If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Japanese animation, it’s that elbow pitts can explode and some of us will fight each other, mutant creatures and evil robots in extremely large exoskeletons.
This is proof.
Skeletonics is a on-going project by an imaginative, and quite clever, group of Japanese students who are using simple kinematics, SolidWorks and aluminum materials to show the motorless possibilities our fleshy body possess to move as part of a fluid mechanical structure.
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This is how it all ends, my friends. They pull us in with their human-like emotions and then crush our wills to live… and also maybe our faces.
The mechanical and overly productive counterparts of society, many are anxious to release upon civilization, has seen some intense development as of late, Recon bots and the amphibious sort, but nothing quite captures the heart like the subtle grimace of Nexi, the first MDS.
Here’s what to appreciate about the design, done mostly in SolidWorks… and some images to analyze for weak points.
Bruce Buck was nice enough to send a link about Salem Design and Manufacturing – a company using SolidWorks to create custom machinery that uses automation components from Misumi, the people responsible for the photo above. The image is for their Empowering Young Engineers (EYE) program to support Robot competitions with their automation components.
So, time to get creative. Write your best caption down in the comments!
Example:
Just look at this mess! Wait, is this Ted? Is Ted laying in bits on the ground?! What the..!!
Once again you’re trapped in a firefight between hundreds of mechanized sentient beings, with no route of escape that wouldn’t leave you riddled with the dawning of human extinction.
That is, until you see a little beast of a vehicle creep into view from around a corner. Your first thoughts are DOOM, but you soon realize it’s a reconnaissance bot out to rescue your scared wits. A surveillance vehicle known as The Delta Unit.
Obviously there will be few robots on our side in the coming robot apocalypse. So it’s always a good idea to know about the design, the designer and everything that goes into creating teleoperated first person view, unmanned ground vehicles (FPV UGVs)
Fortunately, we got a hold of Chris Rogers, the creator of The Delta Unit and other recon bots ready to brave lethal environments and really angry people. Chris fills us in on the design process. Check this out…
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Thanks to Ricky Jordan, I’ve been reminded of one of the most frightening man-made beasts and have been glancing over my shoulder at the sound of any loud, mechanical whirring sound all weekend. If you thought humanoid bipedal robots were nightmarishly creepy, wait till you see the video below.
I remember pictures of the DARPA ‘BigDog’ military troop support robot year ago, but this is the first time I’ve seen it in ACTION.
We’re doomed. The robot armies are massing. As if simple non-humanoid robots were bad enough, now tiny, toddler-like and highly functional robot are coming to the market very, very soon people. Start packing. Aldebaran Robotics is bringing on the dream that many have of a personal robot companion to romp around with and they just so happen to be using SolidWorks to design Nao, the two-legged, wi-fi totting mechbot with swappable heads. *shiver*
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I’m telling ya people, robots are taking over the world and SolidWorks is doing their part to aid in the onslaught of automated fulfillment like you wouldn’t believe. SHOES. The robots are in control of our footwear and it’s all starting at Zappos, perhaps the most brilliant shoe store you’ll ever find.
Kiva Systems has just done a full-up implementation of their ItemFetch robot army system, just four months after Zappos made the decision to have the tiny orange robots automate orders at their Kentucky plant.
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As if our soon to be robot overlords are not scary enough, now there’s a Robot University for them to systematically learn how to take over the minds of small children and impressionable young college students.
I exaggerate a bit. This is actually a place where the academics and the automaton-interested can gather via an online campus to pursue the dream of eventual human destruction creating neat robotics solutions. Kids… get off the couch.
There are structured lessons, tutorials, event calendars, photos, videos, forums, blogs, chat, personal pages, and instruction for using SolidWorks® 3D CAD software for robot design.
You can get in if you request an invitation via SRURequest@solidworks.com and the robotic counterparts on the opposite side accept you into the collective. If you want to keep you’re distance and just play around with building robotic stuff in SolidWorks, check out all the parts at 3d Content Central that will give you everything necessary to build a bio-mechanical suit able to fend off any type of robot mutiny in the future.
More info at the SolidWorks Education Site and the Robot University Press Release
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