from the these-robots-are-made-for-walking dept.
Most robots are powered by electrical motors that are big, bulky, heavy, and if they break, you have to replace them. Animals, on the other hand, use a biological motor - a muscle - that also requires electricity, but is far more efficient and, given a chance, can repair itself. We're just starting to be able to manipulate biological structures like these in clever enough ways to let us harness their awesomeness, and engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have worked them into a tiny little "bio-bot" that uses muscle cells to walk.
This work represents an important first step in the development and control of biological machines that can be stimulated, trained, or programmed to do work. It's exciting to think that this system could eventually evolve into a generation of biological machines that could aid in drug delivery, surgical robotics, 'smart' implants, or mobile environmental analyzers, among countless other applications.
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NewScientist covers highly efficient 2-actuator robotic legs. Apparently these are far more efficient than more complex devices.
"We're using just two actuators, one to move the leg back and forward, and one to lift it. Just the bare minimum required," says Badri-Spröwitz. "Usually in robotics, you're looking to improve efficiency by just 10 per cent or so, but we're seeing a 300 per cent increase."
The motors pull the tendons. Power is stored in a spring during compression and released when each foot strikes the floor, to help drive the robot forward.
Taking many actuators, sensors and electronics out of the system makes the robot lighter and cheaper to manufacture. It can also stand upright using no power.
See also the paywalled main article, DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abg4055
Previously:
(2021) These Virtual Obstacle Courses Help Real Robots Learn to Walk
(2018) Festo's New Bionic Robots Include Rolling Spider, Flying Fox
(2014) Tiny Walking Robots Powered by Muscle Cells
(Score: 4, Funny) by Subsentient on Saturday July 05 2014, @02:41PM
That is not an unholy abomination at all! Nothing creepy about a two-footed muscle monster with Intel (R) inside!
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti
(Score: 5, Interesting) by kaszz on Saturday July 05 2014, @04:02PM
Cells 3D-printed to be legs and a AI-computer with neurointerface on top. Not that far from reality. Guess these things will carry out next oilfield occupation or annoying regime removal.
Almost like star wars.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by maxwell demon on Saturday July 05 2014, @02:44PM
This is clearly a big step in the direction of Borg.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 2) by present_arms on Saturday July 05 2014, @03:08PM
I was thinking more Cylon :P
http://trinity.mypclinuxos.com/
(Score: 1) by PinkyGigglebrain on Saturday July 05 2014, @06:52PM
Lets call it what it is; a T-.001.
Better start laying in supplies now, no telling how fast the upgrade cycles going to be.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 05 2014, @08:05PM
problem is that we think motor and it's a bunch of coiled copper around some permanent magnets.
d/c motors have evolved alot, don't get me wrong. they can do some amazing things like
some dancing cube from zurich polytech demonstrated and can be very precise too.
for robots on the other hand, we need another kind of motor.
i don't know how to coil them in any meaning full new way, so as too not just be a rotating axis,
but what is obvious is that there needs to be a low-level network (with low level "brain")
that links all these individual motors together. a network of motors, who-da-thunk?!
like a ballet dancer many muscles / motors work in concert.
if you think single motors in robots then that is like plain old bench pressing and obviously
it will walk like a robot ...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 05 2014, @08:40PM
So how much longer until I can get cyberware upgrades? A full prosthetic body might be cool too.