...good night all...
...night all...
...all...
.......
...
.
‘night
If you're sailing into the wind, be tackful.
When a spiderbot is ensconced in its storage or transportation area, its closest limb segments are held low and against the body, extending from its midsection down to its base.
Its second limb segments, which I described as twice as long, fold back 180 degrees on the limb and then extend from its base to its top, forming there, if you will, a joining of hands. It's as tight a conformation as you can scrunch.
Now if you have that picture, consider what happens when a spiderbot stretches out. You saw the scale. A man can fit comfortably inside, standing up. That, after all, is his position if he is operating the robot. He is strapped into a harness, with his left leg controlling the > tripod of legs, while his right leg controls the < tripod of legs.
Controlling six of the eight legs with his own legs allows the operator to use an insect gait, and never lose his balance. And he will still have two leg/arms to use as arms for carrying things or working. It's all very natural to use. The spiderbot merely mimics the actions of its operator.
With the extra length of the spiderbot legs I have designed, a brisk stroll by the operator is translated into approximately a thirty mile-per-hour pace across uneven terrain. I have no idea what it could do in the "hands" of a very skillful operator, or with more advanced programming.
Joint design is not something that I have dealt with in any detail. For practical reasons, it may be necessary to have limits on the rotation of first and second segments. It does simplify getting control cables and conduits through them.
There may be equally practical reasons to have rotating end-effectors. Such should be easy to control from a console, and the work they do can be impressive. Many of our own shop tools work this way.