February 23, 2007

Flexible Robot Can Really Move February 23, 2007

Read more Gadgets , Gizmodo UK , Online , Peripherals , Robots , Science , Software , Technology , Wireless

This is Superbot, a modular robot demonstrated in the US this week which can walk, crawl or roll, depending on the surface.

This blocky little number might not look like much but its simple looks masks some very clever engineering. The Lego comparisons can start here because each block is a robot in its own right, with the ability to move independently, flip over and know precisely where it is.

It can also be attached on any of its six sides to other blocks, communicate with each other and change shape in order to move in the way best suited to the task. Future uses of the Superbot would involve creating robots that can cope with a variety of tasks and terrain, including space missions. Inventor, Wei-Min Shen of the University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute, said:

"Superbot consists of Lego-like but autonomous robotic modules that can reconfigure into different systems for different tasks. Examples of configurable systems include rolling tracks or wheels (for efficient travel), spiders or centipedes (for climbing), snakes (for burrowing in ground), long arms (for inspection and repair in space), and devices that can fly in micro-gravity environment.

"Each module is a complete robotic system and has a power supply, micro- controllers, sensors, communication, three degrees of freedom, and six connecting faces (front, back, left, right, up and down) to dynamically connect to other modules. This design allows flexible bending, docking, and continuous rotation. A single module can move forward, back, left, right, flip-over, and rotate as a wheel. Modules can communicate with each other for totally distributed control and can support arbitrary module reshuffling during their operation."

Jump now to watch it do the breaststroke and walk, albeit like Johnny Vegas after 16 pints of heavy. -Martin Lynch

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