Is This the Future of
C mbat Robotics?
● by Pete Smith
There have been whisperings and rumors of a revolutionary new
drive system for over a year now,
but details have been hard to come
by until our photographer got a
picture at a recent late night test
session in a barn in rural
Pennsylvania. Our contact (who
wished to remain anonymous)
could give us only a few details of
what she called “hoverbots.”
The bots use linear induction
superconducting perfect
diamagnet motors to “hover” and
maneuver a few inches above a
pyrolitic carbon paneled floor. The
bots still have wheels because —
at this time — they are still
required to give a translation over
the panels to initiate the lift
motors.
It’s quite startling to see the
bots start off across the floor and
then suddenly leap about a foot
into the air before steadying at
about three inches above the
arena floor.
The bots appear to be able to
move about every bit as well as
conventional bots, but never
actually contact the floor or even
the bump rails. They even appear
to be able to push with a
considerable force.
These new hoverbots will
make life very hard for
conventional horizontal spinners
and low wedges. With the wheels
only required for initial lift, you
can’t even disable them by the
usual wheel-ectomy!
There is, however, one thing
that might keep them out of the
mainstream of robotic combat.
That is the recent shortages of
the superconducting unobtainium
caused by the recent revolt by the
indigenous population in Pandora.
Photos by Brian Benson
( www.bensonpv.com)
and Rory Duncan
( www.roryandstaci.com).
FIGURE 1. Hoverbots in action.
FIGURE 2. Hoverbots — no strings.
SERVO 04.2013 29
