Sometimes you do n’t involve to be the strongest , most acrobatic golem on the block , you just take to be squishy . A new orotund robo is just that , adequate to of being dropped from 180 meters ( 600 feet ) in high spirits and rolling into action at law . The young applied science is n’t merely entertaining to watch , it has the potential difference to spare lives .
design by engineers atUC BerkeleyandSquishy Robotics , the robot could be equipped with sensing element and drop into disaster zones to bring home the bacon crucial intel from the soil , such as whether there is venomous petrol .
The robot is made of contracting cables in the shape of a soccer ball – no legs involved for branch - shatter reasons . The wires can be tighten or slackened to move it in whichever focusing its controllers desire . However , to do this , the team needed to engineer tiny motor adequate to of manipulating these cables and withstanding sky - eminent drops .
The “ tensegrity structure ” allows it to “ shapeshift ” , according to the team , and maneuver between rock . Theengineers even saidit could be shot out of a carom and be none the worse for wearable . Now that ’s quite the circus skill .
“ Our apace deployable mobile sensor robots are design to preserve lives , bring down costs and risk and increase strength of emergency reply , ” say Alice Agogino , a UC Berkeley mechanical engineering prof , in astatement . “ They can pull round a high drop into a disaster zona and provide life - saving selective information to first responders . They can also shape as co - robots with their human pardner on the ground when they arrive on the fit . ”
The design was not ab initio meant for Earthly state of war and devastation , but rather as a epitome in collaboration withNASA Amesthat could plummet from a spacecraft and search Saturn ’s moon , Titan . Although it ca n’t be cast off from orbit at this time , it holds potential difference for future missions on Earth .
“ We are still work with NASA on a blank space probe , but as emotional as I am about outer space golem , I was incite to practice this engineering to Earthly software when I see a report by the Red Cross and Red Crescent that 400 first responders lost their life to save others in the last 20 years . Many of these lives could have been saved with good situational consciousness before get in disaster zones , ” said Agogino . “ Our golem get information that first responder want to stay safe and respond faster and more effectively . "
The Squishy Robotics team is presently working with the Los Angeles County Fire Department – the third bombastic in the country – to beta test the deployable sensing element robots and refine the engineering science .
" We are delighted to be working with such a large and well - respected fervour department , " said Squishy Robotics COO Deniz Dogruer in astatement . " The Del Valle Center is a double-dyed location to work side - by - side with first responders as they educate with our robots in simulated emergency situations . Their feedback and advice will be priceless as we amercement - line our robot to play the vital needs of first responders . ”
The Robot was presented last week at theTechcrunch Robotics + AI Sessionsevent in Berkeley , California .
