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"I can remember when the first pulsars were discovered. I was able to go and sit down and listen to graduate students talking about what their theories, to explain what pulsars really were."
- Vernor Vinge
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| Mining Worm (Robot) | ||
| An autonomous mining robot shaped like a worm. |
One way to get materials out of an asteriod is to send a mechanical worm to chew through to what you want.
| "D'you realize what R-7 has done now?"
"He's taken the mining worm apart - that's what. I knew that he would! ...The worm was strewn all over the floor! |
| Technovelgy from Love Among The Robots,
by Emmett McDowell. Published by Planet Stories in 1946 Additional resources -
|
Larry Niven made use of the idea in a 1968 story - see the mining worm (organic) from A Gift From Earth.
Compare to the metal worms from Vandals from the Moon (1928) by Marius, the robot snake from Bait for the Tiger (1952) by Lee Chaytor, the robot earthworm from War with the Robots (1962) by Harry Harrison, the mechanical cobra from Lord of Light (1967) by Roger Zelazny, the digger worm from With Friends Like These (1985) by Connie Willis and the robot snake spy from Mariposa (2009) by Greg Bear.
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Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Love Among The Robots
More Ideas
and Technology by Emmett McDowell
Tech news articles related to Love Among The Robots
Tech news articles related to works by Emmett McDowell
Mining Worm (Robot)-related
news articles:
- CardioArm - Snakelike Surgical Robot
- Anna Konda Robot Spraying Water Video
- Surgical Robot Bores Into Brain Like Wasp
- HyDRAS-Ascent Pole-Climbing Snake Robot Construction Inspector
- Modular Snake Robot's Unique Gaits
- Scaly Yet Soft Robotic Snake
- Robot Snakes On A Plane!
- Robot Snake Flies, Fights Fires
| Korean Exoskeleton Suit F1 Helps You Put It On |
| Humanoid Robots Spotted In Homes Performing Household Chores |
| Bambot Open Source Cheap Delivery Robot |
| Robot Collective Acts Like A Smart Material |
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'You couldn't have the capstone without the pyramid to hold it up.'
'the unobtrusive inspections with tiny remote-cast snoopers...'
I'm hoping that this procedure becomes a normal part of medical practice!
'... nothing was perfected until M. Pantalon announced the completion of his automatic valet.'
'...its streets were of remarkable width, with few or no buildings so high as mosques, churches, State-offices, or palaces in Tellurian cities.'
'...it was all composed of tiny, identical cubes, carefully laid to form a tilelike surface.'
