A R C H I V E : i m a g e . b a n k


The first model of the device made -- welded steel.
Construction date: October / 95


The original "doppelgänger" logo.


Gutted Tamiya "Frog".
Futaba servos are used on the machine.


The mini SSC, which is the on-board controller for the device.
This controller controls up to eight radio-control-type servos from a serial port of a computer, and is made by Scott Edwards Electronics.


Meccano model, constructed in November '95.
Based on the design of a car - the rear wheels were powered while the front wheels turned. This device also had a camera mounted on the top of its frame - looking forward.


Model built in Decemer '95 - three feet wide.
The current machine uses cut-apart pieces of this device.

emails to the artist's brother - Roger Hertz - a PhD in Robotics from U of Toronto which describe some early developments in the project.

Date:   Tue, 26 Sep 1995 21:01:47 -0400
To:     hertz@ecf.utoronto.ca
From:   garnet@link.ca (Garnet Hertz)

yesterday i welded together a maquette [model] for the robot and did a gif
drawing [will soon post as soon as i figure out ftp].  the basic
configuaration will be like a tripod; there will be 2 front legs, each
with
a servo-driven tire.  in this way ill be able to steer without a
rack&pinion setup. the back leg [1] will either drag [with a slippery
slider] or have a free-wheeling roller [shopping cart wheel]. would like
to
also include some sort of wierd actuator [water quirter] or sound device -
but preferably something that would be visible with the lowres/lowspeed
camera. might include a camera tilt [by moving camera or having a rear
telescopic leg]. the overall feel will hopefully be 'rube goldberg-esque',
goofy high-tech.

                                                   /cables to computer
                                           -------/-
                                          O=| camera|
                                            =========
                                squirter  -=||       \
                                            ||        \telescopic?
                                            /|         \
                                           | |          \
                                           / |           \
                                  servos   s  s           \
                                   wheels  0  0          slider

talk to you later

Date:   Mon, 18 Sep 1995 08:41:48 -0400
From:   garnet hertz 
To:     hertz@ecf.utoronto.ca

roger -

how hard is it to set up a simple controller...

what im thinking of is having a little robot in a physical space with a 
camera on it [b/w].  the website would ideally have a screen and three 
buttons on it. one would move the robot forward and do a video grab, and 
the other two would move it 45degrees from side to side [and do a video 
grab].  i think if i serously wanted to do this, i should go and recruit 
some engineering geeks and ask them if they want to work on something 
for "spectrum"...

anyhwo, gotta go
garnet

Date:   Thu, 28 Sep 1995 04:52:39 -0400
From:   Garnet Hertz 
To:     Roger Hertz 
Subject: mobileteleroboticlivewebcam site UP!

i have put up a project website.

check it out for the latest news on the earth-shattering webcam!
includes a sketch of the contraption and a picture of the 6.240 board, as 
well as links to related projects.

truly unbelievable
g