Added some more access panels to the front of the mek to take advantage of the empty space there.
And trying out using winch motors for direct drive on the joints... never thought I'd say "12V winch motors spin too fast" but here I am (should have multiple struts connecting the drums together rather than just 1)
Working on an easier tread system: instead of treads being on the legs (and dealing with possible backdrive in the actuators) the mek will just sit on its bum and drive around like one of those Scorpion Sentinels from Final Fantasy 7. I just need to re-wire it without splices, because one of the splices started smoking after about a minute of driving lol
Also going to be working on a tarp-based 18'x18' tent with a wood floor so I'm not all crammed up when I need to do work in the wintertime.
The servo system doesn't give any feedback so I gutted the entire mech's electrical system and redid it from the ground up. Also been dealing with some personal/family issues that have now been resolved.
The mek-puter is outside the mek...
Installed encoders on the shoulder motors: the mek now knows the position of those 2000lb winch motors and can control them accordingly!
That means immediate software-side joint limits: I can move the motors without fear of hyperextension causing frame failure or electrical shorts.
In future I could make the mech do an entire punch by pressing a single button just like a video game.
After the mech is fully operational I'll be using the system to build a set of Madox Powerarmor. Already tested out a configuration for the leg motors: