Asterisk: Omnidirectional insect robot picks up prey

Researchers from a Japanese university have designed a six legged robot that can pick its prey with two legs. The hexapod robot can crawl on its six legs. Once it sees a prey in front, the bot can pick it up with two legs. The robot, called the Limb Mechanism Robot (a.k.a. Asterisk), is developed by Associate Professor Kenichi Ohara and his team at the ARAI Lab of Osaka University, Japan.

ASTERISK six-legged robot

Asterisk can move on any surface including tough conditions like desert and fog. Thanks to its six sturdy legs. It will be easy for the robot to climb small steps and embankments. As the robot finds its prey, it will rise on four legs and pick it up using two legs. The video below clearly shows how the robot works. You can use to pick up small and defenseless creatures like rodents and others.

You can also fit wheels on the legs of Asterisk. This way, the robot lies flat to the floor and moves steady fast like a skateboard. It can survive tight obstacles and uneven surfaces on its way. Fortunately, the robot is not designed to pick up creatures or insects, indeed. Well, a machine is not able to digest living creatures to collect some energy.

The robot can be used for many applications, however. The pincers is designed with an aim to help you pick rubble from streets, disaster sites or any other places. Soldiers can use the bot to move a hazardous IED out of their way in a battlefield. Many other functions could be done with the sturdy and powerful robot from the Japanese researchers.

Via: Technabob