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posted by janrinok on Thursday December 19 2019, @04:48PM   Printer-friendly
from the build-a-bigger-swatter dept.

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

A soft robotic insect that survives being flattened by a fly swatter

Researchers at EPFL's School of Engineering have developed a soft robotic insect, propelled at 3 cm per second by artificial muscles.

The team developed two versions of this soft robot, dubbed DEAnsect. The first, tethered using ultra-thin wires, is exceptionally robust. It can be folded, hit with a fly swatter or squashed by a shoe without impacting its ability to move. The second is an untethered model that is fully wireless and autonomous, weighing less than 1 gram and carrying its battery and all electronic components on its back. This intelligent insect is equipped with a microcontroller for a brain and photodiodes as eyes, allowing it to recognize black and white patterns, enabling DEAnsect to follow any line drawn on the ground.

DEAnsect was developed by a team at EPFL's Soft Transducers Laboratory (LMTS), working with the Integrated Actuators Laboratory (LAI) and colleagues from the University of Cergy-Pontoise, France. The research was published in Science Robotics.

DEAnsect is equipped with dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs), a type of hair-thin artificial muscle that propels it forward through vibrations. These DEAs are the main reason why the insect is so light and quick. They also enable it to move over different types of terrain, including undulating surfaces.

An autonomous untethered fast soft robotic insect driven by low-voltage dielectric elastomer actuators [$], Science Robotics (DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aaz6451)


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  • (Score: 2) by Pslytely Psycho on Thursday December 19 2019, @05:48PM (5 children)

    by Pslytely Psycho (1218) on Thursday December 19 2019, @05:48PM (#934269)

    Is this your idea of a joke? A robot apocalypse consisting of robotic cockroaches?

    Bender would like to have a word with you.....not to mention Robot Santa, I can hear his slay bells now and he's saying: "Your mistletoe is no match for my TOW missile! I'm already running late, and if I don't complete my BRUTAL rampage, well, it just wouldn't be Xmas."....

    You need to take some lessons from the masters of mayhem. Cockroaches indeed...

    *locks door to the basement and hides with a Browning .50 caliber machine gun and full ammo box pointed at the door, Merry Xmas all!

    --
    Alex Jones lawyer inspires new TV series: CSI Moron Division.
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  • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Thursday December 19 2019, @09:38PM (4 children)

    by Freeman (732) on Thursday December 19 2019, @09:38PM (#934376) Journal

    A Browning .50 cal won't do a whole lot of good against a swarm of those little buggers, though.

    --
    Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
    • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Thursday December 19 2019, @10:23PM (2 children)

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Thursday December 19 2019, @10:23PM (#934404) Journal

      A low voltage grid they would step in will do though. If not, upgrade to a full bug zapper.

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday December 20 2019, @05:08PM (1 child)

        by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Friday December 20 2019, @05:08PM (#934701) Journal

        Small bugs in sufficient numbers don't care if a few thousands are sacrificed so the others can crawl over.

        --
        People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
        • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday December 22 2019, @09:27PM

          by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Sunday December 22 2019, @09:27PM (#935265) Journal

          Unless those dead obstruct the passage for those that follow.

          --
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
    • (Score: 2) by krishnoid on Thursday December 19 2019, @10:55PM

      by krishnoid (1156) on Thursday December 19 2019, @10:55PM (#934423)

      Nope, for those you're gonna need the stink lizards. But buy both the parrot and the stink lizards, and you're good in either case.