engineering

Mantis the spider robot

Mantis the spider robot is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mantis the spider robot rather than just read about it. In short: Mantis the spider robot is a large, robotic spider created by Matt Denton and his company Micromagic Systems. It took four years to create and design it.

Key takeaways

Mantis the spider robot belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mantis the spider robot to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mantis the spider robot from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mantis the spider robot is a large, robotic spider created by Matt Denton and his company Micromagic Systems. It took four years to create and design it. The robot is capable to transport one person and can circulate on any surface. The robot weighs 4,188 pounds (1,900 kg), is 9.18 feet (2.80 m) high and is powered by a Perkins Engines Turbo Diesel motor of 2.2L of 50Hp that is in charge of the hydraulic system. Several sensors around it help it to walk. The robot is controlled by a computer running the Linux operating system and HexEngine software, which controls the hydraulic solenoid in the legs. It is driver-operated by joysticks within a cockpit, can travel at approximately 1 mile per hour (1.6 km/h) and can cover 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) on a 4.5 imperial gallons (20 L) tank of diesel, but its creators are investing to triple the speed.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mantis the spider robot

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mantis the spider robot claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mantis the spider robot before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mantis the spider robot ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mantis the spider robot

In research: Mantis the spider robot appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mantis the spider robot in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mantis the spider robot is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2013 robots, Robotic spiders, Robotics stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mantis the spider robot outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mantis the spider robot in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mantis the spider robot means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mantis the spider robot out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mantis the spider robot in simple terms?

Mantis the spider robot is a large, robotic spider created by Matt Denton and his company Micromagic Systems. It took four years to create and design it.

Why does Mantis the spider robot matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mantis the spider robot?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mantis the spider robot.