Friendly neighbourhood (polypropylene) spider robot

Anyone crossing paths today with a large robotic spider could be forgiven for thinking it must be a bizarre promotional stunt for the soon-to-be-released Spider-Man III movie.

The Autotelematic Spider Bot is a new 2-ft. by 1.5-ft. robotic design created by Ohio State University associate professor Ken Rinaldo, and fashioned in part from resins supplied by DSM Somos.

Designed to showcase a new, more realistic method of robotic movement, the Spider Bot uses motors, pull strings and a servo-control system to actuate its six legs, which consist of parts made from Somos 9120 SL, a polypropylene (PP) mimic; and Somos 8110 SL, a polyethylene (PE) mimic. The resins’ light weight, when compared to metal, meant that fewer motors per joint were required in the construction of the legs, Rinaldo said, which translated into significant cost savings.

For the robot’s coloured body, Rinaldo selected the company’s Somos 11120 stereolithography resin.

DSM Somos (Elgin, Ill.);

www.dsm.com; 847-697-0400