Communications of the ACM
'Flying Fish' Robot Can Propel Itself Out of Water, Glide Through the Air
Imperial College London researchers have developed a bio-inspired marine robot that can launch itself from the water's surface.
Credit: Imperial College London
Researchers at Imperial College London in the U.K. have developed a bio-inspired marine robot that uses water from the environment to create a gas and launch itself from the water's surface.
The robot can travel 26 meters through the air after takeoff, and could be used to collect water samples in hazardous and cluttered environments.
The system also uses 0.2 grams of calcium carbide powder in a combustion chamber; its only moving part is a small pump that brings in water from the body of water in which the robot is sitting.
The water and the calcium carbide powder combine in a reaction chamber, producing acetylene gas. As the gas ignites and expands, it pushes the water out as a jet, which propels the robot out of the water and into a glide.
From Imperial College London
View Full Article
Abstracts Copyright © 2019 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
No entries found