Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!uunet!usc!noiro.acs.uci.edu!ttinews!polymath!hollombe
From: hollombe@polymath.tti.com (The Polymath)
Subject: Re: Tentacle robots.
Message-ID: <1992Jul20.201645.1690@ttinews.tti.com>
Sender: usenet@ttinews.tti.com (Usenet Admin)
Nntp-Posting-Host: polymath.tti.com
Organization: The Cat Factory
References: <1992Jul11.173902.97351@cs.cmu.edu> <1992Jul13.001250.7008@monu1.cc.monash.edu.au> <1992Jul15.193356.2791@memstvx1.memst.edu>
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 1992 20:16:45 GMT
Lines: 22

In article <1992Jul13.001250.7008@monu1.cc.monash.edu.au>, jak@monu1.cc.monash.edu.au (mr j grimm) writes:
}... has anyone worked on tentacle
}robots. I envisage a sort of tube of material that has sections that
}compress (or expand) when an electrical impulse is applied. Is there some
}sort of electrically sensitive material that could do the job ?
}
}I often wondered about this sort of a robot. Has anyone seen anything along
}these lines. ...

Just came across this article a couple of days ago:

K. Suzumori, S. Iikura(sp?), and H. Tanaka, "Applying a Flexible
Microactuator to Robotic Mechanisms", IEEE Control Systems, February, 1992,
pages 21 - 26.

They're mainly using their flexible mechanism as a finger for a gripper,
but it looks like a tentacle could be made from a scaled up version.

The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe, M.A., CDP, aka: hollombe@polymath.tti.com)
Head Robot Wrangler at Citicorp                   Turn the rascals out!
3100 Ocean Park Blvd.   (310) 450-9111, x2483     No incumbents in '92!
Santa Monica, CA  90405 {rutgers|pyramid|philabs|psivax}!ttidca!hollombe
