Stiquito
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Stiquito (pronounced sti ke to) is a small, inexpensive hexapod (i.e., six-legged) robot commonly used by universities, high schools, and hobbyists, since 1992. Stiquito is unique not only because it is so inexpensive but also because its applications are almost limitless.
Stiquito's propulsion is nitinol, a shape memory alloy that expands and contracts, roughly emulating the operation of a muscle. The application of heat causes a crystalline structure change in the wire. Nitinol contracts when heated and returns to its original size and shape when cooled.
Stiquito was developed by Jonathan Mills of Indiana University as an inexpensive vehicle for his research. He soon found its applications extended to educational uses. It has been used to introduce students to the concepts of analogue electronics, digital electronics, computer control, and robotics. It has also been used for advanced topics such as subsumption architectures, artificial intelligence, and advanced computer architecture.
[edit] Further reading
These books contain instructions for building the Stiquito robot, instructions for designing and building control circuits, and examples of student projects that use Stiquito. Most importantly, the books contain all the supplies needed to build the robot.
- James M. Conrad and Jonathan W. Mills (1997). Stiquito(tm): Advanced Experiments with a Simple and Inexpensive Robot. Los Alamitos, CA: IEEE Computer Society Press. ISBN 0-8186-7408-3.
- James M. Conrad and Jonathan W. Mills (1999). Stiquito(tm) for Beginners: An Introduction to Robotics. Los Alamitos, CA: IEEE Computer Society Press. ISBN 0-8186-7514-4.
- James M. Conrad (2005). Stiquito(tm) Controlled! Making a Truly Autonomous Robot. Los Alamitos, CA: IEEE Computer Society Press. ISBN 0-471-48882-8.
