Newsgroups: comp.robotics
From: Joe@stellar.demon.co.uk (Joseph Michael)
Path: brunix!sgiblab!sdd.hp.com!swrinde!pipex!demon!stellar.demon.co.uk!Joe
Subject: Re: Shape Changing Robotics
References: <770291894snz@stellar.demon.co.uk> <nagleCqMMoF.KBt@netcom.com>
Organization: Stellar Drive
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Date: Mon, 30 May 1994 23:10:52 +0000
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In article <nagleCqMMoF.KBt@netcom.com> nagle@netcom.com "John Nagle" writes:
>Joe@stellar.demon.co.uk (Joseph Michael) writes:
>>There is going to be an exhibition at the Birmingham National Exhibition
>>Centre (NEC) called Electrotech 94 (20-24 June) which is all about electric
>>power generation. 
>
>>I hope to be exhibiting mock models of new and ultra advanced
>>shape changing robotics technology that could be used to cap a
> catastrophically
>>damaged nuclear reactor in hours saving billions and lives. The shape changing
>>robot can squeeze through narrow entrances by changing shape and take large
>>quantities of equipment with it to erect lead walls, ceiling supports, new
>>floors, lights and cameras etc. 
>
>>A patent has been filed on this shape changing robotics technology with
>>confirmation from the preliminary patent search that the product is unique.
>
>     See Mark Yin's new cellular shape-changing robots developed
>at Stanford and described in the proceeding of the recent IEEE Robotics
>and Automation conference in San Diego.  The conference video shows
>these machines in action.  They're little deformable cubes, about 2" cubed,
>that attach together to form larger machines.
>
>                                        John Nagle

Hmm.. I've looked at deformable cubes but their mechanical construction and
locomotion are particularly useless. I use fixed cubes with simple
self aligning mechanisms for interlocks. When cubes are moved, they
don't have electrical contacts that wear down nor do they have batteries
to run down on long trips, nor do they rub harshly. These are all dreadfully
important considerations for ultra reliable industrial applications.

-- 
Joseph Michael
