here.
And for the people out there with a Profiler CnC machine, you can directly download the Colinbus-ready files, by clicking here.

Have a look at some pictures : (you can view high-resolution pictures on our skydrive, by clicking here.


Total view of Andy, with his body raised (left picture) and his body lowered (right picture)


Detail of one leg, (left = body raised, right = body lowered)


On the left, you see a backside view of a leg. Notice the bolts, they do fit thightly into the plexi, without any glue.
The right pictures show you a topview of a leg.
In both pictures you can see where the plexi is "glue-ed" together with the cloroform.


Top view of "Andy" (and yes, that's a part of Kris' foot in the left picture)
Notice on the right picture, how upper- and lower-body are fitted together. The "etched" spider in the middle is also done with the CnC machine.

For the "steering" of Andy, I cheated a bit ;-) I bought an SSC-32 card from lynxmotion. This is a card with an Atmel processor on top, that can
control 32 servo's. (Andy does have 18 servo's) This card also does have an RS232 port. I connected a a BlueSMiRF module from sparkfun.
The BlueSMiRF module is a bluetooth to RS232 converter. So, I wrote some software with inverse kinematics in C# .NET, which does send out
commands via Bluetooth. Those Bluetooth signals are picked up by the BlueSMiRF module, and converted to RS232 signals.
Those signals are fet into the SC-32 card, wich on his turn, controls the servo's ...
We have some plans, to extend Andy in the future, with extra sensors and onboard logic, to make him a stand-alone hexapod, with a mind of his own ;-)
In the meanwhile, he is sitting in our garage, waiting to be upgraded ...

This must be the oldest "robot" that I have. (Mindstorms robotic sets not taken into account)
This is the I-Cybie, a robotic dog, compairable with the Sony Aibo.
The dog does have some form or artificial intelligence builded-in. It also can do tricks (stand on his head, do card-tricks etc ...)
Furthermore it reacts with his environment trough light/sound/touch-sensors, and even voice commands.
It can even "watch" your home, when you are out. (e.g. he "barks" when he notices sounds or movements)


I-Cybie dog