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Nasa to conquer space with swarms of tiny robot pyramids (shades of the book Swarm by Chrichton)
The Guardian ^
| Wednesday March 30, 2005
| Tim Radford
Posted on 03/30/2005 6:36:41 AM PST by Arkie2
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This reminds me of the swarm in Crichton's book or maybe the robot in Terminator 2.
1
posted on
03/30/2005 6:36:41 AM PST
by
Arkie2
To: KevinDavis
2
posted on
03/30/2005 6:37:25 AM PST
by
Arkie2
To: Arkie2
30 years away, huh? Will my aero-car arrive before that, or after?
3
posted on
03/30/2005 6:39:31 AM PST
by
ClearCase_guy
(The fourth estate is a fifth column.)
To: Arkie2
Tetwalkers move by toppling over. It's a very reliable way to get around."
I can vouch for that - I spent a lot of my college years toppling over.
To: Arkie2
I don't think it's going to take 30 years.
And yes, it reminds me of the Crichton book too.
5
posted on
03/30/2005 6:41:00 AM PST
by
iceskater
("Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." - Kipling)
To: Arkie2
If they can reproduce themselves, then we can terraform Mars with them.
6
posted on
03/30/2005 6:42:43 AM PST
by
techcor
(DUmmy screed: "To insanity, and beyond!")
To: techcor
Maybe they'll decide to terraform Earth and get rid of us!
7
posted on
03/30/2005 6:43:56 AM PST
by
Arkie2
To: ClearCase_guy
I've had mine for the last ten years! Didn't you get the memo?
8
posted on
03/30/2005 6:44:48 AM PST
by
Arkie2
To: Arkie2
Pyramids huh?
9
posted on
03/30/2005 6:45:00 AM PST
by
cripplecreek
(I'm apathetic but really don't care.)
To: Arkie2
These "Tets" are a mechanical version of a "simplex". The "Downhill Simplex Method" is a decades old math technique for optimizing high dimensional, nonlinear functions. It is really nifty to watch as the simplex constantly changes its shape and size so that it basically oozes down the functional surface until it finds a minimum. Its actions remind people of an amoeba.
This Tet is a 3D simplex (actually 4D if you count time) and using arrays of them seems an excellent way to handle the many tasks and vagaries involved in space pioneering.
10
posted on
03/30/2005 6:55:00 AM PST
by
nevergiveup
(I AM that guy from Pawtucket!)
To: ClearCase_guy
Will my aero-car arrive before that, or after? Buildign flying cars is easy. Dealing with the associated air-traffic control problems, on the other hand... let's put it this way: do you trust the idiots who can't drive in two dimensions with a third one?
11
posted on
03/30/2005 6:57:23 AM PST
by
kevkrom
(If people are free to do as they wish, they are almost certain not to do as Utopian planners wish)
To: Arkie2
Anyone remember the sci-fi fantasy book "Trillions"?
Alien micromachines land on Earth, scare the bejeebers out of mankind, and then leave.
But they were morphing machines capable of interconnecting to form any shape.
12
posted on
03/30/2005 7:00:55 AM PST
by
Darksheare
(She sashayed into my heart, her insurance should cover the damages.)
To: Arkie2
Yeah, I read Chrichton's Swarm. One of the scary things is the programming using hunter models . Where the robot learns to overcome problems. One science-fiction author (Rudy Rucker) actually writes programs like that for "boppers" his living robots. I think he offers it for free on his web-site.
13
posted on
03/30/2005 7:03:21 AM PST
by
techcor
(DUmmy screed: "To insanity, and beyond!")
To: Arkie2
Wasn't Crichton's book about the nanomachines titled "Prey"?
14
posted on
03/30/2005 7:05:27 AM PST
by
the lone haranguer
(Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia)
To: the lone haranguer
Oops! Looks like I'm making it up as I go. You are of course correct.
15
posted on
03/30/2005 7:06:44 AM PST
by
Arkie2
To: Arkie2
Dear NASA: please send more crunchy things. They were delicious. -Planet Zygon 3
16
posted on
03/30/2005 7:07:27 AM PST
by
Sender
(Team Infidel USA)
To: Arkie2
Augh! Shades of the REPLICATORS!! (SG-1...)
17
posted on
03/30/2005 7:10:48 AM PST
by
redhead
(I'm sorry...I think my giveadamn is busted)
To: Arkie2
Do you have any links to NASA web pages? This is very interesting.
If I said that a few days ago I was daydreaming of a Fulerene structure with linear actuator links and reconfigurable nodes, would anyone believe me? Not that it matters anyway.
Day late and a dollar short again.
To: Arkie2
The only downside is that the NanoSwarms are powered by human flesh, but I'm sure that won't be a big problem.
19
posted on
03/30/2005 7:58:20 AM PST
by
inkling
To: Jack of all Trades
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