404 media reports on a Columbia University DARPA project that makes robot K’nex. Struts with pistons and magnetic couplings at the end:

https://www.404media.co/pentagon-funded-experiment-develops-robots-that-change-by-consuming-other-robots/

The researchers’ video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDYLUnniysU&t=1s

shows the effectiveness of these machines joining up to form tetrahedrons, and then adding another strut for increased mobility. Plus some blue-sky dreaming of what you could do with these things.

Pay no attention to the lurid “consuming other robots” (nor the researchers’ own “robot metabolism” metaphor. I do like their thoughts about using these to embody AI (an embodiment that would be nearly as alien as octopus consciousness).

These are ants. Ants that work together to build structures and accomplish things single ants can’t do. It’s a very cool idea. @futurebird

I have to compliment the 404-media journalist (Matthew Gault) for the depth of the reporting — an in-depth dive into the research (the robot struts aren’t driven autonomously, they have human operators at the moment — Gault even has a diagram of the keyboard control layout.

If they can get the control software to work (think of the massive clouds of coordinated drones now used in place of fireworks, it can be done), um… you’ll never struggle getting your tent set up again?

Maybe it could be a flexible alternative to the Deep Origami used to unfold structures in satellites (which isn’t so far from some of their blue-sky dreaming). I don’t have the imagination (thank heaven) to see ways to Torment Nexus these things, but I’m sure it’s out there. Smart dust, I suppose….

#robotics #404media

MORE isn't BETTER   

#fediverse

one of my favorite recent photos

if they ever want to replace this sign with a pristine new one i'd hang the old one on my wall