Robot takes cues from spiders

[Still Waters]

Once again, we get visual proof that it pays to check out Nature's outstanding engineering tricks in order to work up interesting machines that behave in innovative ways—for machines, that is.

Esslingen, Germany-based Festo has come up with the BionicWheelBot, a walk-and roll robot with strong spider vibes.

The BionicWheelBot is inspired by the flic-flac spider.

How so? "The flic-flac spider can walk like other spiders. It can also propel itself into the air, however, with a combined sequence of somersaulting and rolling on the ground."

https://techxplore.com/news/2018-03-robot-cues-spider.html

[Herr Falukorv]

was it filmed in slowmotion? Or was it actually that slow..
Cool design and it seems to be the new trend to watch and learn by nature.

[Daughter of the Nine Moons]

@Still Waters I do not approve of this  

[Sundew]

I see a future in space exploration, like Martian landscapes. Rolling down slight inclines would be a huge savings of energy as opposed to climbing up and climbing back down like a wheeled vehicle. Battery power is always a problem with devices like this, perhaps it could be fitted with solar cells to recharge. Having to return to a base station would severely limit its range. 

[GlitterRose]

I understand the coolness factor, but it is still too spiderlike for my personal taste. 

Still too leggy. 

Nope.

[Summerin1905]

spider bot spider bot does whatever spiderbot does.

[Still Waters]

14 hours ago, Herr Falukorv said:

was it filmed in slowmotion? Or was it actually that slow..

I thought it was filmed in real time. It seems to be able to move slow or fast depending on what it's doing at the time.

[Hankenhunter]

It probably moves slow to save wear and tear on the joints. I'm a big fan of spiders so I approve. Now if they could copy jumping spiders....

Hank

Edited April 1, 2018 by Hankenhunter