You would think a large insect-shaped robot would be a little creepy for children and parents. However, the insect inspired robot, Dash, is actually the complete opposite. It’s small, fun, fast, cute, and cheap. Built by a team of PhD engineers from UC Berkeley their work was previously funded by the National Science Foundation. They worked on building robots based on biological inspired mechanics. For example, they studied how insects run, glide, and use their tails to steer. Additionally, they also looked into how a gecko inspired adhesive could be used to give their robots the capabilities to climb walls. While their current version will only be scurrying around on the ground they hope their crowd funding project will help bring these features to future versions.
What they are currently offering is a beta model of their robot. The robot will cost only $65 and is available to the first 1000 backers through the crowd funding Dragon Innovation website. They realized their little insect bot could be a great educational tool for children or even hobbyist. “Seeing Dash scramble across terrain brings a smile to your face. It’s as if he has a personality – to me, always in a hurry and very persistent. Dash is great for those who enjoy building and are interested in experimenting with robots that can evolve and interact with the environment. This is an exciting first step toward a new world of robotics,” commented Dave Vadasz, former VP of Corporate & Business Development at Palm.
The surprisingly cheap robot was made possible through a new type of manufacturing process. A single sheet of smart composite microstructures (SCM) is used which consists of cardboard, plastic, and adhesive. They then use a laser to cut designs into the material which only cuts through the cardboard part of the SCM. In doing so, they can create specific shapes, which can then be bent and folded together to create a 3 dimensional shape, very similar to how origami works. The result is a body structure which is extremely durable and easy to assemble and can be put together in less than an hour.
If purchasing the kit you will also receive a motor, transmission, and plug-and-play electronics. The electronics will include a Bluetooth 4.0, which will be used to communicate with smart phones. Through an app on a smart phone or tablet users will then control and move their robot around. In addition, an Arduino compatible micro-controller will also be used in the assembly. This will allow the more advanced users to modify the bot's behavior or possibly add sensors or additional features.
Currently, their prototype only supports iOS devices with Bluetooth 4.0. However, the team has mentioned they are working hard at getting support for Android devices with Bluetooth 4.0 capabilities. Furthermore, they have already reached their funding goal of $64,000 with 20 days still left to go. This will be a perfect gift for children interested in robotics. The electronics are plug in play so no programming is required. Nevertheless, the engineers have made the system hackable, so when the time is right, the budding engineer can begin to program the robot on his own. Additionally, the whole system runs off the Arduino, which is probably the most accessible way for young people to learn about programming. With its low cost, this can be a very big hit for Moms, Dads, and children.
C
See more news at:
