Robocockroaches launches robotic micro-dronebird

The UC Berkeley Biomimetic Millisystem Lab developed a cooperative launching system for a 13.2 gram ornithopter micro-aerial vehicle (MAV), the H2Bird, by carrying it on the back of a 32 gram hexapedal millirobot, the VelociRoACH.

By combining two different forms of locomotion in one platform, you can take advantage of (say) the efficiency and endurance of a ground robot with the range and versatility of a flying robot. However, designing one robot that can walk and fly tends to be both complicated and inefficient, which is why hetergeneous robot teams are often more appealing. Instead of trying to cram every capability into one robot, you just use several different robots with different specializations and find some way of getting them to work together. Like this robotic cockroach that can serve as an aircraft carrier for a robotic bird.

Be sure to watch the video with high-definition slowmotion shots below.

Zoobotics: ARCHie 1.0 from LuBotics

I love Zoobots (or animal-like robots or bioinspired robots or Biomorphic Robotics or biomimetics robotics - call it what you want), just because of the creepiness. Here's another new manufacturer:

LuBotics is working to build legged robots to assist first responders, bomb squads and military personnel. ARCHie (All-terrain Remote Controlled Hexapod ie) is a proof-of-concept demonstration robot, capable of climbing over obstacles equal to its height.

The company is a spin off of a research project at University of South Florida by Luther Palmer and LuBotics co-founder Brad Savon.

Zoobotics: Introducing Pleurobot

EPFL developed a salamander-like robot called Pleurobot, that not only looks like an animal designed by Neil Gaiman. It actually behaves like an animal (talking features excluded). The motion is based on 3D x-ray movies of a real salamander walking and swimming.

Contrary to our previous bio-inspired approaches, in this new approach we make use of the recent advances in cineradiography to benefit from the advantages that a biomimetic design can offer. We recorded three-dimensional X-ray videos of salamanders, Pleurodeles waltl, walking on ground, walking underwater and swimming. Tracking up to 64 points on the animal’s skeleton we were able to record three-dimensional movements of bones in great detail. Using optimization on all the recorded postures for the three gaits we deduced the number and position of active and passive joints needed for the robot to reproduce the animal movements in reasonable accuracy in three-dimensions.

Whats next? Pleurobot could be part of near future search-and-rescue applications and "In the future, we plan to use Pleurobot's design methodology to bring early tetrapods to 'life'." Dinosaurs FTW.

ATRIAS Robot: Steps Around on Uneven Ground

Oregon State University's bipedal robot, ATRIAS, is commanded to move over obstacles that it can't see. It's (mostly) successful.

Zoobotics: Series II - X125 aka "The Snakebot"

Wondering if they are working with Elon Musk on the new Tesla charger.

OC Robotics is pleased to introduce the Series II - X125 system. This Series II system builds upon the successful JetSnake product deployed on the Miami port tunnel boring machine.

The Series II - X125 system delivers a 6kg payload, arm bend of over 225 degrees and a highly flexible tip. The 2.2m arm has passed a series of extended operational tests and been designed for increased reliability and easy maintenance to reduce through life costs.

This particular Series II - X125 system has been successfully deployed with a high pressure water jet and inspection camera. Different tools can be selected to compliment the snake-arm, depending on application.

ZURI 01 Paperbot System by ZOOBOTICS.

MODULE 01 by ZOOBOTICS.

(via MODULE 01 | ZOOBOTICS)