The 'morphing' wheel from South Korea that may transform lives and robots (www.reuters.com)
from ptz@dubvee.org to technology@lemmy.world on 15 Nov 12:26
https://dubvee.org/post/2240006

Scientists are literally trying to reinvent the wheel

South Korean researchers have developed a “morphing” wheel that can navigate stairs and obstacles up to 1.3 times its radius, potentially revolutionizing mobility devices and robotics.

The wheel, created by the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), features a chain-based outer hoop and sensor-controlled spoke wires that adjust stiffness based on terrain. Inspired by water droplet mechanics, it transitions between solid and fluid states when encountering impediments.

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brsrklf@jlai.lu on 15 Nov 14:39 collapse

Okay, that looks pretty cool.

ShepherdPie@midwest.social on 15 Nov 21:58 collapse

But also terrifying with the rider sitting so high up and completely relying on the machine to keep it upright on two wheels alone.

brsrklf@jlai.lu on 16 Nov 04:33 collapse

Yeah, it’s probably terrifying at first.

I’m sure they’d get used to it though, almost any kind of riding/driving a vehicle is going against all your preservation instincts when it’s the first time you do it.