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Or you could use wheels to transfer the load directly to the ground, bypassing the need for lifting motors.


Too soon. Wheels aren't retro just yet.


Yes, but wheels don't work for arbitrary terrain, including long enough stretches going vertical or backwards[0], or liquid or gaseous terrain like rivers and large holes in the ground.

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[0] - think terrain looking like this:

      /-----------
      \---
          \
  ---------\


> wheels don't work for arbitrary terrain

You just need a bigger wheel.


That's why I said "arbitrary" - to mean "bigger than the wheel you have".


This is a cart being pushed by a person. So we can assume no terrain beyond what a person could reasonably step over.


This is a cart that can climb on its own - which means the person pushing it can climb independently. There's a class of conditions where this combo can work, and wheeled cart won't. Whether this class of conditions is something you'd encounter in practice (as opposed to adapting things to make an existing alternative usable) is another thing; I outlined some potential niche use-cases here[0].

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[0] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41627135


Terrain-following aerial drone tech already exists and has for a long time.


Sure, and this is terrain-following aerial drone tech that also keeps a cargo platform balanced, so why not use it to fly up/over the terrain rather than follow easy path?




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