MIT engineers have recently introduced a hopping robot, no bigger than a thumb, that might just redefine search and rescue missions. According to MIT News, this bite-sized piece of technology can leap over obstacles and across uneven surfaces, all while carrying payloads much heavier than itself. The tiny contender can navigate through difficult terrains like those found in disaster-struck areas, making it an asset for searching for survivors in a scenario where time and accessibility matter the most.
The innovation from MIT comes as an answer to the hurdles faced by small robots, which typically encounter difficulties due to rubble, inclined surfaces, or simply the energy-intensive flight that aerial robots undertake. Working to combine the best of hopping and flying, the team created a robot adept at traversing by jumping—without sipping the power reserves dry. Notably, while wading through challenging surfaces, the robot hops about 20 centimeters high and slides with a lateral quickness of roughly 30 centimeters per second. Fitted with flapping-wing modules, the robot uses less energy than flying bots, making it more efficient in energy usage and capable of carrying more weight.
Explaining the technology behind the robot, MIT graduate student and co-lead author of the research Yi-Hsuan (Nemo) Hsiao told MIT News, "If you have an ideal spring, your robot can just hop along without losing any energy." However, as the spring isn't perfect, the robot compensates with flapping wings that help maintain its orientation and ensure a proper landing for the next jump. The robot's durability is evidenced by its uninterrupted performance throughout experiments without any need for repair.
Tested on a variety of terrains, the robot showed that the angle of the surface it lands on is largely irrelevant, as confirmed by Hsiao's explanation that as long as the robot doesn’t slip, it will function as intended. Faced with dynamically changing terrains, the robot can adjust from hopping on grass to slick glass, compensating for any energy loss with increased thrust from its wings. Additionally, its small size imparts agility, allowing it to not only clear obstacles but also to land on a drone mid-flight and survive impacts owing to a small moment of inertia.
To evolve this tiny jumper from a lab marvel to a real-world aide, the research team plans to equip it with autonomous hop-capabilities, outfitting it with batteries, sensors, and circuits. A nod to their ambition, Justin Yim, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne who was not affiliated with the research, lauded the versatility of this robot. This line of research benefitted from funding by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the MIT MISTI program, among others.
