For the last two years we have witnessed the debut and the fame of iRobot's Blob Bot, ChemBot. Many scientists have attempted to create whole-skin locomotion (WSL) robots, but iRobot just won the project.
Today, another scientist is given the opportunity to create a whole new WSL robot that will have less or no restrictions to environmental constraints.
Dr. Dennis Hong of Virginia Tech's RoMeLa Lab is awarded a $400k grant by the NSF to develop a new whole-skin locomotion robot named ChIMERA which stands for "Chemically Induced Motion Everting Robotic Amoeba" that was first introduced at a recent TEDxNASA event.
As described by Dr. Hong, ChIMERA is likened to a slippery water-snake toy, made with silicone which makes it very flexible and difficult to grasp.
Although the researchers have not disclosed how ChIMERA was engineered and formed, they have provided enough video materials for us to visualize how it moves. I'm especially fascinated by the robot's fast movements (0.5 m/s) and it's ability to squeeze through small holes (half its own diameter).
Click here to read more about ChIMERA, Amoeba-Like Whole-SKin Locomotion Robots
