CenterForDistributedRobotics
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Amphibious Aquapod might be the clumsiest robot ever (video)
It may look like nothing more than a random piece of seaside trash, but that ugly little creature you're staring at is actually known as Aquapod -- an amphibious robot that crawls around by falling over itself. Literally. Developed by researchers at the University of Minnesota's Center for Distributed Robotics, Aquapod uses two carbon fiber arms and a servo motor system to somersault itself around, like an inebriated horseshoe crab. It's certainly not the swiftest of bots, but this guy's durable enough to move across rough terrains and, per its nickname, is completely waterproof and in full control of its buoyancy. Creators Andrew Carlson and Nikos Papanikolopoulos say their $2,000 brainchild could one day be used to monitor fish populations and conduct underwater experiments -- or to simply scare the bejesus out of beach-going children. Video after the break.
Rolling robot learns to fly, plots escape from human captors (video)
Why settle for a robot that can just roll or fly? That's the question some researchers from the University of Minnesota's Center for Distributed Robotics recently asked themselves, and this little transforming contraption is their answer. As you can see in the video above, it's able to roll around on the ground with relative ease (although obstacles may be another matter), and then prop itself up to take flight like any other robotic helicopter. Those thinking about trying their hand at a DIY version may want to think twice, however, as its not exactly as simple as it may appear. In fact, the researchers apparently spent a full $20,000 just to develop the folding rotor mechanism.
