Slashdot Mirror
Graphene Helps a Robot Creep Like an Inchworm
LilaG writes "To develop new materials for robotics, scientists have developed graphene-based actuators that convert electricity into motion. In robots, actuators act like muscles, driving the movement of mechanical arms and fins. Most actuator materials, such as ceramics and conductive polymers, respond slowly, require a lot of power, or provide very little force. To make speedy, strong actuators, Chinese researchers coated graphene paper with the polymer polydiacetylene. Graphene provides a highly conductive, flexible backing for the fragile polymer crystals, which deform in response to electrical current. The actuators can bend 200 times per second and generate more force than most current materials. Using a sheet of the material, the scientists built a simple inchworm robot that arches and relaxes to crawl forward."
Dammit, Enough about Romney's personality already!
a CAD drawing and a bunch of ad's, I see nothing built unless someone wants to pony up 35 bucks for a PDF file?
I wonder if moving the actuator produces (or modifies) a current. Might make an interesting nano-sized surface gauge.
It was a Project for my undergrad. We called it ANT5. We used nitinol as actuators, and build our small ant robot. I should test with the new material
Is there an advantage over conventional motors, other than it looking a bit more "bio"?
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
Is this that polycarbon stuff from Gibson's Sprawl trilogy?/
Can it measure the marigolds?
... of robotics and artificial limbs/hearts. No more of this servo/gear nonsense that creates slow, jerky movement. The future is artificial muscle, connected to artificial joints by artificial tendons. We are the templates of the future.
because I know they linch my piece , if you know what I mean.
Why don't robot creeps like inchworms in the first place?
Why Chinese? Isn't it strange how AFRICANS never actually contribute anything to the world, yet most of the idiots on Slashdot will lie and say that they actually LIKE having millions of them in their previously all white countries...
Money man, Asian, Europeans and others have money to do research.
Video or didn't happen.
---------
There is inferior bacteria on the interior of your posterior.
Ignoring your obvious racist message, developing countries have better things to spend their resources other than an army of robot worms. But scientific research does take place in more relevant fields http://m.scidev.net/en/science-and-innovation-policy/r-d-in-africa/news/south-african-scientists-win-first-obasanjo-science-prize.html
Ignoring your obvious racist message
Except he's absolutely accurate.
I'm guessing you are the only white guy living in your city's black housing project? What you're not? Dude, that makes you a obvious spineless hypocrite.
I think the article you linked showed some Pakistani expats or somebody, not "Africans".
No I live in Scotland, where we don't give a hoot what colour skin you have. People just tend to get along when you stop blaming others for your problems.
Oh.... I dunno. Maybe something to do with a few hundred years of colonialism? Now what do you suppose the world would be like if Egypt had been at its peak of power during the middle ages? Then again, maybe the fact that you can live by picking the fruit off trees in the tropics makes the urge to develop technology less strong. If that's true, then westerners who migrated into those areas should devolve eventually.
No I live in Scotland
Sorry to hear that.
Fact of the matter is, you won't be moving to Mogadishu anytime soon for it's great culture, security, and prosperity.
And say hello to your neighbors Obonbon and Mobiki for me.
welcome our inchlord overworms.
"No fear. No envy. No meanness." Liam Clancy
Fruit flies like a banana.