Bugs are creepy to begin with. Robot bugs even more so, because…Well, they’re robot bugs. Researchers in China love bugs as inspiration for robots. A team of engineers from the country’s School of Chemical Engineering and Technology have created a microbot weighing just 0.02 lbs that can repeatedly jump across the surface of water without falling in.
They used a highly repellent foam coating to help the strider-like bot’s legs stay afloat with every 5.5 inch leap. This buffers the force that would normally make it fall below water. It’s not the first of its kind, but this is the first to successfully and repeatedly hop along in this way.
Sadly we don’t have a video. I would love to see it in action.
Source EngadgetFiled Under: Technology News