Well, the last batch of Escap gearmotors went very fast. Let's hope this batch lasts a bit longer! Unlike the last set, this set has a higher reduction ratio of 663:1 instead of 362:1. This means it starts turning 0.46V (!) drawing only 3.3mA (!!) It's a 3V rated motor, but our tests show that […]
Frogbots! Solar-powered, at that!
Dave Hrynkiw
December 15, 2000
I missed the full segment of this story last weeks on "Discovery Channel's @discovery.ca" program, but fortunately, the've put the segment online at their website. I seems that JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratories - NASA essentially) is working on a solar-powered, single-footed robot frog. This seems like a GREAT idea for extra-terrestrial planet-surface locomotion. Check out the videos and see for yourself. Additional information at Space.com Even more technical information is here and here, in these Adobe Acrobat files from one of the researchers, Paulo Fiorini. Here's his homepage. And this is his dedicated Frogbot hompage - lots of interesting info!
Oh, and if you scroll to the bottom of the Discovery Channel / EXN page, you'll find a nice video clip of our favorite Roboticist, Mark Tilden. They shot this a few years ago, and I'm glad to see they resurrected it to be on this page.
MORE POSTS
Ardweeny & Strandbeest Make An Exce...
So we've just released a ton of awesome little bundles for our Ardweenys, and you're thinking "Wow, what would I do with all those?". Well friend, why not build a Strandbeest with an Ardweeny for a brain? For those few who aren't familiar with a Strandbeest (or don't know it by name), they are the […]
Heated Car Seat Teardown and Repair
Here's a little makeover of an inexpensive aftermarket car seat heating pad that stopped working. Designed to activate and warm up when sat upon, the electronics face a fair amount of abuse: since the seat is a soft frame, the wires inside constantly move and flex with the body. They are also subject to harsh […]
Friday New Product: LED Strings, Snowfla...
Festive occasions are right around the corner so we thought we’d treat you to some shiny stuff. In these times of heightened economic activity (I mean mostly gift giving) some super bright 2.8Watt LEDs and tiny SMD LEDs on a wire that come in a variety of brilliant colours might come in handy for the […]
Solarbotics has been operating for more than 25 years, bringing electronics know-how and supplies to both the electronics professional and hobbyist. We'll be happy to help you too!
Solarbotics, Ltd. is not responsible for misprints or errors on product prices or information. For more information, please see our Terms and Conditions.
Warning: This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
Please visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information. This item was manufactured prior to August 31, 2018.