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
 |
18 Wheels Mutant Centipede Vehicle
This unique prototype has a unique style of clambering over any obstacle.
Speaking with Ilia Timoshkov, CEO and Co-Founder of 18Wheels, we learned that this first prototype was able to easily scamper over objects that are up to 14 inches tall, and it could climb obstacles that are more than 7.8 inches tall such as curbs, fallen trees, and rocks. Each of the 18 wheels has a built-in, waterproof electric motor. This unique suspension design allows the wheels to act like tank treads, providing unmatched traction while also massively reducing ground pressure by spreading the weight across a much larger surface area.Wild riding dynamics aside, the Ilia says that the company has taken what has been learned from the original prototype and are ready to begin constructing a second more production-focused prototype later this year. The second-generation ATV will retain the 18-wheel design but swaps the suspension to a more traditional style with coilover shocks providing much of the spring rate and adding damping ability. The vehicle will retain the ability to climb 7.8-inch obstacles and has more than 14 inches of ground clearance. Steering has been modified as well, with each pair of left-and-right side suspension arms articulating in the center giving the vehicle the appearance like that of a centipede navigating curves.
(Via MotorTrend.)
Fans of science fiction writer Robert Heinlein recall the walker wagon from Farmer in the Sky:
I don't know how to describe the walker wagon—maybe you've seen pictures since. If a centipede were a dinosaur and made of metal to boot, it would be a walker wagon. The body of it was a sort of trough and it was supported by thirty-eight legs, nineteen on a side."That," I said, "is the craziest contraption I ever laid eyes on. You'll never shove it out the door."
...He led me around to the end of the contraption; the trough came nearly down to the floor in back. Hank helped me get inside, told me to lie down, and went up to the other end. "The guy that built this," he said, "must have been a hump-backed midget with four arms. Hang on."
He poked a finger deep into a hole.
(Walker Wagon from Farmer in the Sky)
Compare the 18 Wheel centipede ATV with the Halluc II Robot With Multi Joint Wheels, one of my old favorite robots from 2007.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 9/29/2023)
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 - (" Vehicle ")
Yamaha Motoroid 2 No Handlebars Self-Balancing Motorcycle
'He rode the bike with an intense lack of physical grace...' - Bruce Sterling, 1998.
Should Your Car Decide If You Can Drive?
'Okay. Maybe the car was right...' - Philip K. Dick, 1963.
Honda UNI-ONE Hands-Free Wheelchair Follows 100 Year-Old Design
'Noiselessly, on rubber-tired wheels, they journeyed...' - David H. Keller, 1928.
18 Wheels Mutant Centipede Vehicle
'If a centipede were a dinosaur and made of metal to boot...' - Robert Heinlein, 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
Wearable Energy Harvester
'... he had tightened the chest to gain maximum pumping action from the motion of breathing.'
Drones Participate In Buddhist Rites
'...a prayer wheel swung into view and began spinning at a furious pace.'
Anna Indiana AI Singer-Songwriter
'She is a personality-construct, a congeries of software agents'
Video Manicuring ala Schismatrix
'The program raced up the screen one scan line at a time'
'Feel the AGI' OpenAI Leader Now OpenWorship
'And are all the people willing to be governed by a machine?'
NASA Tests Prototype Europa Lander
Why have legs if they don't walk around?
Tailsitter Drone Aircraft For SAR
'...it was so easy for me to remain motionless in midair.'
Forward CarePod The AI Doctor's Office
'It's an old model,' Rawlins said. 'I'm not sure what to do.'
Mika The Robot-Boss
'the robot-boss was busy at the lip of the new lode instructing and egging the men on to greater speed...'
Yamaha Motoroid 2 No Handlebars Self-Balancing Motorcycle
'He rode the bike with an intense lack of physical grace...'
San Francisco Autobus
'THE autobus turned silently down the wide street...'
Should Your Car Decide If You Can Drive?
'Okay. Maybe the car was right...'
Lucid Dreams On Demand From Prophetic and Card79
'the peeper did not operate by virtue of its machinery alone, but by the reaction of the brain and the body of its user...'
Honda UNI-ONE Hands-Free Wheelchair Follows 100 Year-Old Design
'Noiselessly, on rubber-tired wheels, they journeyed...'
EBS-260 Handjet Free Hand Dot Matrix Printer
'McKie held a chalf-memory stick over the dusted surface.'
Sensitive, Soft Robot Skin
'...tinted material that had all the feel and appearance of human flesh and epidermis.'
