Analysis of crickets' jumps could lead to new, tiny robots
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are studying spider crickets' jumps, hoping to one day use their design principles to create small robots to maneuver across rough terrain like earthquake rubble.
Spider crickets — members of the Orthoptera order that originated in Asia — are good models in that they jump between earthbound and airborne states.
"Let's say you're trying to search for people after a natural disaster, and that terrain is very complex, full of nooks, holes and crannies,".
"A crawling robot could only do so much. If you had a flying robot, it would also have limitations. But if a microrobot could fly, land on any surface, and take off again, as these crickets do, it would be extremely helpful."
Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua6wauucdOo
PR:
http://hub.jhu.edu/2015/10/20/spider-crickets-jumping-robotics
#robotics #research #science
Very interesting, thanks Corina Marinescu. Fleas might be a good model as well. They have a surprising ratchet mechanism to build up the energy for their huge leaps.
ReplyDeleteSandbags? Check. Potable water? Check. MRE stockpile? Check. Robotic spider crickets? In development.
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