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5/19/00
We are building a series of water
spiders that dance around the 
circle in Waterplace Park in Providence, or
any small pond. (Budget $5000) The center of the water-spider robot
would be a 2-foot diameter
clear plastic sphere (I have lots of them). A motor unit is
fixed to the interior of the sphere. If the weight of the
motor is set off-center of
the axis, the sphere will spin in the water instead of the motor.
Paddle-like fins will be attached to the sphere creating the
propulsion.
Eight copper tubing legs with
Styrofoam feet attached to one end create the spider's legs. If the whole
leg unit is attached to the motor shaft it will stabilize the robot
and protect the clear plastic
center from collision damage.
Infrared distance sensors can
inform the robot brain if another water spider is approaching or any
object for that matter. Evasive maneuvers can be triggered creating
a random dance of water
spiders.
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