At this point, we have seen researchers and companies build a ton of robots for various purposes. They come in all shapes, sizes, and form factors, ranging from humanoid robots such as Moxi to Boston Dynamics’ dog-inspired robot Spot. Now, researchers have built a robot that is inspired by the characteristics and form of a cockroach.
Moreover, the researchers added a front leg and an elastic polymer to the bot to bend the thin PVDF sheet in a way that propels it forward. Furthermore, they have experimented with bots of different lengths, ranging from 10mm to 30mm, and with varied frequency and voltage of the electric current to observe the running speeds of the designs.
As you can see, the cockroach-bot can squish into small tubes and run through them at fast speeds. It can even carry loads of up to six times of its own weight, which is demoed by fixating a peanut on top of the bot.
Now, what is the use of this cockroach robot? Well, the researchers say that such robots can be used to monitor and access really tight spaces in which traditional robots cannot go through. Moreover, they are aiming to fit a gas sensor on the bot to check for gas leaks in small spaces. Plus, the researchers say that it can be used at times of an earthquake to detect lives underneath debris as big robots cannot go through small spaces.
