Flea-like robots double as pollution detectors
By Darren Murph 
posted August 17th 2007 7:27AM
posted August 17th 2007 7:27AM
Developing robots with flea-like attributes seems to be quite popular these days, as researchers at the University of Lucca have apparently created a diminutive bot that was "developed to detect mercury poisoning in the ground and leap from place to place the way fleas or frogs jump." The creature measures in at ten-centimeters long and weighs just 80-grams, and can supposedly cover "vast amounts of land in shorter amounts of time" compared to less efficient pollution-seeking alternatives. Currently, the critters are purportedly being loosed in the wild with "special mercury-deteting sensors," so be sure not to squash any hard workin' mechanical pests if one accidentally hops in your tent. [Via The Raw Feed]
It runs/leaps away from doom.
I would be very interested in seeing the power source for these little critters. Even at 80 grams, covering any sort of distance by leaping requires a large amount of kinetic energy. Getting this type of mechanical energy from an electrical source would be very taxing, and likely drain a sub-80g battery of any kind in a very short time.
I, for one, don't want to read any mercury sipping, frog-like jumping, robot overlord comments.
What is it with engadget and "loosed"???
Nice, now we can detect environmental pollution by polluting the environment with little defunct robots.
Or does anyone really belive they would last longer than a day?
Anyone remember the cartoon Fantastic Voyage?
Just make bigger robots and shrink 'em.
Why don't they just make the car detect if you're driving like an a-hole? Wouldn't that be a better use of technology? Why go all nanny state?