As a Middleman fan all I can say is that your plan is sheer elegance in its simplicity.
zenlikesays
I want the floaty jellyfish thing. With a bunch of friggin’ lasers on top.
Chris Capocciasays
PZ, maybe you can have one of your grad students apply for a grant to get several of these T8X robots. They’re only $950 each https://store.robugtix.com/t8x/
Chris Capocciasays
plus $100 shipping
jrkrideausays
Clearly there are some very weird people out there.
The jellyfish is awesome. I definitely want one. Don’t know what I’d do with it, but I want one. And the air penguin too.
I wonder if I can trademark “Roobot” and maybe get a cut if the hopping one ever comes to market.
Artorsays
Festo Robotics does amazing work in biomimicry. I especially like their aero-penguin.
brutussays
Seems obvious (could be hindsight bias) to design the frames, forms, and extremities after nature’s existing models. The departures from familiar forms are most interesting. Of course, minibots (like drones large and small before them) are clearly primed for surveillance and weaponization applications, so beyond the gee-whiz factor, looks like we’re busily inventing and manifesting our own heedless dystopia. How long before the drone wars begin?
I read a nice newspaper article about spider silk today. (The i newspaper).
Professor Hayashi’s lab at the American Natural History Museum is uncovering the genes behind each type of silk to create a ‘silk library’.
There’s a way to go, with 48,000 spider species and some spiders making 7 kinds of silk. Dr Stellwagen at the University of Maryland is helping out. Beats bots, if you ask me.
rietpluimsays
As a kid I dreamed of conquering the world in a giant spider-bot, starting with the village of~2000 inhabitants I lived in. I have great sympathy for Mojo Jojo.
Muzsays
The fame of those spider bots has always bugged me (no pun intended). There’s far more impressively moving bots that have been around longer. Have a look for the Phoenix Hexapod (and series) and the A-pod and so forth. Their balanced inverse kinematic leg movements are disturbingly lifelike
(eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72MY5GuHSpA )
Still, not enough legs perhaps? Deal breaker? Maybe.
I post only in the interest of spreading bot nerdery love.
madtom1999says
Chris Capoccia #4 Shipping? Surely it can just walk round to mine?
anbhealsays
To our New Overlords: You are awesome, I adore you, and I will serve as your comprador, enslaving the human race on your behalf, if I get some favors, and hot chicks. Yours truly, Moi.
gijoel says
As a Middleman fan all I can say is that your plan is sheer elegance in its simplicity.
zenlike says
I want the floaty jellyfish thing. With a bunch of friggin’ lasers on top.
Chris Capoccia says
PZ, maybe you can have one of your grad students apply for a grant to get several of these T8X robots. They’re only $950 each https://store.robugtix.com/t8x/
Chris Capoccia says
plus $100 shipping
jrkrideau says
Clearly there are some very weird people out there.
timmyson says
https://smartcanucks.ca/walmart-canada-sale-on-lego-more/
Apparently Lego has a decent spider mold. You could start there.
Ragutis says
The jellyfish is awesome. I definitely want one. Don’t know what I’d do with it, but I want one. And the air penguin too.
I wonder if I can trademark “Roobot” and maybe get a cut if the hopping one ever comes to market.
Artor says
Festo Robotics does amazing work in biomimicry. I especially like their aero-penguin.
brutus says
Seems obvious (could be hindsight bias) to design the frames, forms, and extremities after nature’s existing models. The departures from familiar forms are most interesting. Of course, minibots (like drones large and small before them) are clearly primed for surveillance and weaponization applications, so beyond the gee-whiz factor, looks like we’re busily inventing and manifesting our own heedless dystopia. How long before the drone wars begin?
ericjuve says
Its not really a robot but its kinda fun;
https://www.sciplus.com/remotecontrolled-tarantula-48637-p
grahamjones says
I read a nice newspaper article about spider silk today. (The i newspaper).
There’s a way to go, with 48,000 spider species and some spiders making 7 kinds of silk. Dr Stellwagen at the University of Maryland is helping out. Beats bots, if you ask me.
rietpluim says
As a kid I dreamed of conquering the world in a giant spider-bot, starting with the village of~2000 inhabitants I lived in. I have great sympathy for Mojo Jojo.
Muz says
The fame of those spider bots has always bugged me (no pun intended). There’s far more impressively moving bots that have been around longer. Have a look for the Phoenix Hexapod (and series) and the A-pod and so forth. Their balanced inverse kinematic leg movements are disturbingly lifelike
(eg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72MY5GuHSpA )
Still, not enough legs perhaps? Deal breaker? Maybe.
I post only in the interest of spreading bot nerdery love.
madtom1999 says
Chris Capoccia #4 Shipping? Surely it can just walk round to mine?
anbheal says
To our New Overlords: You are awesome, I adore you, and I will serve as your comprador, enslaving the human race on your behalf, if I get some favors, and hot chicks. Yours truly, Moi.