But I was wondering if even the robot minus the suit could be useful for space exploration. After all, what better way for robot missions to pave the way for manned ones later on, than for the robots to be as close to human beings as possible, allowing all facets of a manned platform to be tested in advance before sending real human beings.
How much does Petman cost seems you could pay some undergraduate to be a guinea pig for less and get a better idea of the suits comfort as well.
Mr Bird, the main cost for Petman is in the one-time R&D, but after that it could be reproduced for considerably less. Also note that Boston Dynamics is pursuing Atlas as another anthropomorphic platform, not for mere testing of suits but as system for navigating rough terrain and possibly making use of tools built for people.
Merely an opinion but an anthropomorphic form is not necessarily well suited to traveling on rough terrain. Bipedal robots have balance issues and the bipedal form is merely a jack of all trades and master of none when it comes to exploring its environment, be it swimming, crawling or climbing.
Rough terrain would include swimming, crawling, and climbing. A jack of all trades approach to this problem is appropriate.
Quote from: cordwainer on 04/08/2013 01:17 amHow much does Petman cost seems you could pay some undergraduate to be a guinea pig for less and get a better idea of the suits comfort as well.You can't plug graduate students into an electrical outlet.
Which brings up another point, fuel sources for agile robots. How do you make the extension cord long enough? Solar cells, fuel cells, nuclear thermocouples, ultracapacitors, grail engines all have their advantages and disadvantages. The most telling disadvantage is that they usually can't fuel up just anywhere like animals do. What kind of progress have they made in energy sources and efficiency with agile robots of late?
If you are building a Man-Agile Robot make sure that it can climb a ladder. That is the basic advantage of 2 legs over 4 legs - assuming both designs have arms.
Quote from: A_M_Swallow on 10/12/2013 09:19 pmIf you are building a Man-Agile Robot make sure that it can climb a ladder. That is the basic advantage of 2 legs over 4 legs - assuming both designs have arms.Not necessarily. Depending on the overall body shape, a 4-legged design can definitely climb ladders. Goats are living proof of this fact.
It is going to be a while before our robots are as agile as a goat.
Quote from: A_M_Swallow on 10/14/2013 12:29 amIt is going to be a while before our robots are as agile as a goat.It's only a matter of power and weight right now.
Perhaps as an idealized goal for what such technology might be capable of. Perhaps as a way of making certain types of human-robot interactions easier for people to deal with - ie. where a robot might be operating among other human in a social setting, like say as a server in a restaurant.
one aspect of human-robot interaction folks tend to forget about is that it's impossible (currently) for a robot to operate at-will amongst humans without putting the humans at increased risk, because close proximity sensing (so-called 'electronic skin') tech still has a fair ways to go.
It's off the shelf technology now. Been out of the lab for about a decade.
Maybe out of the lab, but not part of normal everyday life - I haven't bumped into any robots as I'm out and about. At least not that I know of...
Quote from: CameronD on 11/26/2017 10:07 pmone aspect of human-robot interaction folks tend to forget about is that it's impossible (currently) for a robot to operate at-will amongst humans without putting the humans at increased risk, because close proximity sensing (so-called 'electronic skin') tech still has a fair ways to go.https://www.google.com/search?q=collaborative+roboticsIt's off the shelf technology now. Been out of the lab for about a decade.
I don't understand why people get all turned on by these research robots but are all ho-hum about robots that are actually doing work. It's like getting excited about a concept car... but not having any interest in cars you can actually go buy.