Saber

UPDATE:

I no longer publish on Thingiverse. For those wishing the Sketchup Design Files for Saber, they are here: https://www.youmagine.com/designs/saber and here: https://www.myminifactory.com/object/26924. Both locations "saber.zip". Best wishes.

** UPDATE!!!**

The prototype Saber has been running a little over a year. By our calculations, taking 1 stride every 2 seconds equates to 30 strides a minute, 1800 strides per hour, 43,200 strides per day, and 15,768,000 strides per year. With a rear leg stride of 5 inches, that equates to approximately 1500 miles non stop (Saber runs on a bench with a UPS, and the shop has a 65kw backup generator, so Saber hasn't stopped for over a year).

Thanks Thingiverse for the feature of Saber! As always, I am truly humbled and honored. And many thanks to those who liked and collected Saber!

NOTES:

1) See UPDATES below for updates to the design and files.

2) The original Saber is motorized. If you wish to hand operate your Saber, I've uploaded a hand crank module that replaces the motorized module here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1368351.

END OF NOTES.

Saber is my interpretation of, and was inspired by, the "Disney Computation Designs of Mechanical Characters" video, "Cyber Tiger" segment (link to video follows below).

If you are in the Dallas, Texas, USA area on January 31 through February 2 2016, and want to see Saber in person, attend the SolidWorks convention and visit the Ultimaker booth as Saber and some of my other Ultimaker 2 printed designs will be there, as will I. I would enjoy meeting all of you who attend.

As to the development of Saber, Thingiverse member sofiadragon1979 suggested that I design and print this thing after seeing "Perseverance" (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:348489) which was inspired by the same Disney video, and of course Sisyphus (thanks sofiadragon1979 for the suggestion!) . Not having access to the original details, plans nor software that Disney used, I took liberties in the design of the framework, gear train and arms by using my own software (now I know why trigonometry class was useful, who knew?) and design tools in order to better accommodate 3D printing. Standing almost 204mm (8") tall, and when fully extended 304mm (12") long (from head to toe), Saber is quite large, yet it was designed such that it is printed in smaller components in an effort to allow a wider variety of 3D printers to print it.

Saber is the most mechanically detailed Thingiverse thing I've published and is indeed a challenge to print and build, so please do not hesitate to comment if you have questions, problems, complaints, suggestions or whatever, and I'll do my best to address them.

I hope you build one, and I hope you enjoy it!

Video of Saber prototype is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSYqz6YY63c.

Some have expressed interest in the software I wrote to assist in the design of Saber. A short video of it simulating the front left leg design is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbzAQyXUwXs.

Video of Sabers made for friends and clients here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f6ZmdwUVzE.

More Sabers here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCFsUsHfFYQ.

And last yet certainly not least, the inspirational Disney video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfznnKUwywQ.

Designed using my own software (to generate the framework, gear trains, cam, cap, axle and arm motions) and Sketchup Make 2015. The prototype was printed in PLA on a Makerbot Replicator 2 using Makerware 2.3.3.42 "Standard" Settings (.2mm layer height, 2 shells, 10% infill). All subsequent Sabers were printed in PLA on an Ultimaker 2 Extended using Cura default settings.

UPDATES:

Sorry for the update delay as my wife's father, a retired Detroit, MI. police officer, passed away during the December 2015 holidays. My wife and I dedicate Saber to his memory.

1) Uploaded new "Head Right.stl". Old one is not correct, sorry for any problems.

2) Uploaded new "Head Right.stl". Previous upload didn't work, sorry for any problems.

3) Uploaded close up gear train photo of Saber prototype showing the correct initial positioning for "Arm Axle.stl" components for the left side. The right side "Arm Axle.stl" components are rotated 180 degrees from those on the left side. The positions indicated in "Assembly.skp" and "Assembly.stl" are not correct and I will update both as soon as possible, sorry for the problem.

4) For those with large format printers, I've uploaded "Base One Piece.stl", a one piece base.

Post-Printing
Parts I Purchased:

1) Motor: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009N81HES?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00.

2) Coaxial Power Jack: Radio Shack part number 274-1583.

3) 3.0 Vdc Power Supply: Radio Shack part number 273-315 with the "N" style plug 273-345, you get one free with the power supply.

Tools and supplies I used:

1) Rubber mallet.

2) Small vise.

3) Flat punch set.

4) Modeling knife.

5) Small files.

6) Sandpaper.

7) Slip joint pliers.

8) Needle nose pliers.

9) Thick cyanoacrylate glue.

10) Cyanoacrylate accelerator.

Instructions:

Print all pieces as shown in "Assembly.skp" or "Assembly.stl".

Test fit and trim, file, sand, etc. all parts as necessary for smooth movement of moving surfaces, and tight fit for non moving surfaces. Depending on the colors you chose and your printer settings, more or less trimming, filing and/or sanding will be required. If the tight fitting components are too loose, add a small dot of cyanoacrylate to each side of the pin, allow to dry completely (I use accelerator to speed the process), then try the fit again. Repeat until tight.

Assemble as per Assembly.skp (or Assembly.stl).

I started by pressing the two frame halves together ("Frame Left.stl" and "Frame Right.stl") and then one by one, inserted a gear ("Gear.stl") with its associated components (either "Arm Axle.stl", "Cap Axle.stl", or "Cap Axle Eccentric.stl") into the assembled frame and tested each gear assembly as I progressed to make absolutely sure each gear assembly rotated with almost zero effort and zero snags, and if it did not, I removed the most recently installed gear assembly and trimmed, filed, sanded, etc. until it did. Once completed, while holding onto "Cap Motor.stl", you should be easily able to spin the entire assembly by hand. If not, disassemble and repeat the process, as this is a very important step.

Another very important step, pay very exact attention to the initial orientation of the components "Cap Axle Eccentric.stl" and "Arm Axle.stl" as shown in the left side close up gear train photo. The right side components are installed 180 degrees out of phase with the left side.

Lubricate all moving components with petroleum jelly.

Wire the motor such that it rotates counter clockwise as viewed from the motor shaft.

My Sabers run anywhere from 1.5 to 6 VDC. It was designed for use with the selected motor at 3 VDC which minimizes noise while providing good motion. For break in, after lubrication, I ran my prototypes for 2 hours at 6 VDC, then lowered the voltage to 3.0 VDC. They've been running for months now at 3 VDC.

Comment if questions, and best of luck with this one!