HMSTR
Created on 28 Nov 2015
An elegant hamster for a more civilized age
HMSTR (Highly-Maneuverable Spherical Test Robot) will be an autonomous mobile robot housed inside a highly advanced off-the-shelf chassis: a hamster ball. Designed for companionship and fun, this robot will be be able to perform ball-related tasks. Like rolling around. And, uh, providing companionship. Hey, it's a pet that doesn't poop, what else do want.
Other attempts at building such a companion have focused on putting an omnidirectional robot inside the hamster ball (e.g. xkcd's pet). We hope to reduce complexity and increase reliability by attaching the robot directly to the hamster ball. The robot will drive a motor on a central axis of the sphere, allowing HMSTR to move in one direction only. HMSTR will also have a weighted flywheel that will provide stability, and allow the robot to turn. By having the robot drive on one axis, and not requiring any wheels in contact with the inside surface of the ball, we expect HMSTR to perform as a worker and friend for hours.