As shown in the image, the snail robots can work together or individually to move across terrain, climb, or overcome obstacles. (Image Credit: Zhao et al., Nature Communications, 2024)
Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong developed a robotic snail swarm that moves like land snails. The system features a strong mode and free mode to replicate the land snail’s adhesion capabilities. Additionally, this system helps to overcome robotic swarm limitations, especially when used outdoors. The team believes their robotic snail swarm could be practical for real-world applications like search-and-rescue missions.
Engineers test robots indoors. But they’re limited when it comes to traversing challenging terrain outdoors. Today’s swarm robots also don’t connect at multiple points, and that drawback means they can’t do much, capability-wise.
So, the Chinese University of Hong Kong researchers drew inspiration from land snails. These creatures move across rough terrain and climb surfaces using their foot. Plus, they breed in bunches. With that in mind, the team’s robot snail swarm replicates those abilities, and multiple of them can stick to more than one point of another robot’s iron shell. Those make it easier for an individual explorer to group up with others and travel.
Diagram shows the internal structure of each robot along with the strong and free mode. (Image Credit: Zhao et al., Nature Communications, 2024)
Each robot’s iron shell houses the microprocessor, battery, electronics, and other components atop tiny magnets. In addition, the team developed a connector mechanism inspired by a snail’s suction and mucus adhesion. The robots come with a vacuum sucker --- used in strong mode --- designed to securely attach to other robot’s shells and help them climb over obstacles. Meanwhile, the lightweight magnet-embedded tracks --- used in free mode --- allow the robots to traverse on the ground as a single unit. Those magnets also help with shell attachments --- enabling multiple robots to work as one swarm.
After the robot connects to the other’s shell, a human controller activates the strong mode mechanism, and that deploys the vacuum sucker on the robot beneath it. Then, the robot attaches, and the swarm can follow this process. What’s more, the robots can pivot 360 degrees as the suction cup stays secure. During experiments, the swarm turned into a staircase to cross a ledge, made bridges to cross gaps, and turned into a robot arm.
According to the researchers, this swarm could be practical for real-world situations, like search-and-rescue missions and hazardous environments. Perhaps the swarm could be blasted off into space for planet, moon, or asteroid exploration. However, the team will need to create different autonomous versions so the robots can plan, communicate, and construct with each other.
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