a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
A good example of the "big iron" approach to mobile robots is AMBLER (acronym for Autonomous MoBiLe Exploration Robot), developed by Carnegie Mellon University and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This behemoth stands about 5m (16.4ft) tall, is up to 7m (23.0ft) wide, and weights 2500 kg (5512 lb). It moves at a blistering 35 cm …
Read More “1988-91 – AMBLER – John Bares & William “Red” Whittaker (American)”
DATE:25/04/08 SOURCE:Flightglobal.com ESA to undertake lunar rover study By Rob Coppinger The European Space Agency is offering €500,000 ($786,500) for a pressurised lunar rover (PLR) phase 0/A study to produce a conceptual design, to evaluate its functional, technical and operational requirements and determine its likely cost and development schedule. ESA envisages a rover with …
Read More “2002 – ESA Lunar Rover – (Student concept) – Europe”
Russian Walking Machines from Dept. of Theoretical Mechanics. All source material from here. Now tens of scientific groups in the world are developing this problem. Walking machines can be divided into two parts: dynamical stability (with a few legs) and statical stability (multilegged) machines. The letter can be divided into vehicles of profile practicability and …
Read More “1995 – Swamp Walking Machines – Dept. of Theoretical Mechanics (Russian)”
From eVolo Competition – 2010 Skyscraper Competition Special Mention – Natwalk 2.0 Natwalk II or walking tall Preface ” The sky switches on daylight for us – or the shower. We are small gods, mere gods of the machine which is our highest. Our universe is a huge motor, and yet we are dying …
Read More “2010 – Natwalk 2.0 Walking Skyscraper – Anton Markus Pasing – (German)”
Electric Bob. Image courtesy Joe Rainone. Electric Bob was introduced in "Electric Bob and His White Alligator; or, Hunting for Confederate Treasure in the Mississippi River" in the New York Five-Cent Library v1 n50 (July 22, 1893) by "Robert T. Toombs," an author about whom nothing is known. E.B. appeared in "Electric Bob's Big Black …
Read More “1892 – Electric Bob’s Big Black Ostrich – Robert T. Toombs (American)”