Communications of the ACM
Jellyfish-Inspired Robot Could Be Used to Explore Coral Reefs, Archaeological Sites
Researchers at the U.K.'s universities of Edinburgh and Southampton have developed a robot that mimics the efficient swimming movements of the moon jellyfish.
A robot developed by researchers at the U.K.'s University of Edinburgh and University of Southampton mimics the efficient swimming movements of the moon jellyfish.
The robot is 10 to 50 times more efficient than propeller-driven drones and could operate in sensitive underwater environments like coral reefs.
The robot propels itself forward via resonance, the large vibrations that occur when a force is applied to an object at its ideal frequency, when a small piston in the front part of the robot's body taps the "propulsive bell"—a rubber membrane enclosing eight three-dimensionally (3D)-printed flexible ribs.
This resonance allows the robot to move like the moon jellyfish at 10.5 inches per second. Said Southampton's Gabriel Weymouth,
"This has allowed us to unlock the efficiency of propulsion used by sea creatures that use jets to swim."
From Daily Mail (U.K.)
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