EV3 Swingbot Building Instructions & Code

Description

This swing robot keeps itself swinging! It does that by moving the arms and legs exactly in sync with the data from its Gyro sensor. With these Swingbot building instructions, you can create your own swing robot. To do so, you just need one kit of LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 Retail set 31313. Then add a gyro sensor, a piece of wire, and a MicroSD card with Pybricks.

I personally found it addictive to tweak and tune the robot. What keeps you going is trying to make it swing it swing higher and higher. You can play with different weights on the feet of the  EV3 Swingbot, different timing of the movement, different speeds of the movement, or different starting and ending angles. The Python code is well documented and easy to read. The provided code makes the robot swing in a very natural smooth movement, just like you would use on a regular swing.

When you dive into the physics of a robot actuated pendulum with EV3 Swingbot, you will discover a lot of interesting phenomenons. These phenomenons include that the swing period is only dependent on the swing length, not on its mass or amplitude. You will also find that if you move the center of gravity up, during the fastest movement, you can add most energy to the swing. Balance, speed, and timing, it’s all important.

This download includes:

• PDF building instructions of the robot and the clamp to attach it to a doorframe
• Python Code

The easiest way to get the Python script on your swing robot is with Visual Studio Code and the LEGO MINDSTORMS extension. Just make a bluetooth connection to your computer and press F5 to make the Swingbot swing.