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Voltron-Like Modular Robot Demonstrated
MattSparkes writes "The 'Superbot', a modular robot that transforms itself into different shapes in order to walk, crawl and clamber up inclines, has been demonstrated in at the University of Southern California. Each bot module is effectively a robot in its own right, and can move independently, flip over and rotate like wheels. They also have 3D accelerometers that let them know their precise orientation. The six sides of each module can dock with any other module. Once connected, the modules can communicate, coordinate shape changes and even transmit power. The bot's creators hope it will make a great working companion for places like, say, the Moon. Or Mars."
Wii come in piece!
Imagine a beowolf cluster of WiiMotes coming attacking you and you get the idea.
liqbase
The bot's creators hope it will make a great working companion for places like, say, the Moon. Or Mars.
Oh, sure, send it to Mars and leave us completely defenseless against King Zarkon.
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
I for one welcome our shapechanging superbot overlords
:P
ha an anonymous coward got it, eat that all you first posters
1. I for one welcome our new modular overlords. 2. ...
3. Profit!
That doesn't sound very Voltron-like to me. I suspect that Getter Robo would be a more apt comparison.
-- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
Hopefully this robot will be smart enough to form it's blazing sword at the BEGINNING of a fight instead of waiting until it is getting it's ass kicked.
Found some more footage: modular robot.
--
"Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
The Replicators.
When the robots gain the ability to create more of themselves using whatever metal they can get their pliers on, then we'll be in trouble.
To do something right, you often have to roll up your sleeves and get busy.
...when it can "Form Blazing Sword!"
The videos are all very cute but there is no actual footage demonstrating the "polymorphic" robot actually changing shape from say a wheel to say a humanoid then say again to a Caterpillar. If a bunch of these cubes self assembled into a shape to perform a task I would be seriously impressed. Also did any one notice that the feet cubes had plates on the end for the "humanoid" robot so not all the cubes were identical. We need self assembling Lego not cubes with feet !!
But I agree, we should definitely let our mighty, nigh-invulnerable robot slaves establish an unassailable beachhead on Mars. Also, we should give them human-like motivations, emotions, and needs, so that they may better serve us. And, some of them should look just like humans, so that they can use our equipment and so people will be more comfortable around them.
I also had another thought. If the cubes need to be aware of the configuration of all the other cubes then what is the limit to the number of cubes that can attach before we run out of comms bandwidth or memory in the device or CPU just trying to work out what shape it thinks it may be in?
Now instead of wrapping someone's toilet in plastic wrap, you can wrap someone's robot in plastic wrap and watch the look on his face when the robot won't reassemble itself to his orders. Or wrap one segment only, and watch as it tries to assemble itself. Hilarity ensues.
Mal-2
How is the Riemann zeta function like Trump rallies? Both have an endless number of trivial zeros.
I'm afraid the Japanese lump looks much better it even demonstrates the units changing shape which is what its about I think :)
e rimentE.htm
http://unit.aist.go.jp/is/dsysd/mtran/English/exp
I can take that Ro-beast just fine all by myself!
--Hunk
Karma: Chameleon (mostly due to the fact that you come and go).
Where are the lions? And the myriad of chromatically matching drivers?
And Pidge? How could they forget Pidge???
First winter rain-
even the monkey
seems to want a raincoat.
-Basho
Actually if you follow the link at the bottom to the "previous robot with coordination problems" you eventually get to this page for MTRAN http://unit.aist.go.jp/is/dsysd/mtran/English/expe rimentE.htm where you can see a somewhat similar robot changing shape. It's interesting. A light flashes when it disables a magnet or something, and then can rotate the modules away from their previously locked position.
Maybe it can change from an insect to a building. Everyone wants to play with a building.
I don't get it.
Swi
I posted that. I'm drunk, but not so much that I feel the need to post AC. Damn it! All them buttons killin' me. Swi
Question though: What language might have been used to program this thing?
The robots have a high pitched and annoying sound! Consider my hearing checked!!
Show us your robot crank. YOU KILLED MY MOMMIE! http://threebrain.com/dailies2.php?daily=479
Make a few bad jokes on
I hope we only end up working together with the good planets of the solar system.
This isn't Voltron-like at all; Voltron was originally one robot that was split into five pieces by the evil witch's spell!
Why do I *know* that?!
geek. lawyer.
It seems to modulate sometimes when the robot flexes... is all that noise from the servos? What causes it, and why is it so loud?
This concept was already thought of and used in the 1983 (non-HIT) TV-series 'Terrahawks', as the 'Cubes from Zelda'. The Terrahawks was the not so successful successor to the well-known Thunderbirds series by the same creator. Thunderbirds @ imdb: http://imdb.com/title/tt0085099/ Cubes: http://www.fab1.net/t-hawks/a-craft.htm (on the image you can see them portray as a gun and a forcefield generator WHOA how'bout them apples?!)
MEGATROOOOOOOOOOON!
Can these robots assemble themselves into a webserver mirror so that we can read the article, please?
-David
Links to pictures and videos from this page: http://www.isi.edu/robots/superbot.htm
For any other readers...there are 11-14 "university of southern california"s. Please specify next time if you can.
Ginga no Rekshiya Mata Each page.
When one of these die, may I put it's +1/+1 counters on target artifact creature?
I change my sig often.
For larger structures, you'd probably have the robots start assigning themselves as "leaders" or "coordinator" (either by convenient position, superior hardware or just random), so that it collects all the data of the robots in it's immediate vicinity and then reports to the other coordinator cubes. And then onec it outgrows that, have them create more and more eschelons. It would start to fall apart for complex movements or movements where all pieces are as dependant on their neighbours as the blocks on the other side of the structure, but it would at least help for simpler large-scale problems.
Commodore64_love: I don't comprehend people who're so frightened of death that they'll bankrupt themselves to stay alive
Aww, it's the first mini-boss from Gunstar Heroes. I hope nobody tries to slide into it.
Shades of Robert Forward's Christmas Bush.
Hmmmm ... some sort of ... I dunno ... transforming robot. More than meets the eye, I would wager.
Oh, and I HATE Michael Bay. Thanks for asking.
This robot seemed like it needed a special application to do each job. For the robe it had something to thread it to. To walk it had plates on the bottom of its feet. I was hopeing to see all the block start on the group and come toghether to make something then show off what that something can do. All in all ill just keep holding my breath for a robot that can do something on its own.
More like Seven Force from Gunstar Heroes.
Unscrews it and robot's ass falls off.
Have gnu, will travel.
Does anybody else see the resemblance between this robot and a Darwinian?