Sometimes the best way to figure out how to make a robot do something is to find an animal that can do it and then build a robot that imitates it. Here are some examples of robots that do just that.
Stickybot is a robot designed to imitate a gecko. It can climb smooth vertical surfaces and is being developed at Stanford University
Currently Stickybot is limited to operating in a very controlled environment but eventually it will be able to climb a much wider range of surfaces.
Snakebot is a robot similar in design to a snake which allows it to travel in places that would be too small for people are other machines. It is being developed at Carnegie Mellon University.
Snakebot works pretty well already but one important drawback is it currently requires a tether to operate which limits its usefulness.
The following is one of several examples of a robotic fish. This one is being developed at Essex University.
Robotic fish could be effectively used for underwater exploration in places or situations that would be too dangerous for people.
It would be interesting to reflect on the usefulness of these inventions. At first glance they seem to be just fun--playing with the technology. but do you anticipate there being real applications at some point?
ReplyDeleteI like the wider direction the blog has taken, by the way.