Popeidol writes:
"NASA is testing out some new designs for robots based on Tensegrity (Short for Tensional Integrity, a principle Buckminster Fuller helped develop). The idea is that you have rigid rods joined by flexible joints and cables, which gives you a highly-resilient and flexible structure. NASA calls it the Super Ball Bot "for its ability to bounce on landing and shift its shape via multiple small motors to roll across a surface."
There are still plenty of problems to be solved, the positive attributes mean they're currently investigating the option of simultaneously deploying many of them to the surface of a planet directly from orbit."
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NASA Prototypes New 'Tensegrity' Robots
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(Score: 5, Funny) by dotdotdot on Thursday February 27 2014, @08:13PM
a space tumbleweed
(Score: 2, Funny) by crutchy on Thursday February 27 2014, @08:49PM
that's all they could afford to build using their $400 hammer
and all the contractors they normally use to build civil space stuff are busy building weapons for the federal reserve... oops i mean federal government
(Score: 1) by EvilJim on Thursday February 27 2014, @09:52PM
[crickets] wooeeooeeoooooo [eagle screech]
(Score: 5, Informative) by weeds on Thursday February 27 2014, @08:19PM
Back in the day I learned a bit about Fuller. As I recall, the tensegrity sphere was more of a demonstration piece and we couldn't really figure out what it might be good for.
Fuller also designed and built the dymaxion car http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dymaxion_car [wikipedia.org] and is likely best know for Geodesic domes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geodesic_dome [wikipedia.org]
Get money out of politics! [mayday.us]
(Score: 2, Informative) by skullz on Thursday February 27 2014, @10:18PM
As well as Dymaxion Sleep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminster_Fuller#Q uirks [wikipedia.org]
(Wikipedia labeling it as a quirk seems apt)
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 27 2014, @08:30PM
But do they have Wessonality..? Corn-thenticity?
(Score: 1) by EvilJim on Thursday February 27 2014, @09:55PM
wow, your post just reminded me to look that term up... now Leisure suit Larry makes sense. if only I had urban dictionary/wikipedia as a 10 year old.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by skullz on Thursday February 27 2014, @10:24PM
The Wired video of that beast moving along is freaky, kind of a mix between a demon possessed zombie, a tumbleweed, and a drunken game of pickup sticks.
I want one for Halloween.