Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: Joe@stellar.demon.co.uk (Joseph Michael)
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!das-news2.harvard.edu!news2.near.net!news.mathworks.com!news.alpha.net!uwm.edu!cs.utexas.edu!news.sprintlink.net!peernews.demon.co.uk!stellar.demon.co.uk!Joe
Subject: Re: Robots that walk
References: <3gpiue$if8@tribune.usask.ca>
Organization: Stellar Drive
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Date: Thu, 16 Feb 1995 23:01:34 +0000
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In article <3gpiue$if8@tribune.usask.ca> choy@cs.usask.ca "Henry Choy" writes:
>
>Do walking robots shake themselves apart?

Are there any qualifiers to this question?

If you are saying that robots that walk almost inevitably shake themselves
apart then thats not likely in a well constructed robot.

On the other hand, do walking robots suffer from instabilities that could
make them lash out once they lose balance, the probable answer is yes
because even we humans tend to do that (more so when the feedback
mechanism becomes impaired e.g. after a good stiff drink :-).
If they were programmed not to lash out then they would fall and
indirectly 'shake themselves apart'.

On the other hand you can look at PC animations stored in ftp.demon.co.uk
in file /pub/ibmpc/graphics/pm/pm.zip - its theory behind a shape changing
robot that can crawl, walk and generally deform around objects but
without any of the instabilities associated with a legged walking robot.

--
Joseph Michael
joe@stellar.demon.co.uk
