Subject: Viridian Note 00154: Robot Bugs

Key concepts: micro fuel cells, piezoelectric
ceramic, pervasive computing, robot bugs, Center for Intelligent Mechatronics, Vanderbilt University, DARPA

Attention Conservation Notice: Military/academic vaporware of primary interest to entomologists.

(((What does one do with a circuit-printed fuel cell the size of a pencil eraser? Well, besides the standard Viridian "smart bricks," "talking forks" and "Gershenfeld jogging shoes," how about making the invisible visible with some minicam-toting robot beetles?)))

Entries in the Greenhouse Disaster Symbol contest: http://www.xnet.com/~wbrink/ggw.html http://www.wmblake.com/searedearth/ http://www.wmblake.com/toxicsun/ http://www.io.com/~stack/gds.html http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/bdw/earthglyph.htm http://www.stewarts.org/viridian/solar_weather_violence.html http://www.provide.net/~herrell/viridian/greenhouse.html http://www.artlung.com/viridian9/ http://www.mit.edu/people/davis/GHouse.html http://thraam.com/viridianglyph.html http://members.xoom.com/verityanne/index~1.htm http://www.globalspin.com/viridian/ecodisaster.html This contest expires May 31, 2000.

Sources:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/05/000501234641.htm

AIIEEE!! They can fly! Get it out of my hair! http://www.vuse.vanderbilt.edu/~meinfo/labs/cim/projects/flying.htm Check out the AVIs of those jittery little devils. http://www.vuse.vanderbilt.edu/~meinfo/labs/cim/projects/crawling.htm

DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office Distributed Robotics program:
http://www.darpa.mil/MTO/DRobotics/index.html

"Vanderbilt Engineers Build Robotic Bugs That Can Go The Distance

"NASHVILLE, Tenn. == Mechanical engineers at
Vanderbilt University have designed and constructed a small robotic 'bug' that can scuttle more than half a mile on a single battery charge.

"The leader of the project, Michael Goldfarb,
reported on the development of what may be the smallest- sized robot capable of traveling significant distances at a special workshop on mobile micro-robots on Friday, April 28, at the IEEE Conference on Robotics and Automation in San Francisco.

"'We set out to determine just how small we can make
viable robotic technology, and we've done that,' says Goldfarb, an assistant professor in mechanical engineering.

"Although they started out with even tinier versions,
the smallest practical robot that the researchers could produce turned out to be about the size of one of those giant rhinoceros beetles found in the tropics. It is about three inches long and weighs about two ounces.

"The two-and-a-half year program to develop the
robotic bugs is part of a larger program funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) that is exploring the use of mobile micro-robots for military reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. The basic idea is that soldiers could carry large numbers of these lightweight, mechanical scouts and use them to investigate the terrain ahead, detecting enemy troops, minefields and other hazards." (((Those wacky, lovable guys at DARPA will finance just about any wild thing in their pursuit of mayhem: even the Internet! Imagine the consumer demand- pull in alt.erotica.spycam when these these babies hit the streets.)))

"The Vanderbilt design was one of three micro-
propulsion systems developed as part of the program. Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory developed small robots using batteries and electric motors. A team at Sandia National Laboratory built a robotic hopper powered by gasoline." ((("Gasoline"? Come on, Sandia == what century are you people in?))) "But the other two micro-robots measure between 10 to 12 inches in length and are substantially larger than Vanderbilt's.

"To achieve a minimum size, Goldfarb and Ephrahim
Garcia (...) decided to combine batteries with an unusual material called piezoelectric ceramic (PZT) that physically expands when an electrical voltage is applied to it. (...) 'They are also very energetically conservative: they don't throw away a lot of energy, so most of the electrical energy comes out as mechanical energy.' In this respect PZT is 90 percent efficient, compared to about 60 percent for DC electric motors." (((Wait a minute == shouldn't we be making windmills out of this stuff?)))

"(...) Their final design can cover about a foot per second and carry a one-ounce payload. That allows it to tote a battery that can keep it running for 45 minutes, long enough to cover about a half mile. The lightest chip video cameras available commercially weigh about half an ounce, so the insectile robot is perfectly capable of carrying one, although the researchers haven't done so." (((Replace that lame "battery" with a tiny fuelcell, and it's Katy-bar-the-door. As if barring the door would help against these things.)))

"With a second DARPA grant, the Vanderbilt researchers
have been attempting to apply this same approach to create flying robotic bugs, micro-ornithopters that fly by flapping their wings. But here the engineers may have run into a fundamental obstacle. PZT ceramics are highly efficient but they are also relatively heavy. The critical factor in mechanical flyers is not energy efficiency, but energy density == the amount of energy that a device can develop per ounce.

