design by German engineering firm Festo , these hook - tipped , artificially intelligent arms were designed to mime the service program and movement of an elephant ’s trunk – but the resemblance to Dock Ock ’s wriggle limb is just uncanny .
Festo , the same firm that brought usthe mechanical sea gull , calls the bionic elephant trunks “ Dynamic Handling Assistants . ” ( How benign - sounding ! ) Geekosystem ’s Sam Maggshas more details :
German scientists ramp up a mechanical sea gull ( that wo n’t harass you at the beach )
Described by one observer as “ strangely alive ” and similar to a “ giant alien maggot , ” the proboscis / Doc Ock arms were created with 3D - impress segments and connected by pneumatic artifical muscles … it also has artificial intelligence and brawn computer memory ! It ’s programmed to pick up in much the same way a human baby does – through a cognitive operation of trial and error . Called “ goal babble , ” the robot trunk can assay to take hold of something ; remember what go untimely ; make midget adjustments in its own locating and sinew doings ; and then examine the grab again , until it finally gets it right .
Cripes . That ’ll get your imagination running wild . Can you envision a set of these things get on to the back ofone of DARPA ’s brick - heaving Big Dogs ? Or , scarier still , one of itsCheetahs?Just think of it : the fastest automatic quadruped ever build up , its sinewy pneumatic limbs swaying hungrily , pincer snapping smartly above its point , bounding mechanically toward you at speeds approaching 30 mile per time of day .
BigDog can now shed shit like it ’s nobody ’s business
DARPA just obliterated the landspeed track record for the fastest mechanically skillful mammal on globe
That ’s one vision of the robo - hereafter , anyway . Another involvesan automaton army with synthetic butt - nerve that react to slaps , caresses , tickles and carrier bag . I ’m candidly not sure which is more frightening .
These automatic butt - buttock respond to slaps , caresses , and pokes
More item atGeekosystemandNew Scientist .
biomimicryDoc OckFestoScienceSpider - ManTechnology
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