Lego Insect Manipulator

johan · Post by **johan** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 9:06 am

Interesting way to manipulate insects - http://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=4667

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 1:50 pm

Yes, very interesting.

I wonder if some version of this architecture would be amenable to motor drive on the rotation axes, similar to the Ant Spinner prototype developed for the Ant Web project.

--Rik

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:09 pm

I cannot resist passing along this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhyuu9h9DXg

This second video appeared when I let the Ant Spinner video play to its end and automatically move on. It's from the Ant Web group also.

It shows what happens when a group of investigators set out to learn how Azteca Ants utilize their host tree.

(Hint: the audio track includes the snippet that "Anywhere I can see everybody dancing has been a success."

--Rik

Pau · Post by **Pau** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:46 pm

Johan, I can't open your link. Firefox shows a blanck page and IE "page not found"

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 4:29 pm

Pau, Johan's link is working fine for me, both originally and in retest just now. Do you get the same results if you try again some time later?

--Rik

Chris S. · Post by **Chris S.** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 4:38 pm

I have no trouble with Johan's link, either in Maxthon or Firefox.

Rik, you received a much more entertaining video after the Ant Spinner than I did. Mine--also from the Ant Web group, was on their protocol for taking a profile shot.

--Chris

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 5:41 pm

Chris S. wrote:Rik, you received a much more entertaining video after the Ant Spinner than I did. Mine--also from the Ant Web group, was on their protocol for taking a profile shot.

The process of selecting what comes next seems to have a random element. I tried it again and got "Male Army Ant Dissection", definitely not so entertaining either. Then again, "Tying the Red fur ant" by UtahsFlyCorner. That repeated for a few times in Firefox. Then I tried again in IE and got profile imaging, to be followed by dissection, fly tying, and apparently if I waited long enough, "Casting a Fire Ant Colony with Molten Aluminum", which again definitely does sound entertaining*, though probably not for the ants. The story on casting can be read at http://www.anthillart.com/contact.aspx.

--Rik

* The video has 47,501,960 (!) views to date.

Chris S. · Post by **Chris S.** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 6:03 pm

I had seen the video of casting the fire ant colony. As someone who's camped in fire ant country, I couldn't help a certain feeling that those nasty little biters were getting what they deserved. (Though there are certainly worse ants to get a bite or sting from than a fire ant, as I can attest.)

--Chris

Pau · Post by **Pau** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 5:11 am

Still unable to follow Johan's link, what browser do you use?

rjlittlefield · Post by **rjlittlefield** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 11:02 am

Pau wrote:Still unable to follow Johan's link, what browser do you use?

Firefox, Chrome, and IE on Windows, Safari on Mac, all work for me.

Can you see anything at pensoft.net?

--Rik

Pau · Post by **Pau** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 11:12 am

Now when attemping to open pensoft.net Panda Antivirus is locking it. It says that the http://www.pensoft.net/ site contains malware or exploits, so I think this is the cause.
Not sure if Panda is overprotecting me or there is a real issue.

johan · Post by **johan** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 12:49 pm

Sorry to see your issue Pau

. No issue, site perfectly safe (a publisher of academic papers). The site does have a lot of javascript running though and that can confuse antivirus software.

I put a copy on my site for you - http://extreme-macro.co.uk/pau/page.htm - note some links on this copy won't work but at least it has the body

If that doesn't work I also uploaded a pdf for you at http://extreme-macro.co.uk/pau/page.pdf

And if that doesn't work I give up

Pau · Post by **Pau** » Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:33 pm

Johan, thank you VERY MUCH!

Both links work, at the pdf I can see the images. Lovely device (I like Lego...)

MaxRockbin · Post by **MaxRockbin** » Sun Feb 08, 2015 11:44 am

These guys are clearly having too much fun...

http://www.theguardian.com/science/anim ... anipulator

(For what it's worth - at least on the US lego site - I couldn't find any gears in stock. Which seems odd. Definitely not the specific part # they list. Trying both their "Bricks & Pieces" and "Pick a Brick" options. YMMV? Haven't bought legos since I was tiny).