Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 |
Squid Robot Underwater Inspector Has Unique Propulsion
A "squid-type" underwater robot developed by Osaka University in Japan was demonstrated in a Kobe swimming pool on October 21st as part of an underwater robot festival.
(Squid-type underwater robot in motion)
Although they refer to this as a "squid-type" robot; it does not propel itself by shooting jets of water backward. It moves and maneuvers itself in an unmistakably biomimetic (animal-mimic) way, though. It uses rubber panels on the sides to "fly" in a manner more similar to skates and stingrays, curling them rhythmically for forward thrust. It has been designed with a flat body to easily enter narrow spaces.
(Osaka Robot squid detailed picture)
There are some species of squid that have similar movements to their flukes or tails (see photo below).
(Living squid swims)
According to the Osaka University's Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, underwater robots will have a greater scope of applicability and potential research than bipedal robots:
In addition to the precise control technologies needed to move robots in water and the systems to maintain their attitude in extremely unstable currents, brand new propulsion systems are being imagined for robots being designed to monitor ocean environments, search out underwater resources as well as perform other underwater missions.
Here's a quick peek at some other robots that imitate animals to get around:
- Biomimetic Robot Animals - Not All Are Cute
Sure, they've got robotic lobsters, elephant trunks and even big dogs. But what about robotic lamprey parasites? - Robot Turtle Madeline Flipper Science
Cool robo-turtle executes complex maneuvers effortlessly due to its flipper controls.
Also, fans of science fiction writer Murray Leinster might remember the Wabbler autonomous underwater robot from his 1942 short story of the same name.
Read a bit more about the squid-type underwater robot. See more squid underwater robot pictures.
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 11/12/2006)
Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |
Would
you like to contribute a story tip?
It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add
it here.
Comment/Join discussion ( 5 )
Related News Stories - (" Robotics ")
HandelBot Helps Two-Handed Robots Learn Piano
'I request that you feed the correlation between those dots and the levers of the panel into my memory banks.'
Woven Fiber Electronic Skin For Robots
'... all the feel and appearance of human flesh and epidermis.' - Harl Vincent, 1934.
Robots For Hire En Masse
'...small investors profited, too.' - Raymond E. Banks, 1956.
Robot Clerks Become A Reality In China
'The robot clerk in the waiting-room checked her number...' - Miriam Allen deFord, 1952.
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
Current News
Amazing Photonic
'That sail will be twenty thousand miles at the wide part.'
Amazing Photonic Crystal Light Sail
'That sail will be twenty thousand miles at the wide part.'
Rogue AI Replicated Itself
'Sapiro’s computer just kept dialing at random, hanging up on humans, until it got a fellow computer of the same type as itself.'
HandelBot Helps Two-Handed Robots Learn Piano
'I request that you feed the correlation between those dots and the levers of the panel into my memory banks.'
Woven Fiber Electronic Skin For Robots
'... all the feel and appearance of human flesh and epidermis.'
When AI Takes Its First Breath
Any suggestions?
Chinese Aircar Light And Airy, Not For Blade Runners
Daytime version.
The Morphing Wheel And The Smartwheel
'If you surf over a bump, the spokes contract to roll over it.'
Transporting Antimatter
'...drawing plans for the magnetic tongs and bed plates and relays.'
Polish Turns Your Nail Into A Stylus
'He wrote on it, using the pointed fingernail of his right forefinger...'
I Wish This Plaudit Pin Was More Like A Wristpad
'Frank was cursing into his wristpad, switching between Arabic and English.'
World's Largest Teleoperated Arm
'...a pair so huge that Stevens could not conceive a use for it..'
Japan's AI Buddharoid Automonks
'...each of them is a neural mapping of the mind of a Tibetan monk who actually lived.'
MIT Computerized Bionic Leg Is Part Of The User
'The leg was to function, in a way, as a servo-mechanism operated by Larry’s brain, through the mediation of the electronic brain in the leg.'
The New Habitable Zones Include Asimov's Ribbon Worlds
'...there's a narrow belt where the climate is moderate.'
California Governor Candidate Calls For Voting By Phone
'... every veephone on the continent would display, over and over, two propositions.'
