My name is Gordon Harold Dowton. In 1984 I developed an athletic vehicle for para/quadraplegics. I termed it a 'self-propelled-athletic vehicle.' It became known as the Spyder...(no relation to Porsche) due to the fact that it was an hydraulic based exoskeleton that borrowed freely from the common jumping spider, which has no muscles for the jump, only for retraction of legs. The jump is accomplished through the driving of haemolymphatic fluid into the legs. Under magnification, the hairs on the spider's legs can be seen to become erect due to the pressure of the fluid. Another creature that I borrowed from is the dragonfly larvae which, takes in water through the anus and under abdominal muscle contraction, fires out it's lower jaw(again, the jaw has no muscles to propel forward)and uses jaw muscles designed for retraction, pulling the prey back to the upper jaw. This 'taking in of water' has one other function and that is, an explosive movement(usually to escape predators), accomplished by the contraction and expulsion of water through the anus.

The athletic vehicle used two hydraulic cylinders,which allowed for the upper body motion to contro the movement of the legs. The whole exoskeleton could be 'locked,' through the shutting off of the flow of hydraulic fluid. Near gymnastic activities were accomplished by two 'have no fear' paraplegics.

Where is it now. One could contact Ryerson University in Toronto Ontario Canada and ask them that question. One must choose their 'partners' very, very carefully.

This article on the octopus fits extremely well within the notion of a theoretical model for this athletic vehicle, in other words, it belongs. Thank you for your kind attention. DOWTONg

In the Dec. 2, 2011 article "Wave energy to power 300 Victorian homes", states that "The $14 million BioWAVE project is a single wave energy unit that will be anchored to the sea floor 30 metres underwater and about 800 metres from the shore at a site four kilometres west of Port Fairy [off the cost of Victoria, Australia]. The 450kW unit will be connected to the energy grid and power 300 homes by early 2013."
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8383632/wave-energy-to-power-300-victorian-homes

Wish we could find a good, free photo, especially one in the forest. Pallasmaa speculates on whether the windows are for light or camouflage. It seems that they would be bigger if they were for camouflage.

Brilliant. But what about all those insects being devoured by the pitcher plants?

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I've been doing research on this, and I haven't found any confirmation regarding grasshoppers having tympanal organs on their legs. Looks like their sound receptor organ is located on their body near the wing base. Can you help me find confirmation of this?

Brilliant post. The owner of http://sustainableenergysystemz.com will absolutely love this. Thanks.

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