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Scandinavian Scientists Designing Robotic Snakes

Posted by samzenpus on from the on-a-robot-plane dept.

Cowards Anonymous writes "The Sintef Group, a research company based in Trondheim, Norway, announced that it's designing a robot based on snakes. The 1.5-meter long robots, which are made of aluminum, are being designed to inspect and clean complicated industrial pipe systems that are typically narrow and inaccessible to humans. The intelligent robots have multiple joints to enable them to twist vertically and climb up through pipe systems to locate leaks in water systems, inspect oil and gas pipelines and clean ventilation systems."

28 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. snakes eat rats by suck_burners_rice · · Score: 5, Funny

    Then they'll have to design robotic rats too, so the robotic snakes have something to eat.

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    1. Re:snakes eat rats by tmarklund · · Score: 4, Funny

      Then we need robotic mongooses for when the snakes get out of control.

    2. Re:snakes eat rats by Kamineko · · Score: 2, Funny

      I still haven't found out the reason why she did that.

    3. Re:snakes eat rats by Yvanhoe · · Score: 5, Funny

      And they live on planes, we'll have to design robotic planes too...

      --
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    4. Re:snakes eat rats by Yvan256 · · Score: 2, Funny

      I'm sure that's just going to be a robot in disguise.

  2. The toilet... by tankadin · · Score: 4, Funny
    Just imagine sitting and having "deep thoughts" and then all of a sudden that robotic snake overlord poking you from under

    Where is John Connor when you need him?

  3. Pigs Begat Snakes by pipingguy · · Score: 4, Informative

    More than you ever wanted to know about devices that inspect/clean, etc. the internals of pipes. These snakes sound like a logical next step. Boring to you, fascinating to me.

    1. Re:Pigs Begat Snakes by KGIII · · Score: 4, Interesting

      LOL Not at all uninteresting to me. Actually, I'll take the off-topic hit if required. Have you seen the robots that go down 'em and weld 'em up and then the one that goes behind it and checks the weld? I guess they can do all of that in one single unit now but I had/have a buddy who's job it was to drive a remote control car (basically) up the pipes before and after. Because he's one of the greatest bullshitters of all time I was able to go with him and enjoy a few of the jobs he worked on when he was in my area. It isn't just interesting, it is fascinating to some of us.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
  4. planes! by tomblag · · Score: 2, Funny

    Robot snakes on a plane?

    1. Re:planes! by compro01 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Robot snakes on every plane!

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      upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
  5. There's got to be some application for these... by niceone · · Score: 2, Funny

    on a plane.

    --
    ccalam - acoustic versions of new songs.
  6. Snakes... by seandiggity · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...Why'd it have to be snakes?

    I can only assume this is somehow related to another Indiana Jones movie.

    --
    Geeks like to think that they can ignore politics, you can leave politics alone, but politics won't leave you alone.-rms
    1. Re:Snakes... by Tege · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Because we have very few species of snakes in Scandinavia. In Sweden there are only three species, and none is especially dangerous. Even the snakes think it's too cold up here in the north.

      Scandinavians long for warmer weather, palm trees and fierce animals. The most dangerous animals in Sweden are the moose (car accidents) and wasps. Boring.

    2. Re:Snakes... by Lyrael · · Score: 5, Funny

      Mind you, moose bites kan be pretty nasty.

    3. Re:Snakes... by Flip-Chip · · Score: 3, Funny

      "Scandinavians long for warmer weather"

      That's why SUVs are gaining popularity in Norway :-D

    4. Re:Snakes... by dintech · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If you're think of Harrison Ford and robotic snakes, you must be thinking of Blade Runner.

    5. Re:Snakes... by Enleth · · Score: 2, Funny

      Hey, you forgot about the parrots!

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      This is Slashdot. Common sense is futile. You will be modded down.
  7. Bad Ass Snakes! by TheRagingTowel · · Score: 3, Informative

    The summery looks awfully similar to things CMU has already done - see hack a day

    --
    4Z5TX
  8. Damn robotic snakes! by LS · · Score: 5, Funny

    I want these mutha fuckin robotic snakes out these mutha fuckin complicated industrial pipe systems!

    --
    There is a fine line between being a cultivated citizen and being someone else's crop. - A. J. Patrick Liszkie
  9. I'm sure this is very useful, but it's not new by iwein · · Score: 2, Interesting

    http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/06/robotic-snake-moves-by-pushing-off-obstacles/ I remember reading an article about a guy designing robotic snakes more than 10 years ago. Hardly surprising that they have found an application for them now.

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  10. Just wait... by OpenSourced · · Score: 2, Funny

    In time, they will miniaturize the things a bit more, and use it to inspect our pipes. I can already picture the nurse saying "Now this is not going to hurt a bit, just bend over and I'll insert this tiny little robotic thing (BoaScope TM), and it'll be over in a minute. If you feel it squirming inside you, it's all perfectly normal, dear."

    --
    Rome taught me patience and assiduous application to detail. Virtues which temper the boldness of great, general views.
  11. Would those snakes be running... by cephah · · Score: 5, Funny

    Python?

    1. Re:Would those snakes be running... by rabiddeity · · Score: 4, Funny

      I don't know, but their website runs ASP

    2. Re:Would those snakes be running... by aproposofwhat · · Score: 2

      Well, it'd have to be IronPython for a robotic snake, so the ASP figures :P

      --
      One swallow does not a fellatrix make
  12. CMU did this a whole while back... by ulash · · Score: 2, Informative

    Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute built "robots based on snakes" quite a while back. In fact the project description page was last updated in November 2006. You can find more info about the project at, funnily enough, SnakeRobot.com with videos.

  13. Not new by egilhh · · Score: 2, Informative

    This is not new, actuaclly...

    http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/07/22/1849235

  14. Re:Why Scandinavian, and not Norwegian? by Shinobi · · Score: 2, Informative

    That's actually a misconception however. Denmark is incorrectly labelled as part of Scandinavia, even by supposedly reputable sources. Scandinavia is the peninsula named after the mountain range on it, the Scandic mountains. Ever since Sweden kicked Denmark out of their holdings on the peninsula(Including parts of what is now Sweden, and all of Norway), they haven't been part of Scandinavia.

    However, it carries a lot of political inertia, especially when people equate the Nordic Countries(Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland) with Scandinavia.

  15. The inevitable Hollywood blockbuster... by Attila+the+Bun · · Score: 4, Funny

    ..."Snakes in a Drain"