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Pogo-Style Robot Legs Allow 9-Foot Bounces

Posted by timothy on from the mind-the-parquet dept.

destinyland writes "A new pogo stick jumps nine feet using legs developed for running robots. (It replaces the stick's spring with a fiber-reinforced 'bow' that was developed at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics institute.) One scientist even suggests robots could use its 'BowGo' technology in the low-gravity environment of the moon. 'Hopping many meters above ground level, the robot would have an excellent view of the terrain.'"

6 of 42 comments (clear)

  1. Make A Great Xmas Gift by mindbrane · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... for those you want dead.

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    1. Re:Make A Great Xmas Gift by W3bbo · · Score: 2, Informative

      Their full name is "Powerbocking Stilts" actually, and they use a bow-spring as well, they've been around since 2004. I think CMU needs to move with the times. The claims about 9-foot jumps seems about right, the world record for a bock-assisted jump is just over 7 feet. I was at a bocking event in London last weekend, actually. (Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/w3bbo/sets/72157622131665912/ )

  2. Fiberglass by sexconker · · Score: 3, Funny

    TFA says it's basically a fiberglass bow.

    Over time, fiberglass will crack and weaken (severely accelerated by moisture).

    Some kid will be coming down from his 9 foot jump, the bow will fail, and he'll break his legs.

    1. Re:Fiberglass by camperdave · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm sure there will be *A LOT* more broken bones from normal operation of the device, than from failure of the device. eg: coming down from a 9 foot jump and slipping off the foot pedal, coming down from a 9 foot jump and getting launched backwards or sideways, coming down from a 9 foot jump after realizing there was only 8 feet of head space.

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  3. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  4. Slashvertisement? by Fizzl · · Score: 2, Insightful

    80% of the article seem to be centering around promoting some event called pogopalooza6. I would have been curious to see more videos about the BowGo and its scientific possibilities. All I got was 5 minute promotional video with traditional pogo-sticks and 10 seconds of someone bouncing on the BowGo.

    This is bizarre. I feel confused.

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