[GBC] The Akiyuki Project (2010 - 2020)

[Ankoku]

I am really glad that the train system doesn't float my boat.

Sadly, I need to buy EV3 for the ball sorting module :P I love how that operates.

[doug72]

Most of the bugs in the GBC train system have now been sorted out apart from the VERY complex Crane Loader  module that uses Ver 1 trains.

An alternative solution of lifting ball carrier on & off now devised and working OK.

I find a lot of the Akiyuki GBC modules are over complex, use scarce or hard to find parts & are very fiddly to tune.

I will stick to Train GBC and come up with further ideas and modules and post them on the Train GBC forum thread.

Also I only have a limited number of studded lego parts.

Doug72

Edited December 12, 2018 by Doug72

[Ankoku]

Yeah, nearly all the parts I buy are studded normal bricks. My collection is almost exclusively Technic and predominantly stud-less.

[Juroen]

On 12/6/2018 at 3:18 AM, Ankoku said:

@Juroen I would email Akiyuki and see if he has it. I am amazed at the progress you have made! Well done! Remember to take internal photos. The sort of ones where you will never get the view again without disassembling it. Oh and link your post in this thread, so show you are serious about what you are doing. People are far more receptive to such things when they can see that someone has already put in a lot of work.

@rskamen

As I am stuck on a few parts of the ballcleaner-module I have contacted Akiyuki on his website akiyuki.jp, with a link to my previous posts and some additional bricksafe-links. I think he will get too many requests for any additional information on his modules. But for now I will wait. Anybody got some experience with corresponding with Akiyuki?

[rskamen]

I finished the Great Ball Factory, and just about have the timing set. It skips, misses, or jams every once in awhile, but I have managed to run it for 10 minutes straight without a single miss or dropped ball. I got the delivery of the Quercetti balls from Riga, Latvia. They seem to work fine. But since this is my first GBC and my 3rd Lego project ever, I have no basis for comparison. I did open a bricksafe account and will get pictures and a quick video posted in the next day or two. Thank you to all that helped, and to everyone on this forum for all the wisdom and knowledge you impart. Maybe the Akiyuki Train project next? I will need a bigger house! Best wishes to everyone for a wonderful Holiday season. Bob

[Ankoku]

Congratz! Look forward to seeing the pics!

[drullph20]

Christmas Challenge 

I would like to share with you some of my progress in building Ball Cleaner this will be is version controlled by NXT brick.

I would like to share more images but as it goes this forum allows me to post it only 1 image with really shit size of 100k thanks for 2018.... This project is quite complex so I putted it together based on the images and videos which are published online. Currently my biggest challenge is missing section which is located at the end of the ball cleaner right under the bridge which is leading clean balls out, specifically part of the module where is located shock absorber which is pushing pneumatic cylinder, on which are attached tiles black and white colour and this tile are scanned by NXT light sensor.  I think this device functioning as a electronic pressure sensor and I also think that this sensor switching on ball cleaner under right amount of pressure which is necessary for correct functioning of whole ball cleaner. From all the images and videos I can not build electronic pressure sensor exactly like Akiyuki therefore I can  finish whole ball cleaner into functioning device without electronic pressure sensor so if anyone knows how to do it please let me know. This version in my humble opinion is similar up to 90%or more in terms of  internal parts which are not visible on the images or videos .   So having said that if anyone find it useful and need any support please do let me know I would be happy to send over more images. Like wise please if you know any solutions for electronic pressure sensor pass it over to me? 

 

In upcoming days i will be finishing connection of all tubes.... and then i will put in a place NXT brick after that I will be able create a program. 

Please, anyone knows how to attached bigger size of images or possibly upload  videos ? Thanks 

[Ankoku]

Some people upload their images to Flickr on here, other upload them to Brick Safe, from there you can link them in posts here. The forum does preview thumbnails automatically.

 I am guessing the Akiyuki Ball Cleaner NXT program file has stuff which talks to the sensor in it. Can you work anything out from that?

You and @Juroen should compare notes!

 

[9v system]

6 hours ago, drullph20 said:

Christmas Challenge 

I would like to share with you some of my progress in building Ball Cleaner this will be is version controlled by NXT brick.

I would like to share more images but as it goes this forum allows me to post it only 1 image with really shit size of 100k thanks for 2018.... This project is quite complex so I putted it together based on the images and videos which are published online. Currently my biggest challenge is missing section which is located at the end of the ball cleaner right under the bridge which is leading clean balls out, specifically part of the module where is located shock absorber which is pushing pneumatic cylinder, on which are attached tiles black and white colour and this tile are scanned by NXT light sensor.  I think this device functioning as a electronic pressure sensor and I also think that this sensor switching on ball cleaner under right amount of pressure which is necessary for correct functioning of whole ball cleaner. From all the images and videos I can not build electronic pressure sensor exactly like Akiyuki therefore I can  finish whole ball cleaner into functioning device without electronic pressure sensor so if anyone knows how to do it please let me know. This version in my humble opinion is similar up to 90%or more in terms of  internal parts which are not visible on the images or videos .   So having said that if anyone find it useful and need any support please do let me know I would be happy to send over more images. Like wise please if you know any solutions for electronic pressure sensor pass it over to me? 

