Bio-electricity

[Hammerskjold]

...I'm talking about a device, I don't know, maybe a mechanical metabolism, that ingests food and outputs productivity.

I kinda understand what you're trying to say. There is some applications where a bio\mecha hybrid machine can have advantages.

Either in a hazardous environment where regular machines could not operate, or an environment where service interval is in the decades, not months or years. Most likely both.

But at this point, the tech and understanding is probably not quite up there yet. And this bio machine will have to have some compelling advantages over ye olde steel gears. Because otherwise it's straying too close to a Rube Goldberg in terms of efficiency.

I do however, see the application for an alternative energy and health fitness combo. It sounds like a jokey premise, but my dream cottage aka remote zombie hideaway fort would have solar, wind, and some sort of human assisted power gen. Could be as 'simple' as a stationary bike \ treadmill hooked up to generator\battery system.

Seriously, I hate most forms of exercises. But if pedalling for 30 min means I banked 30* min of electricity, well I'd be more inclined to pedal. (And at least I'm improving my cardio in case I have to run from zombies.)

* Rough analogy, and please, for anyone itching to bring out that strawmen of how am I going to run my cottage on pedalling alone, bla bla bla. It is a supplement, and it's not like I'm trying to light up the Eiffel tower. This cottage will have to be designed with super efficiency in mind. The 300 gigawatt anti zombie laser cannon turret can wait at this point.

I don't care about heating or cooling the body or powering a brain; think Cylon here, not thermal conversion rates!

Then you will have a problem, because metabolism is kinda related to heating and cooling. I'm no biotician, but even just a glance at our own bodies and other animal bodies you'll notice it's kind of a big deal.

Even a hypothetical 'simple' muscle fiber pulley system with no brain, will have to deal with operational temperature range. (This is even assuming a 'simple' biological fuel intake system aka digestion is magically factored into the equation, for argument sake.)

What is the metabolism of this bio machine. Will this bio machine be cold blooded or hot blooded? Will it get a fever if it's too hot, or literally cook? Will it get freezer burn or get frostbite if it's too cold? Or just slow down to a crawl and maybe go into hibernate mode? What about things like infections and aging.

If it's a hybrid system, how easy is it to repair and service? Will it have the advantages of both systems? Or the worst of both?

I don't want to sound like a prick, but the things you described is not as simple as it seems. Biological systems of even 'simple' organisms can be complex.

The last I read about bio-mimicry and robotics the direction was less mammallian, and more insectoid. And ya'll know what that means.

http://transformers.wikia.com/wiki/Insecticon_(G1)

We must stop these mad scientists before they doom us all!!111

pps. Kandrathe and me seemed to have a rare mind meld moment there at least with insects and robots.