Organic Robot Parts
 

FIRST is going to allow organic parts on the robot in the next competition. So all you neurologists and biomechanical engineers can actually transplant the driver's brain into the robot so that can control its functions like limbs. I think this will add a lot of strategy to the competition. Arms and legs could also be worked into the design to provide faster movement and more precise gripping. Wow.

Yeah, but you have to bring your own rats (or did you already say that about the drivers? :) ). See this article that describes one of the activities in the DARPA Controlled Biological Systems Program.

-dave

Actually they have for years, it's called WOOD. Wonderful stuff for the right application, a renewable resource too!

That may be, but with wood you don't have to worry about hooking up blood vessels and nerves.

Hrrm... could use legs from certain animals for movement... but I think their claws would be a violation of the "tearing up the carpet" rule...

do you guys have an appendage donor list? where do i sign up?

The driver must be a sane person not addicted to "nuke" or else you'll get an evil RoboCop II outta your best OCP efforts!