Nature to tech: Nature inspired robots in harmony

Whenever man has been able to combine nature and science in a single piece of creation, it for sure have created something stunning. Same is the case with some new robots that man has created by combining the two elements. The robots that I am about to show you here will take you back to the zoo. Scientists and engineers who have helped in creating these robots have found the ways of the animals much more effective in doing complicated things like navigating a forest or a crowded city street, than any other means. This new concept is known as biomimetics where natural design concepts are used in combination with human intelligence to create various things. This concept has been in vogue in other fields such as architecture and textiles for some time now. But in robotics this is a new development. The teams which are engaged in creating such pieces of machines include both engineers and biologists. Let us give you a brief description of some of these new "mechanical animals".

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1) Robot Fish Inspired by Amazonian Knife fish

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This robotic fish have been created by a team of researchers at the University of Bath for exploring the depths of oceans. The scientists call this the "Gymnobot". The uniqueness of this fish shaped submarine is that unlike other more conventional submarines, it is not powered by a propeller. It is moved by a fin, which runs the entire length of its rigid body. Because of the presence of the fin as a moving force this "mechanical fish" can travel in shallow water with as much ease as it does in deeper waters. The Gymnobot could be used in filming under water and study deep water marine life.

2) Flame – Revolutionary Walking Robot

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The Flame robot created by TU Delft is unlike any other walking robots that were created previously. This robot uses a technology called "series elastic actuation" where it has springs fitted between each motor and joints in its knees, hips and ankles. Earlier all walking robots were given one motor connected directly to all the joints. What it does is that it absorbs the shock that is generated from the foot hitting the floor while the robot is walking. It also allows for cheap torque control. This ability of torque control makes the walking motion of the robot smooth.

3) Running Dog Robot

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This "dog lookalike" robot is part of an overall project of bio-robots at the AILab of the University of Zurich. This running quadruped robot called Geoff has a body mad up of Aluminum. It has an approximate dimension of 750 x 600 x 300 mm. It has 28 passive joints which have been designed to impart muscle like actuation to the robot.

4) Festo’s “Smart Bird” Robot

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These bird shaped robots have been created by Festo. These "birds" just like the ones we see everyday can fly & land autonomously. But unlike normal birds these are controlled by a radio handset. A torsional drive unit enable it move its wings up and down giving it a flight motion just like a living bird. The robot is built from carbon fiber composites and polyurethane foam. It weighs at 485 grams and requires 23 watts of energy to operate.

5) Robotic Snake:

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Called "Modsnakes" these robots mimic the crawlers of the jungle. These are designed to slither through tight spaces, crawl through tubes, swim as well as climb trees. These mechanic snakes could be used for inspecting tight spaces, disarm deadly munitions and locate survivors in a disaster zone. The movements of these robots mimic the movement of a snake. It can move by side-winding just like a sidewinder, by wiggling like a cobra and by rolling. But these snakes are made up of modular segments. Being made up of modular segments it is easy to repair these in the operational area itself. The segments can be easily disassembled and reassembled whenever it is required.

6) Giant robotic Spider:

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It definitely looks like something out of a sci-fi Hollywood movie running to get you and that is exactly why it was created by its creators. These giants "mechanical spiders" have been built by a French performance art group called La Machine for display at the EXPO Y150 in Yokohoma, Japan. The spiders are 12 meter (40ft) tall and weighs 37 tonnes. These couple of giants are still at display in Yokohama and will be performing there till 28th September.

7) The sensing spider/rover bot

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These robotic spiders, not as huge as the giant spiders previously listed, are much more useful. These can be used for collecting sensor data of areas where it is difficult for human beings to go. These robotic bots can roam both freely and in a coordinated group. These can be guided both by a remote control or an obstacle sensor. They can be used in collecting air samples, sound samples as well as gather visual data for later use.

8) Fire Fighting Beetle:

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Designed by German scientists, the beetle lookalike will help put out forest fires in the future. Well, at least that is what the idea is. It moves at a speed of 12-19 miles per hour which is much faster than a living beetle and has the ability to withstand extreme temperature.

9) The BigDog:

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This robot which is designed to be a future "Sherpa" for the military has been created by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in cooperation with other agencies. The BigDog will act as a future carrier for the Army. BigDog is the size of a large dog or small mule; about 3 feet long, 2.5 feet tall and weighs 240 lbs. the BigDog has an onboard computer which controls its movement and is equipped with a variety of sensors. In separate tests BigDog has recorded a speed of 4 mph, have climbed slopes up to 35 degrees, walked across rubble and have done well in rain & snow. It has the capacity of carrying a load of 340lbs. It also holds the world record for legged vehicles by traveling 12.8 miles without stopping or refueling.

10) The Japanese "frog" robots:

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This "frog" shaped robots created by engineers of University of Tokyo is capable of jumping vertically up to a height of 50cm in the air. The robot has been nicknamed "Mowgli" by its creators. What sets this tiny 1.2m robot apart from its predecessors is the fact that all previous frog shaped robots had only managed to get a few millimeter off the ground while Mowgli has a much higher jumping capability. it has been made possible due to the use of "artificial muscles" driven by compressed air. The engineers say that it can even kick a football if the need ever arises. The objective of creating this tony frog was to provide people with a mechanical caregiver.