Winged Robots Hint at the Origins of Flight

[porchrat]

While this article is quite sensationalist it is at least honest about how the results are nothing concrete.

Nevertheless... how freaking awesome are these little buggers!!!

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/10/winged-robots-hint-at-the-origin.html?ref=hp

 

[Sodan]

haha that is awesome.

Reminds me somewhat of the "walking vehicle" (strong enough to carry an "average sized human") they tried to build on Prototype This on the Discovery Science channel. In the end the chassis was too heavy and it gave in under the weight after 3 or 4 "steps". And that was without carrying any human.

Oh, I just found a youtube vid for it.

EDIT: I watched that vid, and it's only an intro. They do show very short clips on the vehicle. There's a link to the full vid, but I suspect it's blocked for SA

 

[porchrat]

Dude that thing is amazing! Too bad it didn't move very far but the idea of those looping ski-legs was pretty interesting.

We need a sticky thread devoted to this sort of thing.

 

[Sodan]

The model version of it (about the size of your hand, or a bit bigger) is SUPERCOOL. It can get across almost any terrain, even a straw bed! (I don't think it does too well in water though, but then again, it is a land vehicle )

Ya hey, Prototype This on Discovery Science (TopTV) usually airs the most fascinating stuff.

 

[porchrat]

The model version of it (about the size of your hand, or a bit bigger) is SUPERCOOL. It can get across almost any terrain, even a straw bed! (I don't think it does too well in water though, but then again, it is a land vehicle )

Ya hey, Prototype This on Discovery Science (TopTV) usually airs the most fascinating stuff.

Yeah I've seen the show a few times. Once I watched one where they made a bed that removed your PJs and gave you a shower and brushed your teeth and whatever all automated. It was really interesting.

I saw their mini version of that big walker robot thing they built in that video you posted. The cool thing was when it flipped over it just kept moving. Very cool.

 

[Sodan]

Yeah I've seen the show a few times. Once I watched one where they made a bed that removed your PJs and gave you a shower and brushed your teeth and whatever all automated. It was really interesting.

I saw their mini version of that big walker robot thing they built in that video you posted. The cool thing was when it flipped over it just kept moving. Very cool.

Ha! I remember that. At the time I thought it was like doing a 360 in a fighter jet without even being in the air!
A few seconds later I realized it was nothing quite so grand, but would still make for an exhilarating experience. A new kind of theme-park ride, maybe?