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"[Science fiction is ] That branch of literature which is concerned with the impact of scientific advance upon human beings."
- Isaac Asimov
 |
| Robass | ||
| A robotic beast of burden. |
| It looked harmlessly like a woodpile sheltered against possible rain. Thomas pulled off the skins and contemplated the sleek functional lines of the robass. Smiling, he stowed his minimal gear into its panniers and climbed into the foam saddle. The starlight was bright enough so he could check the necessary coordinates on his map and feed the data into the electronic controls...
Thomas had never ridden a robass before, but he was inclined, within their patent limitations, to trust the works of the Technarchy. After several miles had proved that the coordinates were duly registered, he put up the foam backrest... and went to sleep. |
| Technovelgy from The Quest for Saint Aquin,
by Anthony Boucher. Published by Holt in 1951 Additional resources -
|
Here are some additional details:
Compare to the centipede-machine from Monsters of Mars (1931) by Edmond Hamilton, the transport walkers from A Little Further Up the Fox (1989) by George M. Ewing, the centipede from Killing Titan (2015) by Greg Bear and the walking fort from The Killing Machine (1964) by Jack Vance.
Thanks to Mark for contributing this item.
He... took his first opportunity to inspect the robass in full light. He admired the fast-plodding, articulated legs, so necessary since roads had degenerated... the side wheels that could be lowered into action if surface conditions permitted; and above all the smooth black mound that housed the electronic brain - the brain that stored commands and data concerning ultimate objectives and made its own decisions on how to fulfill those commands in view of those data...
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Additional
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More Ideas
and Technology from The Quest for Saint Aquin
More Ideas
and Technology by Anthony Boucher
Tech news articles related to The Quest for Saint Aquin
Tech news articles related to works by Anthony Boucher
Robass-related
news articles:
- MULE Autonomous Navigation Vehicle By Lockheed Martin
- BigDog Robass More Coordinated Than I Am
- Lrry-1 Fire-Breathing, Riding MechaDog Video
- LittleDog Robot Has Dynamic Double-Support Gait
- KITECH And POSTECH Korean Quadruped Robots
- Legged Squad Support System Monster BigDog Robot
- 'Robotic Mule' Ready For Duty, Sir
- AlphaDog Proto Stronger, Quieter Than BigDog
- HyQ Four-Legged Robot From Italy
- DARPA LS3 Robot Pack Animal Video
- LS3 AlphaDog Robot Marine Corps Video
- ANYmal Quadruped Robot Trots On
- TIGER Ultimate Mobility Vehicle From Hyundai
| Robotic Hands Have More Than One Use |
| 'No, I'm Not A Robot' - Robot |
| Barista Robot Perfects Latte Swirl With Multi-DOF Wriggle |
| Safe Street Rebel Autonomous Vehicle Luddites And Schachner's 1931 Robot-Deranger |
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'The crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'
'It radiates outward in a cone which, by the time it has reached our section of space, is many lightyears across.'
'Drake was the young spatial engineer he employed to terraform the little rock.'
'... with a weird simulation of life, the ten forked ends of each arm commenced a rattling pressing of the buttons.'
'Each of the four areas is enclosed by a sonic wall...'
'It's done with a flip of the third joint of the tentacle on the down beat.'
'If you surf over a bump... If you surf over a pothole...'
