Dutch Robot Outpaces Ferraris Using Only Air and Physics!

Quick Smiles:

• A Dutch robot zooms ahead using just air and physics, leaving Ferraris in its dust.
• With no electronics, this soft robot syncs its legs spontaneously for rapid movement.
• Surprisingly versatile, it adapts from land to water without a central processor.

In an intriguing development from the AMOLF research institute in Amsterdam, a unique robot is making waves—or rather, ripples—by relying solely on air and simple physics to achieve remarkable speeds.

This Dutch marvel, devoid of any hardware or software, can walk, hop, and swim, reaching an astonishing pace of 30 times its body length in just one second.

To put that into perspective, it’s about 100% faster than a Ferrari when considering their relative sizes.

The engineers behind this innovation liken its operation to the wobbly, inflatable tube dancers often seen outside car dealerships.

They suggest that the same physics that makes these figures dance might just be the key to the future of autonomous robotics.

“Soft robotics” is an exciting field that has recently seen significant advancements in creating controllable units with minimal electronic or mechanical components.

Among these innovations are gel-like bots that move in an inchworm fashion through temperature changes.

In this particular creation, a continuous stream of air powers each of its soft, tubular legs, causing them to oscillate.

“When many legs are coupled together, something unexpected happens: their motions quickly synchronize, creating ‘surprising coordination and autonomy’ simply because of its body and how it interacts with the world,” as noted in a study published in the journal Science.

Alberto Comoretto, the study’s first author, explained the phenomenon: “There’s no code, no instructions.”

“The legs simply fall into sync spontaneously, and the robot takes off. Suddenly, order emerges from chaos.”

Once synchronized, the robot achieves an impressive speed of 30 body lengths per second when air is delivered at high speeds.

Comoretto, a PhD student specializing in soft robotic matter, highlights that this speed surpasses that of a Ferrari, which reaches only 20 lengths per second in relative terms.

This comparison is akin to saying a flea can jump farther than a frog, or a spider boasts more strength than Arnold Schwarzenegger.

When contrasted with other air-powered robots, which typically require centralized control and move significantly slower, this robot stands out.

One of its most fascinating features is its ability to adapt when encountering obstacles.

It momentarily scrambles before reorganizing its legs, much like a millipede regains rhythm after a disruption.

“When it moves from land to water, the gait spontaneously shifts from an in-phase hopping pattern to a swimming freestyle,” said Comoretto.

“These transitions happen without any central processor or control logic.”

Dr. Mannus Schomaker, a co-author of the study, drew parallels with the movement of sea stars and other animals that exhibit decentralized intelligence.

“In biology, we often see similar decentralized intelligence,” said Dr. Schomaker.

“Sea stars, for example, coordinate hundreds of tube feet using local feedback and body dynamics, not a centralized brain.”

Professor Bas Overvelde, the principal investigator, expressed that he hesitates to label it a robot, stating, “essentially, it’s a machine.”

“But when properly designed, it can outperform many robotic systems and behave like an artificial creature,” he added.

The potential applications for such technology are vast, ranging from smart pills to space exploration, particularly in reconnaissance missions on unfamiliar terrains.

While much of the early exploration into robotics was inspired by human biology, nature offers a plethora of locomotion methods.

The field of soft robotics is proving just how valuable these can be in crafting intelligent machines to address modern challenges.

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