ROBOTS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

Since the beginnings of civilisation man has had a fascination for a human-like creation that would assist him. Man had discovered mechanics and the means of creating complex mechanisms which would perform repetitive functions. Technological advances were slow but there were more complex machines, generally limited to a very small number, which performed more grandiose functions such as those invented by Hero of Alexandria. We are interested in achievement associated with the construction of military robots, space robots, medical robots, etc.

Space Robots Borrow Spiders Building Joints

Scientists Carlo Menon (Carlo Menon) from the Advanced Concepts Team of the European Space Agency (ESA Advanced Concepts Team) and Cristian Lira (Cristian Lira) from the Technological University of Kaunas (Kaunas University of Technology) have created a miniature manipulator Smart Stick on the "explanation" of the device and the spider legs believe that it will prove useful for future space robots.

These spiders, robots (including - for use in space) is not a novelty, but now drive their legs spider is different from the original system. The authors also new work (it was published in the journal Bioinspiration and Biomimetics) suggest that in some cases it makes sense to try to copy the spider's legs almost literally.


Unlike normal animals, the legs of spiders are driven not by muscles, and "hydraulics." Rotation joints manages fluid (hemolymph) filling the body of a spider (and joints), in which the spider can create something or other pressure.


Menon and Lira have designed and built a miniature junction, which turn "legs" provide a microscopic camera that separate sections (see picture in the header). The pump delivers the liquid in the chamber, and built-in pressure sensors provide for control feedback.


In contrast, hydraulic pistons, there is virtually no friction surfaces, the design (in theory) must bear a good tight space conditions - vacuum, temperature extremes, radiation.


But most importantly - the manipulator and the joint turned out not 1 millimeter wider (almost like a real spider's feet) and at the same time - quite strong. A perfect correlation between size, weight and power of such a system, its creators believe, should be very useful in constructing miniature robots.


One joint Smart Stick provides the angle 1,8 degrees, but the number of joints, arrayed in series, will allow the robot arm to bend in any direction, and quite strongly.


On a similar principle should work and products, which designs Lear in his project "fabric with a variable structure" (Variable Structure Fabric - VSF). In his book, miniature hydraulic actuators, with sensor feedback and control electronics, such a system Smart Stick, can be embedded in clothing, car seats and interiors to help reduce fatigue man, long time working, sitting behind the wheel and so on.