Zipper Robot?

Sometimes you just have to do things yourself.
Area51
Unfettered Newbie
Posts: 22
Joined: 15 Jul 2011, 04:19

Zipper Robot?

Unread post by Area51 »

So I just found this article/video, http://mashable.com/2015/02/15/the-stor ... zipperbot/, and was wondering if this would be possible to DIY to use on a sleepsack or armbinder?

justDIY
Tightly Hogtied
Posts: 245
Joined: 17 Nov 2007, 00:47
Location: United States

Re: Zipper Robot?

Unread post by justDIY »

neat little bot. it's just a basic motor and pinch rollers built around a zipper slider, shouldn't be too hard to DIY

If I wanted a computer to seal me into a sleep sack, I think setting up a motorized clothes line would be easiest place to start.

sleep sack on the floor, looped clothes line above it, looped through the slider for the zipper, or zip-tied to it or whatever

one end of the line loops round a simple pulley, the other loops around a motor with a rubber V pulley or some such, so that it can grip the rope.

zip up, computer runs the motor one direction, unzip, computer runs the motor the other direction. maybe switches at either end to tell it where to stop.

plenty of ways for it to fail, keep a knife inside the sack so you can destroy it for escape should the computer fail to unzip you.

Area51
Unfettered Newbie
Posts: 22
Joined: 15 Jul 2011, 04:19

Re: Zipper Robot?

Unread post by Area51 »

justDIY wrote:neat little bot. it's just a basic motor and pinch rollers built around a zipper slider, shouldn't be too hard to DIY

If I wanted a computer to seal me into a sleep sack, I think setting up a motorized clothes line would be easiest place to start.

sleep sack on the floor, looped clothes line above it, looped through the slider for the zipper, or zip-tied to it or whatever

one end of the line loops round a simple pulley, the other loops around a motor with a rubber V pulley or some such, so that it can grip the rope.

zip up, computer runs the motor one direction, unzip, computer runs the motor the other direction. maybe switches at either end to tell it where to stop.

plenty of ways for it to fail, keep a knife inside the sack so you can destroy it for escape should the computer fail to unzip you.
Yes with this there are many points of failure. My backup would primarily be my partner who gets home late at night.

I like your idea of using a clothes line with a pulley system, however that would seem to be a bit limiting. Ideally a zipper bot like this could be used to close an armbinder that I can wear around the house or something like that.

zellerzone
Unfettered Newbie
Posts: 5
Joined: 12 Aug 2012, 19:31

Re: Zipper Robot?

Unread post by zellerzone »

That’s a rather primitive gadget. It would jam all too easily. Somebody at MIT devised one a lot more sophisticated as a PHD thesis, one involving confirmation the zipper teeth have engaged correctly. Unfortunately, nothing’s been heard of it since.

zellerzone
Unfettered Newbie
Posts: 5
Joined: 12 Aug 2012, 19:31

Re: Zipper Robot?

Unread post by zellerzone »

Oh, wait. This IS the MIT thing. Somebody else posted something about a pinch roller, and I assumed they were talking about the cheesy gadget somebody devised around 2018. Still, I haven’t seen any further developments about this one.

Post Reply