Walker robot progress

Well, it moves. The gait algorithm is still handcoded instead of evolved (I'm working on finding a physics sim I can use for that), and is less than efficient -- but at least it's going in the right direction. The plan is for it to eventually be a hexapod -- maybe even with three degrees of freedom per leg -- but for now, it's a 2DOF quaduped. Once it's walking reasonably smoothly and efficiently, the plan is to make it remotely controllable and embed a video camera -- probably using XBeePro modules (from SparkFun, where else?).

The version in this video is still based on a cutaway plastic project box; it has since been moved to a proper chassis produced on the 3D printer. This doesn't yet do much for the gait, though.

More about the robot as the design evolves...

Redefining the word innovative...

Take a look at the work of Theo Jansen. This guy is a paleotech artist par excellence -- creating animal-like mechs out of hollow pipes, bottles, and plastic tubing. His "strandbeests" ("beach creatures") are fascinating; he claims to have actually reinvented the wheel with the unique motion scheme they use -- and he might be right.

The really interesting part, for me (and probably the reason why the strandbeests' motion looks so natural and fluid), is that Jansen uses a genetic algorithm to design these creations.

His eventual goal is to have the 'beests roam the beaches of Holland, living off of the wind and using their simple mechanical nervous systems to avoid dangers such as the ocean surf, dry sand, and storms.

I came across his work this evening while judging some student projects built for a freshman Engineering Technology course. One of the projects used a walker mechanism based on Jansen's work.
Kids these days(!)