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
- These ECOVACS Robot Vacuum Cleaners Suck Harder Than The Twilight Movies And That’s A Bloody Good Thingon October 3, 2023 at 9:39 pm
Robot vacuums are super appealing because of the minimal effort required by their owners. After a few uses, these little cordless machines will know the ins and outs of your place by using its sensors ...
- Worcester Polytechnic Invents Robot Lizard To 'Sneak Into Small Spaces'on October 3, 2023 at 11:52 am
Worcester Polytechnic invents robot lizard to 'sneak into small spaces' October 3, 2023 by David Edwards Leave a Comment Worcest ...
- A Mini Op-Amp Based Line Following Roboton October 2, 2023 at 5:00 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 ...
- With Meta’s Quest 3, mixed reality is here. So now what? | Reviewon October 1, 2023 at 6:25 am
I grabbed them to squish them dead. In “Bam!” I could see other Quest 3 wearers in the room while we controlled miniature robots that battled each other inside a virtual arena. Each player ...
- These flying origami-inspired robots change shape in mid-airon September 28, 2023 at 11:46 am
Scientists at the University of Washington have developed flying robots that change shape in mid-air, all without batteries, as originally published in the research journal Science Robotics. These ...
- These solar-powered, origami-inspired robots can change shape mid-flighton September 28, 2023 at 9:04 am
For instance, earlier this year, we reported on how engineers built a soft robot in the shape of a Lego minifig. The robot changes shape by "melting" into liquid form in response to a magnetic field, ...
- NASA to send mini robots to explore challenging terrain on the Moonon September 27, 2023 at 10:41 pm
NASA's Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration (CADRE) is working on a network of mini mobile robots, almost the size of a shoebox, that can work together as a team to autonomously ...
- Washington Hospital Healthcare System first to use TMINI Miniature Robotic System from THINK Surgicalon September 27, 2023 at 10:18 am
Fremont -based Washington Hospital Healthcare System and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Alexander Sah, MD, performed the first cases ever with the TMINI™ Miniature Robotic System. Fremont -based orthopedic ...
- Memory-induced Magnus effect: Looking at the unexpected curveball in miniatureon September 26, 2023 at 9:58 am
Whether you are familiar with the term "Magnus effect" or not, you have certainly seen it in action. It is when a spinning ball—for instance in football, cricket or baseball—bends away from its ...
- DJI Mini 4 Pro review: The perfect beginner drone … againon September 26, 2023 at 7:35 am
The DJI Mini 4 Pro is one of the best drones at its price point, with features like obstacle avoidance and programmable waypoints often found on more expensive models.
via Bing News
