Hi,
The project i"m working on requires some sort of linear actuator, basically an initial height restriction means that my robot cannot open out early on, but must reach about double its original height at the end of its run. What I'm looking for are actuators which do the job similar to linear actuators such as solenoids or pneumatic actuators, but without the extra load, since I'm not really lifting any great weights, a maximum of 1 kg odd. I was considering a basic pulley design with drawer channels, using high torque DC motors for actuation.
But due to practical limitations, the size i require for drawer channels just aren't available here, so it got me thinking about whether or not its possible to couple two or more drawer channels one on another and make them open up using a set of pulleys and wires. If I could manage this it would mean that theoritically the maximum height I can reach is fairly large, provided my motor can take the weights involved. Any of those complex pulley mechanisms from Mechanics class / Advanced Physics you think could be applied here?
Thanks!