'Octobot' Is The World's First Soft-Bodied Robot (sciencemag.org) 44
sciencehabit quotes a report from Science Magazine: Researchers have created the first completely soft-bodied robot, dubbed the 'octobot.' The palm-sized machine's exterior is made of silicone. And whereas other soft robots have had at least a few hard parts, such as batteries or wires, the octobot uses a small reservoir of hydrogen peroxide as fuel. The basic design can be scaled up or down, increasing or decreasing fuel capacity depending on the robot's job. As the field of soft robotics advances, the scientists envision these robots being used for marine search and rescue, oceanic temperature sensing, and military surveillance. The report adds: "When the hydrogen peroxide washes over flecks of platinum embedded within the octobot, the resulting chemical reaction produces gas that inflates and flexes the robot's arms. As described online today in Nature, the gas flows through a series of 3D-printed pneumatic chambers that link the octobot's eight arms; their flexing propels it through water."
007 was 1st (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
would that be an 8-bit whore?
lookout fleshlight! (Score:2)
Who am I kidding, the sort of person that would use a fleshlight won't have seven male friends to share an octopussy with.
can it do this? (Score:3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
For some reason I find this one more impressive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
I know what are you thinking. (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:tentacles (Score:4, Informative)
No, it isn't; not a Latin word. If you were going to be pedantic then the Greek plural is, alledgedly, octopodes.
Re: (Score:1)
It's spelled octopoeda actually
It's Kif Kroker! (Score:2)
the gas flows through a series of 3D-printed pneumatic chambers that link the octobot's eight arms; their flexing propels it through water.
Kif from Futurama has no bones, but is supported by a system of fluid filled bladders. This sounds right in his wheelhouse.
Rumors are... (Score:2)
Rumors are that that Octobot will be put in use at the Oktoberfest, which conveniently ends in October.
"military surveillance" (Score:1)
I'm thinking that these critters could be used as an excellent PsychOps weapon. Some primitive guy with a beard and a rag on his head, carrying a Kalashnikov gets surrounded by a horde of these critters . . . he's going to wig out, drop the Kalashnikov and skedaddle, while screaming "Run Away!".
It would also be a hoot and a half to dump one of these varmints into the local public swimming pool. The folks in the pool would wig out, drop their Kalashnikovs and skedaddle, while screaming "Run Away!".
GitHub (Score:1)
(they tend to name a lot of things with Octo- from their logo)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Every one a crappy attempted joke. What happened to the intelligent people who used to comment on this site?
Apparently he left.
fucking paywalled knowledge is antiknowledge (Score:2)
publish: [merriam-webster.com]
transitive verb
1 a : to make generally known
b : to make public announcement of
2 a : to disseminate to the public
b : to produce or release for distribution; specifically : print 2c
c : to issue the work of (an author)
I guess 2 out of 5 isn't bad. Wait, that's a failing grade.
Re: (Score:2)
The people who make two second GIFs out of ten minute "WE'RE GONNA SHOOT electronic_product/large_fruit/etc WITH AN AK47" videos are doing God's work. Think of the cumulative hours lost.
Sex Workers (Score:2)
Giving robots a soft body is just the first step in turning them into sex workers.
A better name than "Robopus" (Score:1)
Nope (Score:1)