About the Servo Erector Set V1.1

Think of the Lynxmotion series of servo brackets as a modular building set for servos. These components are extremely versatile, making virtually any mechanical arrangement possible. It's now possible to build custom robots to your specifications! The aluminum brackets are available in black anodized aluminum and when there is need for plastic, the parts are in durable black Lexan. Ball bearings at each degree of freedom provide for precise, low friction movement. The tubing, hubs and hub connectors are precision fit and really expand what is possible to build. They are made in the USA from high quality aluminum alloy. Unlike LEGO Mindstorms and may other modular robotic building kits, the Lynxmotion Servo Erector Set (SES) is bordering custom robotics as it allows you to integrate third party sensors and products.

How Does it Work?
You can build an entire assembly using just the bracket components, then populate the assembly with servos using only two screws for the servo horn, and four 3mm screws, washers and nuts to secure the servo body to the bracket, which make for a very durable joint able to withstand heavy loads. This makes it surprisingly quick and easy to design and build rugged assemblies. Replacing or swapping a servo is effortless, as the rest of the assembly doesn't need to be taken apart.

Hitec Servos and Brackets
Our selection of standard brackets can use most standard size Hitec analog or digital servos. The SES V1 includes four HS-422 servos and 8x more powerful HS-645MG standard sized servos. We also include a pair of continuous rotation servos to allow you to make a small wheeled rover. Note that servos from other manufacturers are not guaranteed (nor likely) to fit the SES brackets. Should you want to add to the SES kit, the HS-3xx, 4xx, 5xx, 6xx, 54xx, 56xx, and 59xx servos are verified to fit the standard brackets, providing for a wide range of torques, speeds and prices.

The large servo bracket line can use several Hitec large size normal or digital servos. The SES kit includes one HS-755HB and one HS-805BB quarter-scale servos. The HS-755MG, HS-5745MG and 805MG servos are also verified to fit. Note that servos from other manufacturers will likely not be compatible with these brackets. Although not included with the SES kit, there are also small servo brackets available for a range of micro Hitec servos.

Power
The kit includes one 6V, 2800mAh NiMh battery pack and corresponding universal charger. The battery tends to last around 15 minutes to 30 minutes depending on the robot and how you use it. In certain cases such as the AL5D arm and SQ3 quadruped which consume high current, you will need a 9V battery to power the logic. You will also need 4xAAA batteries for the PS2 controller (not included). A wired PS2 controller is sold separately.

Software

• FlowBotics Studio V2
  • Included with the SES kit is the new FlowBotics Studio V2 (which itself includes the complete FlowStone programming language!). FlowBotics Studio is an easy to use graphical and text-based, Windows -compatible software for programming and controlling anything you build without the need to create lines of code. FlowBotics Studio interacts directly with the SSC-32 servo controller via Bluetooth (no need for the BotBoarduino), off-loading all of the higher level mathematics to the computer. There is also a visual representation of each of the five sample robots which you can manipulate on screen to make it easier to position the servos for each sequence. All the tools and tutorials are available to help you build upon these samples or create your own from scratch. Sample code is available for each of the five robots outlined below.More about FlowBotics Studio can be found here.
• Arduino
  • The BotBoarduino is based on the Arduino Duemilanove microcontroller, which means it can be programmed in Arduino (one of the most popular and easy to use programming languages around)!. There is code available to control each of the five sample robots using the PS2 transmitter / receiver, and once you get used to programming in Arduino, you can explore the code further, and add to it, optimize it and share it with others. Robots which use only a small number of servos such as the BRAT, 2WD Rover and AL5D arm only need the BotBoarduino. Sample code is available in order to control each of the five robots below using the PS2 controller. Download Arduino here.