[goaty]

Imagine if in the design on the robots of some company,  in all their models there is always a thick full casted spherical container inside, where the robot stores its compressed air.  So it has a fat belly or a big rib cage,  and its a prominent member in the final look of the bot.

To get this up and running, takes a very scary process, of lots of explosion tests, to make sure its safe in the end.   Who wants to put themselves through this much punishment?!?!?  Desperate measures.  And even durability tests, must be done over and over, and because air contains condensation, you have to make sure the "battery's" water draining system is always going to work 100% of the time...  but air can contain all sorts of molecules that are being compressed inside.   So there is no material that's safe really for too long in operation, unless u make it out of inert glass,  but it has a horrific effect if it ever shattered.

So the tests have to be extensive, and the better you are at mathematical models the more time you can save, because the maths can predict the outcome.

And once you have your finished design, Its only hoping that you haven't missed something that can cause a horrifying ~10k psi explosion! even possibly way down the track,   which is deadly.

Looking up air compressors on the internet, is not for children to do,  is horrific and very depressing looking at the accidents.

I think that using electric batteries is safer,  but the advantage of compressed air,  is the machine is easier to make from scratch,  and doesn't require special materials/substances,   so it reduces a lot of needed supply for your manufacturing plant...  so even how dangerous it is,  maybe you still think its worthwhile.

Seems like it could possibly be part of a gritty and nasty sci-fi script.

[Korrelan]

Battery powered compressor utilising a small buffer tank, similar to Boston Dynamics bots?

 

[WriterOfMinds]

People are already exploring this tradeoff in the car market.  There are prototype compressed-air cars.  So far, though, the electric cars that run on batteries seem to be winning.

[HS]

We need to rethink compressed air storage. I like the idea of bunch of tubes like inside a steam boiler, encased by something impermeable to shrapnel but permeable to air.

Compressed air has nice advantages.  You only need one motor to run things instead of hundreds. Much simpler and cheaper. The whole robot can be self sufficient if you put solar panels on the outside.

Even more efficient would be steam. But talk about danger. I'd rather not. .. it's mainly the heat, latent heat of condensation that's the problem. Maybe such a robot could carry tanks of liquid co2 instead.

EDIT: Nah, just stick to the solar, battery, motor, compressor, buffer tank, valve panel, pistons, cycle. Seems like the lightest, cheapest solution, with the best movement capabilities.

EDIT 2: ooh!  Or you could have a piston panel right behind the valve panel, and just strings going to the moving parts. I think you mentioned something like that before.

[Art]

Instead, go to any of those "Flat-Earthers" and use one of their Perpetual Motion machines and voila! Robots forever!! 

[HS]

Oh no! Not those guys....

I wasted so much time "researching" "free energy" when I younger.

[goaty]

Hopefully Something - u sound quite knowledgeable about the subject.
Yes, pullys just propagate down the limbs, like fingers... is a cool simple way to just mechanically connect the bastard - but Im yet to get my CACAD done (computer and cardboard aided design)

Ah Korrellan, I didn't know - so boston dynamics are a hybrid of electricity and pressure...  I bet its safer that way.

Even more efficient would be steam. But talk about danger. I'd rather not. .. it's mainly the heat, latent heat of condensation that's the problem. Maybe such a robot could carry tanks of liquid co2 instead.

steam punk!   maybe its actually a good idea
but I know little about it.

and one more thing to add...


*BOOM!!!!*



[edit] one more...    pop goes the weasle?   pop goes the ROBOT!!!  [/edit]


and...….  SPACE BALLS!!

[Art]

Found an interesting article with some comparisons that may serve to enlighten and inform.

First is Fluid power, for those contemplating the use of such beasts. https://www.nfpa.com/home/AboutNFPA/What-is-Fluid-Power.htm

AND...

https://www.automationworld.com/article/technologies/motion-control-systems/how-decide-between-pneumatic-and-electric-actuators

[goaty]

Nice 1.

But a tiny bit of star dust correction,  that the syringes on that fluid power don't actually push themselves,  they are rather force transfer,  but fluid is cool because its both push and pull,  and pully wires... well they just pull.   

But funnily, u gave me an idea that maybe you get the fluid boiling,  maybe then it counts as a proper source of power? but I don't know.  It has to be in a state of expansion,  then it can actually push the syringe itself.    and does that sound dangerous or what!  batteries as a general rule are a dangerous thing indeed.

Thanks for the cool page on the actuators, that was a good read.