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Sand-swimming robot gets vertical manipulation via doorstop-shaped head (video)
So it looks like a half-stuffed sock -- and it is, sort of -- but this sandfish-inspired search and rescue robot has the potential to change the way machines maneuver through disaster zones. Playing off its previous endeavors, a team of Georgia Tech researchers has designed a wedge-shaped head to manipulate the vertical movement of its sand-swimming invention through "complex dirt and rubble environments." By mimicking the pointy snout of the sandfish lizard, and attaching it to the body of its robot -- which sports seven servo-powered segments stuffed in a latex sock and sheathed by a spandex "swimsuit" -- the team found that subtle changes in the positioning of the robot's head made for drastic differences in vertical movement. When it was placed flat on the horizontal plane, the robot descended; when it was inclined above seven degrees, it ascended. For now, the robotic sandfish has been relegated to swimming in a sea of tiny yellow balls, but it's slated to dive into a pool of debris in the name of research soon. You can check out a rather dry description of the project in the video after the break.
Gymnobot looks to fish for inspiration, a little companionship
Alright, so it may not be quite as terrifying as something like Carnegie Mellon's robotic snake or NC State's remote-control bats, but this so-called Gymnobot from the University of Bath does boast some animal-mimicking abilities of its own and, if all goes as planned, it could eventually grow a whole lot bigger. Its secret is a single fin underneath its body that mimics the way a knifefish swims, which just so happens to also be an extremely efficient way for a robot to propel itself through the water. That, the researchers say, could eventually be adapted for larger autonomous or remotely operated vehicles, would be able to maneuver in shallow water and other areas that are problematic for propeller-driven craft. Head on past the break to check it out in action.
Researchers develop swimming, body-exploring robot
Researchers at Technion's Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Israel look to finally be seeing some results from their crack Innerspace department, recently announcing that they've developed a pint-sized robot that can swim its way through heretofore inaccessible areas of the human body. The bot uses two tails to propel itself along, carrying a camera with it to document the picturesque journey -- eventually, the researches see the robot able to deliver medication straight to the source and even take biopsies. Of course, this isn't the first attempt to chart a course through your various bodily passages. Pill-based camera exploration has been around for a comparatively long time, but depends on your body's natural gastrointestinal movements to squeeze its way through your innards. More recently, scientists at Carnegie Mellon University developed a six-legged bugbot that can crawl through your intestines and be remotely controlled to ensure a thorough looksee. Technion's bot still looks to be quite a ways off from catching a ride in your spinal fluid, however, with the project's team leader estimating that it'll be a few years before they have a completed product.[Via Medgadget]
