Wall-climbing robot scales nearly any building material
By Nilay Patel 
posted May 21st 2008 5:21AM
posted May 21st 2008 5:21AM
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KOOOL spiderman robot
spiderborg...spiderborg..does whatever a spiderborg does...
@starkman
Thats exactly what I was thinking, much better then spider pig.....
Maybe so, but a spiderpig would eat this.
SPIDERBOT!!!
O-kay.
But just how much of a load can it carry? Is it any REAL USE, or just a toy / proof of concept.
If they have one that actually carries a payload, THEN I might be impressed.
It doesn't have to be able to hold much, only a small camera to actually be useful for reconnaissance.
Did Any one here anything from the clip
I didnt
When i was i kid i had a RC car that I drove on the floor and Wall
It used Suction Power and was incredibly light (Even screws were plastic)
only problem was it had the most annoying noise. (basically a Hoover)
So long story short
Did any one here anything, if not may be it is very noisy hence there goes the reconnaissance
You can see how it was developed in this fascinating presentation at TED:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/195
That looks like it uses a coveyer belt of post-it notes WTF ???
muahaaa very good
cool
Wonder if it can get down by itself. =D
When you watch the video you're just waiting for it to fall aren't u
Yep :)
Did anyone else think of the spider scanners from Minority Report?
Nope.
Keep up the good work guys, I've got some walls that need painting!
"It doesn't have to be able to hold much, only a small camera to actually be useful for reconnaissance."
so that'd be a camera on its own, or do you want to add storage capacity; communications (or is it going to be autonomous, in which case we'll neeed some advanced A.I.); additional power for the aforementioned
like I said, turn it into a FUNCTIONAL device and I'll go from "clever concept" to "impressed".
Yea and people probably thought the Wright Brothers were crazy to invent something that could fly!... i mean.. would they be able to really put that to good use?.. like for example transport people or things to different places?
True, as it stands right now this wall-climbing robot thing might not be able to do much, but if they put some more work into it, i'm sure they will definitely be able to improve on it.
Do you always have such a positive outlook on life?
i dont understand your point. they have developed a robot that can walk up walls , but you want it to be able to do more stuff, already, like its supposed to not only be the first robot o climb walls but also the first robot to climb a wall while playing the keyboard.
SD
Nah! Usually I'm a right miserable bastard full of pessimism, not the misplaced optimism I'm displaying here.
sinjinn
So, it can climb up walls. So can your average SLUG. Doesn't automatically make it useful.
Why do we have to be overawed by it at this stage. Don't you want them to take this and turn it into something useful. Or would you rather it remained as just a breifly interesting toy?
dervheid, when your point gets low ranked, it's usually the best idea to abandon it, because this usually means that nobody is agreeing with you..
OOOH!
So, just because I get low ranked by YOU guys, I have to give up my position?
Aye, that WILL be fecking right!
You are entitled to your opinion, and the right to defend that position. I am entitled to mine. WTF gives you the right to instruct me to give up on my opinion, or do you not believe in freedom of opinion. I couldn't give a TOSS if no-one agrees with me, and I'll be buggered if I'm taking advice from someone whose handle includes a number, and the word "dude"!
dervheid
i think the reason you are being low ranked is because you fail to recognise the inventions potential.
as an example, when the wright brothers mad the first flight you would have probably been as much as a pessimist then saying "pah , so it can fly a 100 meters, so what? that isnt very usefull"
see, now thats very shortsighted. the same applies to this invention. you cant expect every invention to have an immediate practical use. instead the invention will be refined , added to to , and developed untilll it does have a practical use. most people however can see its future potential and can appreciate that.
sinjinn
"O-kay.
But just how much of a load can it carry? Is it any REAL USE, or just a toy / proof of concept.
If they have one that actually carries a payload, THEN I might be impressed."
You CLEARLY did not get (or perhaps did not read) my initial comment, and I find your comparison of this creation with the Wright Brothers rather odd, as their invention WAS a significant historical event (first recorded successful powered manned flight, and has led to the development of varied air transport), whereas this is NOT a significant historical event, in as much as it is unlikely to bring mass wall-climbing transport capabilities.
