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Video: Virginia Tech's IMPASS robot has spokes, but no rims
It's been a few years since we saw an early, fledgling render of IMPASS, the Intelligent Mobility Platform with Actuated Spoke System under development at Virginia Tech's Robotics & Mechanisms Lab. Now look at it, all grown up and featured front and center in an episode of our favorite show for geeking out: Engineering TV. The bot, with its rimless wheels, is shown dynamically adjusting the length of each spoke as appropriate to scamper up over obstacles or cross divots unperturbed. Two motors provide movement while three more inside the wheels themselves use treads to shift the spokes in and out based on inputs from laser and IR range finders, ensuring this ride's height is always precisely calculated. We know who to call before the next Engadget lowrider throw down.
Virginia Tech researcher crafting amoeba-inspired robotic helpers
Although we've seen failed attempts at turning amoebas into helpers, Virginia Tech's Dennis Hong is hoping that his creations will see a bit more success. Using funding from the prestigious CAREER grant, the researcher is designing a Whole Skin Locomotion (WSL) mechanism "for robots to work on much the same principle as the pseudopod, or cytoplasmic foot, of the amoeba." The device's primary goal seems to hover around the world of search-and-rescue, as the diminutive crawler can maneuver in and around tight spaces without regard for its own health, and of course, a nearly-microscopic bot just can't be developed without hinting at one day ending up somewhere inside your body. Notably, it appears that Mr. Hong isn't satisfied with just building a prototype, as he's already got plans for implementing the technology into projects such as IMPASS (Intelligent Mobility Platform with Active Spoke System, DARwin (Dynamic Anthropomorphic Robot with Intelligence), and STriDER (Self-Excited Tripedal Dynamic Experimental Robot).[Via MedGadget]
