Current Projects at Greager Robotics

The main project under development right now is a study into using Shape Memory Alloys to create a bi-pedal robot.

So what are shape memory alloys (SMA's) you ask? In this case the SMA is a mixture of nickel and titanium, extruded into very fine strands of wire that are 100 microns thick (about as thick as the hair on your head). The unique property of an SMA is the fact that when this metal alloy is heated, it actually shrinks. This is contrary to the characteristics of most metals, and other materials in general, which expand when they are heated. Due to this unique physical property, SMA's can be used to create artificial 'muscles' which can be used as actuators in a robotic device. This leads to a simplified construction as there are no more gears and motors to worry about. With fewer mechanical components, reliability goes up, and weight can decrease.

Now I imagine there is somebody out there wondering what a bi-pedal robot is. Bi-pedal, or bi-ped, simply means two-legged. You can take this further by saying quadroped, i.e. four-legged. So basically we're developing a two-legged robot that will walk, in this case something similar to a chicken or ostrich. Take a look at "The Bug" here. For another view, click here.

These pictures are actually five years old, as this crude prototype was constructed when Bradley Greager was still attending Colorado State University.
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