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Would it be possible to build a small and simple demo caterpillar type space ship from this well known 10c/50 b-eptomino fuse?
The idea would be rather to illustrate how to get from the initial reaction to some space ship in a systematic way and how to overcome potential obstacles.

Are there any more promising projects in the pipeline?

I think that there must be more general b-heptomino based mechanisms out there that could be combined and used to build other velocities.

The first step would be to find glider-liberating reactions. This looks pretty contained, I'm having trouble finding any.

Edit: uselessly inefficient x2 forerake - the encoding bit would take more gliders than it produces. I don't see this reaction supporting a caterpillar.

Actually I was thinking of "cheating and to try to liebrate a glider from rubbing this reaction with a spider.

Might well be that this is over optimistic.

The idea is to create a caterpillar demo that is small and simple to understand, rather than a full scale caterpillar.

So in order to make this concept work, we would also need a very cheap helix, preferably x1.

HartmutHolzwart wrote:The idea is to create a caterpillar demo that is small and simple to understand, rather than a full scale caterpillar.

I've created Geminoid Particles rule with same basic idea in mind - to demonstrate geminoid concept in very simplistic and "pure" way, while the rule works for (and not against) you. In GOL you work hard to "overcome" messy rule properties, by constructing complex objects, and using a lot of "tricks". While in specially designed rule you can cheat and create a rule that will work in you favor.

Of course the result is less pronounce, but the educational value is enormous, and using "cheating rules" is much more fun to work on deeper aspects of the design in much simpler and quicker way.

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Regarding some sort of caterpillar particle rule, I would probably start from basic "slow" reaction, particle that move in diagonal and vertical directions with speed of light, and some special "construction unit" for the helix.

I guess the challenge would be to make "adjustable speed" caterpillar rule.

gencols shows that left and right half of the fuse can only combined in one way that is repeatable. The one we already know...

So this seems to be a dead end.

Rubbing the fuse against a spieder didn't get results.

Colliding it with gliders doesn't give anything remarkable.

If someone has a desire to build an assisted caterpillar (or perhaps rather a kind of distaff), I've got something that could be used for building something novel, namely a p69 c/3 puffer:

This one looks more promising!