We need more space robotic exploration units to help us explore other worlds. One interesting concept is to build beach ball size robotic exploratory units to work in packs or swarms on the surface of a planet or in the more dense areas of a gas planet. Many bouncing and rolling or hopping robotic space exploration devices have been previously considered. But can we build them lighter and better? Here are a few of the current projects being built. http://www-robotics.jpl.nasa.gov/publications/Matthew_Heverly/Hopping_Robot.pdf http://www.solarbotics.net/library/pdflib/pdf/hop_joel.pdf http://robots.mit.edu/people/Karl/Microbots_STAIF_2005_proof.pdf http://robotics.estec.esa.int/ASTRA/Astra2002/Papers/astra2002_2.5a-2.pdf http://www.universetoday.com/am/publish/hopping_microbots.html?9122005 Some other abstract thoughts to consider should include various shaft shifting models that we may be aware of to help illustrate how these devices could work. Have you every seen a picture of the Earths roundness with respect to gravity? http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/03/sci_nat_enl_1059064160/img/1.jpg Well to move a beach ball along all by itself without pushing it, well all you need to do is push the bumps out at certain times to get it to roll. And the Chile space telescope which works thru the distortions in the atmosphere uses such haptic strategies to morph and bend itself to compensate. So, simple reverse the concave surface to a continuous convex surface, sphere and you have my idea of the light-weight beach ball robotic planetary exploratory devices. Except I only have an interior structure with a jumping jack number of points which touch the inner surface of the beach ball to move the sides in or out. Simple really. Actually I do not see how this invention could not work beautifully and better than all the other designs by all the other researchers and the applications are tremendous, as it can be used for other things such as a natural motion hull for a boat or vessel or a number of blimps flying in formation and placing them selves on the water for surveillance. I can think of at least 15 really good applications. I can use this same technology for UAV wings for quick takeoff with large loads and then at cruising speed they become more streamline for efficiency and less drag at higher speeds. It can be used in reverse in pipelines to restrict and speed up flows for pumping water up hill. I can use this invention for anything and this little hopping bouncing ball idea for space exploration is about the simplest of all. Therefore this concept and idea stands. I would like ideas on other applications for this, they are numerous I am quite confident. Consider all this in 2006. |
