Re: Walkers

Hi

A few days ago I saw in TV a programme about animal and floral
inspiration in modern engineering. As one of the example was shown Mars
mission ground vehicle, which has being developed. Mars enviroment is
not suitable for wheeled vehicles, cause of big boulders density. So the
other type of chassis is needed. scientiscs took lobster as a base cause
his legs can be twisted in almost every position. It is very helpful for
them in life (lobsters of course). Engineers have made mechanical
lobster (I don`t remember number of legs, but it was a lot of them).
Next they put lobster in one aquarium and model in second one. They put
on real lobster receptors of leg movement and was sending a signals to
the mechanical, so it copied movement. Model gets knowledge by
experience. Scientists put in a basin obstacles, so mechanical lobster
was getting knowledge about crossing them. They has been gathering
informations about perception of real lobster, so (i think) mechanical
lobster can predict way of crossing visible obstacles.

Movement of mechanism was pretty good, but whole thing was put in a
water, so it could be easier to move.

So, maybe use of walkers can be justified on some planets.

Bye