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Project Log 30: Off Topic - real life mechs.

A project log for DIY Mech/Exoskeleton suit.

Mechs are not viable, nor cheap, so I will try to design and build one alone anyway.

fulanodetailFulanoDetail 02/27/2023 at 14:230 Comments
Monday, 10:33, 27/02/2023

Good morning y'all, although I decided on what I should do from now on (build a smaller/weaker mech with more reallistic approach), I stopped at the most significant block that can decide if this project will work at all or not:

Money.

I'm broke.

And the junkyards around my town doesn't have any useful mechanic stuff... It is like those junkyards...

Are full of junk. 


Edit²:

Ok, let me clarify something about this junkyard matter:

The junkyards on the city I live are incredibly disputed by business.

Yes, there are entire business, companies, focused only on recycling and extracting scrap.

If you hit your car or something, you can actually sell it for some price for a private junkyard where they will take it apart, re-sell the good pieces and recycle the broken ones.

So, even if you see a broken car on some backvalley, you can't just take it apart, because it most probably has a owner. And some times, the owner is a company.

So, if you want good scrap, you need to buy it, and it doesn't go cheap, because even though it was taken from a broken car, the piece still works and it is as valuable as the working one.

... So... When you go to a junkyard (around here), it doesn't look like this:

It looks more like this:

Every piece is organized, catalogued and sold for a price.
And like I said, everything functional/useful is quickly sold and/or taken.

I mean, it is good for our environment that everything is efficiently used and recycled instead of just discarding tons and tons of trash everywhere.

But yeah, I can't get stuff for free. xD

Maybe if I lived around a really distant town I could find more scrap, but maybe not useful scrap... 🤔


Anyway, today I decided to make an off-topic project log just showing better options for a mech: options that are used in the real world on actual real applications.

Sorry Method 2, you're just a toy. :/


"How would mechs in real life look like?"

The answer to this question on quora is actually really good.

Like this:


There actually were a lot of attempts on making an "1 crew tank" throughout the history of war and the military.

And there are a few to this day being used, mostly on niche applications by the SWAT, I believe.

Kinda goofy looking, but hey, it works (I think).


And an actual "mech" with threads was made by the US for use in nuclear operations or bomb disposal in general.

The base rotates and extends hydraulically with a group of telescopic cylinder, by the way.

It had its own life support systems, with cameras to the outside and all that cool stuff.


And normally, underwater repairs and this kind of stuff in general is made by "mech" submarines.

I also found this other one, and it seems like it is a remote controlled (or from the inside) unit for underwater construction work.

This is called "KYSTDESIGN ROV", I believe.


There are also bomb disposal remote controlled robots, but I don't think that these could be considered as mechs.


Conclusion:

And while I was looking around forums discussing things about mechs in real life, normally people come to the same conclusions:

  1. Mechs are not practical.

  2. Mechs would only be practical on places where gravity doesn't matter, like underwater or in space.
  3. Mechs would only be practical for logistics with undertrained personnel, literally "just carry this box" or "dig a hole there".

    Alghough it is debatable if in the previous 2 options those mechs would even need legs.
  4. Mechs could be practical for highly harzadours environment where other types of remotely controlled robtos aren't capable of being used, like the previous examples, such as radioactive, toxic and explosive places.

With all that in mind, I present to you, the perfect mech that anyone can build and it could be useful in real life:

BEHOLD

The ball.

(Just ignore the guns, I couldn't find a picture without those)

Exactly, a custom build for Gundam figures.

An anime which already discussed all those subjects in 1979. :|


Edit³:

It is almost a sin to talk about tracked mech/tank mech and not mention the power loader the HackSmith channel made.


Although this ball thing is supposed to be the size of a building, one could make a smaller version with arms.

(this is an airsoft/paintball tank by the way)

And yes, believe or not, tracked vehicles can in fact climb stairs and ramps with 60º degrees of slope or even more.

I heard the rubber pads on a Abrams tank can keep the tank standing still on even 80º slopes (probably I'm remembering it incorrectly).


One could control the tracks with independent pedals on the foot and potentiometer gloves to control the arms.

More like the Lucidgloves rather than the example after that (and I was thinking on hydraulic arms by the way).


Anyway, I hope y'all liked this Project Log.

I will definitely take a loooong while to build this new mech suit. :/

First, I need to either find a better job, or keep looking in the junkyards.

Hope I come to post more development Project Logs soon.


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