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This paper concerns the developement of a prototype of a six-legged robot for space exploration. The robot is a testbed for a new control technique based on a peculiar kind of artificial neural network. Accounts are given on the shape and structure of the hexapod, and a brief description of its electronic circuit and computer interface is shown. The paper ends with the results of the tests on two different control systems (a standard one and the neural network based) and the comparison between the properties of the two methods.

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We present the synthesis and characterization of two aliphatic AB 2 monomers derived from the readily available 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid and containing one alkyne group and two azide functionalities. The distance between the polymerizable groups differs in the two monomers by the insertion of an additional carbon atom in the aliphatic structure that addresses the steric demand during polymerization. The synthetic procedure for the monomers is relatively simple and scalable, and the monomers are able to polymerize through the Copper(I)-catalyzed Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition (CuAAC reaction). The polymerization affords hyperbranched polymers in good yields and molecular weights and moderate degrees of branching.

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