Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!uunet!darwin.sura.net!udel!courage!harwin
From: harwin@courage.asel.udel.edu (William Harwin)
Subject: Re: Tentacle robots.
Message-ID: <1992Jul13.110657.12596@udel.edu>
Sender: usenet@udel.edu (USENET News Service)
Nntp-Posting-Host: courage.asel.udel.edu
Organization: AI duPont Institute
References: <13409@mindlink.bc.ca>
Date: Mon, 13 Jul 1992 11:06:57 GMT
Lines: 17

In article <13409@mindlink.bc.ca> Nick_Janow@mindlink.bc.ca (Nick Janow) writes:
>There's a type of tentacle manipulator that uses air pressure in flexible
>tubes.  The tubes have several sections, and pressurizing some of them make the
>tube bend.

This sounds like the work of Dr Koichi Suzumori. Dr Suzimori and his
co-workers published an article in the 1991 IEEE conference on
robotics and automation and the accompaning video shows `flexible
micro actuators' ranging from 7mm to ~70mm used in applications such
as screwing in a bolt and as a 7 degree of freedom tenticle
manipluator. Reprints of his articles should be available through the
IEEE or contact him directly, Toshiba Corporation, Research and
Development Center, 4-1, Ukishima-cho, Kawasaki-ku Kawasaki, 210,
Japan. Fax (044)299 3630.

William Harwin

