Green Group discussion

When robot labs create a range of movements for their robot, they are often mimicking animals. I'm fascinated by how good these machines are getting. They are now solving problems like stairs and opening doors.

Boston Dynamics is top dog at present.
https://gizmodo.com/boston-dynamics-u...

Spot Mini appears to be a dog crossed with an emu at times.
https://gizmodo.com/boston-dynamics-m...

Cross between a human body and a donkey, I think.
https://gizmodo.com/boston-dynamics-n...

This robot and animated drawing show the range of movements available to early land walking creatures.

https://gizmodo.com/fascinating-exper...

Boston Dynamics again.

https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/16/18...

Their 'Spot Mini' robot harnessed as a dog team to mush a truck.

Paro is a baby seal robot. To give elderly people something to look after like a pet, which is responsive.
Personally I'd rather fill a bird feeder.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2...

" With the government unveiling the UK's first official robotics strategy last week, which could lead to an increased use of robots in our everyday lives, Amanda Sharkey, a senior lecturer in Sheffield University's department of computer science, warns: "I think we need to be a bit careful about human interactions with robots, so we don't end up with old people being looked after by robots and nothing else. So I think you could misuse Paro in the sense of: we've given this old lady the seal to look after and now we don't have to go and talk to her." "

Here is the YT film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJq5P...

An eel has inspired this undersea mechanic robot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldTR0...

Extremely interesting roundup of ten robots; look out for the dragonfly and butterfly, the fish and shark, among others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ_-y...

Robot dogs playing in the autumn leaves.

https://singularityhub.com/2019/11/09...

The pigeon bot. And it flies.

https://gizmodo.com/scientists-built-...

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sloths?

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-forests...

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? 1

"Takikawa, located on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido and home to about 41,300 people. The robot, appropriately dubbed Monster Wolf, was installed to scare off wildlife—mainly bears—to stop them from getting near residential areas."

Has to be seen to be believed. Scary, bigtime. But harmless.

https://singularityhub.com/2020/10/30...

"Researchers are interested in developing devices that can navigate these situations by sniffing out chemicals in the air to locate disaster survivors, gas leaks, explosives and more. But most sensors created by people are not sensitive or fast enough to be able to find and process specific smells while flying through the patchy odor plumes these sources create.

Now a team led by the University of Washington has developed Smellicopter: an autonomous drone that uses a live antenna from a moth to navigate toward smells. Smellicopter can also sense and avoid obstacles as it travels through the air. The team published these results Oct. 1 in the journal IOP Bioinspiration & Biomimetics.

"Nature really blows our human-made odor sensors out of the water," said lead author Melanie Anderson, a UW doctoral student in mechanical engineering. "By using an actual moth antenna with Smellicopter, we're able to get the best of both worlds: the sensitivity of a biological organism on a robotic platform where we can control its motion.""

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-12-s...

"“Soft-bodied organisms living at medium ocean depths [of more than 1,000m] such as octopuses and jellyfish, have been widely studied; their adaptability has inspired the design of underwater soft robots. Elegant soft robot designs present promising approaches to deep-sea exploration,” the paper – "Self-powered soft robot in the Mariana Trench" – said."

https://www.theregister.com/2021/03/0...

These are 3D printed shells of fossil sea creatures.

"the scientists who are, through a range of methods including digital models and 3D printed replicas, "de-fossilizing" animals of the past to learn how they lived.

Peterman, Ritterbush and their colleagues took 3D printed reconstructions of fossil cephalopods to actual water tanks (including a University of Utah swimming pool) to see how their shell structure may have been tied to their movement and lifestyle. Their research is published in PeerJ and in an upcoming memorial volume to the late paleontologist William Cobban. They found that cephalopods with straight shells called orthocones likely lived a vertical life, jetting up and down to catch food and evade predators. Others with spiral shells, called torticones, added a gentle spin to their vertical motions.

"Thanks to these novel techniques," says Peterman, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, "we can trudge into a largely unexplored frontier in paleobiology. Through detailed modeling, these techniques help paint a clearer picture of the capabilities of these ecologically significant animals while they were alive.""

https://phys.org/news/2021-07-3d-repl...

More information: David J. Peterman et al, Vertical escape tactics and movement potential of orthoconic cephalopods, PeerJ (2021). DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11797
Journal information: PeerJ
Provided by University of Utah

Got to love geckoes.
Here, observation in rainforests combines with a soft robot built to mimic gecko landings in the lab. See the clip.

https://phys.org/news/2021-09-geckos-...

Robot fish can pick up microplastics.
Interesting explanation of oystershell.

"the traditional materials used for soft robots are hydrogels and elastomers, and they can be damaged easily in aquatic environments. Another material called mother-of-pearl, also known as nacre, is strong and flexible, and is found on the inside surface of clam shells. Nacre layers have a microscopic gradient, going from one side with lots of calcium carbonate mineral-polymer composites to the other side with mostly a silk protein filler. Inspired by this natural substance, Xinxing Zhang and colleagues wanted to try a similar type of gradient structure to create a durable and bendable material for soft robots."


https://phys.org/news/2022-06-tiny-fi...


More information: Robust, Healable, Self-Locomotive Integrated Robots Enabled by Noncovalent Assembled Gradient Nanostructure, Nano Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c01375
Journal information: Nano Letters
Provided by American Chemical Society

The seed of Erodium is self-planting by a built-in twisting tail. A robot - made of stressed oakwood - can use this technique to plant tree seeds in otherwise inaccessible areas. I saw a video on Linked In.

https://interestingengineering.com/ie...

"What truly sets the Erodium Copy robot apart is its keen emulation of natural processes. It achieves and maintains its orientation with three anchor points, ensuring stability and precision in its operations. Using a calibrated number of coils, it gently thrusts seeds into the soil, offering protection from natural threats such as fires and heavy rains. This mimics the way many plants in nature propagate their seeds, ensuring that the seeds have the best possible chance of taking root and thriving.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this innovation is its commitment to sustainability. The primary material used in its construction is Oakwood, a wood renowned for its strength and eco-friendliness. By avoiding the use of additional synthetic materials, the Erodium Copy robot minimizes environmental harm, making it a truly eco-conscious solution for reforestation.

Extensive testing has been conducted, including drone-aided seed airdrops, which have achieved an impressive 90% success rate. This underscores the effectiveness of the Erodium Copy robot in its mission to restore our ecosystems. Furthermore, this robot is not limited to just planting seeds; it can also host symbiotic species like fungi and nematodes. This enhances plant survival rates in diverse environments, making it an invaluable tool for ecological restoration efforts worldwide."

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/peterj...