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
 |
The STAR Robot - From Minority Report?
The STAR (Sprawl Tuned Autonomous Robot) is a 3D-printed robot modeled after an insect's ability to squeeze into even the tiniest spaces. It was developed by students at UC Berkeley's Biomimetic Millisystems Lab. the STAR is able to flatten its legs down to slip under a small gap and then raise them up again to climb over larger obstacles.
(STAR (Sprawl Tuned Autonomous Robot))
With the exception of the electronics, each component of the STAR was built using a ProJet 3000 3D printer, meaning a full robot can be manufactured quickly and cheaply. The main core of the bot holds its control board and battery, which are connected to the six individual legs that propel it forward. Each of the legs has three spokes measuring 2.8 cm (1.1 in) with a 90-degree gap between them, which allow it to crawl over obstacles 4 cm (1.6 in) higher than if it just had wheels.A brushed DC motor provides motion to each set of legs, while a 300 mA/hr LiPo 4V battery gives it enough power to run at full speed for 30 minutes on a single charge. Altogether, the tiny robot weighs just 73 g (2.6 oz).
What really sets the STAR apart from other robots, though, is its ability to adjust its sprawl angle (i.e. the angle between its body and legs) over a range of 150 degrees to adapt to different situations. Depending on the angle, the robot can move faster over different surfaces, climb over taller objects, or slip into narrow passageways, among other tasks.
At a sprawl angle of zero degrees, the robot lays flat on the ground and has a height of just 2.5 cm (1 in), a length of only 12 cm (4.7 in) and a width of 11 cm (4.3 in). It can't actually move in this position, but by changing its sprawl just a few degrees, the robot's legs can touch the ground to move underneath an obstacle, such as a door, without gaining much height. At a 90-degree sprawl, the robot can fit through smaller vertical spaces and travel over rough terrain more easily.
Fans of Steven Spielberg's film Minority Report recall the spider robots, which were able slip easily under doors. Start the video below at about 1 minutes.
Via Gizmag; thanks to an anonymous reader for contributing the tip on this story. I'm traveling this week, and it's much harder for me to look for stories.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 8/1/2013)
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 ")
Robots Repair And Modify Themselves
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...' Harry Harrison, 1956.
Robot Janitors Get To Work
'A few mechanical cleaning devices crept here and there...'- Philip K. Dick, 1957.
Robots Learn To Install Charged Batteries Into Themselves
This is nothing new for science fiction fans!
Robot Rabbits Entice Pythons
'That little robot rabbit knew what it was talking about...' - JW Groves, 1950.
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
Quaise Uses Beams Of Energy To Dig Geothermal Wells
'The peculiar quality of this light, which gave it its great preeminence over all other penetrating rays...'
Robots Repair And Modify Themselves
'The overworked leg motor would have to cool down before he could work on it...'
Waymo And Tesla 'Autonomous Cabs' Are Piloted By Remote Drivers
‘Where to, sport?’ the starter at cab relay asked.
Robot Janitors Get To Work
'A few mechanical cleaning devices crept here and there...'
Robots Learn To Install Charged Batteries Into Themselves
This is nothing new for science fiction fans!
Robot Rabbits Entice Pythons
'That little robot rabbit knew what it was talking about...'
LLM 'Cognitive Core' Now Evolving
'Their only check on the growth and development of Vulcan 3 lay in two clues: the amount of rock thrown up to the surface... and the amount of the raw materials and tools and parts which the computer requested.'
Has Elon Musk Given Up On Mars?
'There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.'
Bacteria Turns Plastic Into Pain Relief? That Gives Me An Idea.
'I guess there's nobody round this table who doesn't have a Crosswell [tapeworm] working for him in the small intestine.'
When Your Child's Best Friend Is An AI
'Figments of his mind in one sense, of course, for he had shaped them...'
China's Drone Mothership Can Carry 100 Drones
'So the parent drone carries a spotter that it launches...'
Drones Recharge In Mid-Air Like Jets Refuel!
'...nurse drones that would cruise around dumping large amounts of power into randomly selected pods.'
Australian Authors Reject AI Training Of Llama
'It's done with a flip of the third joint of the tentacle on the down beat.'
Is China Mining Helium-3 On The Moon's Farside?
'...for months Grantline bores had dug into the cliff.'
Maybe It's Too Soon To Require Autonomous Mode
'I hope all those other cars are on automatic,' he said anxiously.
Is Agentic AI The Wrong Kind Of Smartness?
'It’s smart enough to go wrong in very complicated ways, but not smart enough to help us find out what’s wrong.'