"Goldfarb's group has designed and tested a number of
different micro-ornithopters. But so far none of them has been able to lift its own weight. For the last few months, the researchers have been doing experiments to determine exactly how much power PZT actuators can deliver and to see if there are any tricks they can use to make them deliver more. So far, none the tricks they've tried have worked." (((The trick is here, fellas. Micro- ornithopter, meet the micro-fuelcell. No, don't thank me == it was pleasure enough just to savor that term "micro- ornithopter".)))

"While the Vanderbilt group has concentrated on the
issue of locomotion, other research groups are looking at controllers that allow them to navigate and give them some degree of artificial intelligence. Still others are exploring different kinds of payloads that they could carry == such as motion sensors, video cameras, microphones and other sensor-packs to detect land mines, toxic gases and biological weapons." ((Don't forget that high-tech detector for zaftig Presidential interns.)))

A New Viridian Individual Project
"A Legible Viridian Ranking System" by: nels@ntu.edu^^ (Nels Dachel)

(((Well-meaning people have been known to remove the chevrons and stars and spam the Viridian Ranking System. Personally emailing other Viridians is fine, but mass spam is a definite no-no. Nels Dachel's new scheme improves legibility and makes spam even easier! So show some genteel restraint.)))

Nels Dachel remarks:

"Lead by example, I always say. Let's show the world that we Viridians can change a system that we hold dear in order to save time and energy.

"I propose the following change to the Ranking System in order to save bits (energy), typing (time), and eye strain (good for the elderly).

"Rather than typing out each little ^ * and ?, how about we use our gigantic monkey brains and replace the numerous symbols with an abstract representation. I suggest the following:

SeJ@aol.com^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ******?

could be expressed abstractly without losing any meaning as SeJ@aol.com^47*6?

"Plus it looks more cryptic and cool. And hey, isn't that what a design movement is all about?"

???????????????????
THE VIRIDIAN CURIA:
???????????????????

^8*7?stewarts@stewarts.org
^47*6?sej@aol.com
^42*6?steffen@eskimo.com
^20*5?wex@media.mit.edu
^17*5?catnhat@dnai.com
^9*5?jon@lasser.org
^2*5?vjk@johnzbrain.com
^23*3?lstinson@empathy.com
^19*3?tor@araneum.dk
^8*3?hinne@spaceways.de
^2*3?morgana@netaxs.com
^9*2?stjude@aol.com
^7*2?tater@catch22.com
^4*2?smendler@well.com
^22*?kirk@mcelhearn.com
^16*?bobmorris@mediaone.net
^11*?mheat@mha-net.org
^10*?richyoung@hotbot.com
^6*?roger@bayarea.net
^4*?wbrink@xnet.com
^2*?dave@unclestu.com
^2*?dklencke@netsage.com
^3*?me@karmanaut.com
^*?oquigley@maxis.com
^12?atkisson@aol.com
^11?alexander_schuth@gmx.net
^6?jthayer@saks.advance.net
^5?jrc@well.com
^2?chyld@elwha.evergreen.edu
^2?41jlyon@apple.com


^2*8reid@well.com
^16*7rpuchalsky@worldnet.att.net ^3*7tux@powerbase-alpha.com

^6*5ljaurbach@erols.com

^13*4nonwhiz@earthlink.net
^6*4kreinsch@radix.net

^6*3r1ddl3r@bp13.u.washington.edu ^4*3rmharman@earthling.net
^3*3anubis@subterrane.com
^3*2bdw@compuserve.com
*3jzero@fastlane.net
*3redbird@jump.net

^26*2tbyfield@panix.com
^11*2pjd@cne.gmu.edu
^9*2cisler@pobox.com
^6*2jonny@way.nu
^5*2mgoldh@well.com
^4*2adam@doctort.org
^4*2bretts@earthlight.co.nz
^3*2dog@mail.wplus.net
^3*2kevin@wired.com
^3*2rsewell@cix.compulink.co.uk


^2*2g.mann@cowan.edu.au
^2*2gazook@atdot.org
^2*2langig@parl.gc.ca
^*2acotter@nonsensical.com
^*2eli@10maxwells.com
^*2msenroy@hotmail.com
^*2weasel@gothic.net

*2jtlin@saunalahti.fi
*2sethmc@turcotte.colorado.edu *2shamann@interlog.com


^21*patmazza@teleport.com
^16*here@michaelmcdonough.com ^14*fruitbat@netspace.org
^14*peterson@nceas.ucsb.edu
^12*cooper409@aol.com
^12*dhlight@mcs.net
^11*infinite@beaming.com
^11*jim@smallworks.com
^11*kjas@mindspring.com
^11*mitch@thehub.com.au
^11*pinknoiz@pinknoiz.com
^10*warrene@aol.com
^9*michael.hartley@one2one.co.uk ^8*hoechst.forum@lrz.uni-muenchen.de ^8*platypus26@hotmail.com
^6*cbourgeo@txfund.com
^6*danny@spesh.com

