If you go to this site: http://www.dextimus.com and look at their videos they show a disc replicating robot that uses some type of cord to pick and place discs.

I'm building a robot that acts as a disc changer and would like to use this mechanism but I don't know what type of cord would be appropriate (I emailed them but they are obviously unwilling to give up their secrets). I'm guessing they are using some sort of motorized pulley system, and the cord looks like it is pretty resistant to sway.

Does anyone know of a type of cord that can bundle copper wires and be wound and unwound many times, etc.? Probably not too bulky either. I had trouble finding such a thing.

 

I can't find what the arm looks like, but it says patent pending...so go search up their patent.

EDIT: I see the video. That's just a pulley with a motorized knobby thing to go into the center of the CDs and become wider to grasp it. It's also not resistant to sway, it's just that the gripper at the end fits into a shaped slot when it's fully retracted so it's not actually free swinging.

And why do you need copper cord? To send signals and power to the gripper at the end? You could just make a separate "coiled" telephone type cable to send power and signals with a separate cord for the pulley. Would work just fine...

Also, notice how wide the robot is, and how the cord is almost the same length...it may not be wound up inside at all, but just being pulled back and forth on a rack.

 

Looked but couldn't find anything.

I see what you're saying here. But I think I meant that when I watched the cord being 'extended' it was not wobbling about too much. In fact it seemed pretty still.

Good point. I think that would work fine. In fact I probably don't need any pulley for the telephone cable at all.

Also, good point. I think might use pulleys instead since I imagine it takes up less space than using a sliding rack.

Thanks for responding. Just one final question: any idea for what type of cord to use?

 

As for cord, how wide is the pulley? If it is thick, I would use some type of rubber tubing, as it is strong and flexible. Maybe you could also use a pulley from a tractor or car (serpentine belt). Just an Idea, hope you figure it out.

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Thanks for responding. Just one final question: any idea for what type of cord to use?[/quote]
Fishing line? I don't know any conductive cable that can do that (might exist but I don't know).

That lack sway may just be very accurate vertical movement with no horizontal movement. No sway.