

Robots Get Flexible and Torqued Up With Origami Wheels - lsh123
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/robotics-hardware/robots-get-flexible-and-torqued-up-with-deformable-origami-wheels

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daveloyall
The following description didn't make sense to me until I watched the 33
second video at the bottom of the page.

    
    
        [...] this transmission is both continuously variable and
        completely automatic. The wheel can adopt any effective
        gear ratio in the range between its minimum and maximum
        diameters, and it does this passively like a spring, as
        it responds to loads on it by shrinking its diameter
        until it achieves the maximum diameter at which it can
        consistently rotate.
    

... And now I want these wheels for my bicycle. Yep, there sure are a lot of
reasons why that wouldn't work. Shut up and take my money! :)

