TORo II - Omnidirectional Japanese robot mimics a snail to the fullest

Robotic design influenced by natural elements is certainly nothing new in the fascinating field of robotics. But Japanese scientists over at Chuo University have taken up a rather unusual naturalistic organism as the source of their inspiration i.e. a snail. This slow paced gastropod may seem to be a ludicrous choice to the ordinary man, but as is sometimes the case - there is more to it than that meets the eye.

TORo II robot

Snails as like other gastropods, exhibit a unique mode of 'maneuvering' by literally using its head portion. Waves of foot-to-head muscle contractions impel a sort of rectilinear motion, thus making the snail move. Applying this technique of movement, the researchers at the Mechatronics Lab have conceived the TORo II - an omnidirectional robot made of separate yet symmetrical components.

These rectangular components form an intrinsic part of the total maneuvering mechanism, as the wave motion is passed through individual components for the whole robot to be propelled forward. The components also help the robot to change its shape from a quadratical form to a circular one (by moving of the parts in different directions).

The robot has been built in such a way, so that it retains its substantial grip even over glazed and slippery surfaces, by covering a large surface area in comparison to its volume. This makes the TORo II ideal for places such as hospitals and clinics. For further illustration of the maneuvering technique, do check out the remarkable video.

Via: IEEESpectrum/Engadget