a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
Reference: Science News – March 26, 1988 The Muscular Machinery of Tentacles, Trunks and Tongues Scientists discover a new way for muscles to work By STEFI WEISBURD An arm without bones could not bend. A person who tried to bend such an arm would instead end up with a short, fat bulge of biceps. …
Read More “1984 – Bellows Robotic Arm/Trunk – James Wilson (American)”
Inventor Nikolai Teleshev watching the operation of an integral robot designed by him. Any further information on this inventor and robot gripper most welcomed.
The arm above is based on an experimental system of pneumatic muscles. Air is forced into the muscle bags, which expand but shrink in length. String tendons link the muscles to the bones, resulting in movement of the limbs. The robot was developed by The Original Android Company [RH-2012-Now defunct], in association with the …
Read More “1981 – Pneumatic Mannequin Arm – Tim Jones (British)”
Pouch-Type Artificial Muscle (1970) An artificial muscle, which would serve as a rotational actuator for prostheses, was developed. It was made of double boards connected by a hinge and an airtight rubber pouch the expansion of which was constrained by nylon so as to generate torque around the hinge. Dr. Ichiro Kato, the leader of …
Artists concept of the Lunar Worm, showing a large, crawling Pneumatic bellows shelter, and a smaller transport vehicle with side-by-side circular bellows. The crawling motion is not gained by pumping fluid (air) in or out of the bellow segments, but uses a mechanical travelling-wave connected to the pneumatic-bellows structure. The Epoch Times July 20, …
Read More “1966 – “Lunar Worm” (Concept) – Dobson & Fulton of Philco (American)”