This robot can create its own components like a spider
What's the story
In a major breakthrough, a team of researchers at the Institute of Technology, University of Tartu in Estonia, has unveiled a revolutionary robotic prototype.
The machine, inspired by spiders, can build new physical components on demand by spinning intricate structures.
The robot uses a special heated polymer that can be extruded directly into the environment and solidified quickly into strong fibers.
Component evolution
A shift from conventional robotics
Traditional robots are usually built with fixed components that are produced in factories.
These parts are either optimized for specific tasks or made as versatile as possible.
The new robot marks a major departure from this, as it can make its own components on demand, right where they are needed.
Polymer process
How does the polymer work?
The heated polymer utilized by the robot is kept in liquid form and extruded through a heated nozzle.
Once extruded, these strands can adhere to different surfaces and cool down to create strong, flexible fibers.
The robot can rapidly spin these fibers into custom-made structures suited to its immediate environment or task, similar to how spiders spin silk threads.
Practical uses
Real-world applications of self-building robots
The team's innovative robot has been tested in various scenarios, including creating a bridge across a gap filled with sharp debris or soft materials.
The spun pathways were found strong enough to enable a small toy car to cross the bridge easily.
This technology could have major implications for disaster relief and construction, allowing robots to navigate hazardous debris safely and spin bridges and safe pathways swiftly.
Adhesion abilities
The robot's unique adhesion properties
The robot can anchor itself and stick to different surfaces, such as slippery teflon, oily sponges, and waxy leaves.
This attachment works via mechanical entanglement and natural physical adhesion properties, mimicking spiderwebs.
"Our approach takes a cue from spiders as nature's ingenious engineers," said Marie Vihmar, lead author of the study.
"Yet we found a loophole that lets us sidestep the limitations and excessive complexity of directly imitating spiders."