Metallic Vaio 2012, a Unique New Type Custom-Built Robot (July 21, 2012)

Metallic Vaio 2012, a unique new type robot with two long arms or legs custom-built by Morinaga-san, who is famous for his biped robot, Metallic Fighter and is called Father of ROBO-ONE joined the 6th KONDO LAND Multi-Legged Robot Obstacle Race on July 21, 2012.

Metallic Vaio 2012 cleared the course with 2 minutes and 17 seconds, the 2nd place. Metallic Vaio 2012 also got the MVP prize.

Metallic Vaio 2012 has 18 axes. Two long arms or legs work as caterpillar. Demonstration video in the 6th KONDO LAND Multi-Legged Robot Obstacle Race is as follows;



The 2nd trial video of Metallic Vaio 2012 in the 6th KONDO LAND Multi-Legged Robot Obstacle Race is as follows. Metallic Vaio cleared the course with 2 minutes and 17 seconds which record was the 2nd place.



Sanzai-san also reported details of Metallic Vaio in his blog with pictures and videos (in Japanese).

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M4-1, custom built 4-legged robot using Mercury Leg Set (Oct. 7, 2011)

Craft House reported M4-1, 4-legged robot using Mercury Leg Set, custom built by Magnet-san who was a member Kyushu Robot Training Meeting. Mercury, parallel-link leg kit was put on the market by Craft House on Jan. 28, 2009.

Mercury Leg Set can be divided into two parts. It seems to be easy to use the divided leg part as the leg of 4-legged robot for KONDO KRS-4000 series servo such as KRS-4013HV and KRS-4014HV. The 4-legged structure is similar to that of KMR-P4 which will be put on the market in this month.

Video of the new custom-built robot is as follows;



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New Type Biped Robot 'Roller-Dash' Custom-Built by Igaa-san (Sep. 16, 2011)

Igaa-san opened his new type biped robot 'Roller-Dash' which feet equipped wheels at his blog site (in Japanese) of Ropotal on Sep 16, 2011.

I think it is the first type biped hobby robot moving with wheels. Weight of the new robot is 404 g and it's height is 17.5 cm, for UK1/2 (Under 500 g).   You can recognize the size of the robot compared with the picture of 'Saaga'.   He wrote in his blog that he developed with a lot of failure and his unique robot was also developing.




Igaa-san also developed a new type multi-legged robot, 'Vanga', 6-legged robot with wheels, which could move with high speed for Robot Survival Game in 2010.

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Multi-Legged Robots were Introduced at the Kanto-Gumi Robot Training Meeting ( Feb 14, 2010 )

The 47th Kanto (Tokyo region)-Gumi (group) Robot Training Meeting was held at ‘Robotoma.com’ , robot shop in Itabashi, Tokyo on Feb. 14th, 2010. The meeting was produced by Mr. Ishikawa , who is the leader of Kanto-Gumi. He is also the sponsor of enjoyable competition, `Wonderful Robot Carnival`, which takes place 2 times every year in Tokyo. Kanto-Gumi is consisted with about 20~30 members. Everybody has a robot, could become a member of Kanto-Gumi when he joined the meeting. Robot shop or public meeting room is used for meeting.

The purpose of the meeting is not only robot fight training but also exchanging information or know-how about robot making. Usually attendants practice robot fight, but attendants sometimes fights a duel with his rival before members. The meeting is scheduled on the holiday every month changing the place. Every meeting starts at about 13:00 and closes at about 20:00. Every member joins and goes out of the meeting whenever he likes. After training meeting, most of attendants go to pub to drink sake while talking about ideas of robot.

The 47th meeting was scheduled as the 2nd presentation meeting for robot game or competition. About 25 members joined the meeting. Five presentations were carried out. 1) Survival game of robot by Tanaka, 2) Robot Sword Fight by B-saku, 3) Robot competition using balloon by TOBBY, 4) TIROL CHOCO Robot competition by Masayuki, 5) Robot-Billiards by Mr. Ishikawa.

Concerning the survival game of robot, multi-legged robots such as 4 legs, 5 legs, 6 legs and 6 legs with wheel were introduced to the meeting members.


New 4-legged robot, pictures are as follows:


Igga also introduced his new 6-legged robot 'Vanga' with wheel for high speed moving and horn for close combat. Pictures are as follows;


'Vanga' and 'BT-L15' demonstration video was as followes;


There are three Training Meetings in Japan. One is `Kanto-Gumi Training Meeting`, others are `Chubu (Nagoya region) Training Meeting` and `Kyushu (Fukuoka region) Training Meeting` .

The 47th Kanto-Gumi Robot Training Meeting was also described in Sanzai’s Blog .

