Lego Mindstorms EV3 Monorail

[Jim]

I think your design is sexy as ...[insert curse word]. Combining the panels at the bottom with System bricks on top, excellent!

[BusterHaus]

I had the same reaction as Jim. Looks fantastic, and the train design matches the theme of the rail design - a combination of Technic and System parts. 

[Hanso]

10 hours ago, Jim said:

I think your design is sexy as ...[insert curse word]. Combining the panels at the bottom with System bricks on top, excellent!

 

6 hours ago, BusterHaus said:

I had the same reaction as Jim. Looks fantastic, and the train design matches the theme of the rail design - a combination of Technic and System parts. 

Thanks @Jim and @BusterHaus  for the kind words.

I have improved the sketch a bit more. The train has now a roof and the front is a bit more smooth.

 

Enjoy, Hans

[Hanso]

New video added with the "work in progress":

 

 

Most of the bricks are delivered, but still waiting for some pieces I ordered at Bricklink to finish the tracks and train.

On the straight tracks, the train is now running rather smooth. Speed is currently set ot 30, didn't try 100 yet ;-)

Enjoy watching the video.

 

More photos can be viewed at the Flickr page (click the photo below):

 

 

Regards, Hans

 

Edited January 13, 2019 by Hanso

[XGBC]

why do you make the rail technic you could also do a design like masao hidaka he built one that looks almost exactly like yours but uses normal 1x2 bricks for the curves and tiles for the curves and for the straights it uses larger bricks like 2x4s but anyways i do really like your train and i hope to see it soon on a video of you.

[Hanso]

13 hours ago, XGBC said:

why do you make the rail technic you could also do a design like masao hidaka he built one that looks almost exactly like yours but uses normal 1x2 bricks for the curves and tiles for the curves and for the straights it uses larger bricks like 2x4s but anyways i do really like your train and i hope to see it soon on a video of you.

There is no sensible reason to do this. Of course (... ), I know about the great design of Masao Hidaka. But I don't find that his monorail matches the tech design of our track. That's at least one reason to choose for my own design. The second, and maybe even more important reason is that I love to design this stuff myself. If I would make a monorail similar to the Masao one, it just wouldn't feel like 'my monorail'. As said, there is no sensible reason. And especially if I look at the price of the track ;-)

Hope this gives some explanation. Thanks anyway for your reply and the compliment.

Hans

PS What do you mean with 'hope to see soon a video'? There is a video available with the first test run: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bE2DVLPSUg

Edited January 15, 2019 by Hanso

[XGBC]

I now really understand your reasons better. With video i mean a video of you candy delivering system that uses the monorail i hope to see that soon but i do understand that it will take alot of time.

 

Keep on building!

 

XGBC

[Hanso]

13 hours ago, XGBC said:

I now really understand your reasons better. With video i mean a video of you candy delivering system that uses the monorail i hope to see that soon but i do understand that it will take alot of time.

 

Keep on building!

 

XGBC

Thanks, and indeed it takes quite some time for the building. But I will keep posting videos of the 'work in progress'.

Regards, Hans

[XGBC]

ok thats nice i hope to see some videos soon

XGBC

[Hanso]

I have posted two updates in another Eurobricks thread. The first update was about the up- and downhill track elements:

On 1/27/2019 at 7:21 AM, Hanso said:

I have added an up and downhill slope to my simple oval monorail layout. The train is now finished building. That is, apart from a sensor that still needs to be added. The sensor is needed to determine the location of the train, e.g. when it needs to stop for a switch or at the station.

Small video of the train running smoothly up and downhill:

Enjoy, Hans

 

The second update was just now, and is about adding the color sensor to the train:

Just now, Hanso said:

I have added a color sensor to the Lego Mindstorms EV3 Monorail train. It is now able to determine its position on the track, e.g. it can stop automatically for a switch or at the station. In the test setup, the train runs at speed 50. At the yellow marker, it slows gradually down to speed 25 and stops at the red marker. After 3 seconds, the train accelerates gradually to speed 50.

 

Enjoy watching the video.

Regards, Hans

 

Please let me know what you think.

Regards, Hans

 

Edited February 3, 2019 by Hanso

[ChocolateEinstein]

Dang, seems like great minds think alike! I'm glad I could help inspire this creation, It's already made many significant improvements over my setup! I especially like your curves, they look very elegant, and your train seems better equipped to take sharp corners. I'll certainly be following this project closely.

[Hanso]

Stud.io render of the updated train and a close-up of the wagon carrying the sensor. Of course, the wagon still needs to be finished that will have the same looks as the rest of the train.

Enjoy, Hans

 

Edited February 7, 2019 by Hanso

[BusterHaus]

On 2/5/2019 at 1:35 AM, Hanso said:

 

Is there a pivot point in the other cars (at the end of the couplers) that will allow up/down bending? I know the track elevations aren't steep, but they will still put unnecessary strain on the parts if these pivots arent there. 

[Hanso]

Of course, a monorail needs also a switch. So the last days I have been working on a first proto. In the video below, you can see the flexible rail and how it bends from S-curve to straight. Next step will be motorizing the movement including a smooth connection to the

 

The flexiblity in the track is created by the space that you get when using the Lego 61184 element.

