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NASA Prototypes New 'Tensegrity' Robots

posted by LaminatorX on Thursday February 27 2014, @08:00PM   
from the Tinker-Toys-IN-SPAAACE dept.

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."

• A little more on Fuller A little more on Fuller (Score: 5, Informative) by weeds on Thursday February 27 2014, @08:19PM

  by weeds (611) on Thursday February 27 2014, @08:19PM (#8105) Journal

  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]

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• Re:A little more on Fuller (Score: 2, Informative) by skullz on Thursday February 27 2014, @10:18PM

  by skullz (2532) on Thursday February 27 2014, @10:18PM (#8143)

  As well as Dymaxion Sleep https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckminster_Fuller#Q uirks [wikipedia.org]

  (Wikipedia labeling it as a quirk seems apt)

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