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Robot Arm With Fluidic Muscles
Airic's_arm is a robotic arm inspired by your own arm. The company describes it as a "combination of mechatronics and the biological model of a human being."
(Festo Airic's arm - robotic biomimicry)
The mechanical foundation - the "skeleton" - of Festo's Airic's_arm is literally a metal version of the human skeletal structure. The radius and ulna (primary bones of the forearm), the metacarpals (hand and fingers) and the shoulder and shoulder blade are duplicated.
(Airic's_arm in action - video)
The musculature of the Festo Airic's_arm is comprised of Festo's "Fluidic Muscle," a pneumatic actuator of a type similar to those first demonstrated in the 1950's. Festo claims that their fluidic muscle design offers quicker repetition and high acceleration of mechanical parts, combined with a better power to weight ratio.
Festo's Airic's_arm is a pretty good fit for a specialized robotic arm from the 1958 Harry Harrison story Simulated Trainer:
He watched the panel slip back in the wall next to him and the hypo arm slide through, moving erratically like a snake as its metal fingers sought him out...
(Read more about Harry Harrison's hypo robotic arm)
Update 19-Oct-2011: Martin Caidin specifically uses this term in his 1972 novel Cyborg, which was the basis for the film Six Million Dollar Man; see the entry for artificial muscles. End update.
Try utilizing your own skeletal structure and "meat muscles:" click on one of these links to learn about other robotic arm research:
- Vanderbilt Robot Arm Has Steam-Powered Prothetics
- A radical hydrogen-peroxide-based power source gives this prosthetic limb its quickness and power.
- Arm-Wrestling Machine Rampage
- An arm-wrestling simulator machine popular in arcades has been pulled from service due to three separate reports of injuries to human players.
- Kuka Robot Bible Calligraphy
- The full Martin Luther bible copied out by a robotic (monk's!) hand.
Read more about the Festo Fluidic Muscle and Airic's_arm. I tried this Google search for Festo robotic arm videos; let me know if you find a better one.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 11/6/2007)
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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.
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