In a recent publication on Science Robotics, researchers detail how their robot could propel itself from water-another nature-inspired robot. Of course, at first this would seem academic to a few. However, creating a robot that is purely mechanic would need a lot of power to allow the robot to propel itself from the water since the change in surrounding media is drastic.
Lead researcher and Imperial College London Aerial Robotics Laboratory director, Dr. Mirko Kovac, explained the irony in the requirements of building the robot. "Water-to-air transition is a power-intensive process," he said, "which is difficult to achieve on a small-scale flying vehicle that needs to be lightweight for flight. This is why the researchers decided to incorporate chemistry.
The researchers have developed a robotic system that requires 0.2 gram of calcium carbide powder to help the robot transition from water to air. In the robot's combustion chamber, water and calcium carbide would react to produce acetylene gas. As this combustible gas ignites and expands, it pushes the water out, then thrusting the robot from the water and allowing the robot to travel through air for up to 26 meters.
This robot, as the researchers claim, could float on water, take samples from multiple points, and deliver the samples out of the water without incurring additional cost for power. This would be a more economical approach to water analysis for hazardous analytes than an electrically powered robot.
First author Raphael Zufferey said in a statement, "These kinds of low-power, tether-free robots could be really useful in environments that are normally time- and resource-intensive to monitor, including after disasters such as floods or nuclear accidents."
Currently, the researchers are considering to begin field trials over a wider range of environments with the help of the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology.
