Notes

Robots

A robot is a machine capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically, especially one programmable by a computer.Have you seen the movie Star Wars well the character R2-D2 is a robot.Lets read about some more robots!

Alpha Dog is a four-legged robot that can carry gear and supplies over rugged terrain. It’s immune to gunfire and other forms of warfare and can even follow verbal and visual commands. Alpha Dog is agile enough to walk on steep ground and right itself if it falls down. But does it jiggle its leg if you scratch its belly?

Pneupard is a newer robot that is designed to be agile and fast like cheetahs and other cats. Pneupard has artificial muscles made from rubber tubing that are covered in nylon and filled with air. The pneumatic muscles have lifelike abilities that allow the bot to replicate the range of motion and strength of a real cat!

FLYBOTS

Flying animals like birds, bats, dragonflies, and even annoying houseflies can perform some pretty amazing aerial tricks. Roboticists have been observing how these adept fliers avoid obstacles, even at super-high speeds. They’re studying the membrane on bats wings and surfaces of dragonfly wings. They’re using wind tunnel tests to analyze how flapping wings can create more thrust and lift.

One modern robot flier is called ornithopter. Ornithopter looks and flies much like a real hummingbird. Sweet little ornithopter is used as a nano-spybot, equipped with a tiny camera.

TechJet’s Dragonfly flies just like a, you guessed it, dragonfly! Dragonflies have two pairs of wings. They sometimes move up and down together. Other times the front and back wings flap out of sync from each other. They can also twist their wings on the downward stroke. This wing action generates a whirlwind of air, which flows across the wings, creating lift. The lightweight robotic version of a real dragonfly has stereoscopic vision much like its live inspiration and can be used for overhead photography, home security, search and rescue, military surveillance and for just having fun and games!

SEA BOTS: Robo-fish have detectors to find and analyze pollutants that might be leaking from undersea pipelines or ships. Fish bots also come in handy to lead their real counterparts away from dangers in the sea, such as oil spills and underwater turbines. Researchers have discovered that a robo-fish can wave its artificial tail in such a way that other fish will follow it away from danger! That’s not only a fish-saving idea, it teaches scientists more about animal behavior.

SLITHERY SURGEONS: Lots of people are afraid of snakes. How would you like having one slithering around inside your body? If you’ve had recent surgery, it’s possible that you have been operated on by a robo-snake! These metallic snakebots give surgeons an extra “hand” by assisting with precision work in small spaces. This means more successful surgeries in many cases and also less damage done since the snake is so small. Larger versions of robot snakes have been used for search and rescue and exploration. This creepy creature can climb up a tree and check out the terrain with a camera installed in its head.