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ChIMERA Bot Slithers and Slides Using Slippery Silicone Skin

by Caleb Johnson on February 7, 2010 at 08:30 AM

Throughout the years, we've seen our fair share of creepy robots, from kits that let you build a girlfriend to bizarre looking, big-eyed dancing robots. But after watching a recent video from Virginia Tech's RoMeLa Lab, we're still cringing. Why? Well, one of their latest robots, dubbed ChIMERA (Chemically Induced Motion Everting Robotic Amoeba), looks like a slug and uses a mechanism charmingly called Whole Skin Locomotion (WSL) to scoot across the floor.

According to Engadget, this amoeba-inspired bot moves using its silicone skin, can squeeze through holes that measure less than half its diameter and travels at about half a meter per-second. Dr. Dennis Hong, one of the scientists behind this robot (amongst many, many others you can see in the video after the break), says the team began by using kinetic energy that was stored in an interior spring to make the bot move. But now, they've developed ways to apply a chemical to the robot's outer layer that makes it crawl across the floor.

Really, it's an extremely cool innovation in robotic locomotion. But we just can't get over the thought of seeing one of these robots sliding around our house. If you've ever stepped on a slug while walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night, you'll understand. If not, well, lucky you. [From: Hizook, via Engadget]

Tags: amoeba, chimera, cool, energy, research, robot, robots, top, virginia tech, VirginiaTech, weird, whole skin locomotion, WholeSkinLocomotion

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