Squirrel Parkour
Aug. 5th, 2021 05:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Berkeley scientists are studying the biomechanical and mental abilities of squirrels. Anyone who has ever tried to keep squirrels out of a birdfeeder knows they are extremely agile and deviously brilliant. The idea is to gather inspiration to build better robots.
I have a suspicion this started with, "How do we beat the motherfucking cheetah?" MIT's mechanical cheetah (really more like a dog, since the spine doesn't bend) is a leading edge of robotics agility. But if Berkeley can build a squirrelbot, I'm going to call that a win. <3 science. :D
I have a suspicion this started with, "How do we beat the motherfucking cheetah?" MIT's mechanical cheetah (really more like a dog, since the spine doesn't bend) is a leading edge of robotics agility. But if Berkeley can build a squirrelbot, I'm going to call that a win. <3 science. :D
(no subject)
Date: 2021-08-05 11:43 pm (UTC)Also be sure it has reversing ankles to maximize use of curved claws, like biosquirrels do.
Other climbing critters to use for inspiration:
- Sloths move on the underside of branches
- some birds have a reversible toe (so front-and-back toes can switch between 2:2 to 3:2 as needed.)
- Geckos. Their clingy foot-hairs are really interesting, but beyond my ability to coherently explain right now. (Long day.)
Thoughts
Date: 2021-08-06 12:41 am (UTC)Some people have already tried to mimic the clingy feet of flies and geckos, with mixed success.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-08-06 12:58 am (UTC)>>Some people have already tried to mimic the clingy feet of flies and geckos, with mixed success.<<
It might be possible to mimic in a custom room, or with a kind of specialized, hmmm, let's call it wallpaper. Think velcro, but half is the surface and half is on the "feet."
Then one would just need to figure out how to make a natural material be half of the velcro equation...
(no subject)
Date: 2021-08-06 01:30 am (UTC)*laugh*
Date: 2021-08-06 01:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-08-06 02:08 am (UTC)Yes ...
Date: 2021-08-06 02:26 am (UTC)This is probably a comedy-horror movie in Terramagne. Yeah, I'll just make a note of that.
Re: Yes ...
Date: 2021-08-06 11:57 am (UTC)Sometimes I think if AIs did take over, we might not even notice for several days.
Re: Yes ...
Date: 2021-08-06 11:58 am (UTC)I can type, I promise!
Re: Yes ...
Date: 2021-08-07 07:25 am (UTC)Re: Yes ...
Date: 2021-08-07 01:26 pm (UTC)RoboSquirrel Source Data
Date: 2021-08-06 12:49 pm (UTC)Google Mark Rober plus Squirrel Obstacle Course. Do NOT eat or drink during first couple you watch.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-08-06 01:31 pm (UTC)Occurs to me, if you can get squirrelbots to follow orders, and not be squirrelly too much, they would be very useful in the space construction industry.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-08-08 02:38 pm (UTC)