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iRobot Introduces Morphing Blob Robot

Posted by kdawson on from the compare-to-doctor-johnson's-dog dept.

Aristos Mazer sends word of research out of iRobot on a "chembot," or morphing blob robot, that looks like dough and moves by shifting its sides from solid-like to liquid-like states. This will allow it, in theory and after lots of refinement, to pass through cracks by squeezing. iRobot calls the new technique "jamming." The research project was funded by DARPA. The video clearly shows the early stage the work is in, but when you think about it the possibilities are a little unsettling.

5 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. Nokia Morph by religious+freak · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Nokia has a somewhat similar concept of this as well, implemented for mobile devices http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX-gTobCJHs

    Concept design, but pretty cool to watch.

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  2. What I want.... by mark-t · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... is a small robot vacuum a lot like the Roomba that can *ALSO* automatically empty its canister into a larger bin whenever the vacuum is full.

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  3. Re:Uh oh by bkpark · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Please tell me this research isn't being done on a remote island...

    Don't you mean, "Please tell me this research is being done on a remote island", in case something goes wrong?

  4. Re:Medical applications by Jahava · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There are some basic problems with this - specifically, iRobot's demonstration uses the addition and removal of air to control both size and hardness. In bodily cavities, not only would air be in limited supply, but in some areas (i.e. blood stream) it's downright not welcome!

  5. A more conventional robot seems more effective. by argent · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why would this be more effective than a robot consisting of 20 linear actuators inside a tough enclosure? For that matter a serpentine or ferret-like robot would be more effective at fitting through narrow openings. There's reasons large animals abandoned amoeboid motion in favor of crawling or slithering.