A photo from open sources We are used to the fact that when creating robots engineers are inspired by the movements of a variety of animals: from mollusks and snakes to dogs and cheetahs. But a group of European researchers led by Barbara Mazzolay (Barbara Mazzolai) decided to break down established stereotypes and turned at first glance to static objects – plants, more precisely, to their important component.
The focus of scientists turned out to be the roots that possess unique natural abilities to conduct reconnaissance and lay your way through heterogeneous soil, changing as necessary growth direction. The new project is called PLANTOID.
It has two main goals: the first is to summarize and translate in robotics the basic principles that allow the roots plants spread efficiently through the soil and function under land and – second – to develop new scientific hypotheses and models, concerning previously unexplored aspects of the development of the root system, such as the role of the local connection of root vertices in the process adaptive growth, or collection of sensory information from all processes for making (no more, no less) collective decisions.
A photo from open sources
At the moment, the team made the first prototype a tree robot or plantoid that has two roots. One of equipped with end sensors and can bend when there is a need to bypass a stone or fragment of toxic soil, and the other is able to lengthen, simulating growth.
The plantoid barrel is made using a 3D printer and serves microprocessor case. Four branches depart from it, which equipped with sensors necessary for assessing the environmental situation. With their help, information is collected on temperature, gravity, humidity, the presence of various chemical elements in the environment environment.
The developers note that this model is proof of concept validity and demonstration of new principles in robotics, and therefore is not yet intended for any specific purpose. Nevertheless, the future new development predict very versatile.
A photo from open sources
First of all, plantoids will be useful in space exploration. They will be able to independently fix on the surface of new planets and analyze and monitor the state of both soil and atmosphere.
In addition, for surgical operations may be miniature flexible endoscopic plant robots have been created.
Larger plantoids may be indispensable for finding people Debris, for example, during natural disasters.
Now researchers are continuing their development, in particular, try to combine different functions in one root, and also are looking for possible plantoid energy sources in environment.
Plants Robots
