[Zero]

Imagine a billion robots on the face of the earth, in a few decades...

Robots today, from Asimo to Buddy, are made of plastic.

I believe robots should be made of wood, and their look should be inspired from beautiful sailboats, with flowing shapes, slim-line forms, and noble materials. Their presence would then be warm. Also, since some people like to play with CNC wood routers, wooden bots could be DIY open-source community-driven projects, instead of cost-prohibitive plug-n-play toys...

EDIT: Sorry for my poor english... if I could, I would use poetry to make you feel how beautiful wooden bots could be.

[Korrelan]

http://www.instructables.com/id/Arduino-Based-Four-Legged-Robot/

 

[Zero]

  Thanks

Well I wouldn't call it "beautiful", but that's a start!

[ivan.moony]

we should dream of wooden bot,
telling you, that would be hot
                                     - Zero -

thinking of a plastic band,
save the trees, please take the stand
                                     - little green -

[WriterOfMinds]

wooden bots could be DIY open-source community-driven projects, instead of cost-prohibitive plug-n-play toys...

In my own experience of personal robot-building, the structural parts aren't the primary cost driver.  Motors and electronics are the things that make the exercise become expensive fast.  And there are lots of options for DIY manufacturing with plastic; you can CNC mill that too, or use a 3D printer.

One thing I do appreciate wood for, vs. many plastics, is its rigidity.

[Don Patrick]

It's a nice idea, but weight and durability, not to mention flammability near potentially frying electronics, are some reasons why most robots aren't made of wood. You could clad the surface with thin sheets of lightweight wood just for aesthetics or make plastic with fake wood grain of course.

[Korrelan]

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--V9d0WTDx--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/1260617945207929487.jpg

 

[Don Patrick]

If you look at that picture you'll see what the real problem is: It's that so many roboticists think that a skeleton with an excavated skull bearing a death grin is appealing.

[LOCKSUIT]

Or, wooden robots in a 3D simulated world in VR. Such, customizable wooden textures.

It's breathtaking.

[Zero]

That's a sustainable Terminator!!

Weight and flammability shouldn't be a problem: think about radio-controlled aircraft (motors are hot).

It could be really beautiful.

Yeah... this will never happen, but such a project would have been so cool.

[LOCKSUIT]

And, they don't have to be.

You can have any type of wood in a 3D world simulation VR matrix universe that can't ever catch on fire or break and has no weight.

Beat that.

Oh wait you can't. It's indestructible! Indestructible WOOD!

Nonetheless I prefer my robots to be made of silicone.

[8pla.net]

Wood that is alive, brings a robot to life.
A photosynthesis powered robot.

[infurl]

Wood that is alive, brings a robot to life.
A photosynthesis powered robot.

I AM GROOT

[Art]

Yes, beautiful in specie, variety of grain pattern and density, from the very lightweight to the extremely dense and durable hardwoods. I do my share of woodworking projects over the years in my shop and while wooden projects are and can be inspiring they also unfortunately offer, dust & possible allergic reactivity to certain individuals, splinters that can happen without feeling or notice, breakage. There is usually a trade-off between lightweight and durable woods, dependent upon the use. One last point to be considered is that wood is only alive when it is attached to a tree. Once cut, it is dead. period. Wood will usually require on average, one year per inch of thickness to Dry out to a workable condition (in a proper environment -  not outdoors). All woodworkers know that wood contracts as it is curing or drying out. Some people who turn bowls when the wood is green (freshly cut) and easy to turn, will have to re-turn that bowl again after some time has passed and the bowl has dried because the bowl will appear to have become elongated from the drying process.
Aside from this, wood is very subject to temperature and humidity extremes of expansion and contraction.

This should be enough for those Gepetto's among you to rethink making a bot out of wood, although it worked well enough for his Pinocchio. That's why metals and plastics were invented. In fact I'll bet Gepetto would have loved to have gotten his hands on a 3D Printer!
 

[keghn]

 No way. Not me. I will wood be used in any of my projects.