Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Path: brunix!cat.cis.Brown.EDU!agate!darkstar.UCSC.EDU!news.hal.COM!decwrl!netcomsv!netcom.com!nagle
From: nagle@netcom.com (John Nagle)
Subject: Re: wanted: walking robots
Message-ID: <nagleCttDv5.AwE@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <775619078snz@lintilla.demon.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 31 Jul 1994 16:59:29 GMT
Lines: 22

bob@lintilla.demon.co.uk (Bob Cousins) writes:
>I remember reading about walking robots developed as research projects.
>They could walk around, avoid obstacles, recharge themselves and collected
>drink cans.  

      Nah.  You're thinking of Brooks's lab at MIT.  The machines that
walk don't recharge or pick up cans.  The machine that picks up cans
is wheeled.  See "Minimalist mobile robotics", by John Connell.

>Are there any commercial produced robots around that can walk?
>If not, does anyone have any designs that could be licensed?

      Odetics, Inc, of Anaheim, CA made a 6-legged symmetrical walker.
Nice piece of machinery.  I think they sold two.  The prototype is in
the Smithsonian.  This is a human-sized machine capable of climbing
out of a pickup truck and then lifting up one end of the truck.
Teleoperated with some local control.

      A commercial outfit was running off Brooks-like machines for about
$100K each for a while.

					John Nagle
