Robo CRAM
Inspired by cockroaches, UC Berkeley researchers have created a compressible robot that could be a reliable first responder during a search and rescue operation.
With its flexible membranes and legs, cockroaches can withstand forces 900 times their weight, and when squashed, can still easily run through crevices using a different mode of locomotion.
And it’s their incredible mechanical structure and locomotive techniques that informed the design of the palm-sized robot, which can shapeshift through cracks and potentially locate survivors under rubble.
PR:
http://universityofcalifornia.edu/news/cockroach-inspires-robot-squeezes-through-cracks
#robos #CRAM #science
I saw something on this recently and it's really fascinating to watch it crouch. Yes, it could work it's way down to victims in collapsed buildings, mines, or landslides, and carry a small payload like a transmitter to find the victim or even a small device to let them communicate out. I didn't see any payload accommodations on the prototype but that's natural.
ReplyDelete