Our innovation creature is the caterpillar. We are trying to mimic the motion it follows while climbing. So far we have cut out small boxlike figures to represent spiracles(which are the balloon like spheres the caterpillar body has). We have three main ones with two sets of legs. The legs work like scissors. They have a connecting joint through the upper section that allows the two claw like arms to bend toward each other. For a caterpillar these can be called prolegs and they offer balance and grip to them. They can grab so hard that they will snap off. Good thing prolegs aren't permanent anyway. We were going to implement a string into the design in order to be able to pull on one end to create a tension for movement. Our design is a bit flawed though. We my end up needed more than three servos and our metal rod isn't flexible. We have not tested our prototype so therefore, it is just a model. It is more of just how the basic animal will look like in cardboard form, with some idea to the movement. We didn't think that the prototype was going to do much. It is just a prototype. Since we didn't expect much I think it met our standards. I think we will keep the cubes as the body and the pincer shape for the body. We might change the movement on our second prototype. Instead of it crunching and releasing, it will have caterpillar tracks. It is like the wheels of tanks. So the main body may become more spherical but it's yet to be determined. The pincers will be there for support to the weight. Especially since we have to have it climb they can hold on to ensure it won't fall straight off. We're exploring the movement of the caterpillar obviously. We will explore the motors next and how they work. It needs to be able to move without us touching it, so the motor will move the tank tracks.  

Jumping Robot A robot that jumps over a storm drain by harnessing the kangaroo's energy-saving Achilles heel tendon.

This is our kangaroo prototype.  The idea was that we wanted our animal to jump as much as it can instead of walking.  We wanted it to jump because we felt like it wouldn't have to traverse as much of the terrain as it would if it would walk.  We also wanted it to jump because it would provide more of a challenge.  We wanted to make our legs out of a design kind of like prosthetic legs.  So, at first, we made a round spring so it can jump.  We then wanted to test if it could jump.  But that proved a problem as we needed a body but it couldn't really bit fitted into a body.  And then it became a problem when we wanted to try and make it less flexible as it was.  So we then made two legs.  After looking at the kangaroo and how it jumped, and a couple of Festo robots, we used a rubber band to resemble the kangaroo's Achilles heel tendon.  The tendon stores energy and wants to expand while its not jumping and contracts while the kangaroo is in mid-air.  Unfortunately, we couldn't test our animal because we didn't make the body fast enough. But thanks to the experience, we learned that we should use different material for drilling and what to make so it could jump.

Visually impaired people have trouble understanding many motions because they cannot feel them. We tried to turn flight into a tactile experience so visually impaired people can experience it as well. We did this by watching the different motions of a swan and modeling them in a linkage program.  We have two different parts: a swan unfolding its wings and a swan flapping its wings. 

OctoArm A limb inspired by the way an octopus uses its tentacles to complete tasks, from walking on the ocean floor, to propelling itself through the water like a torpedo.

We made a prototype of an octopus tentacle out of cardboard and a series of joints. We decided to use different types of joints because we knew that would be the easiest way to make it move. We are exploring ways to increase the force that is exerted when the tentacle wraps around an object. We were resolving the problem we had with the sturdiness of the entire tentacle, we did this by taping popsicle sticks to the back of the tentacle to help support it. The characteristics we will keep include: the hooking motion, and using hot glue as a grip. We will have the same concepts, but different design. We will try to change the way it moves, we are thinking about using a rotating wheel type mechanism because the motion of the tentacle will no longer rely on the person pulling the string. For our next prototype, we will make sure to improve it in the best and most efficient ways possible. 

Jumping Robot A robot that jumps over a storm drain by harnessing the kangaroo's energy-saving Achilles heel tendon.

This is our kangaroo prototype.  The idea was that we wanted our animal to jump as much as it can instead of walking.  We wanted it to jump because we felt like it wouldn't have to traverse as much of the terrain as it would if it would walk.  We also wanted it to jump because it would provide more of a challenge.  We wanted to make our legs out of a design kind of like prosthetic legs.  So, at first, we made a round spring so it can jump.  We then wanted to test if it could jump.  But that proved a problem as we needed a body but it couldn't really bit fitted into a body.  And then it became a problem when we wanted to try and make it less flexible as it was.  So we then made two legs.  After looking at the kangaroo and how it jumped, and a couple of Festo robots, we used a rubber band to resemble the kangaroo's Achilles heel tendon.  The tendon stores energy and wants to expand while its not jumping and contracts while the kangaroo is in mid-air.  Unfortunately, we couldn't test our animal because we didn't make the body fast enough. But thanks to the experience, we learned that we should use different material for drilling and what to make so it could jump.