U.S. scientists develop omnidirectional sensing robots

According to foreign media reports, bionic technology is an important way to create future machines. Species in the natural world have evolved over millions of years and gradually formed body functions that are adaptable to the environment. Researchers from Northwestern University are currently developing a new type of technology. Underwater robots use biomimetic principles derived from Amazon's electric fish. The robot they are developing can perform tasks in a completely dark environment, replacing humans into dangerous waters, such as swimming around shipwrecks and even deepening shipwrecks. Internal exploration.

Professor Malcolm McKeeper believes that we do not currently have an underwater robot capable of performing missions in real danger. For example, after a cruise ship sinks, it is very dangerous to send divers to the waters surrounding the shipwreck. The seawater here is generally in poor visibility. In the state of water, there may be dangerous vortices in the water. But we can learn some knowledge from electric fish. The electric fish do not use its visual system to prey on the Amazon River, and it has incredible precision. Researchers at Northwestern University have deciphered the sensory and motor systems of electric fish through years of research. The neurons distributed along the spine can feel the weak voltage changes caused by prey entering the water. Although the perturbations are very weak, they are enough to make electricity. Fish finds their existence.

The electric fish has evolved a complex sensory system in which its sensory nerves can connect the entire body so that the electric fish can tell itself about the situation in the environment and can feel the slight change in voltage in all directions. This is like a whole body cloth. Full sensor platform, any one direction of the disturbance will be detected by the sensor. In Professor McKeep's laboratory, scientists are studying the construction of omnidirectional sensors that can be used on tank robots and have the ability to sense the surrounding situation.

At the same time, researchers seem to be hoping to replicate the special "propulsion" techniques used on electric fish. Professor Malcolm McKiefer believes that the construction of the propulsion system needs to give an accurate mathematical relationship between frequency and amplitude. At present, researchers at Northwestern Laboratories in the United States are developing artificial sensory systems and have given advanced athletic performance.