a history of cybernetic animals and early robots
A motorized Shoe-wheeled Vehicle most likely from the Honda Idea Contest or Toyota's Idea Olympics (Expo) which showcased ideas from their employees. See other Walking Wheels at the bottom of the Walking Machines page.
Modern Mechanix, Sept 1931. Cast-off Shoes Make Tires for "Rough Rider" Bicycle IF YOU don't know what to do with your old shoes, here's a suggestion—make bike wheels out of them. No less a unique stunt has been performed by Marie Glory, a well-known Parisian bicycling enthusiast, as the photo at left shows. The regular …
Read More “1931 – Shoe-Wheeled “Walking” Bicycle – Marie Glory (French)”
Source: Popular Mechanics, April 1970. 1- SQUARE WHEELS WORK BETTER than round ones in this system for use on rough terrain- The sharp-cornered treads dig in on snow, mud, sand or steep grades, providing increased traction for trucks, tanks and other military vehicles. At the same time, ingenious self-leveling geometry provides a smooth ride on …
Read More “1954 – Square Walking Wheel – Albert Sfredda (American)”
The vehicle ПрОП-Ф (PrOP-F), designed by the Russian Mobile Vehicle Engineering Institute, was sent in a space mission to Phobos in 1989 (Kemurdjian et al., 1995). This 45 kg robot was able to move using hops, perform scientific experiments and transmit the collected data and the experiments results to the Earth through a radio communication …
Taking 400-foot 15-second hops, lunar "pogo sticks" could most forward at about 20 miles an hour—much faster than the four to five miles an hour of vehicles now being considered for moon exploration. The moon leaper was devised by Dr. Howard S. Seifert, scientist at the United Technology Center at Sunnyvale, Calif. This artist's concept …
Read More “1967 – “Lunar Leaper” – Dr. Howard S. Seifert et al (American)”