The bug-inspired robot designed by M. Ravi Shankar’s Lab.
Pitt Engineers Create Insect-Inspired Robots That Can Monitor Hard-to-Reach Spots
These ancient creatures can squeeze through the tiniest cracks, fit snugly into tight spaces and survive in harsh environments: There aren’t many spaces that are off-limits to an insect.
That’s why researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have created tiny bug-inspired robots that can carry out tasks in hard-to-reach spaces and inhospitable environments.
“These robots could be used to access confined areas for imaging or environmental evaluation, take water samples, or perform structural evaluations,” said Junfeng Gao, who led the work as a PhD student in industrial engineering at the Swanson School of Engineering. “Anywhere you want to access confined places—where a bug could go but a person could not—these machines could be useful.”
For many creatures under a certain size—like trap-jaw ants, mantis shrimp, and fleas—jumping across a surface is more energy-efficient than crawling. Those impulsive movements were replicated in the robots, which are made of a polymeric artificial muscle.
“It’s akin to loading an arrow into a bow and shooting it—the robots latch on to build up energy and then release it in an impulsive burst to spring forward,” explained M. Ravi Shankar, professor of industrial engineering at Pitt whose lab led the research. “Usually, actuation in the artificial muscles we work with is fairly slow. We were drawn to the question, ‘How do we take this artificial muscle and use it to generate a jumping actuation rather than slow actuation?’”
Shankar Jumping Robot
The bug-inspired robot designed by M. Ravi Shankar’s Lab.
The answer lay in the interplay of molecular order and geometry.
“The curved composite shape of the polymer muscle allows it to build energy when it is powered. The way the molecules are aligned in the muscle draws inspiration from the natural world, where their combined actuation builds energy into the structure,” said Mohsen Tabrizi, co-author of the study and PhD student in industrial engineering at the Swanson School. “This is accomplished using no more than a few volts of electricity.”
The versatile movement and lightweight structure enables the robots—which are about the size of a cricket—to move along moving surfaces like sand as easily as hard surfaces, and even to hop across water.
Original Article: ROBOT “BUGS” THAT CAN GO JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE
More from: University of Pittsburgh | Swanson School of Engineering
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Insect-Inspired Robots
- Bee-inspired flying robot gains yaw control via angled wings
Robotic versions of flying insects hold a lot of promise for numerous applications, but controlling their yaw axis while in flight has proven challenging. A new bee robot, however, addresses that ...
- A robot inspired by centipedes has no trouble finding its footing
Researchers at Osaka University designed a bug-inspired bot that uses less energy and computational power than other walking machines.
- This centipede-like robot can easily walk through rough terrain
This robotic myriapod has six segments and flexible joints. Each segment is made up of two legs and a motor that allows the flexibility of each leg to be adjusted.
- Robot centipedes go for a walk
Researchers from Osaka University show how their multilegged walking robot can be steered by inducing a dynamic instability. By making the couplings between segments more flexible, the robot changes ...
- Robot Insect Survives Swatting
École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has announced they have used nanotech to build a 1 gram possibly untethered, autonomous robotic insect ... the robots can move at 3 centimeters ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Insect-Inspired Robots
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Insect-Inspired Robots” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Bug-inspired robots
- Bee-inspired flying robot gains yaw control via angled wings
Robotic versions of flying insects hold a lot of promise for numerous applications, but controlling their yaw axis while in flight has proven challenging. A new bee robot, however, addresses that ...
- Pokemon Fan Creates Paradox Form For Octillery
A creative artist who loves Pokemon designs an extraordinary Paradox form for Ocillery, giving the Water-type creature a brand new shape.
- WSU researchers develop robotic bee that can fly like real bees
The artificial bee is much larger than natural bees but could be tasked with artificial pollination or even search and rescue operations.
- Kerala youth reports bug, wins $30k from US firm
MALAPPURAM: It was his dream to become a cyber-security expert or ethical hacker, and English television series such as Mr Robot and Black Mirror inspired him to pursue it. The passion has landed ...
- Tiny robots inspired by insects
Microscopic electromechanical devices inspired by the structure of insect muscles are transforming tiny robots, improving their power, precision, flexibility and size. Miniature robots range from ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Bug-inspired robots
[google_news title=”” keyword=”bug-inspired robots” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
