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Robotany Bonzai Robot
Robotany, a unique ambient robot project that combines the natural and artificial worlds, now offers its first installation - Breeze.
(Robotany Breeze ambient robot)
This unusual project is the result of a collaboration between Jill Coffin, John Taylor and Daniel Bauen. Small trees are made to move by embedding shape memory alloys in the branches, or between branches.
For the purposes of Robotany, a nickel titanium alloy sold under the trademark name of Flexinol is used. Flexinol wire contracts in length when heated; it is rated at one million cycles. Flexinol is a useful actuator; electrical current is used heat the wire, thereby changing its length.
Breeze will be appearing at the ZeroOne San Jose ISEA2006 Symposium; found this one here; see a short animation of Breeze.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 7/13/2006)
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