5 Reasons Why The Robot Uprising Is Inevitable
3. They Will Come In All Shapes And Sizes
With the rapid advancement of 3D printing and soft materials, roboticists are experimenting with some crazy forms, such as bees, snakes, octopi, spiders and more.
Whatever phobia you have, don’t you worry, there’s a robot for that.
Take robot cockroach CRAM for instance. Cockroaches are able to squeeze through the tiniest of gaps thanks to their compressible exoskeleton, which can be squished down by nearly half, allowing them to move their mass around and perform the ultimate of limbos. This robot will one day squeeze through rubble at emergency disaster sites to help find people (and also into your nightmares).
Caterpillar robots? Why not? The tobacco hornworm uses a technique called ballistic rolling to evade predators. They contract their belly muscles, curling themselves into a ball to propel themselves in any direction at speed. The GoQBot mimics this by using coiled shape memory wire within its body. When stimulated, the wire shortens, curling the robot into a wheel that then rolls away.
Finally, take a look at this octobot. The tentacles consist of thin metal cables and springs, which simulate actual muscles. Who knows why, but this is definitely the first step to a robo-animal uprising.