In this video we look more closely at the steering mechanism linkages. We start out by creating a few ball joints and linkages for the steering. We then work on the rigging of the linkages via some Xpresso and the Range Mapper node.
Tag: WIP
In this part of the Razorback series, we tackle the steering mechanism of the machine. I explore a bit of the setup necessary to make the steering work without a human involved and even get into some Xpresso.
You can see where I use a combination of the Target tag and the Xpresso Range Mapper node to get the desired effect of the servo steering system. Read on to see the video, and leave me a comment if you like what I’m doing with this project.
The Flywheel
There’s not much talk in Daemon about the flywheel. We know that it’s a “Graphite-epoxy flywheel spinning at seventy thousand rpm in a vacuum. Floating on a bed of magnetism.” This detail is interesting as it would be easier to float the flywheel if it were horizontally mounted, and it would likely have better gyroscopic characteristics if it were hard mounted using bearings—again, I’m not an engineer.
Blades
The blades are currently simple proxy objects. If any of you think you know what kind of blade it should be, post a comment and let me know what it’s called. If you have specs and an idea of why the blade should be that particular type, let me know.
Read on for the video; this time it weighs in at around 20 minutes.
Removing Components
The first step in the makeover process is to remove the components that will no longer be needed. We start by removing all the controls and instrumentation. Then the air box area gets stripped and we create a space for the flywheel and batteries.
Strengthening the Front Wheel
The XB12r front wheel is a great looking piece of engineering. It has a rotor that is directly attached to the front rim. Although it’s a great looking piece of engineering, I wanted something that was a bit more proven and robust. I took the front end from the Generic Sport Bike and used that instead. Below is a video of the next step in the process.
Concept Daemon Operative
The Razorback; a sword-wielding robotic riderless motorcycle. It sounds like something from a childhood saturday morning cartoon… but deadly. A motorcycle designed for killing and driven by a computer; Razorbacks are truly the stuff of nightmares. Daniel Suarez’s Daemon describes these machines, Read More
Here are a couple of shots of the front fender mounts on my latest bike model. I’m not working from much reference material for this bike, so these are just off the top of my head. The brighter image is the same as the darker image, but with the exposure increased so you can see the mount in the shadows from the reverse side.
This might also be a nice opportunity to criticize me for the absurdity of creating Subdivision based brake rotors. *wink*
I decided to spend the better part of my Friday night doing what clears my mind from Web Development: 3D!
Here’s a quick render of my latest model:
