New Kinds of Robots

Robots (both in reality and science fiction) have been a symbol of technological progress since the idea of the robot came into being. To create a machine that can perform a physical task on its own is an impressive feat of science and engineering, one combining careful calculation and construction combined with extensive programming and computing power. Because robots are used in countless areas in industry, researchers are always looking for new ways to advanced their application and usefulness.

It is interesting to note that when we think of "advanced" robots (at least in movies and TV), we often think of those that the most life-like, or those that best mimic the characteristics of humans or animals. Researchers at MIT seem to have latched on to that concept in their research, in their creation of a robotic cheetah.

The cheetah robot that uses a "bounding" algorithm to mimic the way a cheetah, the fastest land animal on earth, gets to its top speed. By pumping its legs in tandem in quick bursts, the cheetah can hit speeds up to 60 mph.

The bounding algorithm employed at MIT involves programming that tells each of the robot's legs how much force to exert on the ground. More force = faster speed. This is in-line with techniques behind Olympian sprinters, who, rather than increasing how fast they cycle their legs, focus more on pushing off the ground harder to increase their stride length.

MIT's cheetah employs a custom high-torque electric motor (eliminating the noise and weight of a gasoline engine), and "bio-inspired" legs (eliminating the need for force sensors). The robot also has a weight and weight distribution similar to an actual cheetah, a key element in the robot's ability to run the way it does. The machine has been clocked at 10 mph (check out the video here), but researchers believe this version is capable of eventually reaching speeds of 30 mph.

On a different note, Harvard researchers are working on a unique "soft" robot - soft being defined as one that has a case or skin made of soft, non-rigid material(s). What makes Harvard's softbot one-of-a-kind is its size (~1.5 meters) and that it is the first one of its size that is untethered, meaning it runs wirelessly with cables.

Michael Tolley, one of the researchers on this team, says that the significance of the project is to break standard conception of what a robot can be. "We think the reason people have settled on using metal and rigid materials for robots is because they're easier to model and control. This work is very inspired by nature, and we wanted to demonstrate that soft materials can also be the basis for robots." The hope is that soft robots, which are inherently less dangerous than their large metal counterparts used in industry, will change the way humans can interact with these machines.

Making an untethered soft robot is a unique challenge, however, because the structure of the robot needs to carry the weight of all the equipment (microprocessors, controllers, and batteries). To deal with this, researchers used a tough composite silicon rubber that could hold pressures up to 16 psi. Kevlar fabric was used on the bottom to give it extra strength and resilience to wear and tear. After testing, the robot was able to survive snow, flames, water submersion, and being run over by a car.

It is fun to see these new experiments and the attempts to change the way we view robots and what they can do. And though we likely will never have robots that can run like a cheetah (a testament to the wonder and complexity of the living world), the possibilities for these machines (now and in the future) are often limited only by our imaginations

Sources:

SciencDaily - Cutting the Cord on Soft Robots

ScienceDaily - Run, Cheetah, Run