Runaway to the Stars: Page 164
Posted on May 8, 2025 by Jay Eaton

In drawing this I experienced a small fraction of the hell it would be to actually try building one.

Here's your last reminder to ask the characters a question via the Google form before the AMA comics start rolling.

Transcript

LOG 5.2: Electrician Worms

Image: A segmented worm-like robot with a soft plastic exterior, thin retractable ribbon-like legs, and a cone shaped face made of a ring of flooded thin metallic tool arms. It has two camera arms that it holds up like eye stalks.

Electrician worms are soft-bodied robots that contain sophisticated, flexible pneumatic interiors. Much like modular frontloaders, they can either be remote controlled, or given a program to complete with their simple onboard AI. They are often used to repair or delicately dismantle electronic parts hidden in tight spaces on spacecraft, and come in a variety of sizes (although the smallest ones have much more limited equipment and self-governance). The exact set of tools found in their manipulator set can vary, and some worms are specialized for tasks including light welding, metal cutting, and drilling.

  • Cameras

  • wire stripper

  • heavy manipulator

  • soldering iron

  • soldering paste printhead

  • wire cutter

  • fine manipulator

  • drill

  • soldering paste storage

  • CPU

  • batteries

  • retractable legs

  • pneumatic segments

  • retroflective polymer skin

  • refueling ports

Leg Components:

Image: A cross section of one of the ribbon-like legs shows it contains thin cables attached to the inside of its flexible flat plastic casing.

  • electrostatic adhesive pad

  • cable tendons

Cables pull on the inside of the thin leg casing, flexing it to grip surfaces without adding bulk.

Segment Locomotion:

  • Turning

  • Twisting

  • Extension

The pneumatic segments push against each other, while intersegmental servos twist and push segments to produce a wide range of motion for navigating tight spaces.

 

Runaway to the Stars: Page 164
Posted on May 8, 2025 by Jay Eaton

In drawing this I experienced a small fraction of the hell it would be to actually try building one.

Here's your last reminder to ask the characters a question via the Google form before the AMA comics start rolling.

Transcript

LOG 5.2: Electrician Worms

Image: A segmented worm-like robot with a soft plastic exterior, thin retractable ribbon-like legs, and a cone shaped face made of a ring of flooded thin metallic tool arms. It has two camera arms that it holds up like eye stalks.

Electrician worms are soft-bodied robots that contain sophisticated, flexible pneumatic interiors. Much like modular frontloaders, they can either be remote controlled, or given a program to complete with their simple onboard AI. They are often used to repair or delicately dismantle electronic parts hidden in tight spaces on spacecraft, and come in a variety of sizes (although the smallest ones have much more limited equipment and self-governance). The exact set of tools found in their manipulator set can vary, and some worms are specialized for tasks including light welding, metal cutting, and drilling.

  • Cameras

  • wire stripper

  • heavy manipulator

  • soldering iron

  • soldering paste printhead

  • wire cutter

  • fine manipulator

  • drill

  • soldering paste storage

  • CPU

  • batteries

  • retractable legs

  • pneumatic segments

  • retroflective polymer skin

  • refueling ports

Leg Components:

Image: A cross section of one of the ribbon-like legs shows it contains thin cables attached to the inside of its flexible flat plastic casing.

  • electrostatic adhesive pad

  • cable tendons

Cables pull on the inside of the thin leg casing, flexing it to grip surfaces without adding bulk.

Segment Locomotion:

  • Turning

  • Twisting

  • Extension

The pneumatic segments push against each other, while intersegmental servos twist and push segments to produce a wide range of motion for navigating tight spaces.