Researchers at Cornell University, led by Robert Shepherd, have developed an unusual frog-like robot that uses rapid explosions to jump around. Rather than use traditional electric motors and batteries, the team opted for methane, a chemical fuel capable of storing energy at a higher density than lithium-ion batteries that can also be scaled down to insect-sized devices.
The team built a four-legged robot prototype equipped with two 3D-printed combustion chambers, each weighing 325 mg, that use a pair of electrodes to produce a spark. This ignites a mixture of methane and oxygen for the tiny explosion that generates 9.5 newtons of force. The actuator produces up to 100 explosions every second and can withstand 750,000 firings.
- Build your own awesome, wearable mechanical hand that you operate with your own fingers.
- No motors, no batteries — just the power of air pressure, water, and your own hands!
- Hydraulic pistons enable the mechanical fingers to open and close and grip objects with enough force to lift them. Every finger joint can be adjusted...
There are lots of places that this would be useful that wouldn’t be right next to a person. I do actually think this would be a solution to search and rescue, and operations in austere and remote environments like space, like underwater. Helping people in hospitals? I would say probably not,” said Robert Shepherd, Researcher at Cornell University.
