If
you wanted to build your own robot, you would have to design it, order
components, modify or build your own components, build your robot, and then
figure out that it doesn't work and have to start over. However, a group at MIT is redesigning the
robot creation process. Their aim is to
create the ability for robots to be designed on a computer and them fabricated
on a special printer. This would allow
for an average person to create and program a robot in a matter of hours. Just as a compiler is used for creating a
program, the team seeks to make a “compiler for building physical machines.” Such a system would take a simple set of
specifications and makes a robot with simple materials. A few robots have already been created, such
as a six-legged insect, a robot arm, and a fish. The material that the robots are made of is a
material called PEEK, or polyether ether ketone, which is sturdy and can easily
be machined. The bodies of the robots
are made of this material and the circuit boards are made using a standard fabrication
process. This method could be the future of robot design and drastically reduce the amount of time that it takes to build a robot.
Read more at Wired.
Picture from MakerBot
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