The robots of tomorrow will look nothing like they do today.
More and more, they'll look like animals in the natural world.
I’m Glenn and here are 15 of the most innovative robot animals we could find.
These wi-fi-enabled mechanical bugs are known as t8x spider robots, and they come to you
from Robugtics. Each one is equipped with 26 servo motors and their own proprietary motor.
They contain advanced robotics for controlling the multi-legged walking robots.
This gives them subtle movements, programmability, and customization, allowing them to move
like real spiders. You can get these in the original black plastic finish
or go for extra creepy with a hairy skin version.
Inspired by the herring gull, the SmartBird Festo can take-off, fly, and land without an
extra drive. In doing so, its wings beat up and down and twist in a precise manner.
This happens using an active articulated torsion drive, providing both lift and
thrust. With this integration, Festo has technically replicated bird flight.
During the flight, data such as wing position and battery charge status
are continuously monitored in real-time.
Thanks to Festo, these bionic butterflies combine artificial insects' ultralight construction
with collision-free flying behavior for the first time.
For coordination purposes, the emotion butterflies use a guidance and monitoring system
that could be used in industries soon.
Each butterfly's weight is only 32 grams,
including two servos, a pair of small batteries, and a laser made casing.
Three students from Ghent University in Belgium have created a
digitally manufactured hexapod scorpion
to sting visitors at the industrial design center's tech exposition.
Though the sting is entirely harmless, being delivered by a red marker
effectively shows the intuitive and complex functions of this 3d printed scorpion.
Inspired by a bee's biology, researchers at Weiss institute
are developing Robobees that could perform many roles in agriculture or disaster relief.
Robobee's measure half the size of a paper clip and weigh less than one-tenth of a gram. They fly
using artificial muscles composed of materials that contract when voltage is applied.
The engineering was motivated by developing autonomous micro aerial vehicles capable of
self-contained, self-directed flight, and coordinated behavior in large groups.
Smart sensors and control electronics mimic the eyes and antennae
and sense and respond to the environment.
Pleurobot is a cute little automaton that can walk,
crawl, and swim underwater. It was designed and created by the EPFL in Switzerland
and inspired by the salamander species, commonly known as the Spanish ribbed newt.
The robot mimics the newt's movements thanks to a connected spine and motorized joints as well as 3d
printed bones. It also has electronic circuitry which functions as its nervous system.
By learning more about the salamander's spinal cord, new insights into all
vertebrates' function, including humans, can potentially be found.
Festo has created a swarm of bionic ants robot insects about a human hand's size,
which resemble a super-sized version of their insect ancestors.
The bionic ants are programmed to imitate their real-world counterparts' intelligence,
including their ability to cooperate and complete complex
tasks such as moving objects larger than themselves.
They communicate together and coordinate their movements and actions with each other.
Festo's vision is to pioneer intelligent robots that could help pave the way
for factories of the future run by an entirely autonomous workforce.
Festo has successfully emulated the jumping behavior of the kangaroo in
robot form. The bionic kangaroo has self-charging legs
that allow it to keep jumping indefinitely without tiring.
They capture and reuse energy by using the tendons in their legs like springs.
It's thought that the robot kangaroo technology could lead to advances in
endurance technology for products such as cars and other robots.
Eelume, the swimming robot, will significantly reduce costs related to sub seat inspection,
maintenance repair, and even rescue operations.
This serpent-like robot can move through the water by slithering like a snake
or employing thrusters attached to its tail.
This allows it to move quickly through the water and provide quick response intervention.
Developers of Eelume suggest that it will reduce the cost of maintenance under the sea
and offer an easy way of carrying out regular tasks.
German technology company Festo has unveiled the bionic copter,
a fully functional robotic dragonfly.
It can fly forwards, backward, hover, and even fly sideways just like a real dragonfly.
Another step forward in robotics engineering,
it's little more than a display of technical brilliance. Still,
it's not difficult to see how others might tweak the design to add a bit of functionality.
The strategy appears to open the door to the opportunity of a new form of human flight.
If the robot were made bigger rather than smaller, perhaps it could carry a person inside.
MIT's mini cheetah robot is flexible and light on its feet. With the four-legged powerpack,
it can bend and swing its legs wide, letting it walk either right-side-up or upside-down.
The Cheetah's most impressive ability is
performing a 360-degree backflip from a standing position.
Claimed to be "virtually indestructible," the Cheetah can recover with little damage,
even if a backflip ends in a spill.
At less than a foot tall and vaulting over three times its height,
Salto has a powerful spring in its step.
Its single, powerful leg is modeled after the galago
or bushbaby from Senegal. The small primate's muscles and tendons store energy
giving the creature the ability to jump multiple times in seconds.
First unveiled in 2016 by Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley,
Salto is now equipped with many new skills.
It can jump through obstacle courses and bounce in place like a pogo stick.
The researchers hope Salto will propel the development of small, agile robots
that could leap through rubble to aid in search-and-rescue missions.
TomBot is the world's most realistic robotic animal.
Designed to emulate a live puppy's appearance and behavior, Tombot provides endless fun,
happiness, and emotional support at a reasonable price.
To improve the quality of life for people with health problems,
they need to stay emotionally attached and socially engaged.
While live animals can serve this role, that is not a safe or practical choice for everyone.
Using groundbreaking technology, fabrics, and animatronic techniques, Jim Henson's Creature
Shop brought the Tombot to life with uniquely life-like expressions, behaviors, and quality.
TomBot is the first and only robot to successfully marry the very
best computer and robotics technology with awe-inspiring artistic creativity.
Spot carries payloads with endurance far beyond aerial drones
and goes where wheeled robots cannot. With obstacle avoidance and 360° sight, the robot
can be taught routes and actions or driven remotely to complete independent missions.
Small enough to use indoors, this deft robot can traverse rough terrain
and climbs stairs with unusual ease.
Developers can program autonomous missions, design payloads to expand the robot's capabilities,
and integrate sensor information into data analysis tools.
By integrating Spot with software and sensors,
the robot can perform tasks in a variety of industries.
For the BionicFlyingFox, developers from the Bionic Learning Network took a close look at
the flying fox and technically implemented its unique flying characteristics.
The ultra-lightweight flying object can move semi-autonomously in defined airspace due to
combining the integrated onboard electronics with an external motion-tracking system.
The model's flying membrane is wafer-thin, ultralight, while also sturdy. It consists
of two airtight films and a netted elastane material, which are welded together.
The fabric's structure stops small breaks in the flying membrane from getting larger.
The BionicFlyingFox can remain operating even with minor damage.