Sometimes in our pursuit of knowledge and progression of society as a whole, it can have negative consequences. For example, when researchers go deep underwater, they use robots and pods that while it makes sense for them to use such devices, their rigid structure could result in the harming of sea life and the environment like corals.
This is unfortunate, but a team of engineers at the University of California San Diego might have come up with a more environmentally-friendly solution. This comes in the form of a soft robot that has been shaped and designed to move like a squid. This means that it can freely navigate the waters without harming anything around it due to its softer body.
To help the robot move around, the engineers have created a propulsion system that works by taking in water into the robot’s body, and then expelling it to create a jet of water that propels the robot forwards. The robot will also house things like sensors and cameras to help the researchers see what it sees and to capture data.
However, this isn’t a particularly fast robot as it can only swim at speeds of up to 0.5 miles per hour. So far the engineers have successfully tested out the robot in a large aquarium, but based on the results of their tests, it seems that it is possible that it could later be used for real-world applications.
Filed in . Read more about Science. Source: hackster.io