qiqi Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 A big hello to all the lego fans out there! I am a student currently working on a project on spiders and I would love to build a mini threadmill using legos and motors. But I am kinda new to building things with legos and was totally lost when i went thru the catalogue at "www.bricklink.com". Are there any kind souls out there who can advise me on how i can build a threadmill and the materials that i need? :):) Cheers, Qi Qi Quote
Vindicare Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 (edited) I can sort of point you in the right direction. You can virtually build it in Lego Digital Designer(LDD) from the lego.com website. That way you may know if they do or don't have what you need, minus probably the motor options... Someone more informed on LDD will come along and be of more help. Edited October 17, 2011 by Legocrazy81 Quote
Fallenangel Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 I can sort of point you in the right direction. You can virtually build it in Lego Digital Designer(LDD) from the lego.com website. That way you may know if they do or don't have what you need, minus probably the motor options... Someone more informed on LDD will come along and be of more help. Before that, I’d like to know what a ‘threadmill’ is. He probably meant ‘treadmill’, but he mentioned spiders which has me wondering whether it’s something else, an in any case he didn’t specify a size range, which would have been helpful. Assuming he did mean a treadmill, I’m guessing that one would need some of these attached to this, which would be turned by a motor. A fabric-like material would be stretched over the gears. The assembly could be suspended on these. The console could be a pair of these attached to the holes in the Technic beams with a pair of these attached. The brackets would then be connected in the middle via a plate. And it’s LEGO, not ‘legos’. Quote
Darth Dino Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 Hi are you looking for a "infinite walking machine" for spiders? Like those that can be used for Hamsters? I am a biologist (guest you are that too) and i wondering if large spider species probable will dislike the very even surface of Lego. I would recommend to use a inverted crawler chain that can be put together as large wheel. This is often used for Lego GBC (great ball contraptions). Anyway what species are you planning to walk this way? Most spiders (especially the large ones) are known as lurking predators and not runners ;) Dino Quote
Pingles Posted October 17, 2011 Posted October 17, 2011 Interestingly, a "threadmill" is used to make thread. But I am guessing a silk shirt made of spider silk would be very uncomfortable. Quote
Fallenangel Posted October 18, 2011 Posted October 18, 2011 Interestingly, a "threadmill" is used to make thread. But I am guessing a silk shirt made of spider silk would be very uncomfortable. It's been done... Quote
Hrw-Amen Posted October 18, 2011 Posted October 18, 2011 So how do you actually get your spiders to produce thread? I mean do you have to connect them up to some sort of threading machine (A threadmill?) like you do cows (Only for milking.) and do they have to be threaded twice a day? It all seems quite an intersting topic really, but I am intrigued to know why you should choose Lego to build such a contraption? Or do you mean treadmill with some huge spider walking around on it like a hamster? I just don't see a spider enjoying that, they seem more the type of creature to just want to sit around waiting to jump out at something rather than taking regular exercise, but I maybe wrong, I don't know much about them. Quote
Darth Dino Posted October 18, 2011 Posted October 18, 2011 Hi i firstly thought about a walking Machine but the other way - producing thread - also makes sense. Spider do not press out their silk, the thread will be pulled out. So if you get the thread onto a wheel you could pull that out easily. Dino Quote
Hrw-Amen Posted October 18, 2011 Posted October 18, 2011 Hi i firstly thought about a walking Machine but the other way - producing thread - also makes sense. Spider do not press out their silk, the thread will be pulled out. So if you get the thread onto a wheel you could pull that out easily. Dino That is interesting, how long could you pull it out for? Do spiders have a limit to how much thread they can produce in any given time or do they just go on pretty much forever or until they are tired or something? I guess you would have to have someway of holding the spider still or perhaps have it suspended and wind the wheel round in such a way that the spider stays where it is? Quote
Darth Dino Posted October 18, 2011 Posted October 18, 2011 Hi i guess this are the questiones qiqi tries to find out. But not only biologist are interested in that data but also material science researchers (mostly physics and engeneers). Creating are web can take a few hours. I have seen fast forward movies where the sider seems to be busy all the time. So maybe that thread could be pulled for hours... Althought i am a biologist with specialization in zoo-ecology, my focus has been on beetles instead of spiders, so hopefully qiqi can tell us more. Dino Quote
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