Origami-Inspired Bi-Directional Actuator with Orthogonal Actuation
arxiv.org
arxiv.org
They've advanced this technology considerably. It's been known for a long time that a good way to do actuators with variable compliance was with pneumatic actuators driven from both sides through proportional valves near the actuator. Festo has been able to do this with excellent non-clunky mechanical engineering.
To do this sort of thing, you need a serious mechanical design and build facility staffed by people who know how to build stuff. Universities cannot do this with grad students.
The ball is rather clever. Most omnidirectional drives involve a big wheel with little wheels or rollers on the rim. The little wheels have trouble with door thresholds and thick carpets. The big ball doesn't have that problem.
> The ball is rather clever.
Sure there are pluses here, but I thought about parking the thing (because) it needs to use energy for balancing while not parked, doesn't it? Future looks weird - one hand robots on spheres roaming through rooms with thick carpets...
It's the opposite of "fake it til you make it".
> It's the opposite of "fake it til you make it".
I like this level when you can show off what you do, play with it, enjoy it _and_ provide value. Showing off preferably being the smallest part in the mix.