Stiquito
Encyclopedia
Stiquito is a small, inexpensive hexapod
(i.e., six-legged) robot
commonly used by universities, high schools, and hobbyists, since 1992.
Stiquito's "muscles" are made of nitinol, a shape memory alloy
that expands and contracts, roughly emulating the operation of a muscle. The application of heat causes a crystalline structure change in the wire. Nitinol contracts when heated and returns to its original size and shape when cooled.
Stiquito was developed by Jonathan W. Mills of Indiana University
as an inexpensive vehicle for his research. He soon found its applications extended to educational uses. It has been used to introduce students to the concepts of analogue electronics
, digital electronics, computer control, and robotics
. It has also been used for advanced topics such as subsumption architecture
s, artificial intelligence
, and advanced computer architecture
.
This first book contains chapters written by the co-author, their students, and other roboticists. These chapters describe the Stiquito Robots, their applications, and examples of Stiquito's robot cousins. Of note is a chapter by well known robot inventor Mark Tilden
. The kit included inside the book is the original Stiquito robot. This second book has more of an educational bend. It includes experiments with electricity, electronics, and nitinol. It also has several examples of computer/microcontroller control of the Stiquito Robot. The kit included inside the book is the original Stiquito robot. This third book includes more educational material on Stiquito Computer/microcontroller control of the Stiquito Robot. The kit included inside the book is the TI MSP430
-based controller board and the Stiquito robot, “Stiquito Controlled”.
The first book was compiled from material written between 1991 and 1996. The chapter has more of a "research" feel since it shows the base robot and slight variations and applications of it.
The second book was compiled from materials written specifically for education. It includes instructions of control using supplemental kits.
The third book is also educationally-based. It is a slight departure from the first two books because the third book (and the included kit) are centered around a microcontroller board and its leg actuation electronics.
Hexapod (robotics)
A six-legged walking robot should not be confused with a Stewart platform, a kind of parallel manipulator used in robotics applications.A hexapod robot is a mechanical vehicle that walks on six legs. Since a robot can be statically stable on three or more legs, a hexapod robot has a great deal of...
(i.e., six-legged) robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
commonly used by universities, high schools, and hobbyists, since 1992.
Stiquito's "muscles" are made of nitinol, a shape memory alloy
Shape memory alloy
A shape-memory alloy is an alloy that "remembers" its original, cold-forged shape: returning the pre-deformed shape by heating. This material is a lightweight, solid-state alternative to conventional actuators such as hydraulic, pneumatic, and motor-based systems...
that expands and contracts, roughly emulating the operation of a muscle. The application of heat causes a crystalline structure change in the wire. Nitinol contracts when heated and returns to its original size and shape when cooled.
Stiquito was developed by Jonathan W. Mills of Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
as an inexpensive vehicle for his research. He soon found its applications extended to educational uses. It has been used to introduce students to the concepts of analogue electronics
Analogue electronics
Analogue electronics are electronic systems with a continuously variable signal, in contrast to digital electronics where signals usually take only two different levels. The term "analogue" describes the proportional relationship between a signal and a voltage or current that represents the signal...
, digital electronics, computer control, and robotics
Robotics
Robotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
. It has also been used for advanced topics such as subsumption architecture
Subsumption architecture
Subsumption architecture is a reactive robot architecture heavily associated with behavior-based robotics. The term was introduced by Rodney Brooks and colleagues in 1986...
s, artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, and advanced computer architecture
Computer architecture
In computer science and engineering, computer architecture is the practical art of selecting and interconnecting hardware components to create computers that meet functional, performance and cost goals and the formal modelling of those systems....
.
Further reading
These books contain instructions for building the Stiquito robot, instructions for designing and building control circuits, and examples of student projects that use Stiquito. Most importantly, the books contain all the supplies needed to build the robot.This first book contains chapters written by the co-author, their students, and other roboticists. These chapters describe the Stiquito Robots, their applications, and examples of Stiquito's robot cousins. Of note is a chapter by well known robot inventor Mark Tilden
Mark Tilden
Mark W. Tilden is perhaps best known for his invention of BEAM robotics and the WowWee Robosapien humanoid robot. He is a robotics physicist who produces complex robotic movements from simple analog logic circuits, often with discrete electronic components, and usually without a...
. The kit included inside the book is the original Stiquito robot. This second book has more of an educational bend. It includes experiments with electricity, electronics, and nitinol. It also has several examples of computer/microcontroller control of the Stiquito Robot. The kit included inside the book is the original Stiquito robot. This third book includes more educational material on Stiquito Computer/microcontroller control of the Stiquito Robot. The kit included inside the book is the TI MSP430
TI MSP430
The MSP430 is a mixed-signal microcontroller family from Texas Instruments. Built around a 16-bit CPU, the MSP430 is designed for low cost, and specifically, low power consumption embedded applications. The architecture dates from the 1990s and is reminiscent of the DEC PDP-11.-Applications:The...
-based controller board and the Stiquito robot, “Stiquito Controlled”.
The first book was compiled from material written between 1991 and 1996. The chapter has more of a "research" feel since it shows the base robot and slight variations and applications of it.
The second book was compiled from materials written specifically for education. It includes instructions of control using supplemental kits.
The third book is also educationally-based. It is a slight departure from the first two books because the third book (and the included kit) are centered around a microcontroller board and its leg actuation electronics.