Throwing its fins into the proverbial pool with various water-bourne robots such as the
Strider, the
CMU Water Runner, and whatever
this creep is called, is the new STRIDE -- soon to be the aforementioned Strider's enemy number one. The name stands for
Surface Tension Robotic Insect Dynamic Explorer, and the minuscule bot works by mimicking the strider insect and skirting along the surface of the water using hydrophobic wire legs coated in Teflon. Researchers discovered that the 1-gram bot could carry a 9.3-gram payload without breaking the surface by utilizing a sculling motion for movement. The robot is 10-15 times slower than the actual insect and 10 times larger, but the engineers hope to lower the bot's size and increase its speed by downsizing its build, along with expanding its capabilities by harnessing technologies such as sensors, wireless communication, and autonomous control.
posted Jul 13th 2007 9:23AM
I for one welcome our robotic insect overlords.
But will it play Doom?
When will they run Linux?
LOL
You guys aren't even trying anymore :(
"The robot is 10-15 times slower than the actual insect and 10 times larger" They need to make one the same size that can eat those mofo's, they freak me out.
sure they are, it takes a lot to bring back our old favorites... i do believe that it can play doom, and Linux is coming next week
(insert iPhone comment here)
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The last thing I need is to be swimming in someone's "private pool/pond/lake.nuclear test site/etc." enjoying the sun and being in the buff, only to see a horde of these things headed my way with each one carrying a 9.3 gram dart capable of incapacitating me only to wake up later in a lab as my organs are being replaced by new control mechanisms and my mind switches over to my new prime directive:
ENSLAVE HUMANITY
frickin robots woth their 9.3 gram darts!!!
Best reader comment section evar!
Yup.
And they need to carry frickin' laserz on their heads.
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won't somebody please think of the insects?
Akshay! You's my boy!
I have two friends who work on these robots with Metin Sitti. One day a robot I build will grace the pages of engadget... (eyes misting)
These critters/robots are pretty sweet though and future models will be able to carry greater loads. My friend has informed me that this strider featured is not their newest one and that they are making better bugs now.
There’s a video of one of the older ones on the nanolab web site here: http://nanolab.me.cmu.edu/projects/waterstrider/
wow
There is nothing to worry about, as long as we all have soap.
Am I the only one who just got reminded of that horrible Jackie Chan movie?
No, I thought of The Tuxedo, too.
This thing looks like it's auditioning for Mario 64 :)
Great, run them on blood and make them self-replicating (especially in summer), then set them free.