Mechanical Walker

Structural design, packaging, and linkage analysis of a ballerina themed walker

For my undergraduate Mechanical Design I class (UIUC ME370) a group of us designed a ballerina-themed walker. This included all forms of linkage analysis to determine the appropriate walker mechanism. I was lucky to work alongside three very talented classmates on this project: Ian Bashor, Jiheng Jing, and Sunyu Wang.

Our walker exploring the Bardeen Quad as the ballerina pirouettes on top.

Finished Walker

A nice shot of our finished walker.

Mechanism Analysis

Stride Analysis

Torque Analysis

(Left) Kinematic analysis of the walker leg mechanism. (Center) Stride analysis of the leg mechanism with plotted intersection with ground plane. (Right) Estimated motor torque relative to motor angle.

Chassis Design

Full Assembly

(Left) Drawings of the final chassis design. (Right) Expanded CAD view of the full assembly.