Legs
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Octofungi's legs are driven by a memory shape alloy wire, also known as a muscle wire. As the wire is heated by passing electrical current through it, the wire contracts. Octofungi's weight and/or a pair of springs then pull the leg back to its original position. Due to the non-linear reaction of the muscle wire, Octofungi's leg utilizes a reverse-bias pulley. This pulley necessitates a greater amount of force when the leg is first opening and a smaller amount of force when the leg is almost fully extended. For the spring, this force reaction is opposite. The pulley increases the moment the leg sees as the leg opens. With this reverse-bias pulley, we translate the non-linear reaction of the muscle wire into a "closer-to-linear" reaction. |
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The leg also holds the non-repeating binary bit code that the leg sensor uses to determine the position of any leg at any time. The leg has Teflon glider-feet that allow for easy movement, reducing the strain on the muscle wire due to static and kinetic friction. Looking at the leg, one should be able to see that it minimizes weight (a problem with the muscle wire) while maximizing strength, all without losing the aesthetics of the piece. |
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detail of the leg joint and leg sensor
For information about the materials used in Octofungi, see materials.
eyes
brain
body
interlocks
spine boards
shoulders 
legs
leg sensors
muscle wire
materials
electronics
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