Bionic - Nature As A Model; Requirements And Startup - fischertechnik BIONIC ROBOTS Begleitheft

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1. Bionic – Nature as a Model
The term bionic is composed of the two terms biology and technique.
This branch of science always tries to base its technical solutions on nature.
Man has invented machines time and time again with the objective of
moving farther, faster and more efficiently than possible naturally. This has
been achieved in different ways corresponding to the respective require-
ments. Vehicles roll on wheels. In difficult terrains, which vehicles with
wheels cannot handle, tracked vehicles or Caterpillars are used. Ships float
on water or can operate underwater. In a few types of movement, nature
serves as the model. For example, an airplane resembles a flying bird.
Over the past few years, scientists have been looking into another very
widespread movement form: walking or running. Robots have been develo-
ped, which can move on legs. Such walking machines can be used in all
places where wheel and tracked vehicles would hardly have a chance, for
example, in very uneven or soft terrains, for climbing over obstacles, going
up stairs, crossing ditches or for use in difficult to access and dangerous
spots in nuclear power plants, mines or for rescue operations.
The first serious experiments in developing walking machines were conducted
at a university in Tokyo in 1967. For the first time, work was oriented to
the human way of walking instead of that of insects. The continual further
development of these experiments results in the first two-legged walking
machine in 1985. Today, these robots have more then 50 degrees of
flexibility and numerous microprocessors. For example, they can read notes
and play the organ with the help of a camera. You can even have a
discussion with them.
An example of a
six-legged walking
robot is the electro-
pneumatic walking
robot Achilles,
developed at the
Royal Military
Academy in Brussels.
Equipped with a
camera at the top
and on its six legs,
this robot reacts
to raised or recessed
obstacles (objects
or holes).
Now fischertechnik
has also devoted its
attention to this
exciting topic and has
constructed robots,
which are wakened
to life with the
Intelligent Interface
and the LLWin software.
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2. Requirements and Startup

You need the following articles in addition to the construction kit, so that
you can build the models of the computing kit "Bionic Robots."
Intelligent Interface, Art. no. 30402
LLWin software (from Version 3.0), Art. no. 30407
Power supply unit, Art. no. 34969
If you are not familiar with the LLWin software and the interface, you
should first read through the LLWin software manual. It describes how you
install the software and connect the interface. It is also very well suited for
getting acquainted with how you can control fischertechnik models via a PC.
Using a few components from the construction kit (motor and pushbuttons),
you can first construct very simple model controls.
As soon as you are familiar with the software and the interface, you can
then tackle the more challenging Bionic Robot models.
A CD-ROM is included in the construction kit, which contains LLWin example
programs for the kit models. You need the LLWin software starting from
Version 3.0 to open the programs. You can either leave the example pro-
grams on the CD and call them from LLWin with the command File - Open,
or copy the complete BIONIC_ROBOTS folder from the CD in the project
directory of LLWin onto your hard disk and open the examples from there.
Before you construct
the models, you
need to assemble
a few parts, e.g.,
cables and plugs.
The construction
instructions explain
exactly what you
have to do.
Now we're ready to
start. You can
now delve into the
fascinating world of
walking fischertechnik
robots. As soon as
you have constructed
the first model and it
starts to move in an
almost eerie way, you
will be thrilled by this
technique, which has
already been used in
nature for moving for
millions of years.