IIT’s robotic plant system. Tech mimics life... making better machines based on the tried and true (via IIT & Plantoid Project)
Robots come in many forms, which are based on the functions they perform. There are robotic arms used in manufacturing plants, small disks that vacuum floors and even some based on humanoid babies to get a better understanding of human behavior. It’s not uncommon for robots to mimic various life forms, just take a look at DARPA’s pack mule LS3, which performs the same function as its mammalian counterpart. Or Virginia Tech’s Cyro robotic jellyfish that’s part of the US Navy’s autonomous vehicle project. While those are based on animal forms, another academic institution has developed a robot based on plant life.
The Italian Institute of Technology has designed robotic plants for soil monitoring using its roots, which function almost identically to that of their organic cousins. Known as the Plantoid project (headed by Barbara Mazzolai), the robotic plants are equipped with ‘smart’ roots that house tiny actuators to unwind material that allows the root to dig through the soil. Those roots are equipped with bespoke soft sensors that guide the root around obstacles, such as rocks or other impenetrable material, so the root can unwind safely and reach its target depth. Once the depth is reached the root then unfurls and extends into the area around itself, much like a real root system does, and begins to monitor the soil as well as the environment around the robotic plant. The artificial root is outfitted with an array of sensors that are capable of monitoring water, temperature, pH, nitrates/phosphates and even gravity!
The root system gains its power from the ‘flower-head’ that sits atop its stalk, which is actually four mini solar cells that are used to power a rotor that unwinds the root system. The team of Italian researchers wanted to garner a better understanding of how a root system functions as organic root systems bend when they grow in length to avoid and traverse around obstacles. It does this by growing new cells on the opposite side of the direction the root structure is heading while at the same time it prioritizes several chemical and physical stimuli;, it is not completely understood how it is able to do so. The researchers also want to get a better understanding on how organic root systems interact with one another, which may provide a new type of swarm intelligence (Day of the Triffids anyone?). Developing the robotic root system could lead to more energy efficient robots capable of adapting to their environments as well as monitoring the area in disaster zones or toxic sites allowing first-responders to find injured persons quickly and efficiently. Since the root is capable of anchoring itself in soil, it could be used in space for exploration of comets or other planets. Even the medical field could benefit from the technology behind the robo-plant, which could be used for a bendable, growing endoscope to explore the human body. The Plantoid project was showcased last month at the Living Machines conference in London.
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