It would be hard to forget BigDog, the robot created by Boston Dynamics that can travel through unstable terrain. In its last update, AlphaDog, it learned to follow a person around. And in this new one, BigDog has learned how to be a weightlifter. In just five years since its conception, BigDog has learned how Read more...
In light of the recent discoveries, it seems that robotic fish are all the craze now. The Department of Homeland Security has recently been trying to strengthen security from the water, since the US receives a lot of cargo every day. Because it’s hard to inspect all cargo, it was better to have a robot Read more...
Remember BigDog? You know, the robot that stumbled around and could navigate rough terrain like a living creature. Well, the newest version of the dog robot incorporates yet another aspect of a dog: behavior. Made by Boston Dynamics, funded by DARPA, and called AlphaDog, the latest version can actually follow a person around, like a Read more...
What benefits can a robotic maple seed bring to mankind, you ask? Maple seeds, while they might look innocent as they spiral down in the wind, are actually quite efficient fliers. And so, to emulate this efficient flight, Lockheed Martin created the SAMARAI. Named after “samara” for maple seed, the SAMARAI has one wing and Read more...
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 Read more...
What is so attractive about a robot that mimics a jellyfish? Well, it’s theoretically immortal, has a simple repetitive movement that cycles slowly and easily, and it can travel deep underwater. RoboJelly is a robotic jellyfish that does all of this. Based on the moon jellyfish, it has a bell as a body, and pulses Read more...
This tiny little bug weighs in at an impressive 16 grams. The lightweight, simple construction is achieved through ”Smart Composite Microstructures” (SCM). The SCM process follows a few simple steps that essentially create a sandwich with rigid composites on the outside with flexible polymer inside. By controlling the location of the flexible polymer, the resulting structure can Read more...
