 |
Snake-Arm Robots From OCRobotics Reach Out
Snake-Arm Robots from OCRobotics have a wide variety of applications, particularly in restricted-access environments like nuclear repair, maintenance and decomissioning, bomb disposal, aerospace construction and more.
(Snake-Arm Robotics)
Snake-arm robots are made up of a large number of segments. It is a tendon-driven, with wires terminating at various points along the length of the arm. The curvature and plane of curvature of each segment can be independently controlled. A motor is used to control the length of each wire independently. The control software calculates the necessary lengths of all the wires to produce the desired shape.
(Snake-Arm Robotics)
The operator of the snake-arm uses a joystick to drive the tip; the rest of the arm follows the tip, driven by the control software. In this way, the tip of the snake-arm is able to work its way into very restricted areas. The body of the arm is hollow, which allows all service items to be carried inside, further increasing its ability to work in tight spaces.
This kind of robotic arm is different from a previously covered item - the Octarm Robotic Tentacle which can actually grasp an object and manipulate it, in the same way that an elephant can use its trunk.
Take a look at examples of fully autonomous snakebots. Read more about the snake-arm robot at OCRobotics (via robotgossip).
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 9/22/2006)
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 - (" Robotics ")
Somnox Sleep Robot - Your Sleepytime Cuddlebot
Science fiction authors are serious about sleep, too.
VirtualHome: Teaching Robots To Do Chores Around The House
'Just what did I want Flexible Frank to do? - any work a human being does around a house.' Robert Heinlein, 1956.
Artificial Sensory Neurons For Prosthetics, Robots
Great for humans and robots!
Swarm Of Mindless Robots Works Together
'Very tiny pseudo insects that... can unite to form a superordinate system.' - Stanislaw Lem, 1954
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.
Current News
Elon Musk Seeks To Create 1941 Heinlein Speedster
'The car surged and lifted, clearing its top by a negligible margin.'
Somnox Sleep Robot - Your Sleepytime Cuddlebot
Science fiction authors are serious about sleep, too.
Real-Life Macau or Ghost In The Shell
Art imitates life imitates art.
Has Climate Change Already Been Solved By Aliens?
'I had explained," said Nessus, "that our civilisation was dying in its own waste heat.'
First 3D Printed Human Corneas From Stem Cells
Just what we need! Lots of spare parts.
VirtualHome: Teaching Robots To Do Chores Around The House
'Just what did I want Flexible Frank to do? - any work a human being does around a house.'
Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) Workshop
SF writers have thought about this since the 19th century.
Nanorobots Roam Your Bloodstream, Cleaning It
Too bad they won't have lasers, though...
Galini 3D Printed Sleeping Pod Tiny Houses
'The houses are prefabricated units...'
MIT Boffins Create Psychopath AI On Purpose
There's a lesson in this for neural net AI engineers everywhere.
Skin Electronics 3D Printed
'June's body is a tracery of lambent lines, like some arcane capillary circuitry...'
Artificial Sensory Neurons For Prosthetics, Robots
Great for humans and robots!
China Uses Artificial Intelligence To Grade Student Papers
Looks like the City Fathers are starting to take over China's education system.
Electronic Tongues Will Rule The Kitchen
'Install taste buds in the end of one tentacle...'
Self-Healing Circuits From Carnegie Mellon
'It even had an inter-skin layer of gum that could seal the punctures...'
Swarm Of Mindless Robots Works Together
'Very tiny pseudo insects that... can unite to form a superordinate system.'
