Engineers designed an underwater robot that looks and moves like a moon jellyfish. Unlike previous electrically powered jellyfish robots, this one uses heat energy to move, giving it a longer lifetime.
When hydrogen and oxygen combine with RoboJelly's store of platinum particles, a chemical reaction releases thermal energy. RoboJelly harnesses that heat to contract its artificial muscles and move. The technology is also green, says University of Texas at Dallas mechanical engineer Yonas Tadesse, because the main byproduct is water vapor.
Electrical sources of energy, like batteries, can give out rather quickly, but RoboJelly's power supply is "indefinite, theoretically, because the hydrogen and oxygen can be regenerated from the environment," Tadesse said. Unfortunately, RoboJelly can't go forever: At some point, its artificial muscles will wear out, and it'll stop moving.
If equipped with sensors, these robots could be used to monitor aquatic pollution, said Tadesse.
Video: Heat-powered RoboJelly during a test swim. Yonas Tadesse/University of Texas at Dallas.
Image: Heat-powered RoboJelly. Yonas Tadesse/University of Texas at Dallas.