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Lowa

Eurobricks Citizen
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Everything posted by Lowa

  1. Lowa
    I don't understand what you mean with this, LEGO switches don't line with stud grids... The centers of the connections between the curves don't line with the grid either. Monorail curves do, that's in fact the reason why the monorail curves are not 100% circular, they have a short straight section to make sure the center of the rail lines up with the LEGO grid, which is needed to put the stanchions. It also one of the reasons why the short curves have those zig-zag ends: the know which side is which because both sides have a slightly different shape. I'm not aware of anything similar with the train track, as far a I know they are pure circle segments and therefore don't line up with the grid. I totally agree, 12 studs looks much better than 16 studs for the narrow gauge.
  2. Lowa
    Indeed, I haven't used reed switches yet, but that was my main major concern. That's why I was wondering if they have a major advantage that makes is worth taking the risk of breaking your sensor...
  3. Lowa
    Interesting solution... Is there any reason why you chose reed sensors and not hall effect sensors ?
  4. Lowa
    Interesting, have you ever published anything on this on forums ?
  5. Lowa
    The look and feel of the interface are very important to me and the goal was to have something that you would feel good about when using it, so thank you for the complement ! The goal is still to have the first ones (motors & controllers) out before the end of the year...
  6. Lowa
    Thank you! And I agree, I don't find the block-diagram programming very intuitive either, not with Mindstorms, not with LabView (the National Instruments software on which the Mindstorms software is based). I'm also not sure why it's considered to be 'easier' than coding... I find it much harder to read that standard code.
  7. Lowa
    Great, and thank you for spreading the word and sharing the link! We've been experimenting with DC motor drivers in combination with PF motors so that's certainly a possibility. Do you mean something like this ?
  8. Lowa
    Yes, turnouts are on the to-do list. Wider narrow gauge turns are not a be a big deal to make and the dual gauge seems like in interesting concept. But somehow, in the end, it all need to fit and make sense. I think we should work out a concept before I start designing any particular track. For example, think about what the best radius (or multiple) would be, especially if we start mixing narrow gauge and standard gauge In how many segments are we going to split the wider range curves for every radius we should have matching switches/turnouts and the track that splits off should connect to the rest of the layout might use another radius. etc. I really think we first need to work out an 'extended track concept' and make sure everything will line up before making anything. Is anyone aware if something like this has been done before for narrow gauge ?
  9. Lowa
    I didn't immediately expect durability to be an issue... The question is why do they break ? Eventually every 'tire' will wear down and break. Aging of the material might be an issue too. But elastic bands are indeed not made for friction but to provide tension; you certainly have a good point there. The o-rings might also be made of materials that age better. I'll continue my search for a suitable o-ring and keep you posted...
  10. Lowa
    @coaster, @Hod Carrier, I took the elastic bands because they are have square cross-section. The hydraulic o-rings all seemed to have a circular cross-section and somehow I felt that the lower contact surface would give a lower grip. I also didn't really find ones that had the right dimension, they all seemed rather thick. I would indeed be interesting to somehow compare the grip of the 'bands' and the 'rings' in an objective way.
  11. Lowa
    As JopieK said the 360 degree / continuous rotation servos tend to be bigger. The goal here was to have a small versatile servo. There are plenty of applications where 0-180 degree range is sufficient and the smaller size is an advantage. But indeed, the 0-180 range is going to be an issue for same applications. I'm also looking at continuous rotation servos and 360 degrees servos. An interesting alternative might also be a small stepper motor. I have a working prototype, see picture below and it seems to have potential: there are 2048 steps per rotation. The stepper is 4x5x5 studs. The goal is indeed to have a wider range of motors including some 'high performance' ones. What type of applications did you have in mind ? What kind of motor would you like to see ?
  12. Lowa
    I'm working on a range of bricks for Arduino - mechanically compatible with LEGO technic, electronically compatible with Arduino - which I plan to make available in our bricklink store early next year. Below you have a short video with a demo: a servo motor controlled by a rotation sensor, both are connected to an Arduino nano board. What do you think ? What else would be useful? Both the motor and sensor are fully LEGO compatible: Some technical details on the motor and sensor: Motor: 0-180 digital servo housing dimensions: 3 x 4 x 5 studs technic axle connection to motor 4 technic peg connectors on the front 4 technic axle connectors on the sides (2 on each side) Sensor: measures rotation with a resolution up to 1 degree variable resistor 360 rotation capabilities housing dimensions: 3 x 4 x 2 studs technic axle connection to sensor 4 technic peg connectors on the top
  13. Lowa
    @McWaffel, @Tcm0 or any other Arduino enthusiast, I just finished the documentation of the track switch motors; I added the required technical information and a wiring and code example. The examples are very straightforward, especially if you're an experienced Arduino, but they might be handy for beginners. This should be everything you need to hook the motors up to your own Arduino. The goal is to document all our Arduino compatible components like this. https://www.4dbrix.com/documentation/arduino/ Let me know if there is anything missing or not clear ? P.S. The 3D printers are currently busy printing the first batch of motor housings, we're getting there...