^5*bonkydog@sirius.com
^5*dlandry@rohan.sdsu.edu
^5*eric@sac.net
^5*joe@artlung.com
^5*micky.shirley@sfsierra.sierraclub.org ^5*tucker@razorfish.com

^4*brandonkeim@mindspring.com ^4*jczemek@ouray.cudenver.edu ^4*pwturtle@well.com
^4*rinesi@espacio.com.ar
^4*rkoster@austin.rr.com

^3*ccraig@ucsd.edu
^3*cwanders@midway.uchicago.edu ^3*garreau@well.com
^3*genecav2@flash.net
^3*saintware@aol.com
^3*pal@cs.brown.edu

^2*adrianc@frogdesign.com
^2*awoods@veriomail.com
^2*baraka@kolumbus.fi
^2*brucebiles@yahoo.com
^2*churchr@hurrah.com
^2*dsprager@mailbox.syr.edu
^2*herrell@provide.net
^2*kaiser@acm.org
^2*mann@cse.unsw.edu.au
^2*maup@casema.net
^2*replicant@null.net
^2*richardd@reeseco.com

^*abeb@erols.com
^*chris@schultestorage.com
^*dan@dantaylor.com
^*e_haines@hotmail.com
^*gdyson@cc.wwu.edu
^*jaybab@mindspring.com
^*jeffk@well.com
^*jerry@freeside.fc.net
^*jim_hurst@kyrus.com
^*mcdodge@pmug.org
^*pbundman@dht.com
^*pdo@metamajik.com
^*tenev@digbody.dux.ru
^*zoeluna@bellsouth.net

*beth-kai@evilkids.com
*boyle@wcl.american.edu
*chad@id.iit.edu
*dbain@jhu.edu
*dbell@worldwatch.org
*deleau@freemail.nl
*djhelix@hotmail.com
*dphelan@pavilion.co.uk
*elric@zip.com.au
*findjam@dialstart.net
*gord@alcor.concordia.ca
*jeanine@greenbuilder.com
*mfoti@octa.net
*replicant_x@yahoo.com
*richard@wmblake.com
*scoville@hooked.net
*spacadmn@gate.net
*stewartc@well.com
*thallad@pcnet.com


^22mattruby@ix.netcom.com

^19silka@concentric.net

^16gmoke@world.std.com

^16jonl@well.com

^14kchapple@aip.com

^11jspragens@igc.apc.org
^11shalizi@santafe.edu
^11xiane@entech.com

^9rmandel@mail.aip.com
^9rnedal@olimpo.com.br

^8ian.griffin@corp.sun.com
^8mike@wholeearthmag.com
^8robot@ultimax.com

^7garckej@iam.uni-bonn.de
^7kit@stratos.net
^7mlbishop@juno.com
^7moth@magenta.com
^7othermother6@juno.com
^7pbsustain@aol.com
^7spherethis@yahoo.com

^6dsenft@bcj.com
^6ejbarnes@ziplink.net
^6karl_musser@yahoo.com
^6shassinger@dev.tivoli.com
^6wapel@tc.cac.edu.eg

^5bperry@shore.net
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^5craymond@northweb.com
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^5designresearch@webtv.net
^5john@thackara.com
^5jplanet10@yahoo.com
^5nicky_fingers@yahoo.com
^5puckettb@tcfreenet.org

^4askornheiser@prodigy.net
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^4vinay@thorazine.neuron.net

^3amon@together.net
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^3ihaveseenthefish@jahoopa.com ^3johnemond@hotmail.com
^3kamenr@river.org
^3lederman@capecod.net
^3mail@spaceshipearth.com
^3martyk@allspecies.org
^3mccoykj@aol.com
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^3mischief@interport.net
^3mjnorth@ix.netcom.com
^3mpgomez@earthling.net
^3nao23@earthlink.net
^3nbodley@alumni.princeton.edu ^3nehrlich@sfis.com
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^3rachel@computerwire.com
^3rje@well.com
^3robertwchapman@earthlink.net ^3s.rush@cindydrew.com
^3tdav@wam.umd.edu
^3tick@sidehack.sat.gweep.net ^3tripathi@statistik.uni-dortmund.de ^3udhay@pobox.com
^3wbl@planetmail.com
^3winterscsa@earthlink.net
^3yizhou@pacbell.net

