Researchers have developed a snail robot that, together with other specimens, forms a swarm of miniature robots. Unlike snails, which use a characteristic mucus to move around, these robots use a retractable suction cup that, in combination with remotely controlled caterpillars, allows them to maneuver on difficult terrain and on other devices.
It is known that biomimetics has been a recurring field in robotics. robotics. However, although many robots inspired by robots inspired by aquatic and flying animals can move and flying animals can move in three-dimensional environments, terrestrial robots can be terrestrial robots are often limited to walking, crawling or rolling on flat surfaces. Robotics specialists at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, looking for a solution, were inspired by gastropods with shells for their designs.
How does this snail robot swarm?
The result, published in Nature Communications is a troop of robots capable of collaborating when a single snail robot cannot cope with a difficult environment. Each rubber tread system includes small magnets that house electronic components, batteries, microprocessors and other elements inside a metal shell.
In “free mode”, robots move on surfaces such as a tank or an excavator. When the environment becomes challenging, the robots activate the “strong mode”. The following video from Nature Communications shows the behavior of these robots.
This is how this little snail robot forms its swarm. Source: Nature Communications.
Thanks to the angle of the magnetic chain of each robot, they can climb over the metal shell of another snail robot in the swarm. Once positioned, a human controller activates the suction cup on the upper robot, anchoring it to the one below. This allows the robots to repeat the process as needed.
In addition, the robots can rotate 360 degrees while the suction cup remains attached, allowing them to create stairs, bridges and even robotic arms during robotic arms during testing.
Where could robot swarms be applied?
“The emphasis on the field mobility of a single robot ensures the flexibility and agility of the overall system,” the team explains in their paper.“The incorporation of a robust connection mechanism is crucial for the robot swarm to function as a cohesive unit, increasing its robustness.”
Importantly, the researchers believe that their design could be applied in real-world situations, such as search and rescue missions and other hazardous environments. In the future, these snail robots could even explore asteroids, moons or other planets. Before reaching that point, the designers plan to develop fully autonomous versions that can communicate and build with each other without human intervention.
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Source and photo: popsci
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