First, we had Jesus to walk on water. Then we had the water strider, able to glide and bounce on water freely without falling in. And now, we have a robot to do it too. Robots that are able to stay on the surface of water are not new. However, most older robots cannot actually […]
Babyloid Designed by a professor at the Chukyo University in Japan, the Babyloid is a robot that imitates a baby’s behavior. Its aim is to help the elderly feel less lonely and stop depression. Although it looks like a fluffy plush blob, it is actually quite capable. It can produce more than 100 different sounds, […]
The researchers at Harvard University have made a robot that can camouflage itself! It’s not quite a chameleon, or even an octopus. It’s more like… a sticky hand that can blend in with its surroundings. It’s a robot that moves around and changes color by pumping air and color liquid through it. Sure, it’s manual […]
The newest soft-serve robot is here! Made by researchers at MIT, Meshworm is modeled after earthworms. Similar also to snails and sea cucumbers, the Meshworm uses stretching and squeezing motions to propel itself forward, utilizing the segments of its body. Even though the Meshworm seems soft, it’s actually quite durable, using nickel and titanium to […]
The technique of digging effectively into sand has always been a difficult task for those who wish to anchor into the water. But, with surprising technique derived from the razor clam, which burrows effectively into the water. It’s quite amusing to look at, too. Although the razor clam’s burrowing is slow, it goes straight in, […]
The curious looking gripping mechanism above draws inspiration from geckos. Large surface area on a gecko’s feet allows it to climb vertical walls by taking advantage of electrostatic forces. For example, the video below shows a robot with an electrostatic “foot” that climbs up a vertical wall This new project uses the same premise to […]
Jamming Gripper + Elephant Trunk = Awesome still in the early stages of development, this concept is trying to combine one of the more dexterous animal manipulators with the jamming technology we have seen popularized through the coffee ground filled balloon grippers. The arm is made up of a bunch of different jamming segments stuck together […]
