Robotics

I'm not unique in my fascination with robotics. Over the years, various aspects have intrigued me, from the control systems, to the motive systems, to communications between them, and to various applications. Recently, I've been discussing with Nathan about one project I'd like to make a reality.

The goal is to build up experience and expertise in the design and implementation of real robots. In the initial phases of this particular foray into robotics, I wanted to make a battlemech. This required artificial muscles, as other motive systems have too many limitations. Electrically Activated Polymers, or EAPs, appear to be the closest to the artificial muscles used in the Battlemechs, and offer the most promise.

Over discussions with Nathan the idea evolved somewhat, into a robot that can act as a search-and-rescue robot for recovering people trapped in collapsed buildings and other disasters, amongst other functions. The robot would have four modes:

1) Exoskeleton. A pilot gets inside the machine and controls it like his own body, and the robot acts like a suit of powered armour.
2) Remote. A pilot gets inside a cockpit which remotely controls the robot, projecting its sensors to the cockpit, so the pilot can take the robot into dangerous situations without putting his own life at risk.
3) Autonomous. Given a set of parameters and a goal, the robot works towards these goals.
4) Passenger. Either using the same recess a pilot would use but deactivated so they don't control it, or a specially made passenger unit, the robot can take someone inside its chassis to protect them from the environment as it moves them to safety.

Reviewing the current state of EAPs, to make such a robot a reality is going to take a lot of money and a lot of innovation and experimentation... the current EAPs are very expensive and it's not very clear what their capabilities are... they're just not there yet. No surprises there... but without having huge amounts of capital to throw at such a project, I cast about for another aspect of the robot problem to focus on first.