As seen in a new study published Sept. 18 in the journal Science Advances, researchers probed how twisting bent elastic rods could produce a "snapping motion" that enabled a small robot to hop or swim. This mechanism could be used to improve robots with limited power and ones that need to traverse rough terrain and even water, the scientists said in the study.
"The broader opportunity is to let the mechanics of the robot do some of the work that would otherwise require larger motors or more complicated control," Xiaonan (Sean) Huang, an assistant professor of robotics at the University of Michigan and co-first author of the study, said in a statement.
Snap movements
When a flexible rod bends and its ends are rotated, it can eventually reach a point where it changes shape to release built-up tension, the roboticists said. However, this change does not always happen in the same way. Some combinations of bending and twisting cause the rod to change shape gradually, while other combinations force it to snap rapidly from one shape to another, with the potential to provide a strong push.
With the ideal propulsion mechanism, the team then designed and built real robots that used the snapping rods to hop. They connected these rods to a rotating motor, with the bent rods twisted until they produced the snapping motion. Then, the motor unwound the twist and contorted the rod again.
Related stories"Because the design rules depend on the rod’s shape and how its ends are moved, they work across different sizes and scales," Khalid Jawed, an associate professor at UCLA's School of Engineering and co-first author of the study, said in the statement.. "This opens a promising path toward miniaturized robots just a few millimeters in size that turn small motor movements into powerful bursts of motion," said Jawed, whose lab worked on the simulation and robot arm experiments.
By using only one of the snapping rods, the team enabled the robot to turn and, with a remote control, navigate a small obstacle course.
Hence then, the article about roboticists showcase tiny frog like robot that can hop across wet surfaces and swim was published today ( ) and is available on Live Science ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Roboticists showcase tiny, frog-like robot that can hop across wet surfaces and swim )
Also on site :
- Who Went Home on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Tonight? Season 35 Week 4 Results and Eliminations (Spoilers)
- The French Skincare Ritual That Can Boost Circulation and Lymphatic Drainage, According to a Dermatologist
- At 92, Harriette Thompson became the oldest woman to run a marathon; the classical pianist went on to set the oldest-woman half-marathon record at 94