Media Appearances

2009

Researchers draw inspiration for their robot from animals

“Daily Pennsylvania”, April 29, 2009

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“When a lizard runs across a sandy desert it may seem effortless, but crossing sand has proved to be nearly impossible for robots until the advent of SandBot.”

For Robots In Sand, The Secret Is In The Step

“Talk of the Nation on NPR”, March 6, 2009

Link
“Sand is difficult terrain for robots. But Daniel Goldman, a physicist at Georgia Institute of Technology, and his colleagues looked to lizards and cockroaches for inspiration, and figured out how to engineer a robot that isn’t slowed by soft ground.”

A Robot Ready For The Beach

“Science Friday on NPR”, March 6, 2009

MP4 Video | Link
“Sand is difficult terrain for robots to navigate. Looking to lizards and cockroaches for clues, Daniel Goldman, a physicist at Georgia Institute of Technology, and his colleagues figured out how to making a robot that wouldn’t be slowed by soft ground. The trick? It’s all in the step.”

2008

6×6 All-Terrain Vehicle

Prototype This!, Nov 9, 2008

Video | Link
“Inspired by a legendary bug-like robot with a synchronized alternating tripod gait, the team takes on the task of building a much larger model that can carry a human passenger. Here Mike works on one of the vehicle’s legs fabricated from an advanced “Directionally Stiff Composite” material that’s flexible when stressed in one direction, but rigid in the other.”

‘Rocky’ robot may climb museum steps

The Daily Pennsylvanian, March 7, 2008

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“…members of a new pilot bio-inspired robotics course that aims to teach engineering principles through hands-on robot-building and programming projects that attempt to imitate techniques of motion found in nature….”

2007

Second nature to robots

The Journal Gazette, February 26, 2007

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“…And with nature as a source of inspiration, many are doing just that. Full’s studies of how a cockroach runs, for example, led to the collaborative development of a robot known as RHex and its smaller sibling, EduBot – each equipped with six legs that can independently move forward or backward and climb over a variety of terrains…”

We’re going the way of the robot

Newsday, February 20, 2007

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“…And with nature as a source of inspiration, many are doing just that. Full’s studies of how a cockroach runs, for example, led to the collaborative development of a robot known as RHex and its smaller sibling, EduBot – each equipped with six legs that can independently move forward or backward and climb over a variety of terrains…”

Woof, woof; click, click

The Daily Pennsylvanian, February 15, 2007

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A photo article (Page 4) on the Rittenhouse survey on people’s perception of hexapod robot as an entertainment robot.

Stair-climbing robots introduce young engineers to Penn

The Daily Pennsylvanian, February 9, 2007

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“…SEAS course challenges students to invent stair-climbing robots in effort to boost interest. An article on EduBot’s use in ESE112?/ESE113? classroom…”

2006

New hunt is on for robot top dog

New Scientist, April 24, 2006

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“…Perhaps a better solution would be to design and build a robot specifically for researchers. Daniel Koditschek, a robotics engineer at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, is developing just that. It’s called EduBot and, standing still, looks as lacklustre as its name implies….”