Rescue Robot Design Influenced By Ants
- 11 years ago
Ants are studied for robot design.
Studying the movement of fire ants may help researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology develop more advanced search and rescue robots.
The ant’s body structure allows them to dig very efficiently and catch themselves quickly when they slip and fall.
Ants were observed using their antennae, which are a sensory appendage, as extra support limbs for their body.
Even in different soil conditions, the ants created tunnels that were the same size and in proportion to their bodies, so they could continue to dig and catch themselves if they slipped.
Fire ants are known for digging without collapsing the tunnel system, and also for being able to move quickly through the tunnel.
Michael Goodisman, biology professor and coauthor on the paper, said: "The problems that the ants face are the same kinds of problems that a digging robot working in a confined space would potentially face: the need for rapid movement, stability and safety, all with limited sensing and brain power.”
Robot ants that follow a trail of lights were just developed by researchers from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and at the Research Centre on Animal Cognition in France.
Studying the movement of fire ants may help researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology develop more advanced search and rescue robots.
The ant’s body structure allows them to dig very efficiently and catch themselves quickly when they slip and fall.
Ants were observed using their antennae, which are a sensory appendage, as extra support limbs for their body.
Even in different soil conditions, the ants created tunnels that were the same size and in proportion to their bodies, so they could continue to dig and catch themselves if they slipped.
Fire ants are known for digging without collapsing the tunnel system, and also for being able to move quickly through the tunnel.
Michael Goodisman, biology professor and coauthor on the paper, said: "The problems that the ants face are the same kinds of problems that a digging robot working in a confined space would potentially face: the need for rapid movement, stability and safety, all with limited sensing and brain power.”
Robot ants that follow a trail of lights were just developed by researchers from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and at the Research Centre on Animal Cognition in France.