Communications of the ACM
Robot Centipedes Go for a Walk
By changing the flexibility of the couplings between its segments, the robot can be made to turn without the need for complex computational control systems.
Credit: Aoi et al.
Engineers at Japan's Osaka University have created a centipede-like walking robot that navigates through dynamic instability.
The biomimetic "myriapod" robot features six segments with two connected legs each, and joints whose flexibility can be modified with motors using an adjustable screw.
Increasing flexibility makes straight walking unstable, causing the robot to switch to curved walking either to the right or to the left. The team learned the robot could reach specific targets via curved paths.
Said Osaka's Mau Adachi, "We can foresee applications in a wide variety of scenarios, such as search and rescue, working in hazardous environments, or exploration on other planets."
From Research at Osaka University (Japan)
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Abstracts Copyright © 2023 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
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