Engineers at the Stanford University in California have designed tiny robots that can move stuff about 100x their own weight. These new tiny, yet super-powered robots will be showcased at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Seattle (ICRA 2015). Robotics engineers deriving inspiration from nature is not very new. At CrazyEngineers, we've been following such machines curiously for a long time now. Considering the smaller form factor of these nano-bots, their weight-lifting capability is simply mind blowing!
The key element adopted by the creators in designing and developing these robots is the adhesives on the contact areas. Inspired by geckos, the engineers covered the adhesives with tiny rubber spikes to create exceptional grip on the surface. Under pressure, the spikes bend and thus the contact surface area grows which results into added stickiness. When the robot wants to move legs, the rubber spikes straighten out and can detach from the surface without much effort.
The video below shows these tiny bots in action. You'll quickly relate their movement with that of insects. While a set of legs moves forward, the other ones firmly stay in place to support the load. All the sophisticated computer algorithms ensure that the movement of the legs is in perfect synch to avoid fall. All this super-cool engineering leads to exceptional power capabilities in these robots. A tiny robot weighing just under 10 grams can move 1Kg load. The most impressive among these robots is the one named μTug. It weights just about 12 grams but can drag weight that is close to 2000x heavier. Just for the sake of analogy - imagine yourself dragging a blue whale.
The key element adopted by the creators in designing and developing these robots is the adhesives on the contact areas. Inspired by geckos, the engineers covered the adhesives with tiny rubber spikes to create exceptional grip on the surface. Under pressure, the spikes bend and thus the contact surface area grows which results into added stickiness. When the robot wants to move legs, the rubber spikes straighten out and can detach from the surface without much effort.
The video below shows these tiny bots in action. You'll quickly relate their movement with that of insects. While a set of legs moves forward, the other ones firmly stay in place to support the load. All the sophisticated computer algorithms ensure that the movement of the legs is in perfect synch to avoid fall. All this super-cool engineering leads to exceptional power capabilities in these robots. A tiny robot weighing just under 10 grams can move 1Kg load. The most impressive among these robots is the one named μTug. It weights just about 12 grams but can drag weight that is close to 2000x heavier. Just for the sake of analogy - imagine yourself dragging a blue whale.
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