Fwd: [luf-team] Roll And Jump Robot - Made By Rapid Prototyping
Bryan Bishop
and that means the mechanical as well as electrical components- then a
reprap or fab@home could feasibly do something interesting on Mars.
The original satellites and I don't know if the original landers and
rovers count, but the original NASA hardware was just analog electric
circuitry- the main issue being electrical wire and insulation rather
than submicron precision. Given maybe 16 different radio signals for
directions, and a small circuit to analyze such, the spherical robot
should be able to operate off of a handful of parts not relying on
integrated circuitry ... maybe.
- Bryan
http://heybryan.org/
1 512 203 0507
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Robot That Jumps Like A Grasshopper And Rolls Like A Ball Created For
Space Exploration
ScienceDaily (Dec. 4, 2008) — The first robot that can jump like a
grasshopper and roll like a ball could play a key role in future space
exploration.
The 'Jollbot' has been created by Rhodri Armour, a PhD student from
the University of Bath. It's hoped his creation, which can jump over
obstacles and roll over smoother terrain, could be used for space
exploration or land survey work in the future.
One of the major challenges that face robots designed for space
exploration is being able to move over rough terrain. Robots with legs
are generally very complex, expensive to build and control, and
encounter problems if they fall over. Wheels are a simpler solution to
this, but are limited by the size of obstacles they can overcome.
To solve the problem, Rhodri and colleagues in the University's Centre
for Biomimetic & Natural Technologies have been looking to nature for
inspiration - designing a robot that jumps obstacles in its path like
an insect.
The 'Jollbot' is shaped like a spherical cage which can roll in any
direction, giving it the manoeuvrability of wheels without the problem
of overturning or getting stuck in potholes.
The robot is also flexible and small, weighing less than a kilogramme,
meaning it's not damaged when landing after jumping and is therefore
less expensive than conventional exploration robots.
Mr Armour explained:"Others in the past have made robots that jump and
robots that roll; but we've made the first robot that can do both.
"In nature there are two main types of jumping: hopping, like a
kangaroo, which uses its fine control and direct muscle action to
propel it along; and 'pause and leap', such as in a grasshopper, which
stores muscle energy in spring-like elements and rapidly releases it
to make the jump.
"We've made a robot that jumps in a similar way to the grasshopper,
but uses electrical motors to slowly store the energy needed to leap
in its springy skeleton.
"Before jumping, the robot squashes its spherical shape. When it is
ready, it releases the stored energy all at once to jump to heights of
up to half a metre."
Mr Armour, who has just submitted his PhD thesis, took measurements
using a high speed camera to analyse how the robot jumped and to
predict how it might behave in a low-gravity environment, such as in
space.
He added: "Future prototypes could include a stretchy skin covered in
solar cells on the outside of the robot, so it could power itself, and
robotic control sensors to enable it to sense its environment."
The components of the robot were made by rapid prototyping technology,
similar to that used by the RepRap machine pioneered by the
University, which builds parts by "printing" layers of plastic on top
of each other to produce a 3D object.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=osGZzOdInho
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: <na...@optonline.net>
Date: Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 9:19 PM
Subject: [luf-team] Roll And Jump Robot - Made By Rapid Prototyping
To: luf-...@yahoogroups.com
A robot made by rapid protying machine like reprap (invented at the
same university) can roll in any direction and jump over obstacles too
big to roll over. Useful in planetary exploration.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081204074810.htm
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Paul D. Fernhout
talking about the electronics.
Drifting off the main point of your post...
The general form and idea reminds me of "Rover" from "The Prisoner".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_(The_Prisoner)
"Rover was depicted as a large white inflatable balloon, not quite fully
inflated, with a flexible skin. Rover would often produce a muffled roar
sound when attacking. It would also sometimes emit a strange light display /
luminescence from its interior. Once released, Rover could bounce and glide
across the land and sea for a long range and at high speed, faster than say
a vehicle or boat. Rover is apparently a self-aware and/or semi-intelligent
being, and could interact with its surroundings, adjusting to and
anticipating the actions of Number 6 and other characters. No apparent
direct control was ever shown to be exerted over it by the controllers of
the Village, other than to release it. It would occasionally be seen outside
of its normal environment, sitting placidly in rooms, in Number 2's chair,
roaming the streets of The Village, or being studied by unidentified persons
in "secret" areas of The Village."
I saw somewhere an earlier design concept for Rover that was a little truck
with a flashing light that looked like a toy; it was brilliant cinematically
to go for a mysterious blobish weather balloon form instead in the actual
series, where the imagination filled in the details of something that did
not look like it could possibly work with 1960s technology.
It did not occur to me anyone would actually build such a thing anytime
soon. It is an impressive design accomplishment.
Rover in the series is essentially a guard-bot, but not in human form like
the ones discussed in Manna:
http://www.marshallbrain.com/manna4.htm
"... Then he looked at me again. "OK, OK. So what would be better? How would
you create a different society, rather than living like this?"
"I have no idea. And even if I did, it wouldn't change anything."
We walked on in silence for about half a mile. Three robots approached us.
One of them said, "Time to turn around Jacob Lewis105 and Burton
Forrester416. There is a rabid dog in the next zone and, for your safety, we
cannot allow you to proceed."
"Thank you," I said, and we turned around. The robots followed at a
respectful distance for 50 paces and then dispersed.
"A rabid dog? I've never heard that one." Burt said. We walked all the way
back to the building in silence. We took the elevator up to the 14th floor,
walked down the main corridor, then down our corridor to our room. "
But it does essentially the same thing, non-verbally.
The Prisoner was a great series by the way,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner
in part about someone being caught in the middle of a maze of psychological
mirrors and uncertainty, hopefully not the same as when currently trying to
navigate conventional economics or proprietary manufacturing. :-) Although
there is this novel I have not read yet, about political intrigue related to
manufacturing and software development:
"The Mirror Maze" by James P. Hogan
http://members.tripod.com/templetongate/mirrormaze.htm
Anyway, so, with the beginnings of "Rover", here we see another product of
post-scarcity thinking, but probably to be used by scarcity-preoccupied
minds unless we ultimately succeed at open manufacturing etc.. What sort of
Village will our society build with it?
--Paul Fernhout
Paul D. Fernhout
go to the open manufacturing list. I'll post it there too, now with some
additions as I think about them: "What is most interesting about the
Prisoner series in some ways is that the main character moves, over the
course of seventeen episodes, from complete confusion and powerlessness
about the Village to greater understanding and mastery of the Village itself
and the underlying concepts -- sort of like we might hope to have greater
understanding and mastery of our manufactured village over time with "open
manufacturing"." Or someday, OpenVirgle. :-)
--Paul Fernhout