(MENAFN- Robotics & Automation News) How do you deploy an environmental sensor to collect climate change readings over a prolonged period on an uninhabited island without failing? How do you power a seismic detector to operate for months in an underwater cave?

In environments that are difficult to reach because of the hazards or hardships for humans, a device behaving like a native plant could be the answer.

This is the approach taken by Suyi Li, associate professor in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech , and Clemson professor and collaborator Ian Walker . Their work is being advanced thanks to a four-year, $840,000 grant from the National Science Foundation .

Li says:“When I started to venture into robotics a few years ago, I was surprised to see that almost all robots are inspired by humans and animals to some degree.

“However, I believe the vast plant kingdom can offer us many unique lessons on approaching the design, actuation, and operation of robots. This is how Ian and I started working on this topic together.“

class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block;" data-ad-client="ca-pub-6033737614224062" data-ad-slot="7061071681"

MENAFN17012024005532012229ID1107735435