9/01/2017: brainstorming and research for designs

Today, we searched for a suitable design for our project. In the process of doing so, we found several interesting designs which could be used in our project. For instance, one of the precedents we deemed interesting involved a triangular leg design. It had many advantages, such as the ability to jump, climb stairs and to move with a relatively high speed. Despite the benefits of this design, however, we had trouble figuring out the way how it works and how to build it. A second design we found consisted of a legged robot concept which resembled a cheetah. It could walk over obstacles without difficulty and could reach a high walking speed. Moreover, due to its simplier design, we were able to understand the way how it works and we had an idea in how to build it. During the process of our brainstorming, we decided to use pistons to power the legs, for they were simple to design and make compared to other methods. Next class, we plan to complete our sketching process and to start experimenting with different designs of legged walkers.