The engineers think the robots could also be used in emergency situations
Tiny robots that can pull objects up to 2,000 times their own weight have been developed at Stanford University
The miniature robots – dubbed MicroTugs – have power equivalent to a human dragging a blue whale, according to the website detailing the development.
The scientists behind the MicroTugs took inspiration from nature, borrowing techniques used by geckos and ants in their design.
The robots could be used in factories or on building sites.
The team at Stanford, including PhD students David Christensen and Elliot Hawkes, demonstrated a 9g robot that can carry more than 1kg vertically up glass. This is equivalent to a human climbing a skyscraper while carrying an elephant.
Another one – that weighs just 20mg but can carry 500mg, was so tiny it had to be built under a microscope, using tweezers to put the parts together.
The secret to the robots’ strength lies in their sticky feet – which is copied from geckos, some of nature’s most adept climbers.
“The hardest part in the development of these guys was coming to the realization that this was possible,” Mr Christensen told the BBC.
He had worked on making things with the adhesive before but had not considered combining it with robotics.
“When we stepped back and thought about it, this was actually a really great use for our adhesives, with its tiny contact force required, and ability to engage and disengage many times a second,” he said.
Read more: Tiny robots carry up to 2,000 times their own weight
The Latest on: Miniature robots
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Miniature robots” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Miniature robots
- Tiny Robots That Bring Targeted Drug Delivery And Treatment A Little Bit Closeron June 2, 2023 at 5:00 pm
Details can be found in the Nature Communications paper. These miniature robots use the well-known Kresling origami pattern, which when compressed creates a rotor-like structure. When equipped ...
- Another new Sonic Lego set features the iconic Death Egg roboton June 2, 2023 at 9:16 am
It joins the other four Sonic Lego sets that have already been announced, all of which are due to launch on August 1 at varying price points. So far, though, this fifth set, aptly named Sonic vs. Dr.
- A Mini Op-Amp Based Line Following Roboton May 31, 2023 at 5:01 pm
There’s no denying it. Super small robots are just cool. [Pinomelean] has posted an Instructable on how to create a mini line following robot using only analog circuitry. This would make a great ...
- THINK Surgical's TMINI Miniature Robotic System developed with Sagentia Innovation gains FDA 510(k) clearanceon May 31, 2023 at 3:13 am
By offering an easy to use, miniature robot, we can open up a whole new segment of the market, improving accessibility to more patients." Rob Morgan, Sagentia Innovation, VP Medical adds ...
- THINK Surgical's TMINI Miniature Robotic System developed with Sagentia Innovation gains FDA 510(k) clearanceon May 31, 2023 at 2:00 am
THINK Surgical chose R&D consultancy Sagentia Innovation, a market-leading advanced surgical robotics developer, to support key aspects of the TMINI system's development. The TMINI system includes a ...
- THINK Surgical's TMINI Miniature Robotic System developed with Sagentia Innovation gains FDA 510(k) clearanceon May 31, 2023 at 12:42 am
It allows us to focus on the adoption of robotic technology into the majority segment of the market. By offering an easy to use, miniature robot, we can open up a whole new segment of the market, ...
- THINK Surgical's TMINI Miniature Robotic System developed with Sagentia Innovation gains FDA 510(k) clearanceon May 31, 2023 at 12:10 am
By offering an easy to use, miniature robot, we can open up a whole new segment of the market, improving accessibility to more patients." Rob Morgan, Sagentia Innovation, VP Medical adds ...
- THINK Surgical's TMINI Miniature Robotic System developed with Sagentia Innovation gains FDA 510(k) clearanceon May 31, 2023 at 12:10 am
By offering an easy to use, miniature robot, we can open up a whole new segment of the market, improving accessibility to more patients." Rob Morgan, Sagentia Innovation, VP Medical adds ...
- THINK Surgical's TMINI Miniature Robotic System developed with Sagentia Innovation gains FDA 510(k) clearanceon May 31, 2023 at 12:09 am
By offering an easy to use, miniature robot, we can open up a whole new segment of the market, improving accessibility to more patients." Rob Morgan, Sagentia Innovation, VP Medical adds ...
- THINK Surgical's TMINI Miniature Robotic System developed with Sagentia Innovation gains FDA 510(k) clearanceon May 31, 2023 at 12:03 am
By offering an easy to use, miniature robot, we can open up a whole new segment of the market, improving accessibility to more patients." Rob Morgan, Sagentia Innovation, VP Medical adds ...
via Bing News
