iRobot's Soft Morphing Blob 'Bot Takes Its First Steps. New Scientist Technology Blog: Soft-bodied robots squeeze closer. The US defence agency DARPA decided last year that it needed "Chemical Robots" (ChemBots) that could change shape in order to squeeze through small gaps.
It's now chosen the people to provide them - US firm iRobot. The company makes the Roomba robot vacuum cleaner (video) and the 'Packbot' used for bomb disposal. The DARPA programme manager overseeing the project gave a hint at what the robots could be used for: "During military operations it can be important to gain covert access to denied or hostile space... We believe that a new class of soft, flexible, meso-scale mobile objects that can identify and maneuver through openings smaller than their dimensions to perform various tasks will be quite valuable in many missions. " But as we noted in a special report on DARPA's 50 years of pioneering ideas - many of its projects have made most impact in civilian arenas.
That's quite a challenge - I wonder how they'll do it? Tom Simonite, online technology reporter (click to enlarge) SquishBot Soft Shape-Changing 'Chembots' SquishBot Soft Shape-Changing 'Chembots' SquishBots, also known as GummiBots (by me), also known as Chembots (by DARPA) are back in the news today.
(SquishBot from Boston Dynamics) SquishBot is a program to develop a new class of soft, shape-changing robot. The goal is to design systems that can transform themselves from hard to soft and from soft to hard, upon command. Another goal is to create systems that change their critical dimensions by large amounts, as much as 10x. As I have written previously, DARPA "...is seeking innovative proposals to develop Chemical Robots (ChemBots): soft, flexible, mobile objects that can identify and maneuver through openings smaller than their static structural dimensions; reconstitute size, shape, and functionality after traversal; carry meaningful payloads; and perform tasks. " Boston Dynamics is working with the Robotic Mobility Group at MIT to create these soft, slide into anywhere robots. (SQUISHBot from MIT) Shape-Shifting Blob Bots - Chemical Robot Prototypes to Enter Inaccessible Spaces.
New Scientist Technology Blog: Squeeze bots. Remember the morphing robot T-1000 from the film Terminator 2?
Could something like that ever become a reality? The folks at DARPA apparently think so. Last week they issued a request for proposals on developing so-called Chemical Robots (ChemBots), which would change shape in order to squeeze through tiny gaps. The DARPA request states that ChemBots should be "soft, flexible, mobile objects that can identify and manoeuvre through openings smaller than their static structural dimensions". It goes on to add that, "nature provides many examples of ChemBot functionality. True enough, but it seems like a very tricky challenge. Labels: robots. Chemical shape shifting robot. Unmanned drone attacks and shape-shifting robots: War's remote-control future.
Washington; and kandahar, Afghanistan In the shadow of a heavily fortified enemy building, US commanders call in a chemical robot, or what looks like a blob.
They give it a simple instruction: Penetrate a crack in the building and find out what's inside. Like an ice sculpture or the liquid metal assassin in "Terminator 2," the device changes shape, slips through the opening, then reassumes its original form to look around. It uses sensors woven into its fabric to sample the area for biological agents. If needed, it can seep into the cracks of a bomb to defuse it.
Skip to next paragraph Subscribe Today to the Monitor Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS ofThe Christian Science MonitorWeekly Digital Edition Soldiers hoping to eavesdrop on an enemy release a series of tiny, unmanned aircraft the size and shape of houseflies to hover in a room unnoticed, relaying invaluable video footage. Welcome to the battlefield of the future.