LOONIE

LOONIE is a development of the basic wedge design seen in VAGRANT. The balsa laminate has been replaced by polycarbonate and enough weight has been saved by using a lightweight Webra radio receiver to allow a servo driven arm at the front of the robot.

The robot is driven by a pair of highly stripped down Acoms AS12 servos driving plastic wheels with super-grippy Dycem non-slip rubber tyres. The Webra radio occupies the space in front of the drive, while the polycarbonate wedge houses the Varta NiMh battery and the arm servo.

Loonie's driver hails from Calgary, Canada. The name Loonie is Canadian slang for a 1 dollar coin because the coin features a Common Loon(a water bird) on the rear.