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MIT Robot Walks On Water

Posted by timothy on from the just-not-evenly-distributed dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers at MIT have solved the mystery of how water striders propel themselves across water surfaces and in the process have created a robot called Robostrider that mimics the behavior. With cool stuff like this, it's no wonder MIT is number one in engineering."

10 of 283 comments (clear)

  1. Stick to it-ness. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    And yet they haven't made a robot that can walk up walls like a gecko.

  2. Eh?? by whereiswaldo · · Score: 1, Interesting

    It's no mystery why water spiders can walk on water. All the engineers had to do was ask these 3rd graders a question.

  3. Point of note by NoTheory · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually there are several people who thing that MIT's direction in AI has gone seriously awry. Marvin Minsky (though somewhat stodgy), has pointed out that MIT's focus in robotics is no longer on figuring out how to make things that do stuff for people, but on subhuman gadgets.

    So, yeah they may be number one, but in a way, they've let down the old guard of AI researchers.

    Still, this is quite cool.

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    There are lives at stake here!
    1. Re:Point of note by NoTheory · · Score: 2, Interesting

      This is a reply to the above two posts

      as someone who's interested in computational neurodynamics, i've got ambivielent feelings about alot of the stuff minsky says, but i can't help but sympathize with him to some degree on this subject. Robots are cool, robots are useful, but the stuff that comes out of MIT's AI lab, has lost focus on the original goal of what he and the pioneers of the area were after.

      Heading off in a different direction isn't bad, in fact, i think a lot of these devices are quite interesting, but take just one of these two paths to the neglect of the other seems kind of sucky. So, i disagree that with minsky that this stuff is useless, but i agree with him that it's a shame that the people working (loosely) on the computational problems about the mind/brain aren't in MIT engineering anymore.

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      There are lives at stake here!
  4. Re:Why does it even matter? by Fly · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's much to early to tell how this will help us build better boats or water based technologies. If we already knew how to apply the technology, we wouldn't be researching to understand the science of what makes it work.

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  5. will scale, somewhat by rebelcool · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The scale of water bugs goes from .5" to 10", its more of a function of keeping the surface area of the 'legs' in proportion with the weight and balance of the rest of the body.

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  6. You've apparently never been anywhere NEAR MIT by j.e.hahn · · Score: 2, Interesting

    MIT students are FAMOUS for their excesses. Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, you name it. So don't kid yourself. Most MIT kids are getting way more than their RDA of beer and liquor.

    I've met MIT frat boys (yes, MIT has real frats, and real frat parties.) whose frats had "drug budgets" and an officer of Drug Procurement. I've been asked to leave frat parties because they didn't want me competing for the girls I came with.

    MIT kids are not dorky and innocent. Anyone who thinks so is in for a surprise.

  7. what's the research about again? by jonbrewer · · Score: 4, Interesting

    several people who thing that MIT's direction in AI has gone seriously awry

    What does this have to do with AI?

    The research reported on is primarily about fluid dynamics. Robostrider is a catchy thing they've created to bring attention to the important findings. In fact, seeing as the strider is powered by a rubber band, not only does it not have anything to do with AI, it has nothing to do with robotics either.

    This doesn't mean it's not wicked cool.

    For more cool (without downloading a video), check out david hu's beautiful strider pics.

  8. Re:Yes but... by syphax · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Now that you mention it, Professor Bush actually has looked into the fluid dynamics of wine, as well.

    He's a cool guy- I took a fluids class he taught a few years back. He's one of those people who can use mathematical intuition to understand physical phenomena.

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    Simple Unexpected Concrete Credible Emotional Stories
  9. MIT #1 my ass by superpulpsicle · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I can count more unemployed MIT grads in today's economy than hair on my head. No, I am not bald.

    It's articles like this pointing MIT #1 that forces so many employers to fear hiring these engineers nowadays. They are so smart that if they innovate something... they are considered a waste.