^2100451.3443@compuserve.com
^2ab006@chebucto.ns.ca
^2alintelbot@aol.com
^2ashcreek@dreamscape.com
^2ashton@tundra.org
^2blocksom@kreative.net
^2bprips@aol.com
^2brian.thomson@compaq.com
^2cjchurch@geo2.poptel.org.uk ^2claudius@void.org
^2craiggerritsen@yahoo.com
^2dave@va.com.au
^2davisson@mail.utexas.edu
^2dm@k12-nis-2.bbn.com
^2doom@kzsu.stanford.edu
^2dtaylor@razorfish.com
^2duffin_j@bls.gov
^2dwh@berlin.snafu.de
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^2iclysdal@thetoybox.org
^2jtr@gis.net
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^2khechtman@systemgroup.com
^2katie@wtp.net
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^2marcerickson@home.com
^2mwiik@messagenet.com
^2ocschwar@mit.edu
^20schrier_j@spcvxa.spc.edu
^2pacoid@really-easy.com
^2pdresslar@worldnet.att.net
^2philip_mikal@yahoo.com
^2randolph@cyber-dyne.com
^2randolph@darkwing.uoregon.edu ^2raul@usatoday.com
^2ricola@zurich.doze.com
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^2rt@clark.net
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^2strobel@motorberlin.de
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^2zooko@wildgoose.tandu.com
^2zot@fdt.net

^acase@glue.umd.edu
^adam@e-gad.com
^alex@orionsystems.com
^alienfreak@compuserve.com
^anderson@corinth.ms
^andrew.holmberg@nmb.norwest.com ^andys@nbc56.com
^anton@omega.uta.edu
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^architext@cable.a2000.nl
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^bigbrain@visi.com
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^bmyers1@us.ibm.com
^butler@comp-lib.org
^bvdm@chronovault.net
^bward@metro.net
^campt@hurrah.com
^carl.coryell-martin@quandsn.com ^carlg@vermilion-sands.com
^charlie@antipope.org
^chris@7crows.com
^chris.carroll@turner.com
^christopher_otoole@psinet.com ^chute@loop.com
^collinf@moscow.com
^copper@computer.org
^c.ted.ballou@intel.com
^cybercop@sprynet.com
^dave@abyss.demon.co.uk
^dave@starfish.net.au
^dave_prager@yahoo.com
^davisna@ens.utulsa.edu
^dc@ispchannel.com
^deleon1@gte.net
^dlachape@ptialaska.net
^dm@bbn.com
^dmaltz@exch-gsb.stanford.edu ^dmdraper@bellsouth.ne
^dnm@pobox.com
^ejorr@wam.umd.edu
^elw@crest.org
^emilyg@well.com
^ether@tcp.com
^eweise@usatoday.com
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^fts@xs4all.nl
^fyreflye@bigfoot.com
^gagin@inter.net.ru
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^ggg@well.com
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^hotspur@austin.rr.com
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^mitra@earth.path.net
^mnemonic@well.com
^mstorer@audienceone.com
^narrator@idiom.com
^natalie.jeremijenko@yale.edu ^nmherman@aol.com
^nmurphy@bgn.org
^pattersons@edaw.com
^patrice@xs4all.nl
^paula_nibride@hotmail.com
^peter@hightown.demon.co.uk
^phil@whitewolf.com.au
^philable@bayou.com
^philg@martigny.ai.mit.edu
^pinhead@ozcot.com
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^pnh@panix.com
^prism@bevcomm.net
^psybelle@wenet.net
^quest@inetarena.com
^rafeco@rc3.org
^raptor@jump.net
^raze@zip.com.au
^rberger@ibd.com
^rblood@rebeccablood.net
^rbr@well.com
^rfried@bccom.com
^ristow@ece.gatech.edu
^rme@panix.com
^roberson@texas.net
^rvoigt@nortelnetworks.com
^roger.clarke@anu.edu.au
^sanch0@hotmail.com
^sblack@library.berkeley.edu
^scot@systemx.autonomous.org
^shalmanaeser@hotmail.com
^silverlake@ibm.net
^sprunck@usa.net
^steven@iisl.co.uk
^syrcharles@crosswinds.net
^taoshu@aol.com
^thomas_a._kalil@opd.eop.gov
^thriftfilm@aol.com
^tim@espressi.com
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^tobias@visi.com
^tom@nucleus.com
^vbar@comp.cz
^viridian@access.spring.net
^voudoufunk@aol.com
^vvanhorn@cats.ucsc.edu
^wearl@jps.net
^wendtkr@hotmail.com
^whh@uclink4.berkeley.edu
^will@meister.com
^winfield3@aol.com
^wlsn@well.com
^yilun11@yahoo.com
^zengobln@ix.netcom.com

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MICROSOFT OUTLOOK, ILOVEYOU
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