It will no doubt also surprise you to learn that as engineer, I do appreciate this as a "proof of concept" but that is all. In regard to the aforementioned Wrigh Brothers Flier, the potential would have been clear to all (even me!), even though the FIRST flight only lasted 36.5m, and they didn't actually get over 100m until the fourth run of the day.
as has also been pointed out, this is NOT the first device capable of climbing walls, although it may be the first one using this particular technology.
As for being low ranked, I stand by my previous statement on that subject.
injinn
"O-kay.
But just how much of a load can it carry? Is it any REAL USE, or just a toy / proof of concept.
If they have one that actually carries a payload, THEN I might be impressed."
You CLEARLY did not get (or perhaps did not read) my initial comment, and I find your comparison of this creation with the Wright Brothers rather odd, as their invention WAS a significant historical event (first recorded successful powered manned flight, and has led to the development of varied air transport), whereas this is NOT a significant historical event, in as much as it is unlikely to bring mass wall-climbing transport capabilities.
It will no doubt also surprise you to learn that as engineer, I do appreciate this as a "proof of concept" but that is all. In regard to the aforementioned Wrigh Brothers Flier, the potential would have been clear to all (even me!), even though the FIRST flight only lasted 36.5m, and they didn't actually get over 100m until the fourth run of the day.
as has also been pointed out, this is NOT the first device capable of climbing walls, although it may be the first one using this particular technology.
As for being low ranked, I stand by my previous statement on that subject
is it of any real use? that depends on what you choose to do with it. it can climb up walls therefore it can carry things up walls. the thing it carries does not even have to be heavy , it could be just a key or a card . if thier was a burning building future itterations of this thing could carry one end of a rope up the wall or a parchute, it is certainly cheaper and faster than using a helicoptor for places a ladder cant reach.
the wright brothers plane was only historical in retrospect, howver it may seemed more significant at the time than this invention does. but what you had there was a plane that left the ground and landed and didnt do much else just as here you have a robot that climbs walls and not much else.
btw , its not because you are calling this a "proof of concept" that you are being low ranked , it because you are dismissive of it. clearly a camera can be mounted with wireless technology sending pictures to a base station and it would not require much weight at all. if you cannot see that , or any of of its potential uses and dismiss it people think less of your comments.
Well, it's nice to see that somone is still SO concerned about my low ranking on this. Just as well, 'cause I'm NOT.
Sinjinn, did you really have to "quote" my entire response. It is just above yours after all.
With respect to the possible uses you've mentioned, have you any concept of the weight of a substantial length of rope, or a parachute. A parachute! Escaping from a burning building with a parachute! WTF!
Look, I've already stated my position on this, as have you. Personally, I'm more than happy for you to be totally in love with this contraption. If you and it want to skip/trundle merrily off/up into the sunset and raise a whole family of little rugrats/wallrats than I wish you both all the luck in the world. Be happy!
Was that video in real time or sped up?
Drat! Time to make my secret lair's walls in the shape of an inverted cone.
That has me wondering if it can transition walls, such as going from the one it was one, to the one to it's left. I'll bet not, looking at it's structure, seems pretty limited in it's ability.
Where are Tom Selleck and Gene Simmons in that picture?
(yup, I'm that old)
I'm with you keh, I get the reference :-)
i remember that film, it was scary
HA! The first thing I thought was "this thing looks like one of Dr Luther's evil contraptions".
...nobody but us old people. :D
and btw, "climbling"? :-)
maybe it's nimbly climbing!
Would somebody please attach a paint roller to this thing. I get such a crick in my neck trying to paint up that high.........
Or needles that shoot acid...
did I just date myself?
OMG, Fahrenheit 451!!
My first text adventure on C64, LOVED IT!!
lol! I was actually thinking Michael Crichton's 1984 "Runaway" with Tom Selleck!
Wall climbing, 6 legged robot spiders with needles that shoot acid :)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088024/
I was so thinking of Runaway with Tom Selleck or Stargate SG1. That's a bit too creepy. Why would we want to help Skynet take over!?!?
Yup. SG1 is another good reference. :D
It would be nice if it cleaned the window while it was up there.
All they did was to rotate the video 90 degrees, just like they did in the early Batman TV series. That makes it appear as though it's climbing when it's just crawling on the floor. Lame.
you are lame.
-1 not only for your lame comment but for your lame avatar
Can someone say Replicators from SG1?
It's amazing to see what double-sided tape can do these days!
I for one welcome our gravity-defying robotic overlords.
Clean ceilings and subjugation for all.