  14. Lowa
    I just tested the motors on a 9V track switch and they performed as desired! We customized our dark gray to match the current 'dark bluish gray', so the color is a bit off on the 9V track. We could make the motors in black as well, that might be a better match for the 9V track. If there are any suggestions or additional questions, don't hesitate to contact us...
  15. Lowa
    Thank you! Yes, there is a first BETA version of nControl that you can download from our website (Windows only at this point...): http://localhost/4dbrix/downloads/index.php This version has the track planning an the first step of the 'simulation', i.e you can simulate when the automation would look like on your screen. I'm currently working on the next version that will have support for the controllers and the capabilities to add custom actions and links between the tiles.
  16. Lowa
    Thank you! The back side is 'solid'... The bands are 8mm (5/16") in diameter and stretched to a 12mm (15/32") diameter when put on the wheel. They are about 1.4mm (~3/64") wide. What do you mean with 'bar' ? Do you mean a technic peg ?
  17. Lowa
    I tweaked the hole to get the right clutch power. I did however discover than the 'modern' axles are slightly narrower than the 'old' axles (old = from the end of the 80s beginning 90s); there's a difference of about 0.1mm. I designed the wheel for the modern axles and for them the clutch power is just right, at least that's my feeling... It works with the old axles too, but it's tight and rather tough to get the wheel off the axle. I'm not really sure as there is not much information on the package, it just says "non latex rubber bands". The rubber bands are wider than the LEGO traction tires, they are also flat so there is a larger contact surface. When block the wheels and rub them over over the tracks, I have the feeling that the rubber bands give better resistance than the LEGO traction tires. With the LEGO wheels I have more of a sliding feeling while with the rubber bands I have more of a rubbing feeling. So I think we're good...
  18. Lowa
    Nice to hear I helped inspiring you to reach for your Arduino boards... Very cool project and an interesting way to connect an SG90 to a LEGO switch. Judging for the video you didn't modify the switch, i.e. you didn't remove the notches, I like that... How much strain does this setup put on that green 4x4 plate ? Does it ever come loose ?
  19. Lowa
    @ritzcrackerman, @Hod Carrier This is the latest version of the 'medium sized' train wheels for the narrow gauge trains. The pictures below show them in comparison to the LEGO train wheels. Both wheels are the same, but the one on the left has a traction tire and the other one not. This is what I changed compared to the previous version: I printed them at maximal resolution, so the 'groves' on the flange are thinner and thus less visible. I added a groove for the traction tire I added a traction tire. I tweaked the dimensions. With the traction tire the tread diameter is now 13mm so slightly larger than the 12T bevel gear I printed them in black What do you think ?
  20. Lowa
    My idea was to try a 'DC motor in a 9g servo housing'. '9g servos' have a standardized shape and now you can also find DC motors in the same housing. The size is roughly 32mm x 30mm x 12mm, so in theory it has to be possible to get it into a 2 stud wide brick (16mm). I don't know if they are powerful enough and spin at the right RPM for a narrow gauge train but it's worth to try and find out. They are 6V I think, so we would have to do some voltage conversion as well if you want to use the LEGO battery box.
  21. Lowa
    Yes, it is. That roller coaster is using narrow gauge track, it's just the color that is different.
  22. Lowa
    No problem! I guess things are clearer in my head than in my posts... If you want to get the motors and hook them up with your own Arduino, you're good, there's no need for a software subscription to do that. We'll also provide you all the information you need to do that. The only question that remains is how are you going to interface with your Arduino, i.e. how will you tell your Arduino that it needs to flip a track switch ? if you add a number of push buttons to your Arduino to do so; you don't need a subscription. if you write a software or a phone app to interface with your Arduino; you don't need a subscription. etc. In essence, you don't need a subscription if you make the interface with your Arduino yourself. In case you don't want to do that we offer a solution: a subscription to nControl. nControl is a software that provides a graphical interface to communicate with your Arduino, it shows your layout and provides tiles to flip your switches, see screenshot below. It's something that you can use if you want to, but you don't have to. If you use a 4DBrix controller, you don't need a subscription either, then you can use nControl for free.
  23. Lowa
    I was referring to this thread: But there is no reason we couldn't look into a dedicated narrow gauge motor! I don't immediately know of a motor what would fit into a 2x6x2. But I do have a small geared DC motor that might fit into a 2x5x3 brick. Would that work ?
  24. Lowa
    Wow, 8 x 64, I did not see that one coming... I just checked and this is what I found: for 6 stud wide cars, the maximum length is 38 studs for 8 stud wide cars, the maximum length is 30 studs I don't immediately see a way to reduce the height of the motor. What could be possible is make a motor with an 'extended arm' so you can move it away from the track.
  25. Lowa
    Yes, we're going to document everything so you can integrate it in your own DIY system if you want to. We'll do that for all the actuator and sensors. We made an API for the controllers and we'll document and publish all the interfacing functions. The goal is to have a modular system where you can combine our components with DIY components. The range is ok but the functionalities are too limited for all the applications I have in mind. For example, I'm working on a train with a 'position sensor' so that the train can track where it is. The train has to transmit that tracking information back to the control system so we need bidirectional communication capabilities. I also have a prototype of a LEGO compatible stepper motor and see some applications for it, you will not be able to control that with either of these to systems. They might work for some applications, and I'll look into it, but at some point we'll need something more powerful...
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