a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Popular Science Jul 1985. Humanoid? Android? Robot? The terminology may not be well-defined, but in any event, Jon Barron, a British engineer, has dubbed his prototype anthropomorphic robot McAndroid the Android. Barron appears with his creation in the photo above. Although he figures that the market for the manlike machine will be the entertainment industry …
Modell einer Bioprothese mit künstlichem Muskel pneumatischer Art. Der Muskel besteht aus einem Gummirohr, in dessen Wände längs der Mantellinie nichtdehnbare Fäden angeordnet wurden. An den Enden sind die Gummikörper mit Endstücken zur Befestigung und Luftzuführung abgeschlossen. Beim Aufblasen des Muskels mit Druckluft verkürzt er sich und erzeugt damit eine Bewegung. English translation Model consists …
Read More “1968 – Artificial Muscle Bioprosthesis – (Polish)”
CAPTION: ROBOTS ON PARADE Keisuke Inada of Bridgestone Corp.of Tokyo adjusts the Soft Arm robot, a multijoint robot that resembles a human arm in its movements, at Cobo Hall. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers expects 25,000 people to attend its AUTOFACT '90, an exposition demonstrating computer-integrated manufacturing. Photo is dated 11/13/90. Pneumatic actuator for manipulator …
Read More “1983 – Bridgestone “Rubbertuator” – Takeo Takagi and Yuji Sakaguchi (Japanese)”
A Slightly different tack was taken by B. F. Goodrich in a "rubber muscle" project. If a straight piece of rubber hose with specially wound reinforcing cord is pressurized with a liquid or gas it will bend to form an arc; if more pressure is applied, the curvature increases until the hose becomes a ring. …
Read More “1967 – B.F. Goodrich “Rubber Muscle” – John S. England (American)”
Although "fluidic actuators" had been around for a long time prior to Joseph Laws McKibben's invention, none had been used previously for prosthetic applications, yet alone robotics. It was McKibben's use that coined the term "Artificial Muscle". Joe McKibben talks about his invention: More Help For Polio Victims To bring motion to his little daughter's polio-paralyzed hands, Dr. …
Read More “1957 – “Artificial Muscle” – Joseph Laws McKibben (American)”