Publication Date: Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Working the bugs out
Working the bugs out
(April 27, 2005) Stanford engineers studying cockroaches to build better robots
by Judi Gerbi
The future of robotics may be realized by the most unlikely of subjects -- the cockroach.
At Stanford University, researchers are studying the biological system of insects to build better, more efficient robots. A key component, according to Stanford Professor Mark Cutkosky, could be found in the Periplaneta americana.
"Cockroaches are very fast, very robust, not sophisticated and are easy to control," Cutkosky said. "They don't learn well but are very optimized for running fast over terrain."
The insects' speed -- which in human terms translates to running 55 mph - is of particular interest to engineers like Cutkosky, who hope to emulate the cockroach's mobility in a robotic design.
Such research has resulted in a six-legged, hexapod device carefully created to mimic the movements of the efficient insect. Cutkosky and collaborators from universities across the nation -- including nearby University of California at Berkeley -- have developed a family of devices they continually update.
Researchers completed the first running hexapod -- called "Sprawlita" -- in 2000. The robots are approximately the size of a house cat and consist of flexible plastic parts and wires, controlled by computer software.
The next batch of life-like prototypes -- the smaller and more agile "Sprawlettes" -- were optimized for speed and mobility. The latest insect-inspired robot, "iSprawl," runs on lithium batteries. Cutkosky suspects that device will be ready for commercialization in just five years.
"SpinyBot II," another robot, is currently being developed to do such tasks as climb vertical walls. Cutkosky and others envision that device will be used for surveillance applications.
The need to design swift, mobile robots has many potential applications. For example, the robots could be used by the U.S. military to navigate land-mine fields and detonate the explosives - saving human lives.
Cutkosky said a toy company is also interested in the devices for entertainment purposes. (Think remote control cars with a scientific twist.)
Cutkosky, a resident of Palo Alto, said his research has brought unexpected benefits to his home. His two daughters are now gaining more interest in how things work and what their father does for a living.
"Now they are a little less grossed out by insects and bugs," he said.
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