This article was also introduced in Get Robo

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Biped robot builders began to make multi-legged robots ( Feb 4, 2010 )

Multi-legged robot has been being miner robot compared with biped robot in Japan. Just G-DOG , a kit of 4 legs robot, was on the market from HIP JAPAN in July 2008. Recently, robot builders who has been making custom-built biped robot are interested in making multi-legged robot.

Shimaken who is a member of Kanto-Gumi Robot Training Meeting, joined `Wonderful Robot Carnival Petit in Soka` with his custom-built robot with 6 legs `Shiguma`on Nov 2, 2008.

Bishii , (Asakusa-giken) and Tanaka , (Dainihon-giken) declared `the 1st Kanto Robot War` on Dec 4th, 2009. They announced that they began to make multi-legged robots with gun and sensor for detecting the impact, which were controlled using image monitor as`Remo`. The movement of making the multi-legged robot began from this announce.

ROBOSPOT held an information exchange meeting about multi-legged robot on Jan 23rd, 2010. Some robot builders joined the meeting and exchanged the opinion. And the presentation was also carried out. My new robots with 5 legs, BT-L5 and BT-L15 videos were also presented. After the meeting, ROBOSPOT announced a plan of competition with multi-legged robots in this spring.

Mr. Morinaga , who is famous for `Metallic Fighter` and called as `Father of ROBO-ONE` also started to making multi-legged robots with 7 legs named Metallic Bio. Igaa who is a famous biped robot builder of `Saaga` and `Soga`, also made a new multi-legged robot with wheel for `the 1st Kanto Robot War` and opened the video on Feb 1st, 2010. His wheel complex multi-legged robot can move with high speed. K who is famous for a big Gundum robot at S.H.R.B. , is also making a multi-legged robot with 4 legs .

ROBO-ONE announced new regulation of the 17th ROBO-ONE Tournament which holds with under 3 kg robots on March 21st, 2010. The main change of the regulation is arms and body horizontal total length, which is changed from under 340 % to under 240% that of leg. The arm length is not changed under 120 % that of leg. As the result, body wide length is limited compared with former regulation, the new regulation is more strict for robots such as `Cavalia` and `Gargoil` with wide body and parallel linked legs.

ROBO-ONE regulation has been changed in each competition, and changed more and more strictly for robot builders. These strict regulations was made for not to give advantage to the typical structure robot. On the other hand, it seems that these strict changing has been defeating the challenge spirits to a new structure and mechanism of robot builders.

Multi-legged robots competition which ROBOSPOT is in planning will be no regulation except for biped robot not to join and prohibit wheel using. Therefore, many new type of multi-legged robots will be built and builder`s idea will be presented.

Multi-legged robot is stable to walk compared with biped robot and even low powered servo motor can move the body. It is not so hard for biped robot builders to make a new multi-legged robot. Biped robot builders also have a lot of idle controller, servos, arms and parts. It is interesting and expecting that what kinds of new type multi-legged robots will be introduced.

This article was also introduced in GetRobo
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New Robots and Builders in 2008 ( Nov. 17, 2008)

I would like to introduce some new remarkable robots (builder’ name or handle) in 2008 .

`PHANTOM` (BLACK) was easily passed the qualification test which was walking through slopes and also passed preliminary competition of the 14th ROBO-ONE on Oct. 15th. The 14th ROBO-ONE’s qualification test was very hard for beginners even for expert builders. BLACK is making another robot `Duminas` for his wife, BISUKO. `PHANTOM` and `Duminas` joined robot Pro-Wrestling tag match against `Cromkid` and `Galue` those controller are Kupapa and Kumama, a famous couple among robot builders at Soka on Nov. 3rd .

Aonori3 (Kimura) was the 2nd place of the robot battle competition in Housei University and the champion of the robot battle competition in Waseda University. Kimura has built the robot `Aonori 3` very recently.







Desyumitto (GR2) was the 4th place of the Robot battle competition in Waseda University which was the first competition for `Desyumitto`. Gr2 joined the RT Battle Cup Basic class in Kantougakuin Univercity which was for kit robot, with `KHR-2 Desyumitto`. `KHR-2 Desyumitto` had a remarkable circle motion without leg yaw axis.




`Daigakku` (Akitsuka) was the 3rd place of Robofight Open regulation Class. Standard Regulation Class (SRC) robot `Daigakku` defeated Yogoroza, one of the 4 strong robots called four god machine in Kansai District of Japan. `Daigakku` also defeated Automo 03 one of the strong robots in Kyushu District. Of course, the winner of SRC was `Daigakku`.

I would like to expect them to play an active part in the next year.