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In general I agree: buying commercial is vastly better when possible because the gigantic consumer market creates better products than the super-limited government aerospace market. However, this robot uses pneumatic actuation—not good for the space environment. We need electric!
2/Researchers at @Caltech are building 100% electrically-actuated walking robots. It’s much harder than using pneumatics, because pneumatics give the joints a natural “compliance” like tendons & muscles. Electric motors don’t provide it, so software must be written to compensate.
3/ So far there aren’t any commercial companies building 100% electric walking robots. They use pneumatics instead because it is easier. This is why NASA has to take it on itself to drive that technology. This is a case where NASA can’t rely on the gigantic commercial market.