 

In upcoming days i will be finishing connection of all tubes.... and then i will put in a place NXT brick after that I will be able create a program. 

Please, anyone knows how to attached bigger size of images or possibly upload  videos ? Thanks 

welcome, nice progress, did you have a look on bricksafe? there are some detailed photos from akiyuki on there, this is also the site we use for images

 

[Juroen]

Wow, looking great! You are almost done, I have a long way to go though! I’m currently working on the timing of the pneumatic switches. Also waiting on some parts. 

Edited December 26, 2018 by Juroen
Grammar

[RohanBeckett]

+1 for www.bricksafe.com

great place to store lego-related photos... doesn't have the social/tag systems like Flickr... but hey.. that's what Eurobricks is for! ;)

[drullph20]

Thanks for your interest and info given about images on the Brick Safe, I already seen it and used some of them in my project. 

Any more useful info please do not hasitate to contact me! Mainly info regards pneumatic electronic sensor. 

I will add more pictures one of them will have highlighted part where I am stuck at the moment. (pneumatic electronic sensor)

https://bricksafe.com/pages/drullph20/lego-ball-cleaner

 

18 hours ago, Ankoku said:

Some people upload their images to Flickr on here, other upload them to Brick Safe, from there you can link them in posts here. The forum does preview thumbnails automatically.

 I am guessing the Akiyuki Ball Cleaner NXT program file has stuff which talks to the sensor in it. Can you work anything out from that?

You and @Juroen should compare notes!

 

Thanks I just figured out how it works, I will look into your idea with program once I will solve this issue I will share that with others. 

17 hours ago, Juroen said:

Wow, looking great! You are almost done, I have a long way to go though! I’m currently working on the timing of the pneumatic switches. Also waiting on some parts. 

So I wish you best luck if will need more info, images etc. please do let me know. 

[Ankoku]

Okay, so I am working on the Fork to Fork module and I am starting to notice some differences to the Akiyuki original.

Do we know if anyone got any additional photos from Akiyuki of the back of the wheel wall?

 

In his videos, you can see a pin here, which would make the wheel mechanism behind the wall a lot more secure. It is missing from the instructions.

[Juroen]

I’m looking for 100cm EV3 cables. Does anybody have experience where to buy them?

[Ankoku]

50cm is the longest official cable LEGO do.

[Lego_GBC_NL]

8 hours ago, Juroen said:

I’m looking for 100cm EV3 cables. Does anybody have experience where to buy them?

Never came across official 100cm EV3 cables... perhaps custom made ones do exist...

Also, these NXT/EV3 extenders seem to work

http://www.mindsensors.com/ev3-and-nxt/91-extender-for-nxtev3-cables

[Juroen]

Just now, Lego_GBC_NL said:

Never came across official 100cm EV3 cables... perhaps custom made ones do exist...

Also, these NXT/EV3 extenders seem to work

http://www.mindsensors.com/ev3-and-nxt/91-extender-for-nxtev3-cables

Thanks, I have already found some custom made cables. Ordered 1 piece to see if it meets my expectations.

[9v system]

@Juroen i was going to suggest hi technic as i think they sell longer ev3 cables too

[Ankoku]

The longest HiTechnic one is 90cm

https://modernroboticsinc.com/hitechnic-nxt-extended-connector-cable-set

[djm]

16 hours ago, Juroen said:

I’m looking for 100cm EV3 cables. Does anybody have experience where to buy them?

Mindsensors do longer ribbon cables for NXT/EV3. Refer to http://www.mindsensors.com/51-cables-connectors. I've used a 3 metre one for powering a NXT motor but I've not tried it for an EV3 motor.

David

[Nikopol]

On 7/4/2016 at 10:12 PM, Blakbird said:

Mechanically it would probably not be that hard to reverse engineer and build, but all the magic is in the programming. This thing doesn't just drive each motor individually, it can do complex things like move the output in a straight line which requires driving all the motors at continuously varying rates. It is quite impressive. However, as has been noted this topic is only about the HGBC modules. If I was doing Akiyuk's other creations, I think I would do the harmonic drive which is just incredible.

Hello @Blakbird @Courbet, by any chance, if any of you is aware of existing instructions (even unfinished) for the 6-axis robot arm, that would be fantastic. I would like to try it as a teaching platform for some of the underlying programming concepts.

[Ankoku]

Many years ago, you used to see the robot arm at GBC events in the US. So someone did end up creating something similar.

[Ankoku]

One thing which surprises me with Fork to Fork, is that the down ramp goes to the specified 10 stud height for baskets, but the in basket is above 10 studs. I feel as though the standard should be a specific height, rather than "at least".

[Ankoku]

How do people deal with the wonkiness of the wheel on the Fork to Fork module?

One of the reasons I dislike wheels, large and small is because the angles of the elements are actually conducive to something that is round. So element are strained and the end result is a non-perfectly round wheel.

In the case of Fork to Fork, it can result in the balls not coming off the wheel and the side of the wheel catching at the bottom corners.

[Ankoku]

As far as I can tell, based off the Akiyuki video, the run-off from the top of the ramp is at the wrong height in the instructions. It doesn't match the video.