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"In science fiction one can say a great many things that are unpalatable, … because it's expressed as science fiction you can slip it past their defenses."
- Frederik Pohl
 |
| 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:
The idea for a mechanical horse has been around for quite a while; I referenced Frank Reade and his Steam Horse, published in 1882.
Even earlier, Emile Souvestre described a steam horse in Le Monde Tel Qu'il Sera (The World As It Shall Be), published in 1846.
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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Tech news articles related to The Quest for Saint Aquin
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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
| Golf Ball Test Robot Wears Them Out |
| PaXini Supersensitive Robot Fingers |
| Artificial Skin For Robots Is Coming Right Along |
| Robot Guard Dog On Duty |
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"The robot solemnly hit a ball against the wall, picked it up and teed it, hit it again, over and again...'
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'...support the interior human structure against Jupiter’s pull.'
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'It is about the size and shape of a kitchen stool, gyro-stabilized...'
