Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Do Swiss Roboticists Dream Of Electric Sheep?
I think they do. The Legged Robotics Team at ETH Zurich’s Autonomous Systems Lab started by trying to figure out how to reverse engineer a similar (but more trainable) creature, the dog.
Even though I think most Technovelgy readers are familiar with the advanced work done in this field by the American firm Boston Robotics, which created the BigDog robot, I think you'll like the analysis done in the legged robot video below.
(Legged robot research at ETH Zurich)
This projects aims towards the design and construction of an energy efficient robotic quadruped that is capable of various dynamic motions including fast walking, trotting, bounding, and galloping. The primary focus is the production of an actual mechanical prototype. The prototype and the associated control strategies will be developed so as to maximize dynamic performance while minimizing energy consumption. In particular, to make the system as energy efficient as possible, we intend to exploit natural, or passive, dynamics in ways that have been the focus of significant previous research and shown themselves to be effective in bipedal robots. The extension of the concept of passive dynamics to quadrupedal robots, and more importantly the actual realization of such a system, has to date received very little attention by other researchers. The principal parts of the project are:
- Developing simulation capabilities to aid design calculations and evaluate controller performance.
- The development of fundamentally new control strategies that incorporate the advantageous haracteristics of passive dynamics into an optimal controller with deadbeat attitude feedback.
- Designing, fabricating, and testing a mechanical prototype to evaluate controller stability, robustness, and performance.
Few animals survive in the future world of Philip K. Dick's 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. For status, many people have mechanical animals that are perfect mimics of their organic predecessors:
He ascended … to the covered pasture whereon his electric sheep "grazed." Whereon it, sophisticated piece of hardware that it was, chomped away in simulated contentment, bamboozling the other tenants of the building.
(Read more about Philip K. Dick's electric sheep)
Explore the themes and ideas from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. From Legged Robotics autonomous systems lab via Robohub.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 10/5/2012)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 0 )
Related News Stories - (" Robotics ")
Epirus High-Power Microwave Defeats Drones
'...the spreading beam of the deranging ray struck them, and Then one toppled and fell. Then another.' - Ray Cummings, 1931.
It's A Giant Robot! You Reporters Have Been Warned!
'... completely forgetting the ship at sight of the awesome figure and great head of the giant Gaut...'
Tactile Skin Supplier Map
'What strange sensitivity! What an amazing development of science was manifested in every move and act and word of this Robot!' - Ray Cummings, 1931.
Robot Bees 3D Printed By Festo
'At first I was struck by the large size of these bees..' - Ernst Junger, 1957.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
'If Anyone Is Watching Earth...'
'Our study of your race has convinced us that you are not fitted to leave your planet in the present state of your civilization.'
Epirus High-Power Microwave Defeats Drones
'...the spreading beam of the deranging ray struck them, and Then one toppled and fell. Then another.'
Cloud Of Space Rubbish From China's Long March Rocket
'Within seconds the material was spread out over fifty yards, in a matter of hours it might occupy several cubic miles of space...'
Biomimetic Tendons From Rochu Robotics
'... the curious parallelism to animal motions.'
Living Human Neuron Biological Compute Rack
'The men are dead, but their acquired wisdom lives on and I am the beneficiary.'
Martha Stewart Approves Ojai 'Living Room On Wheels'
'Young people found the driverless car admirable for petting.'
ESA's Draco To Study Heat Of Reentry
'...a synthetic which air-friction would erode.'
Buy A Galaxy? Maybe Start Smaller
'The sky is the limit' just got higher.
The United States Space Academy Is Official
'Is our orbit to Space Academy clear?'
Is There A Global Problem With Who Is Having Children?
'After twenty generations of shillyshallying...'
You Will Eat The Cookies Made From Plastic...
'Our planes are going to start bringing in bales of discarded plastics...'
It's A Giant Robot! You Reporters Have Been Warned!
'... completely forgetting the ship at sight of the awesome figure and great head of the giant Gaut...'
Birds Learn To Sing Pictures ala Frank Herbert's Distrans
'We will fight in the time of fighting.'
ElectionSim: China's 'Ender's Game' Battle Sim, Or Lem's 'Kingdom In A Box'?
'So, Ender, we will now begin your education.'
Tactile Skin Supplier Map
'What strange sensitivity! What an amazing development of science was manifested in every move and act and word of this Robot!'
Flock Stymied By 'Adversarial Fashion'
'Forget the head atop it, the legs below, feet, arms, hands. It compels erasure.'
