Communications of the ACM
Robotic Insect Mimics Nature's Extreme Moves
A new robotic insect can jump from the surface of liquid water.
Credit: iStockphoto
Researchers at Harvard University and Seoul National University say they have developed a robotic insect that can jump off of water's surface.
The researchers say the robot's development reveals new insights into the natural mechanics enabling water striders to jump from rigid ground or fluid water with the same amount of power and height.
They went through several trial-and-error attempts using robotic prototypes to fully understand the mechanics of the water strider's abilities, and they discovered the best way to jump off of water is to maintain leg contact on the water for as long as possible during the jump motion. Mimicking the mechanics of a natural water strider, the robotic insect can exert up to 16 times its own body weight on the water's surface without breaking through, and without complicated controls. The researchers say the robot was built using a "torque reversal catapult mechanism" inspired by the way a flea jumps, which enables this kind of extreme locomotion without intelligent control.
"The resulting robotic insects can achieve the same momentum and height that could be generated during a rapid jump on firm ground--but instead can do so on water--by spreading out the jumping thrust over a longer amount of time and in sustaining prolonged contact with the water's surface," says Harvard professor Robert Wood.
From Wyss Institute at Harvard
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