MIT Researchers Build A Robotic Snail

kiwimate writes "MIT researchers have built what might be the world's first robotic snail. It has two purposes: to understand how a snail moves, and to observer how liquids behave at a very small scale. Evidently, studying snail slime is a rather interesting pasttime. Lots of interesting details on sort of results might eventuate from this project."

Comments

Galloping Robosnails

[henrygb]

The Robosnail page suggests they will next be looking at undulating movements. But galloping on one foot would be more interesting - it's how snails leave footprints.

Lab-on-a-chip connection?

[Laur]

From the article:

Although the project is not directly involved with medical science, Hosoi says there is hope it could lead to advances in the field, particularly in one aspect known as "lab on a chip." Just as silicon chips revolutionized computer electronics, the "lab on a chip" may spawn miniaturized machines or methods for providing medical treatment.

The robotic snail could play a key role in the drive toward smaller devices.

How are they making this connection? I fail to see how studying snail locomotion in any way affects lab-on-a-chip technology. Is snail locomoton being considered to mobilize lab-on-a-chips? How would you miniturize the mechanical components as well as prodce the slime? Other technologies seem much better suited if you need a mobile lab-on-a-chip. The article talks about the robotic snail, then discusses lab-on-a-chip, then switches back to slugs at the end. Overall a very poorly written article extremey lacking in any technical detail or cohesiveness. Not that I expect much from Yahoo News or anything.