Society of Robots - Robot Forum

Electronics => Electronics => Topic started by: Admin on April 25, 2007, 11:16:43 AM

Title: flexible pcb thoughts?
Post by: Admin on April 25, 2007, 11:16:43 AM
A am designing a very very very flat and flexible robot (Im calling it the 'sheet of paper robot'), and am having an issue with getting the circuit board to be flat enough.

My thoughts were to get a printed flexible PCB and then directly solder on some surface mounts to it (AVR, motor drivers, capacitors, programmer header, etc.).

Anyone have thoughts on this? I've never seen it done before, but Im sure it has . . . I couldnt find any google example images . . .

This place sells flexible PCB . . .
http://www.4pcb.com/flex_circuits_special.htm
Title: Re: flexible pcb thoughts?
Post by: JonHylands on April 25, 2007, 11:30:35 AM
My friend Steve gets them done for a kit he sells:

http://www.bugnbots.com/productinfo.php?pID=213&ID=1

You might want to talk to him...

- Jon
Title: Re: flexible pcb thoughts?
Post by: nanob0t on April 25, 2007, 12:59:52 PM
An interesting concept.  I think it's very likely to be used, as long as the robot is not going to be contorting into weird positions or fold over on itself.  I've had thoughts about this awhile ago, and it seems quite plausable.

Thanks for the link though.  I was actually looking for someone who manufactured something like my ideas.   :D

Do you have any futher information on the robot you plan to develop?  If we had a little more detail, I'm sure someone could find something.
Title: Re: flexible pcb thoughts?
Post by: zamboniman60 on April 25, 2007, 10:17:20 PM
I've handled some of that multilayer flexible PCB, and it's pretty pliable, but how would you get the wheels to grip the surface well enough to bend the PCB? don't you need a lot of weight to get good traction?

If you're not using wheels, just disregard this.