5 ms·

Yeah, instead of a swarm you could have one gigantic arm that can reach anywhere.

robotresearcher 4y ago
Gigantic arms are not feasible because of how torque and leverage work. As your arm gets longer, it has to get stronger, thus heavier, thus requiring larger motors, and anchored to the ground better. After a handful of meters, robot arms can’t hold themselves up, let alone carry a useful tool. There are multiple meter long robot arms for lifting big things in factories but they are enormous, enormously expensive, and consume enormous power. But here’s a delightful concept that sidesteps this, by making the arm weigh nothing: https://youtu.be/INTHRNcyW9w https://youtu.be/INTHRNcyW9w
namlem 4y ago
Just piggyback off of center-pivot irrigation arms. Attach little arms to it that destroy weeds and apply pesticides
sshine 4y ago
This could simultaneously absolve the need for autonomous vehicles, because whenever you need to go somewhere, you could just make the giant arm put you there.
- ajuc 4y ago
  That's called a train. It's great. You can read a book while you are transported, it uses very little power to get you there, it can be 0 emission, there are no traffic jams. Sadly it's not fashionable cause you can't show off how wealthy you are by using it.
  - sshine 4y ago
    I occasionally take the train because I like the atmosphere. In Europe, taking the train is often more expensive than flying. Sadly it's not fashionable because it isn't cheaper and takes a lot longer.
    - Apanatshka 4y ago
      That's because trains get taxed, while flights _still_ get subsidised. It's maddening.
    - ajuc 4y ago
      It's faster than flights on short (<3 hour) routes because you don't have the whole security theatre thing. Also train stations are in the city center usually and airports are in the outskirts.
      - psychoslave 4y ago
        On more actual security concerns side, you will have a hard time hijacking a train and jet into the side of a skyscraper.
        dotancohen 4y ago
        The far more common scenario - a bomb in a bag - is very devastating in closed spaces such as trains and buses.
        ajuc 4y ago
        Nobody does it in trains/buses, cause it's much more efficient to do it at the train/bus station. Or any other place where people queue.
        dotancohen 4y ago
        It's happened dozens of times in my country - I've lost schoolmates (not personal friends) in bus bombings.
  - borispavlovic 4y ago
    First class wagons are used exactly for that, to show the wealth.
    - ajuc 4y ago
      Not really. I often take 1st class because 2nd class is full and I'd have to stand for 2 hours and the difference is 5-10 USD.
  - dangerlibrary 4y ago
    > There are no traffic jams In the US, most tracks prioritize freight traffic over passenger rail. And there is a tremendous amount of freight traffic. There may not often be traffic jams, but when you are diverted to side track to wait and allow a priority freight train through, it's not uncommon to wait a very long time (I've been delayed more than an hour on the 3 hour train ride from Portland to Seattle). There are also huge bottlenecks in US track infrastructure that absolutely do lead to traffic jams - perhaps most infamously in New York City. Vetoing the addition of 6 additional tracks through NYC is one of the reason Chris Christie was so hated.
  - itronitron 4y ago
    Why not both? You could have each train actually be an array of arms that reach out and pick people up and move them along their route. The arms wouldn't have to be as long since the train is moving along the rail, and a select number of arms could be reserved for first class passengers.
  - ilyt 4y ago
    Sure you can https://www.amtrak.com/privately-owned-rail-cars https://www.amtrak.com/privately-owned-rail-cars There was even some hn post on it where someone detailed how much it costs and what you get

Gigantic arms are not feasible because of how torque and leverage work. As your arm gets longer, it has to get stronger, thus heavier, thus requiring larger motors, and anchored to the ground better. After a handful of meters, robot arms can’t hold themselves up, let alone carry a useful tool. There are multiple meter long robot arms for lifting big things in factories but they are enormous, enormously expensive, and consume enormous power. But here’s a delightful concept that sidesteps this, by making the arm weigh nothing: https://youtu.be/INTHRNcyW9w https://youtu.be/INTHRNcyW9w

namlem 4y ago

Just piggyback off of center-pivot irrigation arms. Attach little arms to it that destroy weeds and apply pesticides

sshine 4y ago

This could simultaneously absolve the need for autonomous vehicles, because whenever you need to go somewhere, you could just make the giant arm put you there.

ajuc 4y ago
That's called a train. It's great. You can read a book while you are transported, it uses very little power to get you there, it can be 0 emission, there are no traffic jams. Sadly it's not fashionable cause you can't show off how wealthy you are by using it.
- sshine 4y ago
  I occasionally take the train because I like the atmosphere. In Europe, taking the train is often more expensive than flying. Sadly it's not fashionable because it isn't cheaper and takes a lot longer.
  - Apanatshka 4y ago
    That's because trains get taxed, while flights _still_ get subsidised. It's maddening.
  - ajuc 4y ago
    It's faster than flights on short (<3 hour) routes because you don't have the whole security theatre thing. Also train stations are in the city center usually and airports are in the outskirts.
    - psychoslave 4y ago
      On more actual security concerns side, you will have a hard time hijacking a train and jet into the side of a skyscraper.
      - dotancohen 4y ago
        The far more common scenario - a bomb in a bag - is very devastating in closed spaces such as trains and buses.
        ajuc 4y ago
        Nobody does it in trains/buses, cause it's much more efficient to do it at the train/bus station. Or any other place where people queue.
        dotancohen 4y ago
        It's happened dozens of times in my country - I've lost schoolmates (not personal friends) in bus bombings.
- borispavlovic 4y ago
  First class wagons are used exactly for that, to show the wealth.
  - ajuc 4y ago
    Not really. I often take 1st class because 2nd class is full and I'd have to stand for 2 hours and the difference is 5-10 USD.
- dangerlibrary 4y ago
  > There are no traffic jams In the US, most tracks prioritize freight traffic over passenger rail. And there is a tremendous amount of freight traffic. There may not often be traffic jams, but when you are diverted to side track to wait and allow a priority freight train through, it's not uncommon to wait a very long time (I've been delayed more than an hour on the 3 hour train ride from Portland to Seattle). There are also huge bottlenecks in US track infrastructure that absolutely do lead to traffic jams - perhaps most infamously in New York City. Vetoing the addition of 6 additional tracks through NYC is one of the reason Chris Christie was so hated.
- itronitron 4y ago
  Why not both? You could have each train actually be an array of arms that reach out and pick people up and move them along their route. The arms wouldn't have to be as long since the train is moving along the rail, and a select number of arms could be reserved for first class passengers.
- ilyt 4y ago
  Sure you can https://www.amtrak.com/privately-owned-rail-cars https://www.amtrak.com/privately-owned-rail-cars There was even some hn post on it where someone detailed how much it costs and what you get