 

The lower end of this pin when used in a technic element is smaller than the hole, thus leaving room to move.

[Hanso]

Based on the prototype, I've finished version 1 of the switch. It is now motorized (by PF motor, for testing).

And of course a video to show how it works:

Version 2 will have the right colors of the bricks (in backorder now) and the connection points needs to be made more firm.

Please let me know what you think of it.

Enjoy, Hans

Edited April 22, 2019 by Hanso

[Josephiah]

Just stumbled across this project, and I love it! Particularly like the way the switch track flexes as it moves. Do the train and the switch tracks interact with each other? In other words, does the train "know" the status of the switch, and vice versa?

I also like the versatility of the tiled track system with the colour sensor - adding a slow down area or a station is as easy as swapping a couple of tiles.

[Hanso]

7 hours ago, Josephiah said:

Just stumbled across this project, and I love it! Particularly like the way the switch track flexes as it moves. Do the train and the switch tracks interact with each other? In other words, does the train "know" the status of the switch, and vice versa?

I also like the versatility of the tiled track system with the colour sensor - adding a slow down area or a station is as easy as swapping a couple of tiles.

@Josephiah Thank you for your reply. Currently (and what is shown in the video), the switch and train do not interact with eachother. The train was simply programmed to run and switch direction when it noticed a the green tile (on the left, not visible in the video), a red or a yelow tile. Meanwhile, I was operating the switch with a PF remote control.

But, the PF motor will be replaced (of course :-) by an EV3 motor connected to a second EV3. I also want to add sensors, to confirm that moving the switch went ok. Next, I will program the EV3's to communicate with each other. The idea is that there will be a monorail track on our layout with two reverse loops. The loops will each have a switch and the train will need to set the switch in the right position. One reverse loop will be at the delivery station, where the empty containers can be loaded onto the monorail. And the second reverse loop will be at the Candy warehouse, where the empty containers will be dropped. For this year, the (un)loading of the empty containers will be manually. It just saves time to walk between the two locations with the empty containers. Yes, I know this sounds lazy and yes, we are ...

Of course, I'm thinking already how to get the empty containers automatically loaded onto the train and put back on the conveyor belt at the warehouse... but that's for next year. First things first, and that means for 2019 to finish the EV3 monorail.

Enjoy, Hans

Edited April 24, 2019 by Hanso

[Hanso]

I updated the Lego Mindstorms EV3 Monorail Switch to version 1.1. Improved the connection elements, to make it more smooth and firm. I replaced the PF motor with an EV3 M motor. When I've finished the reverse loop, the two EV3 bricks can communicate with eachother.

 

Enjoy, Hans

Edited April 25, 2019 by Hanso

[Hanso]

It has been more than a month since I updated this thread. But that doesn't mean that nothing has happened .

First of all, the train has been redesigned. I had several reasons for the redesign:

1. The buttons of the EV3 brick were very difficult to reach. I even removed one of the glass panels to ease the access, but it was still too difficult. And that's not what you want during the testing phase.
2. I still needed to add a wagon to carry the empty containers.

This is the new design, how you like it (it is a rendered image made with Stud.io 2.0):

From left to right:

1. Loco #1 (one M motor that drives a wheel)
2. Wagon with color sensor #1
3. Wagon to carry the empty containers
4. Wagon to carry the EV3 brick
5. Wagon with color sensor #2
6. Loco #2 (also one M motor to drive a wheel)

Wagon 3 and 4 are articulated, you can see that on the video:

 

Please note that the train on the video was not finished building and that the color scheme is not exact the same as on the rendered image.

 

Meanwhile, the missing bricks have been bought and added to the train (no photo yet). What still has to be done, is to get the cables more out of sight.

 

** EVEN MORE NEWS **

There is more news to share.

Somebody once told me: every monorail track system needs a switch, but also needs a slope to go up and down. Well, the switch has been made (you can read it in this thread, click here to go back in this thread). Now I needed to design the slope.

The first prototype:

I created the space to 'bend' the track by using the grey connector (art. 3673) instead of the black connector (art. 2780). This grey connector is normally used if you don't want friction. But it can also be used to get a bit more space to bend the track. It is not much, but gives just enough freedom between the bricks to make the curve in this slope.

The curve in the slope was that much, that I needed the round 1x1 bricks to avoid stress. In principle, not a problem. But a major drawback for the wheel to get enough grip. This slope was just too steep for the train. As you can see in the following video:

 

So, I made a second prototype. Same building principle with the grey connectors, but less steep:

As you can see, the 1x3 tiles are now used as the surface and that gives more grip for the wheel. That, in combination with the less steep slope, resulted in the train going up and down without any problems.

 

And that works fine.

On 2/9/2019 at 1:38 PM, BusterHaus said:

Is there a pivot point in the other cars (at the end of the couplers) that will allow up/down bending? I know the track elevations aren't steep, but they will still put unnecessary strain on the parts if these pivots arent there. 

@BusterHaus Yes, of course you're right. At the time you wrote your reply, the couplers didn't allow up/down bending. Now they do (where the loco and the sensor wagon are 'fixed'), you can see that in the second video as well.

 

Edited June 2, 2019 by Hanso

[XG BC]

nice monorail looking forward tomsee the complete thing in action

XG BC