Researchers control tiny robots using flexible tethers, enabling group movement without computers—potential for swarms in space and beyond.
Researchers have discovered a way to control tiny, two-inch robots without using computers, opening new possibilities for robot swarm s in areas like surveillance and space exploration. A team at Princeton Engineering connected these “bristle bots”—simple robots with vibrating motors and flexible legs—with a flexible polymer tether.
According to researchers, this enabled scientists to achieve “morphological computation,” meaning the bots use their physical traits rather than digital commands to solve complex problems. The approach lets the bots interact and move as a group without any programming, offering insight into how groups of simple robots might one day work together autonomously. “We wanted to take brainless agents and initiate complex behaviors,” said Pierre-Thomas Brun, an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering and the research team leader at Princeton Engineering, in a, or groups of bacteria, often create organized movements that look complex but arise naturally. This behavior is common across many scales, from tiny bacteria to large animal groups. In artificial settings, researchers mimic these behaviors with “brainless” self-propelled robots, which respond to external signals or flexible boundaries to form unique patterns. In these systems, each unit uses energy to move independently, yet collectively forms synchronized patterns, as seen in starlings’ flocks or swarming robots. On their own, toy robots just skitter around, but tethered together, they explore spaces, solve mazes, and gather objects effectively. However, achieving and managing these movements is challenging, as they require many agents acting together to start the collective motion. In essence, active matter systems demonstrate how multiple simple units can interact to produce coordinated, dynamic behaviors without central control. The team was curious to know if complicated behavior might be produced without the use of lighting or other external cues. They intended to use mechanical intelligence, which occurs when physical systems solve issues similarly to how a hand grasps a ball.to produce a flexible cable, which was the key. They experimented with tethers of various degrees of flexibility and stiffness. They used cameras to track the bots and developed mathematical models that forecasted the behavior of the paired bots depending on factors including the force of the bots and the length and flexibility of the tether. Afterward, the team fastened a tether to the front edge of every rectangular microbot in each configuration. The two bots scarcely moved when they pushed against one another using the stiffest tether—basically, a stiff polyester beam. The tethers, however, started to give way as the bots pushed, and the researchers made the polyester more flexible. After learning to control the paired robots’ movement, researchers tested their ability to navigate around obstacles. When the bots encountered a wall, the U-shaped tether flattened, causing one bot to slide along the wall. The tether then re-curved in a new direction, allowing the bots to move away from the wall and explore confined areas. This adaptive behavior also enabled the bots to navigate through mazes. Along with developing techniques for grouping disparate items on a tabletop, the researchers also looked at the bots’ ability to maneuver in small places. As a senior thesis, the research first investigated the response of a single robot attached to an elastic beam to movement. Later, the researchers noticed unexpected, self-organized behaviors when they connected two bots with a flexible cable. The study team intends to keep improving the tether technology to investigate novel behaviors and combinations with bigger groups of tethered. They are also thinking about applying this strategy to three-dimensional navigable drones, which could expand the use of these self-organizing concepts.Jijo is an automotive and business journalist based in India. Armed with a BA in History from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, and a PG diploma in Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi, he has worked for news agencies, national newspapers, and automotive magazines. In his spare time, he likes to go off-roading, engage in political discourse, travel, and teach languages.
Autonomous Microbot Polyester Princeton Engineering Robot Robot Swarm Tether
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Stokoe Farms unveils Peanuts-themed maze for Charles Schulz's 75th anniversaryScottsville, N.Y. — In honor of the upcoming 75th Anniversary of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip, Stokoe Farms is presenting a Peanuts-themed maze created
Read more »
Dylan O’Brien raised ‘concerns’ on ‘Maze Runner’ set before life-threatening injury: ‘Not respected’“I know I was trying to protect myself that day, and so I’ve just never forgotten that,” the actor shared.
Read more »
Navigating The Healthcare Maze: A Path To Better Health, Lower CostsToo often, at critical junctures in life, when clarity is essential, we find ourselves lost in a maze of confusion. A new platform offers a solution.
Read more »
Navigating this world-record corn maze is a test of the human psycheCool Patch Pumpkins in Solano County has twice held the Guinness World Record for world's largest corn maze. Over the years, the maze has served as a towering 60-acre experiment in human psychology.
Read more »
Navigating this world-record corn maze is a test of the human psycheDeep inside one of the world’s largest corn mazes, people tend to reveal themselves.
Read more »
Bill Belichick and Jordan Hudson Embrace Fall Spirit on Corn Maze DateFormer NFL coach Bill Belichick and his girlfriend Jordan Hudson embraced the fall spirit by heading to a corn maze on Friday, October 18
Read more »