Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!umich!samsung!xylogics!transfer!lectroid!jjmhome!micro-ix!cesmith
From: cesmith@micro-ix.UUCP (cesmith)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Re: CM Ambler Rover
Summary: Interesting article in Science about MIT "Insect Lab".
Message-ID: <5836@micro-ix.UUCP>
Date: 5 Jun 90 23:49:01 GMT
References: <3708@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov> <95816@philabs.Philips.Com> <1990May30.182249.22352@watmath.waterloo.edu>
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Lines: 17

In article <1990May30.182249.22352@watmath.waterloo.edu>, mwtilden@watmath.waterloo.edu (M.W.Tilden, Hardware) writes:
> In article <BBC.90May19164725@sicilia.rice.edu> Benjamin Chase <bbc@rice.edu> writes:
> >My first comment is to notice that both the ASV and the CM Ambler each
> >weigh in at rougly 3 tons.  You'd think that somebody could build
> >something a little more, ah, nimble.  ...
> 
> Brooks at MIT seems to have a reasonable solution.  They've built a 
> 6 legged walker which uses a simple Algorithmic State Machine network
> as the control (simulated in a single 8bit 68HC11 processor).  ... 
	[stuff deleted] 
> Brooks is more interested in making small machines, not moon-stompers.
> Anybody know why this work is not in the running for space exploration?


        There is an interesting article in the 25 May 1990 issue of
"Science" on page 959 which discusses Brooks' work and the possibility
of using his machines for planetary exploration among other things.