Bioinspired tube robot can sneak round corners and turn on taps

[Judi Lynn]

19 July 2017




The amazing bendy bot


L.H. Blumenschein
By Timothy Revell

If a garden hose were possessed by a demon, it might look like this. A new tube robot can unravel at 35 kilometres per hour to a maximum length of 72 metres, changing direction at whim. It even has the ability to turn handles.

Unlike most robots and animals, plants move by growing. It’s a slow process, but a growing plant can easily get round corners or into tight spaces.

The new robot does the same thing, only faster. It has up to three chambers that, when filled with air, force extra material to unfold. By controlling the airflow in each chamber, the robot can change direction.

So what is plant-bot good for? It can extend into three dimensions up structures like radio antennas, lift heavy objects such as a 75-kilogram crate, and also operate valves. In future, tougher versions of the robot could be used to help with search and rescue missions.

More:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2141234-bioinspired-tube-robot-can-sneak-round-corners-and-turn-on-taps/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&campaign_id=RSS%7CNSNS-

[eppur_se_muova]

1. Robotentacles !

gotta be a movie there … Sharknado meets Robotentacles

[cstanleytech]

2. Probably then followed by an XXX parody version of course. nt

[Beartracks]

4. Tube-nado!

[MrScorpio]

3. The Terminator wasn't meant to be a documentary

[jmowreader]

5. How about using water instead of air, and sticking a sprinkler head at the end of it?

Say you've got a building too dangerous to send firefighters into like...oh, WTC 7. You bring Plant-Bot up to the door, and have a firefighter with a remote control box steer it into the fire.