Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!uunet!gatech!destroyer!cs.ubc.ca!unixg.ubc.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!acs.ucalgary.ca!cuugnet!hrynkiwd
From: hrynkiwd@cuug.ab.ca (Dave Hrynkiw )
Subject: Re: Spring Walker
Message-ID: <C7LDD0.961@cuug.ab.ca>
Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 16:48:36 GMT
References: <C7L96E.Ltw.1@cs.cmu.edu>
Organization: Calgary UNIX User's Group
Keywords: walking robot
Lines: 23

In article <C7L96E.Ltw.1@cs.cmu.edu> hbb@e4.ius.cs.cmu.edu (Ben Brown) writes:
>I saw a videotape of something called the "Spring Walker" which
>was shown a couple months ago on a CBS television show 
>called "Why Didn't I Think of That?" (I believe that's the name). 
>The device was strapped onto a person and presumably allowed 
>him to walk/run faster and/or more efficiently. I'm interested 
>in getting more details on the device, but haven't been able to 
>track down the inventor. Anybody know where to get more information?
>
>	Thanks, Ben (Carnegie Mellon University)
>
>

Hi Ben.
	I found an article on human amplifiers in the December '92 DISCOVER
magazine (pg 68-71) that covers what you saw (I think - I didn't see the show
you saw).  NASA researcher John Dick cofounded a company called APPLIED MOTION
that is developing the springwalker.  Apparently, it's quite not as efficient
as walking *yet*, but it looks promising. Lots of detail in the magazine.

- Dave


