Whoever said robots can't take over the earth obviously doesn't know much about robots or computers. Between the two of them, there's much damage to be done. Transformers only captures a share of this damage.

  ro·bot (rō'bŏt') n. A machine or device that operates automatically or by remote control.

  Here's my second remdition of a robot. No, it doesn't look like a human. It doesn't do human-like things (like grab a beverage from the refridgerator and bring it to the computer chair or workbench...). It's not a human. It's an AIRT- Artificial (It's man-made) Intelligence (it's able to do things) Robotic (it's by remote control and automation) Transporter (it's can haul stuff...like said beverage).

Why make a second version of AIRT? Upon heavy use, several things became apparent in the origional. The cargo bay was not big enough to fit many things, nor did it have a way to get anything into the cargo bay. In addition, the skid steer was problematic, and drained the batteries far too quickly. The suspension, while it worked, was calibrated incorrectly, due to the skid steer.

A big thanks goes to Fred Z. for converting my composite 2D sketches into a solidworks project as I attempt to learn 3D design.

It has been a good while since I last did an update. I have purchased Pro-Engineer (Pro-E) so i can make my own 3D CAD renderings, and summer is almost here, meaning fabrication time.

Jan 2010- Another update. Bought all the aluminum and steel that will be neccessary to get AIRT2 on it's wheels. I'm going to need about another $300 to get the robot to self-sufficientness. A friend from college that is studying Electrical Engineering has volunteered to assist me with some of the wiring systems on the robot, which will heopefully save some time. Additionally, I elected to go for strength over cost, as the suspension and steering systems as well as the axles themselves, will be 100% metal, mostly aluminum to save weight. In the process, I have entirely changed the suspension and axle designs, this change can be found along the lines of page 13 (I also found the Colorizer in Pro-Engineer). I'm still not sure how to get things into the cargo bay- I like the Lift Gate theory, but it would be difficult to implement with the new suspension design, and to use a roll-back (tow-truck style) system, would lose about 1 inch of height in the cargo bay.

As of last CADment, the specs are:

• Height: 25 inches (63.5 cm) max
• Width: 20 inches (51 cm)
• Length: 33 inches (83.8 cm) without wheels (chassis only)
    42 inches (106.7 cm) with wheels

  Below is the Major Parts List for AIRT2, as well as pricing. List is being populated.

Newest Images are halfway down page 13 (01-17-2010).